Lights, cameras, action! When you think of LA, these are probably the first three words that come to your mind. Apart from the appeal of Hollywood and superstars, there’s a lot to love about the city. In fact, few cities in the world boast as many characters and as many eccentricities as LA.

For starters, the weather there is close to perfect all year round. It’s the ideal location between the mountains. The coast ensures the climate is excellent, and there aren’t any extremes throughout the year. Apart from that, few cities are as diverse as LA, where at least 185 languages are spoken in the metro area.

Countless reasons make LA an excellent place to live in, making it challenging to find a house in the competitive and challenging real estate market. Firstly, you should get in touch with a reliable Los Angeles mortgage broker who can help you explore mortgage options, get pre-approved, and apply for a loan. Once you have this figured out, here are a few secret tips that can help you get an excellent place in LA:

Have your priorities sorted in advance

Before looking at potential houses, you need to know what you’re looking for. You should determine the lifestyle you’d like to have and figure out what’s most important since it’s quite likely you won’t get everything on your list. There will be areas you’ll have to make compromises, so it’s better to start off with a list that includes your essentials.

This list should ideally cover factors such as location, number of rooms, price range, and closeby amenities. It’ll ensure you’re not wasting time focusing on properties that don’t even include these essentials. Time-saving is especially important in LA, where properties get booked in a matter of hours, making it crucial for you to take fast action.

Be ready for a bidding war

Let’s be honest: nobody said getting a house in LA was going to be easy. Bidding wars are quite common in LA, and you should expect multiple offers on every property. Many homes in the area are picked by flippers who sell these properties at a premium, making it incredibly challenging since you’re competing with real estate professionals.

To win a bidding war, there are a few tips that you can use. Obviously, you should offer the highest price and ideally make a cash offer. You can also take your offer up a notch by writing a personal letter to the seller and including an escalation close, highlighting that the buyer will outbid other offers by a certain amount of money and not exceed a specified price.

Sort your finances before attending an open house

Before you attend any property showings with your real estate agent, you need to schedule a meeting with your lender and organize your finances. Even if you’re not planning on purchasing a property until a few years later, you can still plan this aspect in advance.

One factor that’s extremely important to owning a home is your credit history. Working towards a good credit score can help you secure a mortgage with reasonable terms and conditions with a reliable lender. Since a credit score essentially tells lenders how risky you are as a borrower, it’s a good indicator of how high your mortgage rate will be.

Get a feel for the neighborhood

So, if you’ve got some time on your hands and are feeling a bit experimental, then living life as a local in the neighborhood is a great idea. You don’t even need to take out weeks; even a weekend is enough for you to plan a staycation in the neighborhoods you’re considering to get a feel for it.

On this weekend, you can visit amenities, try out the local public transport system, go to farmers’ markets, and generally interact with people in the locale. If you’re settling down with your family or are planning on having kids in the future, checking out the school district is also an excellent idea. Lastly, you should also see how long it takes you to get to work from the location of your choice.

Determine how convenient a location is

LA’s traffic jams are notorious; there’s no way to put it lightly. Suppose you don’t want to deal with the traffic every day. In that case, you need to keep an eye out for properties that offer convenient access to where you have to be, whether that’s for leisure activities, school, or work.

You should ideally choose a neighborhood that’s close to the city’s major transit routes and has multiple points of entry. Your house should have easy access to roads and public transport since this is definitely better than a property in the middle of nowhere and is only accessible through one route.

Be realistic about the situation

Buying a house in LA is a huge feat due to the bidding wars, prices, and numerous other factors that make the city’s real estate market extremely competitive. You need to be realistic about your expectations and understand that you might not be getting the house of your dreams.

However, this doesn’t mean all hope is lost. You can always undertake projects and DIY your dream home. Sometimes, investing in a property that requires some improvements is an excellent idea since it’ll give you some leeway in terms of the price and allows you to add your own touch.

Final Thoughts

Understandably, getting a house in LA might not be an easy and straightforward process. However, it is well worth it. There’s a reason that the city is one of the best places to live in in the United States, and you’ll easily be able to find a house you love if you put your mind to it.

By following the tips above, you can be one step closer to finding a home in LA where you can make the best memories. From excellent neighborhoods to literal stars, the possibilities are endless in the City of Angels!