California's Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) released its 7th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Determination, estimating that Southern California needs 1,359,750 additional housing units for the next housing planning cycle, covering 2029 through 2037. That's an increase of 17,923 units, or about 1.3%, compared with the current regional target of 1,341,827 homes.

The figure covers all six counties represented by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG): Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial. The new targets for individual counties and cities haven't been determined yet as SCAG must develop a methodology for distributing the regional housing need before assigning numbers to each jurisdiction.

For comparison, under the current 2021–2029 housing cycle, Los Angeles County was allocated 812,060 housing units, representing approximately 60.5% of the six-county regional total. That included 456,643 units for the City of Los Angeles, 90,052 for unincorporated Los Angeles County, 26,502 for Long Beach, 9,429 for Pasadena and 8,895 for Santa Monica.

The new regional determination also breaks down housing needs by household income. Of the 1.36 million units, approximately 770,000 (56.6%) are designated for households earning 80% or less of area median income, including 141,930 (10.4%) for acutely low-income households, 180,582 (13.3%) for extremely low-income households, 189,752 (14.0%) for very low-income households and 257,749 (19.0%) for low-income households. Another 124,839 units (9.2%) fall into the moderate-income category, with 464,898 units (34.2%) designated above moderate income.

HCD's calculations account for more than projected population growth. Across the six-county region, 9.66% of households are classified as overcrowded, compared with a national average of 3.54%. Approximately 43.19% of households are housing-cost burdened, compared with 31.45% nationally. The methodology also includes adjustments for homelessness, vacant housing, demolished units and homes destroyed during declared emergencies that haven't been rebuilt or replaced.

Under SCAG's current timeline, a proposed allocation methodology is expected in March 2027, with the final allocation plan scheduled for April 2028. Los Angeles County jurisdictions will then have until April 15, 2030, to update their housing elements.

Hi everyone, I am a news producer at the Los Angeles bureau for a Japanese national broadcast networks. (Mods, please remove if this isn't allowed. I checked the rules, but happy to take it down.)

As a mid-20s professional raised in the U.S., the affordability crisis remains a central issue for me. We're working on a story about what it's like to buy a first home in LA right now, with prices and mortgage rates where they are. A lot of people in Japan are curious how Americans are handling housing costs, and we'd love to hear from people living it in order to share awareness about not just home ownership but how the topic intertwines with the upcoming midterm elections.

We're looking to talk with:

- First-time buyers who closed in SoCal in the last year or so

- People currently house hunting or in escrow

- People who tried and decided to keep renting, or moved farther out to afford a place

What it would involve:

- A short phone call first, no commitment

- If you're comfortable, a filmed interview of about 15 to 20 minutes, ideally at your home or somewhere meaningful to your search

- The story airs in Japan, not in the US, we can blur for privacy

We can also use first names only, keep exact numbers like your income or loan amount off camera, and talk through anything you're not comfortable sharing. Interviews are unpaid, as is standard for news.

If you're interested or have questions, send me a DM. Happy to share my work email and bureau info so you can verify who I am.

Thank you for your time.

A national retail brand doesn't always mean a strong lease guarantee.

Two retail properties can have identical tenants, rents, and lease terms but very different risks depending on who actually guarantees the rent.

Here's what buyers may evaluate:

• Guarantor strength. Is the lease backed by the national parent company, a franchisee, or a smaller LLC?
• Guarantee limitations. Does the guarantee cover the entire lease, or does it expire, decrease, or have a liability cap?
• Replacement tenant demand. If the tenant leaves, can the space be leased again at a similar rent?
• Future leasing costs. Vacancy, tenant improvements, commissions, and repairs can reduce future returns.

Consider a retail property producing $250,000 in annual NOI:

• At a 6% cap rate: approximately $4.17 million
• At a 6.5% cap rate: approximately $3.85 million

That's a $321,000 difference without changing the NOI.

A weaker guarantee doesn't automatically cause that cap rate difference, but perceived income risk can influence what buyers are willing to pay.

The key question isn't just whether the tenant pays rent today. It's what protects the property's value if that tenant leaves.

Would you pay the same price for two identical retail properties if one had a national parent company guarantee and the other only had a small franchise operator backing the lease?

(I wrote a longer breakdown on this. Happy to share if anyone wants it.)

