Los Angeles’ Mt. Washington: A House Flippers Paradise

The Northeast Los Angeles community of Mt. Washington is one of LA’s hottest real estate markets. Homes for sale in Mt. Washington have become a hot commodity not only for homebuyers but also for home flippers yearning to make large profits off of the sheer number of very old homes in the region. Mt. Washington is, after all, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles with many homes there built as early as the early 1920’s.

House flippers enter the market by paying cash for a “run-down” home and then spend the next several months doing quick and hardy renovations to significantly increase the value of the home. Before 12 months pass they resale the home for a price at least 10% higher than the original purchase price. House flippers in up-and-coming neighborhoods like Mount Washington often make an even larger profit. Mt. Washington real estate agents who make the sale also share in the large profits.

For example, last year in Mt. Washington a mid-century ranch style house was on the market for $590,000. House flippers purchased the home and performed essential updates while also adding a bedroom. Months later the same mid-century was on the market for $990,000, which is a 67% increase in price.

Back in January, the popular real estate site, Redfin, predicted Mt. Washington as the most desirable neighborhood of 2016. It is no coincidence that its next-door neighbors, Eagle Rock and Highland Park, won the same title the previous two years. Northeast Los Angeles is gaining momentum in both housing prices and desirability from eager buyers. In 2015, house flippers in Mt. Washington had an average gain of $312,000 per project. When Redfin made their prediction in January, the median price of a home as $699,000. Just as they predicted, the median price in February shot up 19.2% to $790,000. The trend has continued and Mt. Washington sellers are getting at least 6.5% above their asking price. Their homes are sitting on the market for an average of 13 days only. What makes Mt. Washington such a high in-demand neighborhood?

Mt. Washington has always had a special reputation. In the early 1920’s it was considered to be an escape from city life and many of the homes were built to resemble small, rustic cabins. The landscape is rich with large, old trees that provide serene shade, a variety of fun hiking paths, breathtaking views of Downtown LA and the lush canyon and private windy roads. Mt. Washington Elementary School is critically acclaimed for their high quality education. The homes found in Mt. Washington match the charming, unique atmosphere. Many homes have walls of glass, high vaulted ceilings, large stone fireplaces, chic wraparound decks for 360-degree views and spacious rooms to savor the views. Despite the rural feel, Mt. Washington is just around the corner from Downtown Los Angeles and has its own Metro Gold Line station to ease public transportation.

For all of these reasons and more, Mt. Washington continues to be a paradise for both house flippers and its happy residents.

Living Life in Historic Highland Park

The Los Angeles community of Highland Park is an in-demand community whose rich history lays the foreground for a unique experience sought after by a variety of Angelenos. Homes for sale in Highland Park have become a very hot commodity as those young homebuyers begin to discover the very special neighborhoods of Northeast Los Angeles, including Glassell Park, Mt. Washington and Eagle Rock.

But homebuyers aren’t only attracted to the artistic, character neighborhoods and homes that make Highland Park unique. It’s the rich history of this old neighborhood that accounts for the beauty and character that has turned Highland Park real estate into gold.

Many years ago the land of current day Highland Park was home to a tribe of natives who lived graciously off the generous land. Overtime, years of conquests led an assortment of foreign settlers to discovering the special land. The shady trees, lush plants and flowing streams rested peacefully on high land. This resembled the settlers’ homeland of Scotland and they quickly called the land home. The new inhabitants cherished the landscape and showed their appreciation by painting the sceneries.

The original streets in Highland Park were named after this beautiful scenery – Live Oak Ave / Emerald Street – but the names were eventually changed to numbers like Avenue 63 to delineate how many blocks that street was from city hall. A lot of the charm from classic Highland Park has remained in Los Angeles’ largest historic district, the Highland Park-Garvanza Historic Preservation Overlay Zone which consists of 50 various “Historic Cultural Monuments”. These monuments vary from the original Galco’s Soda Pop Stop to Judson Studio and even the Lummis House.

As time passed, Highland Park continued to grow. It was the first community in Los Angeles to install parking meters to appease the flustered shop owners who complained of the same vehicles that remained parked outside their business all day. The neighborhood began the gentrification process of the homes and apartment buildings. The dollar stores transformed into chic cafes and trendy shops, making Highland Park one ofLos Angeles’ most sought after enclaves.

