Real Estate

For the first time in memory, everyone around here either knows someone or is someone who has lost a home or been dislocated by the fires that have scarred so much of our beloved Los Angeles. And everyone wonders: What happens now? Will people rebuild? When will things get back to normal? Those of us […]

Carrie Meyers’ home burned to the ground last week when the Eaton fire erupted. So did the North Lake Avenue pet shop she bought from her uncle more than 20 years ago. The twin loss of her house and Steve’s Pets left her mourning the two poles of the community she has been part of

Late Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order that aims to speed up the rebuilding of homes and businesses after wildfires tore through Pacific Palisades. Academics, builders, consultants and other analysts who reviewed the order at The Times’ request said Bass’ move was an essential beginning to what will be an inevitably

Los Angeles city officials are seeking to protect some tenants from eviction in the wake of the fires that have ravaged the region and destroyed thousands of homes. In a 15 to 0 vote Tuesday, Los Angeles City Council members directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance that for a year would prevent evictions

His job, for more than a decade, has been to steer homeless people into housing. Last week, social worker Anthony Ruffin lost his home. On Monday morning, still reeling five days after the Eaton fire destroyed much of Altadena, Ruffin, 56, sipped coffee at a Glendale diner, wiped his eyes, and described the historic Black

During a disaster, getting to safety is the top priority. But for many Angelenos displaced by the devastating wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, questions loom about what comes next. The fires have destroyed thousands of structures and forced roughly 92,000 residents to evacuate. With some homes sitting empty and others reduced to rubble, here

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Monday that seeks to expedite rebuilding efforts after fires leveled thousands of homes and businesses in the city last week, mostly within Pacific Palisades. Executive Order 1 requires city departments to complete project reviews within 30 days from when a complete application is submitted and waives

Landmark California environmental laws will be suspended for wildfire victims seeking to rebuild their homes and businesses, according to an executive order signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Requirements for building permits and reviews in the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act — often considered onerous by developers — will be eased

Last year, Francis Bischetti said he learned that the annual cost of the homeowners policy he buys from Farmers Insurance for his Pacific Palisades home was going to soar from $4,500 to $18,000 — an amount he could not possibly afford. Neither could he get onto California FAIR Plan, which provides fewer benefits, because he

Everyone knows California is disaster-prone, but there’s a familiar logic to the calamitous geography in this high-maintenance beauty of a state. Wildfires are supposed to be in the hills — in the wild — not on the beach, and certainly not inside the borders of one of the biggest and best-prepared cities on the planet.