Hi everyone,
My family and I currently live on the Westside, but I’ve recently taken a job in downtown Long Beach, so we’re starting to look at areas that would make more sense for commuting while still being a good place to raise a family.
San Pedro has caught our attention, particularly for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath single-family home. I’d love to hear from people who live there or know the area well. Budget of 1-1.2m.
A few things I’m curious about:
The housing market: What are your thoughts on San Pedro right now? Does it offer good value compared with other parts of LA, and how do you see the market holding up over the next 5–10 years?
Day-to-day life: What’s it actually like living there? We’d love somewhere with a good community feel, parks, places to walk with the kids, coffee shops and restaurants. Are there particular neighborhoods you’d recommend or avoid?
Schools: How are the public elementary, middle and high schools? Are there specific school zones or neighborhoods worth targeting if schools are a priority? 2 kids currently in daycare.
Downsides: What are the things you wish you’d known before moving to San Pedro? Anything to be aware of regarding traffic, air quality, port activity, noise or resale value?
We have young kids, so we’re thinking more about somewhere we could settle for the next 5–10 years rather than just buying a starter home.
Appreciate any honest feedback, both positive and negative. Thanks!

Was looking into renting or buying but not sure about the area due to landslides, etc. Any input would be much appreciated.

LA County publishes the sale price of every parcel it sells at auction, because former owners can claim the surplus. I matched April's 121 sales to their opening bids.

- The median sale went for 2.03 times its opening bid. 30 sold at exactly the opening bid, and 61 for at least double.

- The size of the opening bid made little difference: 1.98x under $5,000 (61 sales) and 2.24x from $5,000 to $14,999 (45 sales).

- Buildings rarely get that far. April's list had 1,014 parcels with a building, and 6 of them sold. Owners pay off a parcel with a house far more often than bare land.

- 15 more sold at the June re-offer, all bare land, and 13 of those went for less than their April opening bid.

- April 2025 looked the same. 16 parcels with a building sold, none at the opening bid, and 14 of them went for at least twice it.

LA's October auction runs until noon on Tuesday the 20th, but registration for it closed on the 13th. Whatever doesn't sell gets offered again December 5 to 8 at a lower opening bid, and 314 of October's 1,252 parcels were on April's list too and didn't sell then either.

Every April sale is in a CSV here: lot-brief.com/research/los-angeles-apr-2026-results/ and I send one email when a California county puts out its list, so you hear about the next one before registration closes.

Not advice. Check everything with the county before you bid.

We submitted plans for a detached ADU in Mar Vista in May. Corrections came back in July and we resubmitted in August. Now, we're waiting on a clearance from another department.

I know the state has a 60-day rule for complete applications. But that duration in my opinion doesn't seem to cover all the back and forth.

If you've been through it, which dates did you track? I'm trying to give my future tenant a real move-in date.

Hello, all! My name is Keely Sullivan den Bergh and I'm a journalist with France Télévisions. We're France's international, public broadcast news network. I'm working on a story in our U.S. bureau about high mortgage rates making Angelenos' dream of owning a home more difficult to reach.

Are you limited by today's mortgage rates in buying in a home, and if so, would you be open to talking to my U.S. correspondent about it?

Please note we'll be in LA next Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24. Feel free to get in touch with me below via email.

Thank you for your consideration, and best of luck in the housing search!

Best,

Keely Sullivan den Bergh

[keely.sullivan@francetvus.com](mailto:keely.sullivan@francetvus.com)

I just launched Find My ADU, the first rental marketplace dedicated to ADUs. Landlords can list their ADUs for free and renters can browse for ADU rentals for free.

There's currently 0 listings so if you own an ADU that's ready to rent or know someone who does, please list it! There are currently 750+ visitors to the site every month looking for rentals, so the more listings for them the better!

There still lots of room for improvement and new features being developed (ID verification, applications & tenant screening, etc.), so please share any and all thoughts as we continue to optimize. And spread the word!!!!

It's time to give ADUs the recognition & respect they deserve!

- Joel, Founder of Find My ADU

Most ADU plans fail on circulation, not square footage. Here is what realistically fits at each size, based on the layouts we draw in Los Angeles and Ventura County.

400 sq ft: Usually a studio with one bathroom, a galley kitchen and an open living and sleeping area. A bathroom runs about 5 by 8 ft with a tub shower, or 3 by 5 ft with just a shower. Keep the kitchen and bath on one shared plumbing wall.

500 sq ft: This is where a separate bedroom becomes practical, at about 10 by 10 to 11 by 11 ft, with a 5 by 8 ft bath and 150 to 180 sq ft of living and dining. More than about 6 ft of true hallway means the plan needs another pass.

800 sq ft: Either two bedrooms of roughly 10 by 11 and 10 by 12 ft, or one larger bedroom with a walk in closet. Only go with two bedrooms if both can stay about 10 ft wide. A second three quarter bath adds about 35 sq ft plus a plumbing run.

1,200 sq ft: Two or three bedrooms, two full baths, a full kitchen with an island and a laundry room. It lives like a small house, so plan for lot coverage and possible utility upgrades.

One change to know about: since January 1, 2026, SB 543 measures ADU size as interior livable space. Add 6 to 8 inches per exterior wall when you check the footprint against setbacks.

