Highland Park: From Ghetto To Glam

Most transient Angelenos know nothing of this rough-around-the-edges neighborhood. However, the more humble "cool" crowd including writers, directors, scenesters, small business owners, composers, musicians, trust fund kids, financial professionals, doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers, gays, costume designers, hipsters, skaters, drinkers, smokers and even pseudo celebs know very well the dirty little secret that is Highland Park. Well not such a secret really. Especially since houses are being listed and sold in the $4 and $500,000s! I mean this is supposed to be a recession people, right? Just 2 years ago I sold a cute 3 bedroom, 1 bath craftsman in a good part of HLP for $240,000. You'd be hard pressed to find a house for $240k right now even if it was used as a meth lab that exploded before it was listed as an REO.

Take for example, this new listing ok so it has nice views, a hot tub and is in a good location of HLP but it's ugly as sin and needs work. Yet homes like this or even this are selling like hot cakes all over the mangy hood. Don't get me wrong, I love Highland Park. It's my stomping ground pretty much and is one of my favorite LA neighborhoods that isn't near the ocean, but are the inflated home sale prices worth as much as people are paying for them? What do you think?

The competition in regards to home buying in Highland Park is fierce and while prices may seem high, they pail in comparison to the $700,000, 2/1s selling in Silver Lake. But remember, not too long ago, Silver Lake was just as rough and tumble as Highland Park. So perhaps, even with the hefty price tags, purchasing a home in Highland Park is a great investment if in ten years HLP will be the new Silver Lake and Boyle Heights will be the new Highland Park. I guess it pays to be a Realtor in Los Angeles. While the rest of the country has a massive home supply collecting dust, LA, SF/bay area and NY are wheelin' and dealin' and can't get homes to buyers fast enough.