Relocating to Los Angeles With a Plan Built Around Your Start Date
Moving to LA for a new job? I plan your purchase backward from your start date, from wherever you live now.
What Relocating to Los Angeles Means When You Are Buying
Relocating to Los Angeles usually starts with good news: a new job, often with a start date already on the calendar. Then the questions arrive. Which neighborhood? What will the commute really be like? And how do you buy a home in a city you have never lived in, from somewhere else, before work begins?
The relocation buyers I work with tell me the same things in their own words. "I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods." "I've got to get into a place because work is going to begin." Often the new job is with a Silicon Beach employer, the budget sits between one and three million dollars, and the most requested pockets can go under contract in eleven to fifteen days.
When you are moving from out of town, you do not have the local knowledge that keeps a buyer off the wrong street, and a weekend of touring does not give it to you. Filling that gap, quickly and accurately, is the job I do for relocation buyers.
How Danielle Edney Homes Handles a Relocation
I am Danielle Edney, a REALTOR® with Chase Skye Realty Group and a third-generation Angeleno. At Danielle Edney Homes, I bring deep roots in these neighborhoods to every move. I can tell you how a drive to Playa Vista compares from Culver City, from Ladera Heights or from Santa Monica, and what you gain and give up with each.
Robin J. came to LA as a new resident and put it this way: "She knows LA thoroughly, and her knowledge of neighborhoods past and present made for a great experience for a new resident like myself."
In a relocation, the order of the steps matters more than anywhere else. A buyer who starts touring before the loan is ready can lose the first good house to someone who was ready. I build the plan backward from your first day of work, so every step lands in time.
If your offer letter comes from a University of California campus such as UCLA, your new-hire package may include home loan offerings. I know how those offerings arrive in the offer package and how their underwriting timelines shape when you can write an offer and close. More on my page for university faculty, staff and researchers.
Your Relocation Plan, Step by Step
- Pre-approval first. I connect you with a California-experienced lender for a fully underwritten pre-approval before we tour, so your offer is ready the day the right home appears.
- Neighborhood orientation. We narrow the map together around your commute, your budget and the kind of home you want, before you book a flight.
- Guided search with video walkthroughs. I tour homes for you and send detailed video walkthroughs, so you see the light, the street and the flaws, not just the listing photos.
- Offers built from live data. Every offer starts from this week's closed sales for that exact submarket, so you are never guessing in a market you do not know yet.
- Closing timed to your job start. We set the escrow timeline around your first day, so the keys and the new job line up.
You can see how I keep buyers aligned on neighborhood and budget and how we get your home locked in and closed on schedule.
Patrick W. moved on a tight deadline: "I cannot express my thanks enough for their help in securing a new place under the strict time table I had for my job."
Some relocation buyers rent first and buy once they know the city. Valerie T. did both: "We started working with them about 1.5 years ago, first when looking to rent as we moved to LA for the first time, and then in searching for and buying our new home."
Relocating to Los Angeles Across the Westside and Baldwin Hills
Relocation buyers usually weigh several neighborhoods at once. Playa Vista, Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista and Culver City sit closest to the Silicon Beach employers. Ladera Heights, View Park and Windsor Hills, and Baldwin Hills and Baldwin Vista sit a short drive inland, with hillside streets and views.
Explore relocating to Playa Vista, relocating to Culver City or relocating to Ladera Heights, where I live and farm.
Thinking about a move to Los Angeles? Book a 30-minute call, even if you are just starting to look. If you already have a start date, we will build your plan backward from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start if I am relocating to Los Angeles for a job?
As soon as your offer letter is signed. Pre-approval and narrowing the neighborhoods can happen from wherever you live now, and doing them early takes the pressure off the weeks right before your move.
Can I buy a home in Los Angeles without seeing it in person?
Yes, it is possible. I tour homes for you and send detailed video walkthroughs that show what you would notice walking through. When you can, I recommend seeing your top choice in person before we write the offer.
Should I rent first or buy right away?
It depends on how well you know the city and how firm your timeline is. Renting first gives you time to learn the neighborhoods. Buying right away saves you a second move. I help with either path, and some of my clients have done both, renting first and buying with me later.
Which neighborhoods are closest to Silicon Beach?
Of the areas I serve, Playa Vista, Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista and Culver City are the closest. Ladera Heights, View Park and Windsor Hills, and Baldwin Hills and Baldwin Vista sit a little further inland. The right choice depends on your commute, your budget and the kind of home you want, and I walk you through each before you tour.
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Danielle Edney Homes?
