Close-In ‘Pockets of Affordability’ : There Are Still Areas You Can Buy In for $150,000 Within a Bearable Commute to Downtown L.A.

When Orlando Sazon started hunting for a home in the $150,000-range earlier this year, he didn’t like much of what he found.

“I looked all over the place--Covina, Glendora, Azusa,” said Sazon, 35. “Some of the homes were just too expensive. And even though I saw a lot of properties in my price range, some of them needed a lot of work or were in areas that I didn’t really like.”

Finally, after nearly four months of searching, he found what he calls “the perfect house” on a quiet cul-de-sac in Covina: three bedrooms, 1 3/4 baths, hardwood floors and--best of all--a $149,000 price tag.

Sazon bought the house.

“My patience paid off,” he said. “It’s not easy to find a good, affordable house anymore, especially if you want to stay in the greater Los Angeles area. But those homes are out there. You just have to be patient and do a lot of looking.”

With average home prices nearing or topping $250,000 in most parts of the Southland, buyers looking for an “affordable” home reasonably near downtown Los Angeles may feel their mission is impossible.

Yet people who think they must move to the first-time buyer meccas of Riverside, San Bernardino, Palmdale or Lancaster and make long drives to work in order to own a home are mistaken.

There is a surprisingly good assortment of houses and condominiums for $150,000 or less, all within a relatively short drive of downtown Los Angeles.

Finding these “pockets of affordability” isn’t always easy and often requires compromises. It may mean driving through scores of neighborhoods and touring dozens of homes, and perhaps settling for a condominium instead of a single-family house. Or it may mean buying a smaller home, or one that needs work, in a neighborhood that isn’t the city’s best.

Yet buyers with determination can be rewarded with pleasant homes in decent neighborhoods that won’t break their bank accounts, according to nearly 100 brokers interviewed by The Times.

All of these brokers work in communities located within a 35-mile drive of downtown Los Angeles. Some work as far north as Newhall, as far south as Santa Ana, on the ocean to the west and the San Bernardino County line to the east--an area covering nearly 4,000 square miles and more than 2 million houses and condominiums.

Each broker was asked to recommend the best neighborhood in his or her area where single-family homes or condos still can be be purchased for about $150,000 or less. Here are some of their best recommendations, in eight geographic regions:

San Fernando Valley

Home prices in the San Fernando Valley, a bastion of affordable housing until the early 1980s, caught up with most other parts of Los Angeles a few years ago. But buyers can still find condominiums and townhomes in the $150,000-range across most of the Valley, even in trendy areas such as Encino, Sherman Oaks and Studio City.

“You can get anywhere from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet, 1 to 3 bedrooms, in a nice complex,” said Temmy Walker, a veteran realtor and president of the James R. Gary & Co. office in Studio City.

“Prices in a pretty good area of Studio City or Tarzana start in the $120,000s, but you’ll have to pay at least $130,000 to live in Sherman Oaks or Encino. The condos aren’t situated in a general area--they’re scattered across the Valley--but they’re all north of Ventura Boulevard.”

Newer condos in the $150,000 price range can be found in the nearby Canoga Park/West Hills area, off Sherman Way around Glade and Shoup avenues. “Most of them are under 10 years old, have 2 bedrooms and 2 or 2 1/2 baths and in-unit laundry areas,” said Dennis Bolen, a senior vice president at Coldwell Banker.

Units that are often larger and sometimes less expensive can be found in Panorama City, Sun Valley, Pacoima and surrounding areas of the less-prestigious northeast corner of the Valley, said Gloria Alcazar of Comfort Realty in Sun Valley.

Single-family homes in the $150,000-range are also fairly easy to find in Sun Valley and Pacoima and occasionally pop up in other parts, although they’re often in less desirable areas or need major repairs.

There are also some single-family homes in the $150,000-range left in Sylmar, on the northern rim of the San Fernando Valley. “But generally, they’re in pretty rough areas, too,” said Dale Lundgren of Golden Properties in Sylmar.

Instead, Lundgren said, many people prefer to buy one of the 3-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath condos in the more desirable area around Foothill Boulevard west of Polk Street.

“They’re really sharp units that cost between $140,000 and $150,000,” he said. “That’s $20,000 less than you’d pay for a similar unit a few miles closer in, like in Mission Hills or Granada Hills.”

L.A.’s Westside

No part of Los Angeles has seen prices soar so high and so fast as the Westside, one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. But there’s one last bastion of affordability here, where buyers can feel cool ocean breezes, breathe fresh air and enjoy a relatively good school system and low crime rate: Culver City.

