This blog usually covered apartment buildings. Today, however, I want to say something about single family homes.
Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of single family homes as investments. Buying one is really a consumption decision and you really ought to do it only when you’re very confident that you will be able to generate the income necessary to carry the mortgage.
All of that said, if you are going to buy a single family home and you like Northeast LA, you really ought to be thinking about Mt. Washington.
This won’t be news to those of you who spend a lot of time on the Eastside. But, for those of you who don’t, here’s what Mt. Washington offers:
- Relatively large homes suitable for families
- Big lots (most on slopes, some flat)
- Views (it’s a mountain, after all)
- A very strong elementary school with amazing parent involvement
- Proximity to all of the interesting retail along York Blvd. in Highland Park
About the only downsides I can see are the fact that it’s not walkable at all and you need to be careful that your small pets aren’t eaten by coyotes.
Most importantly, from my perspective, is the pricing. You can buy a big, nice house in Mt. Washington with all of the advantages I set out about for around $800k. For that price, you basically get a shack in Silver Lake these days.
So, while I continue to strongly discourage buying a SFR as a first home, if you’re going to ignore me anyway and you like Northeast LA, check out Mt. Washington.