Owning a Classic Victorian Home in NELA

Northeast Los Angeles has an advantage over other neighborhoods in that several vintage home styles have endured. Homebuyers should give them a look.

Neighborhoods throughout Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) are somewhat a magnet for admirers of its many classic Victorian homes. But homes from the Victorian era - most built in the 1880s land boom, up until about 1910 - can be found elsewhere in the region, including dozens of homes for sale in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Montecito Heights and Glassell Park.

These homes where built in a time period - technically, the last years of the reign of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 - but actually come in several different but similar styles: Italianate, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian, Shingle, Stick, Second Empire, Eastlake, Octagon, and Richardsonian Romanesque. But because so much growth in Los Angeles occurred in the post-War period (after 1945), surviving Victorians are real standouts. What’s not to love about the flourishes in detail, the interior finishes, and the implied elegance of the time?

Actually owning a classic Victorian can present certain challenges for homeowners who don’t have money in the bank for updates and restoration. While most homes have been updated from their original construction, it bears noting that elements such as insulation, efficient mechanized heating and cooling systems, electrification and modern plumbing were quite likely not in the original homes. Part of the reason so many Victorians fell to demolition was few were modernized when the style went through its passé period. That’s when bungalows and later more modern styles came into vogue.

It’s noteworthy how these homes have withstood seismic events over the past 100-140 years. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, it was newer construction that suffered the most damage.

For anyone considering buying or updating a vintage Victorian home, it’s imperative to check into the mechanical systems, the electrical wiring, and the condition of the roof - including if it is made of slate, replacement of which can be pricey, although there are more affordable facsimile tiles made of recycled rubber.

Consider also how the original first-floor layout generally includes a series of smaller parlors, often compartmentalized with pocket doors, and a kitchen made for cooking. That last detail is important: Regardless of whether you are looking at real estate in Mt. Washington, Garvanza, Hermon, Eagle Rock or Beverly Hills, most modern homes provide for in-kitchen eating and entertaining. This is why some owners of Victorian homes renovate the first floor to open up the kitchen and often the entire first floor (to the degree that load-bearing walls allow).

Some Victorians qualify as historic structures, and there is a process for achieving that designation by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission (as a Historic-Cultural Monument) or even the National Register of Historic Places. Each has criteria the home must meet, and each places restrictions on alterations and demolitions. But that’s not to say such a designation reduces the home’s value; in many cases it can increase it.

Most owners of Victorian homes purchased them because of their character and history. There are only so many left, so if a classic Victorian in Northeast Los Angeles interests you, contact realtor Tracy King at 626-827-9795. She and her team are experts in buying and selling these much sought after homes. What more, as experts, they will be able to advise owners of such homes on updates and home restorations that are sure to add to the quality of a homeowner’s investment.

Owning a Classic Craftsman Home in Northeast Los Angeles

NELA home architectural styles vary widely: Modern, Art Deco, Victorian, Tudors, and others. But perhaps the Craftsman residences get the most attention.

Craftsman homes are among the most sought after real estate in Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods. One of the many reasons why homes for sale in Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Hermon and elsewhere have become hot commodities is a renewed interest in so-called “character homes”. But Craftsman homes come in significant variations, sizes, and conditions - opening up opportunities for homebuyers in a range of prices.

The high value - i.e., prices ranging from $400,000 on past $2 million - being placed on Craftsman homes in NELA is an interesting turn of historical events. These solid structures were originally designed for the advent of middle class home ownership in the late 19th and early 20th century. Gone were the features of Victorian homes that included butler’s quarters and kitchens only used by household staff. Instead, the family prepared their own meals while some features of kitchens blended with dining rooms - which are why there are those built-in, glass-front cabinets for dishware that was previously stowed out of sight from formal dining rooms.

The characteristics of Craftsman homes range from low-pitched roofs to deep eaves, exposed rafters (usually with distinctive decorative knee braces), dormers, one- to one-and-a-half stories, large fireplaces (often flanked by built-in cabinetry), and double-hung windows. Outside, Craftsman bungalows had large porches that welcomed newcomers to the California lifestyle, which offered a longer outdoor season for people arriving from the Northeast and Midwest.

Note that Bungalow and Craftsman style homes are often - but not always- the same thing; Bungalows always have that front porch (“veranda” if you prefer), while Craftsman sometimes do not. (If looking at homes for sale in Glassell Park, Garvanza or Mt. Washington, you might nerd out with your realtor by looking for the distinction.)

A further distinction might be made between Craftsman homes designed by certain architects (Greene & Greene built the trend-setting larger versions, which drew from Spanish mission and Japanese aesthetics), while Craftsman-style homes had a lower cost and were more modest in proportions and features. Craftsman-style homes may have shipped by train in a kit (e.g., “Sears homes”) or been a much-replicated design used by 1920s developers who knew a popular style when they saw one.

What made Craftsmans so popular when first built is what makes them equally popular today. These solid buildings have a relaxed style, one that accommodates an easy flow between rooms and activities. Mothers and fathers making meals in the kitchen can take a break to help children with their homework while keeping an eye on something cooking on the stove. Throw a party on the veranda but some guests might easily drift inside to admire the Arts & Crafts detailing of the cabinetry, fireplace surround, or wainscoting. They are healthy, unpretentious and sturdy: anything standing today has withstood a century of seismic activity, testimony to the sturdy craftsmanship of these Craftsman homes.