Again, virtually all of the homes that can be found here in the $150,000-range are condominiums or townhouses. But the selection is plentiful: Nearly 50 units in that price range were recently for sale in about a dozen different developments, most of them chock-full of amenities such as pools, recreation rooms and even day-care centers for children.

Michelle Walman of Century 21 Horizon Properties in Culver City says would-be buyers can start by looking at Raintree, Lakeside Village and Tara Hill--three large developments near the corner of Overland Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard, on a site that used to be an MGM backlot--where prices for upscale 1-bedroom condos and less-glitzy 2-bedroom units start at around $120,000.

Another large project popular with first-time buyers is Windsor Fountains, a condo coversion at 4900 Overland Ave., where 2-bedroom units sell for about $140,000.

There are also hundreds of units in large developments on Green Valley Circle and other streets near the Fox Hills Mall, where prices start at about $120,000 for a 1-bedroom unit and $150,000 for a 2-bedroom.

Certain streets in other parts of the Westside also have a good selection of condos in the $100,000-$150,000 range, said Kathy Greer of Hollywoodland Realty in the Hollywood Hills.

Some units can be found in the east Hollywood Hills area along Barham and Cahuenga boulevards, as well as on Barrington Avenue in Brentwood, Veteran Avenue in Westwood and Wilshire Boulevard near Century City.

“West Hollywood also has a lot of condos in that price range, mostly along Kings Road, Larrabee Avenue and neighbhoring streets,” Greer said. But would-be buyers should know that as in most other parts of Los Angeles, many of the projects are apartment structures that were cheaply converted into condominiums.

South Bay

Few parts of the Southland have such a diverse array of communities as the South Bay, an area that is roughly bounded by Inglewood on the north, San Pedro on the south, the Harbor Freeway on the east and the ocean on the west.

Prices in many parts of the South Bay also have skyrocketed over the past few years: Any community that is adjacent to the water is untouchable by all but the most well-heeled buyers. But several areas further inland have a fair selection of condos in the $150,000-range, and a few communities even have single-family homes that can be purchased for around that price.

One of the better South Bay areas where affordable homes can still be found is Gardena, a city with a climate nearly identical to the coastal communities and with even better access to freeways. Although modest single-family homes start at about $200,000, there’s a fair-sized selection of condos in the northern portion of the city in the $120,000 to $160,000 range.

“You need to look south of Rosecrans (Avenue), between Normandie and Western (avenues),” said Howard Liu, a realtor at Gardena’s Ken Nakaoka Co.

“You can get 2 bedrooms plus 1 1/2 baths, about 1,100 square feet. They don’t have a lot of amenities and some of them aren’t really well-built, but they’re close to everything--including all the aerospace firms and the big Japanese companies that are headquartered in the South Bay.”

Those who don’t mind doing some fix-up work can find a single-family home in south Inglewood, along Arbor Vitae Street, La Cienega Boulevard, Prairie Avenue and some neighboring streets.

“Most of the homes are 50 or 60 years old, have narrow lots and need lots of work,” says Jerry Galante, president of Gallant Homes Real-Pros Realtors in Inglewood. “But if you want a single-family home on this side of town in the $150,000-range, this is one of the few places you can find it.”

There’s a much better selection of single-family homes in that price range in Carson, an area with a strong economic base and good freeway access.

“You can still find some houses here for $150,000, but the selection will be much better if you can go to $160,000,” said Robert Anderson, a broker at Belmar Realty in Carson. “You’ll get a 35- or 40-year-old home on a concrete slab with a carport, 3 bedrooms and a standard-sized yard.”

Anderson advises looking between Figueroa and Main streets, from 231st Street on the north to 234th on the south. “People who already live there are doing a lot of remodeling, and those who are just moving in are fixing their places up. That usually boosts property values.”

Long Beach Area

There are several pockets of affordability in the Long Beach area, which includes the port area itself, Signal Hill and a handful of communities a bit farther north and east--Compton, Paramount, Bellflower, Cerritos, Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens.

Prices in Naples, Belmont Shore and other waterfront areas in the eastern portion of Long Beach can top $1 million. But nice condominiums and single-family houses for $150,000 or even less can still be found in north and west Long Beach, two areas that have good freeway access and moderate temperatures.

Many realtors doing business in the area prefer the west side of town, saying it has more parks, better schools and fewer gang problems than north Long Beach.

“Take a look at the area west of the San Gabriel River, north of Pacific Coast Highway, south of Wardlow Road and east of Santa Fe Avenue,” said David Carden of Century 21/A Marketplace in Long Beach. “It’s an older, established area with well-built homes you can still buy for $135,000 to $155,000.”

