Housing Shortage Causing High Prices to Remain Steady

Things should be slowing down on housing prices. It should be, but it's not. It's not that LA is invincible--we all know that a financial crisis can affect every city. But the fact is, that there is a housing shortage. And where there is a larger demand, prices will be high. A few years ago, I was very bullish about buying, but that's because prices and loan rates were at historic lows. Today, loan rates are still super low, but prices are high, and to add to the mix, there is a massive housing shortage. The laws of supply and demand say this should lead to ongoing high prices. Some are saying to buy now because the shortage will continue. Others are saying that a dip is imminent. It's hard to say who's right at this time.

This according to LA Times writer Steve Lopez:

 "Today, home ownership in California is the best investment any of us will ever make, thanks, in large part, to a scarcity of housing. The pace of construction has not kept up with population grown and demand, so those of us with houses own a staggering amount of equity wealth that grows even as those without homes pay a higher price for survival.” 

Landlords in DTLA - Rental Market is Evolving

A while back I had "predicted" that the rental market in downtown will see a softening. This is true. It just took a little observation to come to this conclusion. Tons of new rental-only buildings coming on the market in downtown. So it's only natural that the those of us with rental units are going to have competition. And yes, this is causing the units to sit longer and in some cases, cut prices.

The gist is this: If you are a condo owner in a newer building (meaning not a historic building), then chances are you're going to have to do better to get your place rented. Do some light remodeling and updating. Put in a kitchen island. Freshly paint the walls. Put in nice window treatments. Do something, because the new stock on the market such as Oakwood, 8th and Grand, Windsor, Atelier, G12, etc, are newer and flashier. I know for a fact that just a little tweaking and your condo is just as marketable as any of the new stuff.

Rentals in historic condo buildings (e.g. Rowan, Eastern Columbia, Barker Block, Biscuit Lofts, Toy Factory) are steady, simply because there are so few historic rental buildings in general. What exists is what exists, unless we get some more conversions.

Close to DTLA, Yet Well Under $1Mil

It's still a Seller's market. Prices are high, lots of buyers, nicely maintained properties are still getting multiple bids, and inventory is super low. 

And yes, I'm going to go there. I'm actually using $1Mil as a benchmark for affordability. These are the times we live in, in L.A. (Keep in mind our Norcal neighbors are laughing at these affordable prices.)

Despite the gloom and doom news about home affordability (some of which is true), certain pockets of the city are still in high demand and the buyers can actually afford what they're looking for. Some DTLA owners are opting to rent out their DTLA pad and try out a house with a yard in these pockets or buy an investment to AirBnB.

Some excellent up and coming neighborhoods where values are still rising due to proximity to DTLA and other major hubs, and prices on average are under $1Mil.

Highland Park 

Glassell Park

Montecito Heights

Lincoln Heights

Hermon

Monterey Hills

El Sereno

Garvanza

West Adams/Jefferson Park

View Park/Park Hill Heights

DTLA Pocket Rental Alert: Gorgeous Loft w/ Concrete Floors at Eastern Columbia

Gorgeous 900sf loft for lease at the famed Eastern Columbia building on 9th & Broadway. Beautifully maintained with stainless steel appliances and a Kelly Wearstler designed bathroom. Open plan layout with views to the south. Concrete Floors, 11 foot ceilings, and comes with 1 parking space. Within 3 blocks to Ace Hotel, Whole Foods, Terroni, Peking Tavern, Pattern Bar, Freehand, The Exchange, Cos, CVS, Loit, Verve, IL Cafe, Om Nom, Ralphs, Wood Spoon, New Moon, Tuck, Wild Living and more.

Asking $2800/mo. Available Oct 1, 2017. Call for a details. 310-869-2655

"Not Paying Some A**hole's Mortgage"

I ask all my buyer clients why they've decided to buy. A client of mine who just bought a small house in NELA had told me it was because he was sick of paying rent to a Landlord who was a piece of work. After the relationship had continued to get worse and his non-rent-control house increased to $3200/mo, my client decided that was it. No more paying someone else's mortgage.

He ended up buying a house where his PITI (principal, interest, taxes & insurance) equated to about $3350/mo. For $150 more per month, he is now paying himself to own a place in which he can paint, remodel, add onto, landscape, and park 24/7. 

With prices what they are currently, it's difficult to own for cheaper than you rent. We aren't in 2011 anymore. But sometimes the peace of mind and pride of ownership is worth every penny. 

