Blog

Notes on the local market

2026-11-11 · 4 min read

Buying a Desert Vacation Home From Los Angeles: What to Check Before You Make an Offer

Buying a Joshua Tree area vacation home from Los Angeles? What a first-time buyer's deal taught me about septic, the appraisal, and the team you need.

2026-11-10 · 3 min read

Is December a Good Time to Buy a House in Los Angeles or Culver City?

Buying in Los Angeles or Culver City this December? Why fewer shoppers means less competition, and the steps to take now to close escrow by year end.

2026-11-10 · 4 min read

How Long Does It Take to Sell a House in Los Angeles, and What Slows It Down?

Selling in Los Angeles takes three clocks: preparation, time on the market, and escrow. Here is what moves each one and how to plan for a date you need to hit.

2026-11-09 · 6 min read

I Keep Getting Cash Offers on My Los Angeles House. What Should I Do?

Getting cash offers on your Los Angeles house? How cash and financed offers differ, why you want a Realtor representing you, and your options for marketing it.

2026-11-06 · 5 min read

Prop 37 Passed, Does It Help You Buy a Home in Los Angeles or Culver City?

Prop 37 passed. Here is who qualifies for the 17% down payment loan, what it covers, and the part many headlines leave out.

A tax bill, a calculator and a set of house keys on a kitchen table

2026-11-04 · 6 min read

How Much Will My Property Taxes Be After I Buy a Home in Los Angeles or Culver City?

The tax figure on a Los Angeles or Culver City listing is often the seller's bill, not yours. Here is how the bill is built and what the supplemental bill is.

A quiet front porch of a longtime Los Angeles family home in afternoon light

2026-11-04 · 5 min read

How Do I Help My Parents Decide What to Do With Our Family Home in Los Angeles?

Your parents still live in the house you grew up in and you are not sure how to bring it up. Here is how I would start, what to find out, and what not to do.

2026-11-02 · 5 min read

Is It Cheaper to Buy in Culver City or Mar Vista? What Homes Sold For in Q3 2026

Culver City and Mar Vista side by side: 146 single-family sales in Q3 2026, with median prices, home sizes, speed, and how many sold above list.

2026-11-02 · 5 min read

How Do Home Prices Compare Across Culver City's Six Subneighborhoods?

Price range, schools, and street character for six Culver City neighborhoods: Carlson Park, Lucerne-Higuera, Blair Hills, Studio Village, Sunkist Park, and Blanco.

2026-10-28 · 5 min read

What Does $1.5 Million, $2 Million, or $3 Million Buy in Culver City?

What 50 Culver City home sales show about bedrooms, size, and speed at $1.5 million, $2 million, and $2.5 million, plus the two sales above $3 million.

2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Is Culver City Part of Los Angeles, and What Changes When You Own Here?

Culver City is its own city inside Los Angeles County, not part of the City of Los Angeles. Here is what that changes when you sell, remodel, or buy a home.

2026-10-27 · 6 min read

Is the Los Angeles and Culver City Real Estate Market Cooling, Correcting, or Heating Back Up?

What 63 Culver City home sales show about prices, speed and rates since July, and what it means if you’re selling, buying, or staying put.

An orange stucco house with lit windows at dusk and a green front lawn

2026-10-22 · 8 min read

Does Downsizing in Los Angeles Actually Save You Money?

What it costs to keep a longtime LA home, what it costs to sell, and what the next place costs, with one real family's monthly numbers. Not tax advice.

Illustrated diagram of the first 5 feet around a home, showing the safety zone and low-combustibility zone beside a four-part Zone Zero checklist

2026-10-20 · 7 min read

What Is Zone Zero, and What Do Los Angeles Homeowners Need to Do in the First 5 Feet?

California approved Zone Zero, a rule for the first 5 feet around a home in fire zones. Here is what it requires in Los Angeles, the timeline, and what to do now.

Sunny living room with exposed wood beams, a large window framing palm trees, a curved cream sofa and a round wood coffee table

2026-10-19 · 6 min read

Can I Stay in My House After I Sell It in Culver City or Anywhere in Los Angeles?

Yes, a rent-back lets you stay after closing. Here's how it works for Culver City and LA sellers: length, cost, insurance, and when to ask.

2026-10-14 · 6 min read

How Do Today's Mortgage Rates Affect Buying a Home in Los Angeles?

The 30-year fixed averaged 7.40% in mid-October, up from 6.27% a year ago. Here is what it does to a Los Angeles buyer's monthly payment.

2026-10-14 · 6 min read

How Do Today's Mortgage Rates Affect Selling a Home in Los Angeles?

The 30-year fixed averaged 7.40% in mid-October, up from 6.27% a year ago. Here is what that means for pricing and selling a Los Angeles home.