Continue reading: https://rndbuildersinc.com/blog/adu-floor-plans-by-size/

We are looking to purchase a long-term home and considering paying cash instead of financing due to interest rates at the moment. This would be our first time paying cash. Some of the houses we are looking at are in the 1.5-2m range and been sitting 30 days +. In today’s market how much under ask would be a competitive offer? As an example we are looking at a house 1.8 and are considering offering 1.6 cash. Would that be insulting or fair? It’s a developer owned renovation so I know they want to make profit but I also imagine they are probably sitting on a construction loan and need to move inventory. No offers yet. Any kind input appreciated!

New L.A. County SFR, condo/townhome and listings under $1 million

I'm here to help with any of your real estate needs—whether you're interested in buying, selling, or leasing, or touring a properties. Don't hesitate to reach out with questions or for assistance with your next steps in real estate!

All new listings within the last week.

Two tabs on the spreadsheet, one for Single Family Homes, one for Condos/Townhomes.

Find more details on any listing by simply googling the info or you can copy the listing ID # (AKA: MLS#) and enter it into the search bar in a site like this one.

Meanwhile, need some work done around the house? Check out our list of recommended service providers for home appliance repair and purchase, landscaping, insurance and more.

Good luck and happy hunting, L.A.

LA County's next tax auction is October 17 to 20, with 1,252 parcels on the list. The county has posted the price of every parcel that sold at the last one in April, so former owners can claim the leftover money. I matched each sale to its opening bid on April's list.

What came out of it:

- 121 parcels sold in April. 30 went at exactly the opening bid. 61 went for at least twice it, and the median was 2.03x.

- The multiple barely moved with the size of the opening bid. Under $5,000 the median was 1.98x (61 sales), and from $5,000 to $14,999 it was 2.24x (45 sales).

- Only 6 of the 121 had a building, out of 1,014 parcels with a building on April's list. Those 6 sold for between $170,100 and $665,100 and made up $2.2M of the $4.9M paid.

- The June re-offer sold 15 more, all bare land, 13 of them for less than their April opening bid.

- The county lists $3.67M of April's money as surplus that former owners and lienholders can claim.

For October: 314 of the parcels on October's list were on April's list too and didn't sell in April or June. That includes 163 of the 248 with a building. Bidding opens at 3pm Pacific on Saturday, October 17.

One thing the county's list can't tell you is how many of April's parcels were actually offered. 1,926 of the 2,376 aren't on either list, and the county doesn't say which were paid off before the auction and which got no bids, so I haven't put a sell-through rate on it.

Write-up with the tables: lot-brief.com/research/los-angeles-apr-2026-results/ (every sale is in a CSV there). The county's own list: https://ttc.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/EP-Listing-Public-2026A-and-2026A-Follow-up-Online.pdf

Not advice. Check everything with the county before you bid.

I have a JADU that’s unpermitted and am currently working with an architect to have it permitted so I can build a detached ADU.

The JADU does not have proper footing since it wasn’t built on any foundation. My architect is trying to submit the plans saying there is underground foundation to get the plans approved to move forward.

How likely is it that the field inspector will request a dig-down test to see how deep and wide the concrete footing extends underground?

I am hoping that a demo and rebuild can be avoided.

Simi Valley Santa Susana knolls near knolls park

Hi all! I’m selling my condo, it’s treated me amazing and was my first home. However I wanted to make my family wishes come true and bought them a single family home.

I’ve done great cosmetic and safety updates, and the location is amazing! Wish I could keep it and I really hope it goes to someone who’s going to take great care of it and make it their lovely home.

I appreciate the support :)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/625-N-Flores-St-APT-102-West-Hollywood-CA-90048/20786983_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

A larger company or private equity firm buys your retail tenant. Same storefront, same brand, same rent.

But who is legally responsible if the tenant stops paying?

The new owner doesn't automatically guarantee the lease just because it acquired the business.

Here's what retail property owners should check:

• Legal tenant. Did the original tenant remain, or was the lease assigned to another company?
• Existing guarantors. Are they still responsible, or were any released?
• New ownership. Did the acquiring company actually sign a guaranty or assume lease obligations?
• Property value. If the guaranty becomes weaker or unclear, buyers may demand a higher return or offer a lower price.

An acquisition can strengthen a tenant's business without strengthening the landlord's legal protection.

The company that owns your tenant isn't necessarily the company backing your rent.

Before refinancing or selling, review the lease, guaranties, amendments, and assignment documents with qualified legal counsel.

Discussion: Have you seen a retail tenant change ownership without the new parent company taking responsibility for the lease?

(I wrote a longer breakdown on this. Happy to share if anyone wants it.)

Just received notice that Liberty Mutual is dropping condo insurance from their offerings. Been with them for 7 years without a single claim. Need to find a replacement provider. Looking for any recommendations