More good bargains can be found in Bellflower, a town of 60,000 that is shedding its image as an industrial center for one as a bedroom community.

“Bellflower is really an undiscovered gem,” Carden said. “There’s a lot of new condo and single-family home construction going on there, it’s got great freeway access and it’s only 15 minutes from the beach.”

Two- and 3-bedroom Bellflower condos with private garages and about 1,200 square feet of space start in the $120,000s, Carden said, while single-family houses about the same size can be found in the $130,000 to $165,000 range.

“Stay within the boundaries of the San Gabriel River on the east, Artesia Boulevard on the south, Lakewood Boulevard on the west and Alondra Boulevard on the north. You’ll find lots of tree-lined streets there, and the area shows real pride of ownership.”

Buyers who want a bit more prestigious area often look in nearby Cerritos.

“You can’t get a single-family house for $150,000, but you can find some nice two-bedroom condos for $110,000 to $130,000 and 3-bedroom units for $140,000 and up,” said Steve Sepulveda of the local New West Real Estate/Better Homes & Garden office.

He advises looking in the area bounded by 166th Avenue on the north, Bloomfield Avenue on the east, California 91 on the south and Norwalk Boulevard on the west.

There are also a handful of 2-bedroom single-family homes and 2- and 3-bedroom condos in Signal Hill, a tiny town of about 9,000 that has a reputation for good public services and improved shopping.

“There really isn’t one particular area where you find these homes; they’re scattered across the city,” said Eric McCraney of Bay Cities Realty in Long Beach. “But that’s not such a big deal, because the city just isn’t that big.”

Southeast Area

There is also a fairly good selection of single-family homes and condos in the $150,000-range in the Southeast portion of Los Angeles County, an area bordered by Montebello on the north, Whittier and La Habra Heights on the east, California 91 (Artesia Freeway) on the south and Walnut Park and Downey on the west.

Perhaps the most attractive place to look for an affordable single-family home in the area is Norwalk, where buyers can still find a 2-bedroom house for about $140,000 and a 3-bedroom home for about $150,000.

Sepulveda at New West Real Estate/Better Homes & Gardens suggests looking in the neighborhood bounded by Florence Avenue on the north, Shoemaker Avenue on the east, Rosecrans on the south and Studebaker on the west.

“It’s a blue-collar area that’s drawing a lot of first-time buyers and investors who like the area’s appreciation potential,” Sepulveda said. “The homes were built in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. They’re kind of small, but it’s a real good place to buy your first home and start building some equity.”

There are also dozens of homes in the $130,000 to $155,000 range in Whittier and the surrounding unincorporated area.

“Most of the homes are south of Telegraph, east of Carmenita, north of Leffingwell and west of Valley View,” said Mieye Gin of the Coldwell Banker office in nearby Hacienda Heights. “They have two and three bedrooms, and usually 900 to 1,000 square feet. Some of the homes need work, but others are in good shape.”

Many realtors tend to lump Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Huntington Park and Maywood into one large area. It’s even hard for some longtime residents to say where one community ends and the next one begins. Each of the communities has several neighorhoods where older 2- and 3-bedroom homes can be purchased in the $150,000-range.

“There’s just not a whole lot of difference between the towns,” said Julio Giunta, manager of Galindo Realty in Bell. “They all have their good areas, and they all have their lesser areas. You’ve just got to pretty much drive around and look for a neighborhood where you feel comfortable.

“South Gate and Bell may be a little more attractive than those other areas because they have a greater percentage of residential properties,” Giunta said. “But all the towns are close to downtown L.A. and the industrial and commercial centers in Vernon, Commerce and Paramount.”

Downtown L.A.

Buyers who don’t want to drive far can find hundreds of houses and condos for $150,000 or less in the general downtown area, which includes the central business district, South-Central Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and a handful of communities immediately north of downtown.

While there are few affordable single-family houses in the downtown area, there are several nice condominium developments in the heart of the city where 1- and even 2-bedroom units can be purchased for under $150,000.

“You could get something in the Skyline at 9th and Flower (streets), Premier Towers at 6th and Spring (streets), or the two developments at 1st and Hope (streets)--Bunker Hill and Promenade East,” said Margaret Ann Westfall, a condo specialist with Wilshire Realty. “The projects have lots of amenities, you’re close to all the night life and best of all, you can walk to work.”

The area a few miles south of downtown has dozens of single-family homes in the $100,000 to $150,000 range. While some of the neighborhoods have high crime rates, others are on the upswing.

“I’d look east of Crenshaw (Boulevard), west of Western Avenue), south of Adams (Boulevard) and north of Imperial (Highway),” said William Blalark, a realtor with Exclusive Properties in Crenshaw. “There are a lot of bungalows and other architecturally interesting homes there, and people have been moving in and fixing them up.”