Interested in seeing a few Craftsman homes in NELA? Call Realtor Tracy King at 626-827-9795 to see what’s currently available.

Understanding HPOZ - Historic Preservation Overlay Zones - in Northeast Los Angeles

The popularity and value of existing homes in Northeast Los Angeles is due to vintage neighborhoods and homes. It’s no accident: HPOZs promote that.

Homeowners who own - or have owned - classic or historic homes in Highland Park, Garvanza, Lincoln Heights and several other older neighborhoods have learned that renovating one of these homes isn’t a free for all. These neighborhoods are among the ever-growing list of neighborhoods that fall under the citywide HPOZ ordinance.

Investors in a home renovation in Highland Park, a 104-year old bungalow, found out a few things about Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) in 2012. After purchasing it to flip - cleaning it up and improving it overall - they were told the vinyl front door and window replacements were out of character from the home’s history.

This came from the board of the Highland Park-Garvanza Preservation Overlay Zone, which governs about 4,000 homes in the Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) neighborhoods. As is the case with the approximately 34 HPOZs throughout Los Angeles, the purpose is to protect neighborhoods with distinct architectural resources. Those resources can include everything from Victorian “painted ladies” to swank Mid-Century Moderns to humble two-bedroom cottages.

The Highland Park-Garvanza HPOZ president explained to the The Eastersider LA news website that they are sympathetic to individual homeowners who unknowingly make changes without getting approvals. But in the case cited above, the renovators were professionals. “They should know better,” he said.

HPOZs exist in Lincoln Park, Hancock Park, Balboa Highlands, Vinegar Hill, and Pico-Union, among other places. NELA neighborhoods with homes for sale in Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington, and Hermon are not yet subject to an HPOZ jurisdiction. But that can soon change.

The Highland Park-Garvanza HPOZ was the first to protect commercial buildings along with residential structures, which are rich in Queen Anne, Shingle, Craftsman, Mission Revival, and Tudor Revival homes. Homeowners in Highland Park are justifiably proud of the strong influence of the Arts and Crafts movement evident in its many Craftsman-style residences, a major draw in Highland Park real estate.

The Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources says HPOZ zones provide five advantages:

Increase in property values: Based on national research, homes in historic communities appreciate in value faster than those outside of such districts.

Control over inappropriate alterations: New construction, additions, and alterations need to be reviewed to protect individual buildings as well as neighborhood character.

Creation of community identity: Board members and other local residents are actively involved in defining the characteristics of history and architecture, which can lead to other organizing activities as well.

Tax reduction eligibility: Structures built during a neighborhood’s “predominant period of development” that have retained most of their historical features are eligible to receive substantial property tax savings under the Mills Act program.

Preservation advice/guidance: Knowledgeable board members often are able to provide technical expertise to homeowners, based on past experience with similar properties, and to suggest contractors and craftspeople with appropriate skills for repairs and updates.

The city advises that HPOZ designations do create some disadvantages for property owners, such as delays on major renovations that are subject to a 75-day review period (less so for minor modifications, which can move more quickly) - and some designs are rejected. The Office of Historic Resources advises that neighborhoods should seek an HPOZ for the purpose of preserving character and history, not simply as a tool to stop out-of-scale (“McMansion”) development. Few neighborhoods are perfectly intact from their origins, so replacement of unfortunate structures might be a positive move.

Unsure if historic preservation is what you want in a home? Speak with a reputable real estate agent with years of experience assisting people buying and selling new and restored homes in the Northeast Los Angeles region.

The Importance of Your Home’s Online Presence

Online listings are essential to modern real estate marketing, but many sellers make mistakes. In Northeast LA, these tips are essential for home sellers.

The Internet has transformed the real estate industry and the tools are getting better by the year. Once upon a time home hunters peered over listings in newspapers, posted in the windows of real estate offices, or paged through listing books in realtor offices. Where did people find the time?

Today a homebuyer and a home seller will meet in a way akin to Internet dating. It’s infinitely faster than the analog methods and also a time-saver in that it eliminates unlikely showings. That is, if the online presence of the listing is done smartly and honestly.

Smart and honest are two sides of the same coin. It’s important to be realistic about what a home looks like, but not necessary to highlight some of its lesser features (again, the online dating metaphor works: no one posts pictures that zero in on a skin blemish, or what their hair looks like after waking up, or before the 15 pound weight loss). At the same time, over-selling a house before the first visit can backfire: for example, the use of a wide-angle camera lens to make a small room look bigger is a recipe for disappointment.

Another advantage of online advertising of a home for sale is it has fewer limits, particularly where it comes to photography. You can show every room in the house, plus the exterior (front, back and sides), as well as the neighborhood. This works for attracting people from out of town – émigrés to Southern California are reading about NELA, Northeast LA, so they naturally would like to see how it compares to other areas.

