Wanted: L.A. House for Couple Leaving Washington in 1989

First Lady Nancy Reagan is passing the word quietly to friends that she is beginning to look for a house in the Los Angeles area where she and the President can retire when his second term is over.

Friends say there is no big push at the moment, but Mrs. Reagan is “just quietly putting out the word to a few friends to be on the lookout for them.”

After the Reagans leave the White House in 1989 they plan to return to California, and friends say they would like to find a home, possibly in the Pacific Palisades area where they lived before moving into the White House. That home sold for $1 million, but friends say the Reagans don’t want as large a home this time.

The First Lady was overheard telling actress Elizabeth Taylor of her house-hunting plans, with no sense of urgency, while they chatted at the state dinner Tuesday for Chinese President Li Xiannian.

The Reagans intend to keep their 688-acre ranch in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara as a vacation retreat where they enjoy horseback riding and the outdoors. But their ranch home is only a small one that is heated by fireplaces. Reagan has indicated that when he retires he wants to remain active and to live in Los Angeles.