Today, crime is down and housing prices are on the incline. The well-known real estate site, Redfin, has named Highland Park the hottest market in the country. Since then, rent has continued to rise, although Echo Park and Silver Lake still remain pricier. There are new bars and shops developing on a weekly basis on York Boulevard. All of the shop owners live in the vicinity, and if you happen to be a fellow resident of Highland Park, you will become their new, favorite regular. This has contributed to building a strong sense of community.

This cohesive community materializes itself in various activities that take place in the neighborhood. Second Saturday is Highland Park’s monthly gallery night, which currently outperforms the Downtown Art Walk in both crowds and participating venues. Highland Park is known for the astounding display of illegal Fourth of July fireworks. The predominant Latino culture has produced the best Mexican food in Los Angeles ranging from El Huarache Azteca to the special dishes at Cacao Mexicatessen. All this, plus parking is never an issue – even on a Saturday! Highland Park is a unique neighborhood with a rich a history that is sure to supply any resident or visitor with an experience of unforgettable memories.

Hermon: A Small LA Neighborhood with Big History

As homebuyers flock to Hermon to snatch up the few morsels of Hermon real estate available at anyone time, we are left to reflect on the reasons for this region’s stunning popularity and demand. The homes are gorgeous, yes, and the proximity of Hermon to beautiful parks and parkways and the Arroyo Seco is an added plus. But everything from the location to the home styles is steeped in the cultural history of the region. And for a small region, it basks in the light of big history.

The private and semi-isolated district of Hermon has a broad history that explains its independence and the sense of pride found within its 3,000+ residents. Hermon was described in the early 20th century as “an ideal location, within the City of Los Angeles, but well removed from city vices and allurements.” Although it was eventually annexed by Highland Park, Hermon is still known as being its own municipality.

Hermon is a small valley located to the southeast of Highland Park, to the west of South Pasadena and north of Montecito Heights. This “hidden” community is under the radar and cannot be found in Yelp or in the LA Time’sMapping LA Project. That’s not to say, however, that it hasn’t benefitted tremendously from the surge of Highland Park real estate. It has, but it has also benefitted from – and has been influenced by – its fascinating story of how it came to be.

The first settlers on the land we call Hermon today, arrived 13,000 years ago and were related to the Chumash people. They flourished and cultivated the land for 10,000 years until immigrants from the Sonoran Desert meshed with the Chumash to form the “Tongva” people. The Tongva era ceased at the beginning of the Spanish Conquest when a Spaniard named Gaspar de Portolà led an expedition in 1769 in which he discovered the indigenous people. Between 1771 and 1781, Gaspar built two major missions within 10 kilometers of what is now Hermon: the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel and the El Pueblo de NuestraSeñora la Reina de los Ángeles. The Spanish ruled the land until Mexico achieved independence in 1821. Thirty years later in 1850 California was conquered by the United States and Los Angeles was officially a city.

At the beginning of the 20th century, pockets of land began to be auctioned for purchase. The district of Hermon was quickly labeled as “undesirable” because of its isolated distance and proximity to the Arroyo Seco. The Arroyo Seco had seasonal flooding and Hermon was merely seen as a futile floodplain. That is, until Charles Bond Ebey traveled to California to make a better life for his wife. Ebey was attracted to the isolated land and envisioned an opportunity to build his sect of a Free Methodist Church. Ebey purchased fourteen acres and built his own seminary along with homes for his Free Methodist followers. He named his community “Hermon” after the highest peak in modern day Syria, Mount Hermon.

The Los Angeles Free Methodist Seminary opened in 1904 and expanded in 1911 to accommodate junior college courses. Twenty-three years later it became the 4-year university, Los Angeles Pacific College in 1934. Eventually, in 1965 the school was absorbed by Azusa Pacific University and changed to Pacific Christian High School. The campus is leased today to the Los Angeles International Charter High School (LAICHS).

Hermon was annexed by Highland Park in the year 1922 along with Annandale, Garvanza, Sycamore Grove and York Valley. The five mini-communities hoped to gain more power by binding together with Highland Park to form the Greater Highland Park Association (GHPA). With the creation of GHPA, all six neighborhoods were considered as one with Highland Park, but over time people in Hermon began to embrace their own individuality and community. Hermon survives well with its own business district in Monterey Plaza. The Plaza contains a shopping center with Fresco Community Market at the epicenter. Fresco has its own bakery, kitchen, deli and grocery section. Hermon is dense with charming homes including many of the original kit homes that housed the early inhabitants. The history of Hermon can be recognized throughout the culture today in its architecture, homes, parks and art installations.