Older homes starting at about $150,000 can also be found in several parts of East Los Angeles and neighboring El Sereno, two convenient areas for buyers who must commute to jobs either east or west.

“Most of them have two bedrooms and one bath, but you might get lucky and find a 3-bedroom, 1-bath that needs some work,” said Lionel Moisa, manager of A.P. Lopez Realty, one of the Eastside’s oldest realty firms. “Look between Soto on the west and Atlantic on the east, from Olympic (Boulevard) up to City Terrace.”

There are also a handful of affordable single-family homes and condos scattered across Echo Park, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mt. Washington and a few other areas just north of downtown.

“The selection isn’t real good, but they’re out there,” said Grant Lenox, owner of Century 21 Echo Park Realty. “You’ll probably find a 50- or 60-year-old home with two bedrooms, one bath and maybe even a bonus room.”

W. S. Gabriel Valley

There are a handful of affordable areas left in the West San Gabriel Valley, an area roughly bounded by Fremont Avenue on the west, California 60 on the south, Interstate 605 on the east and the Angeles National Forest on the north.

Prices in this part of the valley are generally higher than those in the eastern portion, in part because it’s a shorter drive to downtown Los Angeles and the Westside. The West San Gabriel Valley also tends to be a bit cooler and less smoggy than the area to the east, in part because of its greater proximity to the ocean.

With the exception of a few condo projects, most of South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia and Pasadena are for well-heeled buyers only. It’s even hard to find a condo or single-family home in the $150,000 range in the once-affordable areas of Monterey Park, Alhambra and surrounding communities, although a few are scattered about the area.

There are, however, a large number of single-family homes listed for $150,000 or less in the northwest corner of Pasadena--north of Colorado Boulevard and south of Woodbury Road, between the Arroyo Seco and Lake Avenue--and also in the northwest corner of Altadena, north of Woodbury Road and west of Fair Oaks Avenue.

“If you like flat land and a more urban environment, choose Pasadena,” said Don Rutherford, who owns three Feenstra Rutherford realty offices in the area. “If you like more of a country atmosphere, move to Altadena--it’s in the foothills of the forest.”

Still, neighborhoods in both of these affordable areas are spotty: Rows of well-kept Spanish-style homes and bungalows are sometimes interrupted by run-down houses and graffiti-scarred walls.

Most of Arcadia, just east of Pasadena, is also out of reach for first-time buyers. But neighboring Duarte has dozens of 2- and 3-bedroom single-family homes in the $150,000 range, with some fixer-uppers in lesser parts of town selling for under $120,000.

“You’d have to look south of Huntington Drive, between the Monrovia city line and Irwindale city line. You can also find a few houses in the $150,000-range in Monrovia, south of Foothill, between the Duarte line and Arcadia line,” said Sylvia Acuna, executive officer of the Monrovia/Duarte Assn. of Realtors.

Both Monrovia and Duarte have been cracking down on street gangs, and crime in both towns has been dropping, Acuna said. “And they both have a ‘small-town’ feel--everybody seems to know each other. If you’re not happy about something, you can go down to city hall and the politicians will actually listen to you.”

There is also a good selection of affordable single-family homes just west of El Monte High School in El Monte.

“It’s a nice, blue-collar area where you can get a 2- or 3-bedroom home on a tree-lined street for around $150,000,” said Hito Suwa, a broker at Toho Realty in nearby Monterey Park. “The shopping in the area is great, and you just hop on the freeway to get to downtown L.A.”

E. San Gabriel Valley

The largest selection of affordable single-family homes within a 35-mile drive of downtown Los Angeles can probably be found in the East San Gabriel Valley, an area bordered by Interstate 605 on the west, the foothills of the Angeles National Forest on the north, the San Bernardino County line on the east, and the Orange County line on the south.

Although this side of the valley is renowned for its beautiful mountains and collection of well-kept Victorian homes, it’s also one of the Southland’s smoggiest areas. Most of the workers who must commute to jobs in downtown Los Angeles or the Westside face long traffic jams on the Pomona or San Bernardino freeways daily.

Still, the plethora of homes that can be found for $150,000 or less is enough to lure thousands of buyers here every year. The east San Gabriel Valley is especially attractive to first-time buyers who don’t want to make even longer commutes from less expensive areas in Riverside, San Bernardino and other areas farther inland.

“If your money is tight, Azusa and Baldwin Park are the places to buy,” said Ron Capotosto of Century 21 The Lidle Co. in Covina.

