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Since the devastating scope of the Los Angeles wildfires has become increasingly clear, real estate agents have been working hard to find housing options for evacuees.
Agents told Inman that he worked more than 15 hours a day, was always on the phone, and received multiple inquiries within an hour of listing a property for sale or rent.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a difficult task to cope with, but the threat of more fires, worsening air quality, and the fact that much of the county’s inventory is currently being demolished also I’m dealing with it. More than 12,000 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far in Los Angeles County.
Josh Altman | Altman Brothers
Rather than being defeated, agents are leveraging all their resources. Many people say to their second-home owner clients that if they don’t need to use a secondary property right now, consider offering a second-hand home to someone who doesn’t have a place to live, at least in the short term. I’m begging for it.
Last week, Josh Altman of Douglas Elliman’s Altman Brothers told Inman: If only there was a way to provide those homes for people who lost their homes. So we’re trying to do the best we can. ”
It’s difficult to know how many properties in and around Los Angeles are being used as second homes. Some vacation rental management companies, like Vacasa, do not operate in the city because the city limits short-term rentals to primary residences and has a 120-night rental limit.
But U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by luxury vacation home co-ownership company Pacaso provides some insight into the number of properties being used as secondary homes or vacation homes. As of 2023, there were 234,000 vacant housing units in Los Angeles County, approximately 32,000 of which were used for seasonal, recreational, or temporary uses.
Ventura County, northwest of Malibu, had 17,000 vacant housing units in 2023, 5,800 of which were designated for seasonal, recreational or temporary use.
These census estimates are now outdated, and some vacant properties may be destroyed by wildfires, but this was done to protect people who were unable to live in their homes. This suggests that there is a considerable amount of vacant buildings that can be reused. houses.
Juliet Hohnen | Douglas Elliman
Fortunately, savvy agents know how to unearth such homes.
“Good agents know how to share information,” Douglas Elliman’s Juliet Hohnen told Inman. “We have a good relationship, they really know how to be resourceful.
“I personally call a lot of my clients who have two homes and beg them, ‘Do you really need to be here for three months?’ Would you like to move? Because this family has three kids in school and they really need a home.”So what I do is I call people who have vacation homes and ask them if they want to move. It’s about checking. ”
Not everyone Hohnen contacts immediately agrees to offer a second home. Because it takes a lot of trust to let a stranger live in one of your most important assets. But most of her clients, she said, after thinking it over for a few days, especially those whose children are already grown and don’t need to worry about school.
“I believe there is an innate goodness in humans,” Hohnen told Inman. “Some people say ‘no’ at first, but they’re actually thinking about it without me putting any pressure on them and coming back to me and saying, ‘This is your chance to do something else. Whether it’s a cross-country drive or a trip. But people want to help other homeless people in our community, and that’s really great. Someone called me today and said, “I’m willing to work from New York for a year.” I was told.”
Other agents are facing further hesitation from second home owners. Compass’ Adam Brower said there was a significant number of holiday homes in the area, with more than 4,000 Airbnb listings, but the challenge was making them available to evacuees. .
Adam Brower | Compass
“While a minority of owners have expressed interest, the majority remain hesitant,” Brower told Inman in an email. “In my experience, property owners are more open to these discussions if their home is set up for rental, such as an income property that is already being used for short-term rentals (Airbnb or VRBO).
“It certainly takes some convincing,” he continued. “Many second home owners are new to the idea of becoming a landlord and have understandable concerns. Especially given today’s high interest rate environment, a secondary property may become an asset rather than an expense. For income property owners who are already familiar with leasing, the discussion centers on the goodwill and community support it can provide while maintaining the business side of the investment. I often do.”
Agent Tami Pardee of Pardee Properties identified 150 second home owners from a database of 16,000 people willing to offer their properties for lease for people in crisis.
Tami Purdy | Purdy Properties
“The response was actually amazing,” Purdy told Inman. “People really came to the table and made suggestions. [their properties]”
“And what we’re doing is completely cost-free.” [service] “For us, we’re really just playing matchmakers,” she continued. “So we’re basically just putting them in direct contact with each other. We’re getting out of the brokerage part of that…and they go ahead and sign a lease. Of course, we… sent a lawyer to help them put together a rental agreement, but this is just a pro bono service we do for people in need.”
Purdy said it’s probably too early to tell whether the number of vacant houses and apartments (second homes or not) in the area can nearly meet the demand for people who no longer have a home to call home. said. Because people are still trying to figure out the extent of the damage to their homes and trying to figure out what to do next, whether to stay in Los Angeles or move somewhere else.
“I think a lot of people are stuck in their homes,” she said. “So it’s working. I don’t know how many people there are…I don’t know if there’s too much demand.”
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Email Lillian Dickerson