Plus he gets to write off a mortgage interest and property taxes, and rent out the detached studio as an AirBnb whenever he wants. And he's still close enough to the neighborhoods he frequents, which are DTLA, Pasadena Glendale & Atwater. 

Minimum Salary Around $100k to Afford a Home in LA

Using the National Association of Realtors’ data on housing affordability, Business Insider gathered a list of the US metro areas where the minimum salary required to qualify for a mortgage, after a 20 percent down payment, is highest. What they found was that the salary needed to qualify in the top-five metro areas — four of which are located in California — exceeds $100,000.

Here’s what it you need to be earning to buy in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania metro areas ranked 13th overall in BI’s list. With a population of 20,182,305 and a median home cost of $414,000, the salary you need to buy is $76,613.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida, metro area ranked down at number 20. With a much lower population of 6,012,331 and median home cost of $335,000 the salary a sunshine state buyer needs is $61,994.

Meanwhile in Los Angles-Long Beach-Glendale, California weighed in at number seven. The population is 10,170,292 and the median home cost was $514,000. That means that the salary you’ll needed to buy is $95,156.

If you were wondering about what metro area took the top spot, well, that would be San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California. The salary needed to buy there was calculated to be $218,996. 

TRD

Condo Prices Stay Stronger Than SFR Prices

As housing prices continue to climb, condo pricing is among the strongest, and where are the highest concentration of condos? DTLA of course. Condo prices in Downtown LA rose 2.4 percent in the first three months of this year, according to Douglas Elliman.

From January to March, condos in DTLA sold for a median price of $599,000, up from $585,000 in the same time period last year. And, the average DTLA condo spent 67 days on the market—a drop from 82 days in the first quarter of 2016.

There's a huge reason as to why. People are getting priced out of the SFR market, and condos often have a more affordable price point. For instance, a 1 bed condo in WEHO with nice amenities could cost you about $650k, while a 2+1 home will cost about 1.1k. The discrepancy is price is huge and you're not always getting a whole lot more for that upcharge.

In DTLA, you can snag a condo with nice views and parking and amenities like a pool, gym, lounge, concierge, for about $700k. You'd have to plunk down about $850 to get a semi-decent remodeled 2+2 in Highland Park, and you may not even have a garage.

The second reason is the upkeep. Condos are relatively headache free--just maintain your AC unit and keep the plumbing in good shape. While a house needs regular maintenance for the roof, basement, gutters, landscaping, etc, and this isn't for everyone. 

Still a Seller's Market

While "days on the market" are averaging about 30-45 days in DTLA, it's still a seller's market. The problem lately is that sellers are pricing too high. They think that the price of their condo is 25-50k more than the market value. This is causing buyers to disregard those properties or low ball. The worst scenario is when in escrow, the appraised value is lower, so the seller is often "forced" to lower the price or the buyer backs out. Not a good situation.

That said, properties are still selling though they aren't being snapped up within days.

We're at the highest price points in the last 10 years so is it a good time to sell? If you've made a killing, then yes, it might be time.

It's Been a Long Real Estate Wave in DTLA, and Still Going

Crazy to think that prices have been increasing in DTLA (and most of LA for that matter) for about 270 weeks straight. Prices went up exponentially between 2012-2014, then less exponentially from 2015-2017. But still, prices kept going up.

In downtown, even with all the construction of condos and the increase of apartments for rent, the fact remains, there's still not enough inventory to buy, causing demand to remain high. True, properties are sitting on the market longer, average about 60 days, mainly due to the higher prices and lending restrictions, but they do sell in the end.

DTLA has reached a critical mass where now I'm getting contacted by DTLA homeowners who want to buy a second property as an investment. People who already own in the area want to own another, and that's hugely telling. It's a desirable place to live, and the rents are even more desirable.

One key change from about 7 years ago: You'd buy an $900k property and expect to rent it out at $2000/mo. Now, you buy a $900k property and expect to rent it out for about $3500/mo.  The math pencils out much better.

Hence the influx of people from NYC, Chicago, SF buying either a second home or investment property because it's still affordable compared to those areas. And yet it's reminding them of Brooklyn, SF's Mission or Wicker Park in Chicago a few years ago. Heck, even Detroit...nuff said.

Pocket Listing Alert - 1 bed + 1.5 bath, 1050sf luxury high rise pad

Bid before it hits the market.

Stunning pad just steps to Staples Center and LA Live, 

Whole Foods, Ralphs, The Bloc, Ace Hotel, etc. Asking $715k. 

Email reinventingdtla@gmail.com for viewings.