“Both cities are being rejuvenated, the streets are being widened, a lot of other public improvements are being made and they’re pretty close to everything. Plus, both areas have lots of homes under $150,000.”

In Azusa, Capotosto said, buyers should focus on the area bounded by Alosta Avenue on the north, Citrus Avenue on the east, Arrow Highway on the south and the Irwindale city line on the west. A few 2-bedroom houses were recently listed for under $120,000, while a well-kept 3-bedroom home with 1,300 square feet was listed for $150,000.

Prices are about the same in Baldwin Park. Capotosto suggests looking in two different parts of town: One neighborhood bounded by Interstate 605, Ramona Boulevard and Francisquito Avenue, the other by Main Street, Olive Street, Arrow Highway and Irwindale Boulevard.

Buyers who want a bit more prestige look in Covina. “Prices start at about $140,000, and the houses are pretty small--850 to 950 square feet,” Capotosto said. “Look in the area that’s north of Valley, east of Azusa Avenue, west of Nogales and south of Renault.”

Another popular spot for buyers of modest means--at least modest by today’s home-price standards--is Pomona. The city of about 110,000 people is also home to several large employers, within a 15-minute drive to nearly a dozen colleges or universities, and an hour’s drive from the ocean to the west and mountain resorts to the east.

“I think Pomona has the best buys in this end of the Valley,” said Bill Jones, president of the realty board that represents La Verne and Claremont as well as Pomona.

“There are some fairly decent areas where you can buy for under $150,000, starting around the Arrow Highway and moving south, down to about Mission Boulevard. The homes are 10 to 40 years old, and some of them are really lovely. Most of them have two or three bedrooms, but some have four.”

Orange County

While parts of Orange County may seem as if they’re light years away from their neighbor to the north, the northern tip of the county is only about 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles and contains a handful of areas where single-family homes and condominiums are relatively inexpensive.

One of those areas is the central portion of Santa Ana, a city where an ambitious redevelopment program is luring new businesses and helping to polish its somewhat tarnished image.

“You’d be near the South Coast Plaza and Music Center, the freeways and the Santa Ana Campus of Rancho Santiago College,” said Dion Baker of Merrill Lynch Realty in Orange.

“You can find some single-family homes starting at about $150,000 in the territory that’s between Washington Avenue on the north, Bristol Street on the east, English Street on the west and 1st Street on the south. It’s a decent area and most of the homes are pretty well-built.”

Those who prefer the condo life style may want to move toward the southern portion of Santa Ana. “If you can spend $110,000 or $120,000 for a condo, you can buy a 3-bedroom unit in a big complex called Fairlane Gardens, about six blocks south of First Street on Fairview Street,” Baker said. “It’s a family-oriented complex that’s gate-guarded. There are several other developments in that price range there, too.

“If you can pay $150,000 or so, you might want to go even further south, down around Fairview and MacArthur Boulevard,” he said. “The condos are a bit nicer, the complexes are very well-maintained and the area is even better.”

Single-family homes in the $150,000-range also occasionally pop up in Tustin and Orange, Baker said, “but they’re really run-down properties that need major repairs.”

Orange, however, offers some good condo values and is a few miles closer to Los Angeles than either Santa Ana or Tustin.

“There are quite a few large developments between Culver and Palmyra, near St. Joseph Hospital, where you can get a nice 2- or 3-bedroom condo for $120,000 to $160,000,” Baker said. “The amenities are great, and the grounds are beautiful.”

BUYING A HOME FOR $150,000 OR LESS

Communities within 35 miles of downtown Los Angeles where you can still purchase a house or condominium for $150,000 or less.

1. Newhall

2. Sylmar

3. Pacoima

4. Canoga Park

5. Sun Valley

6. Panorama City

7. Altadena

8. Tarzana

9. Encino

10. Sherman Oaks

11. Studio City

12. East Hollywood Hills

13. Highland Park

14. Pasadena

15. Monrovia

16. Duarte

17. Azusa

18. Covina

19. Brentwood

20. Westwood

21. West Hollywood

22. Century City

23. Los Angeles

24. El Monte

25. Baldwin Park

26. Pomona

27. Culver City

28. Huntington Park

29. Maywood

30. Bell

31. Montebello

32. Whittier

33. Inglewood

34. Cudahy

35. Downey

36. La Habra Heights

37. Gardena

38. Compton

39. South Gate

40. Norwalk

41. Lakewood

42. Cerritos

43. Carson

44. Long Beach

45. Signal Hill

46. Hawaiian Gardens

47. Orange

48. Santa Ana

49. Echo Park

50. Glassell Park

51. El Sereno

52. East Los Angeles Source: Based on interviews with Los Angeles area real estate brokers.