Mt. Washington real estate in particular, as well as Highland Park homes, have been two high-demand areas - red hot markets - that have benefitted tremendously from online listings. A listing for Highland Park, for example, might include pictures of specialty retail and restaurants on York and Eagle Rock Boulevards to get a sense of what they might do on weekends. Sellers in Mt. Washington might want to show off its green, quiet overlook roads and the laid-back character of its windy mountain streets and panoramic views.

But a seller can confer with their realtor to make sure the online ad is a good digital version of what is called “curb appeal” (the first impression a buyer has upon pulling up in front of the property). Here are some things to boost interest through the online ad:

Photo magic - Unless you are versed in the basics of photography and have a design sense, you should leave this job to the professionals. The property should be cleaned of clutter, with angles and lighting that complement its best features. It’s quite remarkable how many FSBO (for sale by owner) listings do this amateurishly.

Online ads are more than photos - The copy helps sell the property too, once it’s gone through the search filters and has managed to grab the buyer’s attention. Headlines are of utmost importance. The job a headline is to deliver a benefit (e.g., views), something not available everywhere (e.g., in four directions) with a touch of intrigue (e.g., a mix of city and country): “Views in every direction, looking at downtown and a nature preserve.” The reader is given a mental image that should get them to read further into the listing.

The rest of the copy should sell a lifestyle as much as X number of bedrooms. Describe the physical property, but weave in the story about what it’s like to entertain there in the summer or at the holidays, the kind of neighborhood it’s in, and if it’s a quiet place to sleep – or a wonderfully urban neighborhood full of vitality and things to do: “This is the kind of bungalow that defines Glassell Park (or Garvanza, Hermon or Highland Park...).”

The 15 words that sell - Thanks to data analytics, Zillow has identified 15 words that increase the sale price. They specifically looked at lower-tier priced homes and found these words were most associated with higher closing prices (listed from most to least): luxurious, captivating, impeccable, stainless, basketball (meaning recreation nearby), landscaped, granite, pergola, remodel, beautiful, gentle, spotless, tile, upgraded and updated.

To be clear, only words that actually apply to the property should be used. The online ad is step one of the process, and therefore needs to be truthful while compelling.

What Does it Mean to Buy a Home “As-Is?”

It can be a great opportunity or a disaster to purchase real estate that needs some work. As-is lacks a legal definition - so approach it with caution.

In Northeast Los Angeles - NELA to the locals - the wide range of charming vintage, midcentury modern and newer construction homes attracts a variety of buyers. Some like it new, some like it old, and some like it new-old, as in nicely modernized but with the features of an older house.

Homes for sale in Glassell Park and Eagle Rock offer that full range. So do homes in Mt. Washington, Highland Park and Hermon. You can find some gorgeous Victorians with a price difference of $200,000 or more, depending on the condition of kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, basements, exterior cladding, windows, landscaping and floors. At the lower end are those sold “as-is” and the upper end “as you hoped it would be.”

The difference of course is the expense involved in fixing what time, wear, and tear have created. The as-is buyer may get a very good deal, or lose a significant amount of money if he or she does not understand what they are getting into.

Why? The cost of repairs may exceed the reasonable value of the home in its location. Alternatively, an as-is home might be priced very attractively because the sellers are motivated, very often owned by heirs whose parent’s home needs repairs and renovations they cannot or do not want to do themselves.

Important to note is that “as-is” is not a legal term. Property problems that the seller knows about still must be conveyed to would-be buyers, as required by California real estate disclosure laws. It’s more a term used in real estate parlance to let the buyer know it’s not move-in ready for the purchaser who wants just that.

If you’re thinking about buying an as-is home, you fall into one of three categories. Perhaps this is your first home, and at a low price you intend to fix it gradually as you have the money to do so. For you, the long-term nature of your ownership - perhaps you are especially interested in being in a particular school district, and this is the most affordable home you could find there - can make an as-is home purchase a great deal.

Other as-is homebuyers are professional flippers who calculate their repairs and renovations will raise the home’s value substantially, enough to turn a profit. And then there are the demolish-to-build developers, who see greater value in the land and location than the house itself.

An as-is buyer who on his or her own hopes to score on a good opportunity - say a fixer-upper in Garvanza - ideally will look for the following characteristics:

Some problems are too big: Roofs, foundations, mold, mechanical systems (furnaces and air conditioners, electrical and plumbing) and new windows will cost a lot to fix. Even worse are exterior features such as crumbling retainer walls. Be sure your inspector looks closely at these components to determine if a costly repair or replacement is necessary - and run away if there are very expensive problems.

Kitchens and baths: You can easily part with $50,000 (or more!) to get a modern kitchen. Or, you might be able to refinish or paint cabinets, replace appliances and countertops and refinish the floors for a much lower price. Baths cost the least to modernize if you can stay within the existing plumbing footprint.

Smaller, cosmetic changes: Bad paint colors and dated wallpaper, old carpets, light fixtures, and window coverings are the easiest and least expensive things to fix.

Not sure if an as-is home is right for you? Contact an experienced and established real estate agent who specializes in the Northeast Los Angeles region. Only an experienced realtor knows what sells, at what price, and what’s next - which is what buyers need when making such an important decision.