Washington Boulevard in the Culver City Arts District on a sunny day, with tall palm trees, parked cars, and a Wizard of Oz sculpture on a tall pole at the right

2026-10-07 · 3 min read

The Culver City Arts Festival on October 10: A Saturday in the Arts District

The Culver City Arts Festival took place Saturday, October 10, in the Arts District. What was planned, which street closed, and the next date to save in Downtown Culver City.

A small model house and a pen on a sheet of paper, with dollar bills tucked underneath

2026-10-07 · 6 min read

How Much Capital Gains Tax Will I Owe If I Sell a Los Angeles or Culver City Home I've Owned for 30 Years?

How the home sale exclusion works for longtime Culver City owners, how California treats the rest, and what to bring to your CPA. Not tax advice.

A tower with a steel-banded facade near Culver City's Hayden Tract

2026-09-29 · 3 min read

What’s Changing in Culver City’s Hayden Tract

A firsthand look at the creative offices going up in Culver City's Hayden Tract, and the architecture that makes this pocket of the city one of a kind

Kitchen with a marble-topped island and light wood cabinets

2026-09-25 · 4 min read

How Does Market Ready Concierge Work for Los Angeles and Culver City Sellers?

How Market Ready Concierge fronts the cost of prepping your Culver City home for sale, and where to spend it first, with real current market numbers.

Two-story green house with a front lawn and a palm tree

2026-09-21 · 5 min read

Can I Buy My Next Home Before I Sell My House in Los Angeles or Culver City?

Can you buy your next home before selling your current one? Yes, often. Here's how bridge loans, HELOCs, rent-backs actually work for Culver City sellers.

2026-09-18 · 2 min read

What’s Coming to the Corner of Washington and Centinela in Culver City West

A new retail center is coming to Washington and Centinela in Culver City West. Here's who's signed on so far: Vox Kitchen, Wanderlust Creamery and more.

2026-09-18 · 8 min read

What Do You Do With Decades of Belongings Before You Sell Your Los Angeles or Culver City Home?

Selling a home you've lived in for decades? Here's how to sort, sell, donate, and let go of belongings without the overwhelm, or the family fight.

A small model house and keys on a wooden table

2026-09-17 · 6 min read

If You Sell Your Los Angeles or Culver City Home After Decades, Do You Lose Your Low Property Taxes?

If you've owned your Culver City home for decades, here's how California's Prop 19 lets you keep your property tax base when you sell. Not tax advice.

2026-09-11 · 11 min read

What Should You Know Before Selling a Los Angeles or Culver City Home You've Owned for 20+ Years?

Capital gains, Culver City transfer taxes, Prop 19 and whether to renovate: what longtime Culver City owners should know before they sell. Not tax advice.

2026-09-09 · 2 min read

Culver City History Goes Way Beyond Sony Studios and Good Restaurants

Culver City has more history than Sony Studios. A 1920s speedway, a Spruce Goose connection, and three more facts that might surprise you.

Wooden Blair Hills Park, Culver City sign among ivy

2026-09-07 · 4 min read

The Real History of Blair Hills, Culver City: A Land Grant and a Will Rogers Connection

Blair Hills in Culver City goes back to an 1821 land grant and a ten acre ranch owned by Will Rogers Jr. Here is the full story.

Gray single-story house with a landscaped front yard

2026-09-03 · 7 min read

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a Home in Los Angeles?

The $200,000 down payment myth keeps LA renters renting. Here is what buyers need up front, which loan programs ask for less, and where to start.

Three women standing on the lawn in front of a house

2026-09-03 · 6 min read

What Do You Do First When You Inherit a Home in Los Angeles?

Selling a home you inherited in Los Angeles. What to check on title and probate, the tax question to ask, and how to keep the family on the same page.

2026-08-29 · 3 min read

The Culver Hotel Has Survived a Century. That Should Tell You Something About The Neighborhood.

What the 100-year-old Culver Hotel tells buyers and sellers about why Culver City real estate holds its value.

Living room with a stone fireplace, lounge chair and sofa

2026-08-27 · 3 min read

Should I Sell My House in Los Angeles Now or Wait?

Wondering if you should sell your Los Angeles home now or wait? Nicole Strober explains what sellers should consider before making the decision.

The Hollywood Bowl shell lit during a performance with fireworks

2026-06-05 · 2 min read

The Hollywood Bowl: Summer Nights and Seven Figure Streets

Explore luxury living and premium real estate in the exclusive, seven-figure neighborhoods near the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

Santa Monica Route 66 End of the Trail sign

2026-05-01 · 2 min read

Route 66 Turns 100 And It Ends Right Here in Los Angeles.

Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, and it ends in Los Angeles. A look at how the road shaped the city and the neighborhoods around it.

Aerial view of a curving tree-lined entrance road

2026-04-03 · 3 min read

Cameo Woods: Los Angeles’ Best-Kept Secret

Explore Cameo Woods, LA’s hidden sanctuary. Discover why first-time buyers choose this gated community for its affordability and charm.