Agents of change: buying and selling in Leimert Park

Weekends are a time of leisure for many Angelenos. But for another group, real estate agents and brokers, Saturdays and Sundays mean it's time to get to work. While the end of the year is a traditionally slow season for the housing market, there are still plenty of houses to show in resurgent neighborhoods such as Leimert Park.

"It's just an interesting time to be here and watch the school of fish, so to speak, move around Los Angeles," said Scott Butler, an agent and broker for Bedrock Real Estate Group at Keller Williams, Beverly Hills.

Butler works with buyers and sellers on a daily basis. He often shows houses along the same quiet, tree-lined streets in Leimert Park and View Park where he was born, raised and continues to live.

Butler recalls biking to the corner store as a kid to grab a bag of Chili Fritos before heading to the arcade to play the classics. His family lived along Degnan Blvd. when he was born and then moved up the hill to View Park a few years later. His knowledge of this neighborhood runs deep.

"We were out in the neighborhood and you knew this block and that person — You knew who was who in the zoo."

He said that since he began living here 48 years ago, this area has always been diverse.

"What's great about Los Angeles is it's probably the most multicultural and diverse place on the planet."

Additionally, it's a resilient area and perhaps most of all, adept at change. Residents who moved to the area in the 60s may have a different impression of change than residents who moved here in the 80s, and so on. Demographics may change, families may choose to capitalize on skyrocketing property values, but either way, what will remain is these homes.

Leimert Park was built in the late 1920s and relies heavily on Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. It's a master planned community, meaning the placement of its streets, homes and shops were methodically planned, rather than happening organically like in some other parts of Los Angeles. Many structures in Leimert still feature those design elements and some appear virtually unchanged from their original state.

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

1928, Courtesy of University of Southern California Libraries

With historic charm, a central location and a new Metro line on the way, Butler isn't surprised to see rising property values. In this audio clip, he talks about some of the reasons he thinks areas such as Leimert Park, View Park, Baldwin Hills and Ladera Heights are desirable for buyers.

Another benefit of living here is the tight knit community that serves as this area's heartbeat and keeps an eye on things. Just as it was when he rode his bike down the hill from View Park to play games and hang out with friends, the sense of community remains strong.

"It's kind of nice to not just be in a good neighborhood, but know that your neighbors are looking out for you," said Butler.

It may not mean much to a given buyer if an agent notes how great the neighbors are when listing a property, but it's certainly something that shows when someone walks around these quiet streets. People are quick to say hello, share a smile and appreciate the picturesque weather.

For Butler, there's comfort in knowing his neighbors take pride in their homes as much as he takes pride in his own. Selling homes seems to be a way of spreading that to others.

Here's a look at just some of the current residential listings in Leimert Park.

And here's one of Butler's recent listings up the hill in view Park. Enjoy this cinematic tour of a beautiful six bedroom home.

A few blocks southwest of Scott Butler's Leimert listing, buyer's agent Melvin Jackson was hosting an open house on behalf of the property's listing agent. Like Butler, Jackson is also a local resident, so while hosting an open house still counts as work, he doesn't have to go far.

He was hoping for a buyer to come without an agent, love the property and ask him to serve as their representative.

"I'm waiting for a person to walk in who loves this home, we'll write an offer and start escrow in a few days."

Jackson said he relies on technology to fuel his business. He's never met the broker for this home, but he sent the broker an email offering to host an open house and the broker accepted.

“In today’s market, sometimes you don’t meet the broker because everything is done over the internet,” said Jackson.

He was optimistic about his chances of finding a buyer to represent, even if it meant he'd have to wait in an empty house for a few hours to find one. The way Jackson sees it, the market is balanced, so there is incentive from both buyers and sellers to make deals.

"It's a good market today. I won't say it's a buyer's market or a seller's market. It's kind of even."