Most-searched-for L.A. County homes

 

What Los Angeles County houses are people looking at online these days? Realtor.com ranks these as the Top 5 most-searched-for listings in the county last week within 20% of the median list price of $424,500.

1. 11202 Danbury St.,  Arcadia 91006
Listed at $348,000, the 1949 single-story has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,457 square feet.

2. 14917 Roxton Ave., Gardena 90249
Listed at $449,000, the 1951 two-story has four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,616 square feet.

3. 1112 Arkley Drive, Walnut 91789
Listed at $395,000, the 1966 traditional has bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,867 square feet.

4. 1018 N. Buena Vista St., Burbank 91505
Listed at $343,000, the 1926 Spanish-style home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,920 square feet.

5. 21103 Violeta Ave., Lakewood 90715
Priced in a range from $369,900 to $417,000, the single-story 1962 house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,415 square feet. 

Interesting to see when and for how much these homes previously sold. Home No. 1, for example, sold on 10/21/2004 for $450,000, according to PropertyShark.com, and before that on 6/28/2002 for $320,000.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The Gardena home was the second-most-searched-for property last week at Realtor.com among L.A. County homes within 20% of the median list price of $424,500. Credit: Jackie Solorzano

Beware when signing up for online realty services [Updated]

The Times David Lazarus' column, "Real estate company's pitch leads to unexpected bill," may strike a chord with some readers. Here's an excerpt:

Maria Casanova, an assistant professor of economics at UCLA, toyed with the idea earlier this year of buying a foreclosed property near the Westwood campus. She signed up for a prominent listing service called RealtyTrac.

Casanova, 31, canceled her subscription not long after. Yet a few days ago she discovered that some other real estate company she'd never heard of has been billing her almost $45 a month for the last eight months.

Consumer advocates say it's an all-too-common problem: People signing up for one thing online and inadvertently signing up for something else that comes with recurring monthly charges.

It's worth a read in its entirety as a cautionary tale. (And Casanova is chagrined for not having noticed the charges sooner, in case you are wondering.) Has this happened to you? Personally I'm too paranoid to sign up for any paid services online, though I will do a little shopping.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

[Update: Here's a video of David Lazarus on the subject.]

L.A. takes the second spot, but half of the 10 most-searched homes nationwide last week were in Detroit

Although a Los Angeles home made the No. 2 spot, five of the Top 10 most-searched homes nationwide at Realtor.com last week -- among homes priced within 20% of the median list price of $215,000 -- were in Detroit.

Here's the Top 10 in the order they ranked:

1. Canton Twp, MI 48188 is a four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, brick Cape Cod with 2,005 square feet listed at $219,900.

2. Los Angeles, CA 90062 is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,464-square-foot 1922 house in Boyle Heights listed at $248,000.

3. Las Vegas, NV 89141 is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,152-square-foot 2003 two-story listed at $185,000.  

4. Detroit, MI 48214  is a six-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 5,500-square-foot Colonial built in 1900 listed at $220,000.

5. Detroit, MI 48206 is a six-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom 1919 Georgian-style home of 4,200 square feet listed at $225,000.

Rounding out the Top 10 were:
6. Detroit, MI 48206, $249,995
7. Miramar, FL 33027, $199,900
8. Holly Springs, NC 27540, $183,000
9. Detroit, MI 48214, $184,900
10. Detroit, MI 48206, $189,900.

It does provide an interesting comparison of what you can buy in different locations for the same amount of money. As for our No. 2 Los Angeles house, it previously sold for $520,000 in February 2007.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The second-most searched home last week at Realtor.com, among homes priced within 20% of the national median list price of $215,000, was in Boyle Heights. Credit: L. Ernesto Flores

 

 

Temecula joins the national most-searched-for homes list

 

A Temecula home made the national Top 5 most-searched-for list at Realtor.com last week of houses within 20% of the U.S. median list price of $218,900.

Ranking No. 2 and listed at $193,900 was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom single-story ranch of 1,687 square feet with a swimming pool. 

The rest of the Top 5:

No. 1 was the three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,303-square-foot Los Angeles home listed at $199,900 that ranked fourth on last week's list.

No. 3 was a West Covina home of three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,405 square feet listed at $199,500.

No. 4 was a White Plains, N.Y., home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,749 square feet. Built in 1952, it is listed for $199,9000.

No. 5 was a Boca Raton, Fla., house in an ocean-view golf course community with three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in 3,259 square feet. Built in 1991, it is listed at $250,000.

Now that seems like a lot of house for the money.

--Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The No. 2 most-searched-for home nationally is in Temecula and is listed at $193,900. Credit: Goran Forss

Pasadena makes the national most-searched-for home list again

A second Pasadena home has made the national Top 5 most-searched-for list at Realtor.com last week within 20% of the U.S. median list price of $219,900.

Clocking in at No. 5 was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow built in 1898. It has 1,078 square feet of living space and is listed at $229,900.

Four of the Top 5 are California houses:

No. 1 was a Miami single-family home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 2,056 square feet listed at $200,000.

No. 2, a five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,936-square-foot home in Chula Vista, is listed at $200,000.

No. 3 is a repeat from last week's list, a four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 1,768-square-foot Los Angeles house listed at $250,000.

Likewise, No. 4 is the three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,303-square-foot Pasadena home priced at $199,900 that made the list last week.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The turn-of-the-last-century Pasadena home that made the No. 5 spot has some original built-ins and a two-car garage. Credit: Courtesy of Dilbeck Realtors

 

 

California homes account for 9 out of 10 of the nation's most-searched-for dwellings

The Top 10 national list of most-searched-for homes last week at Realtor.com among those within 20% of the median list price of $219,300 included nine California homes. Some of the Southern California homes from the previous week's list remained, plus two different Southland properties: At No. 7 was a Simi Valley home and at No. 10 was a Los Angeles listing.  The Moreno Valley (No. 2), Rosemead (No. 3), West Covina (No. 4) and North Hollywood (No. 9) listings returned at those rankings.

