First, there are a lot of nice flips out there. Seriously, they're nice. The one pictured above is on Laurelgrove in Valley Glen. One trend spotted: lots and lots of beigy/brown/cream-colored subway tile. Tons of travertine. And no doors on showers. Also, granite is "last year," and white quartz or caesarstone is this year.
Another tip: if you want a big yard, think Van Nuys. There are pockets where the houses are smallish, but the yards are HUGE. Same with Valley Glen.
I showed a pocket listing in Toluca Woods. Folks, if your Realtor offers to show you a pocket listing (one that's for sale but not officially listed), jump at the chance. Houses like this won't go into the crazy multiple offer situations that we're seeing today because nobody else but you (and a few other potential buyers) will know about them.
What to say about the Burbank houses? Well, most Burbank homes began their lives as small houses. Over the decades, successive families built on...and on. Not all of the build-outs make any kind of sense, but they did to somebody at some time in the past. If you're considering Burbank homes for sale, think about working with weird floor plans and making them not quite so weird, or weird in your own way, or tearing the back off a house and starting over. You'll see the same kind of "architecture" all over the San Fernando Valley.
I saw several nice condos and townhouses for sale, too. However, some of the newer townhomes and condos in Studio City and Toluca Lake look like apartment buildings. You can tell the developer was attempting to squeeze every possible last dime out of every square foot they built. Prices are soaring on nice units though, right along with single family houses.
Finally, of course, I spotted the grotto-shrine in a front yard in the valley. Let's call her Our Lady of Valley Glen, and hope that she intercedes for us in our real estate searches.
