A Home of One’s Own

There are beautiful neighborhoods in Los Angeles County where houses cost less than $450,000 and are larger than a postage stamp and in very good condition (“Will L.A.’s Real Estate Bubble Burst?� by Eryn Brown, Nov. 2). Why aren’t people interested? Because the homes are in neighborhoods where the majority of residents are minorities. We still live in a society where most white people do not consider the possibility of living in areas that are not predominantly white.

A little research will show that there are beautiful tree-lined streets, well-maintained homes and people who care about their community. Folks should open up their minds to new areas of town. They will build precious equity in a home that is their own. Even more valuable will be the rich experience of living in a diverse community.

Martina Guilfoil

Inglewood

*

I live in a 700-square-foot home on a large lot in Chatsworth with my husband, two kids, an 85-pound yellow Labrador and a persnickety cat. My family is a perfect example of Southern Californians in need of a larger residence. After scrapping plans to build a new house on our existing property, we decided to shop around for a new house. The only prospective property that my husband and I could agree upon was listed for $920,000.

Although we probably could have come up with the down payment, we weren’t willing to put ourselves into that much debt to have a “livable space.� Our solution: sell our house for an obscene amount of money and move to eastern Pennsylvania, where prices are more realistic and the kids can run in their backyard.

Monica Muehsam

Via the Internet