The only home outside California to make the list was the No. 1 most-searched-for home, a two-story built in 2005 with five bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms in 2,840 square feet. The Orlando, Fla. home is listed at $180,000.

The No. 7 Simi Valley home, listed at $257,900, has four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,304 square feet. It was built in 1964 and is bank owned.

At No. 10 was a Los Angeles house listed at $250,000. Built in 1923, the single-story house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,768 square feet. 

What do you think, L.A. Land? Some bargains here?

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The four-bedroom, four-bath Rosemead home was No. 3 on the list. It has 2,456 square feet of living space and is listed at $250,000. It appears to be offered via online auction. Credit: Sherry Crowe

Popular home searches in L.A. County

 

What homes are people looking at online? Here are the top five most-searched Los Angeles County listings last week on Realtor.com among homes priced within 20% of the median list price of $410,000.

No. 1: 19127 Amber Valley Drive, Walnut, CA 91789 -- four bedrooms, three bathrooms, 1,785 square feet -- listed at $419,000.

No. 2: 16626 Wilton Place, Torrance 90504 -- three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,215 square feet -- $369,900

No. 3: 16018 Amber Valley Drive, Whittier 90604 -- three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,249 square feet -- $350,000

No. 4: 1460 Whitefield Road, Pasadena 91104 -- four bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,260 square feet -- $350,000

No. 5: 1795 Kenneth Way, Pasadena, 91103 -- three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,560 square feet -- $399,000

Some pretty small houses in the middle of this list. Looks like starter-home/first-time buyers are scoping things out online.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The 1956 home on Wilton Place in Torrance, ranked No. 2 on the list, is being sold as a fixer. Credit: Allison Van Wig

 

SoCal homes among most popular searches nationwide

Southern California houses accounted for half the Top 10 list of the most searched-for homes in the country on Realtor.com last week among homes within 20% of the national median price of $219,900.

At the No. 2 spot was a two-story, unfinished home in Rosemead that's up for auction. The Mediterranean is listed at $250,000 and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms in 2,456 square feet.

At No. 3 was a two-story in Moreno Valley that was built in 2005. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms in  2,922 square feet and is listed at $185,000.

No. 4 was a 1951 single-story in West Covina listed at $250,000. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,444 square feet.

Also making the Top 10 were homes in North Hollywood at No. 8 --  three bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,689 square feet and a swimming pool, listed at $190,000 -- and San Diego at No. 10 -- five bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms in 2,300 square feet, new construction, listed at $180,000.

Some weeks no California homes or just one or two make this national list. Not sure why there's so much interest in our neck of the woods.

--Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The Moreno Valley home (No. 3) has air conditioning, a fireplace and a three-car garage. Credit: Meli Van Natta

The homes that got the clicks last week in L.A. County

 

Here are the homes getting the hits in online searches of L.A. County listings. Realtor.com ranked these as the top five most-searched-for listings countywide within 20% of the median list price of $420,000 for last week. When we ran this feature last month the median list price for the county was $409,000.

1. 1221 Oakridge Drive, Glendale 91205
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms in 1,344 square feet
Listed for: $395,000

2. 6018 Amber Valley Drive, Whittier 90604
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms in 1,249 square feet
Listed for: $350,000

3. 2060 Eleanore Drive, Glendale 91206
Size: Five bedrooms, three bathrooms in 1,534 square feet
Listed for: $447,000

4. 2711 Rustic Lane, Glendale 91208
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms in 1,621 square feet  
Listed for: $449,000

5. 10001 Westwanda Drive, Beverly Hills 90210
Size: One bedroom, one bathroom in 450 square feet
Listed for: $399,000

Two of the same properties, #3 and #5, were on the list that ran June 9 too.

--Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The 1924 Mediterranean-style home at 1221 Oakridge Drive, Glendale, topped the list of L.A. County median-list price searches last week at Realtor.com. Credit: Daniel P. Garcia

Frequently searched-for homes in L.A. County

 

So what kind of houses are people looking for online these days? For last week, Realtor.com ranks these as the top five most-searched-for listings in L.A. County within 20% of the median list price of $409,000.

1. 489 Atchison St., Pasadena, CA 91104
Listed at $346,500, the Spanish-style home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,414 square feet.

2. 2060 Eleanore Drive, Glendale, CA 91206
Listed at $447,000, the 1924 two-story has five bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,534 square feet.

3. 1460 Whitefield Road, Pasadena, CA 91104
Listed at $350,000, the single-story house has four bedrooms and two bathrooms in  1,260 square feet.
 

4. 1326 N. Sparks St., Burbank, CA 91506
Listed for $331,000, the traditional has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,307 square feet.
 

5. 10001 Westwanda Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Listed at $399,000, the bank-owned foreclosure has one bedroom and one bathroom in 450 square feet.
 

Whoa. That last one gives new meaning to 90210.

And while we're looking at area listings, here's the existing homes listing snapshot from HousingTracker.net:

	2009-06-08	Month/Month	Year/Year
Median Listing Price	$389,000	1.0%	-11.0%
Number of Listings	33,925	-4.9%	-31.9%

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: The Glendale home that ranked No. 2 among median-priced searches last week has a wet bar, air conditioning and a detached garage. Credit: Raffil S. and Ibeena B.