Los Angeles land buyers need to know about the entitlement process... depending on where they decide to buy a land and build their home, the rules can vary a great deal.
Most importantly they need to know that if they buy a land within 1.5 miles of the Pacific Coast the approval process falls into Coastal Commission Jurisdiction. Hence that means it could take two to three years for the approval process. I have known buyers that would like to shorten this process hence they opt to buy land outside of the Coastal Commission Jurisdiction.
My point is that the entitlement process can be long and quite complicated, but without that no one cannot build a home in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Now should they choose to buy a steep up or down sloped lot then that will fall into Los Angeles Hillside Ordinance a 15–18-month process. If it is within a mile and a half of either side of Mullholland Drive, then they need to add another 4-6 months to the process and be prepared that the Mullholland Scenic Review Board will get involved with the design approval.
The bottom line is a potential builder needs to plan on budgeting the costs for the building, as well as time for the approval process. Now the more knowledgeable the buyer is the less likely will there be too many surprises to deal with.
My advice is one should nor request to deviate from the existing zoning requirements, because if a variance is needed that means the nearest 500 neighbors will have something to say and put another obstacle to the process. If one can build a 1500 sq ft home one should not ask for a modification to build something bigger, or it will be another six months or more added to the process.
Needless to say, if one gets to the finish line with the Entitlements, we call that Ready to Issue Permits (RTI) The same land's value could quadruple or be even more worth, since many people do not want to wait two or three years. They want to build as soon as they bought the land. Should you have more questions about the Entitlement Process, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
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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