What’s at stake? With the passage of Senate Bills 9 and 10, the landscape of the single-family neighborhood in California will be forever changed.
Let me give you a little background. For the past 24 years, I have been observing the building approval process in greater Los Angeles. I’ve been watching this not as a casual observer, but rather as a vacant land specialist, a Realtor, who has been working with and representing individual land buyers and small developers.
When I sold my first land listing, the Hillside approval process in Los Angeles would take about 7 to 8 months depending on where you were considering building. For example, it might have taken a bit longer if there was a second jurisdiction involved such as the Coastal Commission if the land was within 1.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. If you were considering building on either side of Mulholland Drive, then the Mulholland Scenic Review Board would get involved, adding another 3 months to the process. You get the idea. Fast forward to today when the routine approval process now could take 18-24 months; add an additional 6 to 12 months if you’re adding that second jurisdiction I mentioned.
Hence when Senate Bills 9 and 10 take effect on January 1, 2022, it is not about easing the approval process and helping the housing crisis; rather, it is all about changing the family neighborhoods everywhere in California. While I can only speak for Los Angeles, I see it clearly as affecting all of the various ethnic neighborhoods and groups, particularly the middle to lower economic areas, the areas where you see parents walking with their children and dogs. In Los Angeles that is basically the south of $2 million dollar homes neighborhoods. Small apartment complexes will be built in residential pockets, replacing the family feel.
This is yet another way for politicians to blatantly divide Californians based on Socio-Economic standing. If you live in Westchester, California (the 90045-zip code) where I call home, neighbors say hello to each other as they walk their children, their dogs, or pull into their driveway next door and across the street. When I lived in Marina Del Rey which is largely housed by apartment homes and complexes, the neighborhood had a completely different feel and a very high tenant turnover, it unless you lived by the Strand where the beach is your back yard or in the small pocket of two-story homes.
I am confident the landscape will not change in the super-affluent gated communities off Mulholland Drive or in the Flats of Beverly Hills or any other neighborhoods that start in the $10 million price point.
If the politicians truly wanted to help the housing shortage, they would shorten the approval process or should I say the permit process to build homes. Why is it that in other parts of the country, you can get approvals to build new construction homes under 100 days? If politicians would concentrate on shortening the permit approval timelines, not only would there be less of a housing shortage but even the price of homes would be normalized to a much more attainable level for people trying to buy a home. Why don’t the CA politicians want to fix this? The answer is easy: they would have less control and less opportunities to take bribes and favors.
What lies ahead? More of the family-oriented neighborhoods will be replaced with mixed-use areas and places like Candy Cane Lane that I am sure you have seen on TV will go to the wayside.
Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 ( m) homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations. Endre Barath,Jr. Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties DRE#01238708
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