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2034 5th St Unit C. (Santa Monica)

Redfin link Pros Up to date amenities. Counter tops, fixtures, tile, etc. seem modern and good quality. A large balcony. Cons Small toilets. Building feels cheap. There's a hollowness to the floors. There are 4 units on a lot meant for a single family home. Bizarre ownership requirements. Thoughts This is a strange property. It sold 5 years ago for 1.7M , and has since been turned it into a 4 unit property. Except it isn't a real 4 unit property. Probably because of zoning restrictions, the owners are attempting to sell portions of a Tenancy In Common ownership. I don't know all the intricacies involved with a TIC, but essentially it is a single legal entity that owns the property and the ownership is subdivided among the Tenants. This is all fine and dandy, except if one tenant defaults on a loan, the other tenants are responsible for it. In my opinion a TIC is a nonstarter. It seems like a legal vehicle that makes sense if you're bequeathing prop
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10021 Tabor St. #113

Redfin link Pros Bottom floor unit. Monthly HOA of $410 is on the more affordable side. Two side by side parking spots. Supposedly a lot of guest parking, 15 spaces? The Exposition Line's Palms station is very close, maybe a 5 minute walk.  Cons Bottom floor unit with windows to the courtyard reduces privacy. And the only windows are to the courtyard, so possibly no direct sunlight. The courtyard, which includes a pool, might be noisy, though I did not see any people out there during the open house, which was a Sunday afternoon. No dining room, just a small space next to the kitchen that is more of a breakfast nook. Has that "apartment" smell. Overall impressions The building feels more like an apartment than a condominium. The doors, hallways, carpet, elevator all felt cheap. There's a beige tinge to everything, probably from the decades old paint. The unit itself was okay. Seems they did some superficial remodeling, using black brushed metal han
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2815 S. Holt Ave.

Redfin link Pros It's a house. Has a yard. Adequately sized for a small family. Cons Being outside, or merely having the windows open is accompanied by the soothing sounds of the 10 freeway. Save for a few feet of brush, the backyard butts up against the freeway wall. No garage, though there is a driveway. Overall impression Would be a decent house if it were half the price. Though you can't see it, the air is filled with dust this close to the freeway. Outdoor furniture has to be wiped down before every use. And you don't want your kids playing in the yard for too long. Hard pass.
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4214 Raintree Circle

Redfin link Thoughts The stylings are very 90s. Light fixtures had a faux modern art vibe with glass and metal, and several floor-to-ceiling mirrors spanned the dining area. I appreciated the honesty of it though; the owners didn't try to hide these details. Kind of cool in a retro way. The kitchen, though a bit narrow, seems functional. The counter tops are a speckled brown, which has the unfortunate affect of making it feel smaller and hiding dirt. One of the bedrooms was filled with sunlight. Both bathrooms are tucked into the bedrooms, so they don't have windows to open air. The patio is accessible on three sides by the living room and two bedrooms. It is spacious enough to hold a grill, though I'm not sure if there are HOA rules against that. There is a shared laundry room down the hall, with two or three washers and dryers. I imagine doing laundry could be annoying. This is probably the deal breaker for us. Overall impression I didn't mind this cond
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What's this?

I'm Lawrence. My wife and I are young-ish professionals trying to buy a home in Los Angeles. Our months-long search has thus far been unsuccessful. Dear Reader: look forward to my thoughts on homes, agents, lenders, and general musings on navigating the hellscape that is the Los Angeles housing market. Godspeed.
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