Q&A With Your Playa Vista Real Estate Expert Contributor

What is your favorite condo building in Playa Vista? 

This is a hard question because all buildings have elements and floor plans that I like, but based on my own style and location preferences, the top three in no particular order are: Concerto Lofts, Promenade, and Chatelaine. Concerto Lofts units have a modern feel with large windows, flexible floor plans, and are in a great location next to Concert Park. The Promenade community, right across the street on Pacific Promenade, have architectural lines that really appeal to me, large windows that allow in a lot of natural light, and simple, but well-designed, floor plans. Additionally, all of the top floor units have very dramatic vaulted ceilings. Finally, Chatelaine has large floor plans, many units that either have beautiful views of Crescent Park or the Ballona Wetlands, and its own swimming pool. Don’t consider this an exhaustive list – I have positive things to say about all communities, and one of the things that makes Playa Vista great is that different buildings and floor plans are right for different people based on their needs and budget.

I’ve noticed a lot more properties for sale lately. Why has it increased? 

This is accurate. At the time of this writing, there are 38 listings on the MLS in either active or some type of “coming soon” status, however this increase in inventory is largely concentrated in Phase I homes (30 out of 38 listings), although Phase II inventory has been rising recently. The number of new listings has not been unusually high, but the number of sales and absorption rate have been low. Through April 2026, there have been 22 sales in Phase I (compared to 28 during the same time last year), which is only 5.5 per month. This is due to the increased costs of HOA dues and insurance over the past couple of years, combined with sticky high interest rates and prices, which have made the cost of an entry-level Playa Vista condo unaffordable for many. Price-sensitive buyers have historically been given pause by Playa Vista’s high ownership costs, and buyers who previously might have bitten the bullet anyway for lifestyle reasons, are seeing similar monthly costs outside of 90094, such as with single family houses in nearby areas. These factors could continue restrain demand until something gives on the cost side for buyers. 

What do you enjoy most and least about your work? 

I have many favorite parts of my job. I find it satisfying that real estate is a business where the work that I put in pays off in results, not only with each client’s goal set, strategy formulated, and job accomplished, but in how my effort is directly proportional to the growth of my business. I also enjoy going from advisor to friends with different people whom, while we might not have otherwise known each other, find that we also connect on a personal level. Whether my clients become fast friends or our work together is solely professional, my service does not end when the property sells. I am always happy to be a resource for any real estate-related need from the start of our journey until any point in the future, and am generally excited to hear from past clients again, even if it means helping to solve a problem.

My least favorite part is that it is hard for me to disconnect from work. I struggle to avoid checking my messages frequently or responding quickly when someone needs something, even when it is not urgent. I started my business just before The Great Recession and the struggle I experienced during that time of breaking into a new business in a new town during a tough market, and the fear of failure, has motivated me to make sure I do all that I can to keep my clients happy and grow my business, which sometimes comes at the expense of relaxing or enjoying the moment. Recently, I spent a good chunk of my vacation to New York with my son negotiating multiple offers and discussing response strategy with my sellers on a listing. While I felt guilty about not being fully present during this time, I have a strong obligation to those who made the decision to hire me (instead of many other qualified candidates), to provide support when they need it during a very important chapter of their lives.

If you were going to buy a property in LA as an investment, what would you buy right now? 

I previously would have said multifamily, but interest rates and tenant-friendly laws make that difficult and risky. With Los Angeles looking to create more rental housing, ADU approvals have become easier. Given this fact and the tight rental market, I would buy a single family home with a detached garage and add two ADU’s. The garage could be converted to a smaller ADU and then a new construction 2-bedroom ADU could be built on the lot. I would target an underbuilt house on a larger lot, in a high rent, high demand location, possibly near a college campus. After completion, I would refinance and pull out much of the original equity, and live in the house and let the rents from the two additional units subsidize my housing payments.