Never mind a certain East Coast city ? it turns out that Los Angeles is home to the most valuable housing market in the country. That means there are fewer affordable neighborhoods than ever; in fact, the hottest real estate neighborhood in the city was pretty accessible to average homebuyers just a few years. Yet despite L.A.'s high concentration of high-priced real estate, a disproportionate number of minority homeowners have underwater mortgages. Is there anything that can be done about that ? and about the housing shortage that's driving the housing crisis? The articles below explore all of this and more.

The Hottest Real Estate Neighborhood in L.A. Is ...



Angeleno home buyers this year are likely to continue to rediscover denser, more urban parts of the city.The latest?Zillow Home Value Forecast names the hottest real estate neighborhood in L.A., and it's not a huge surprise.

Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.

L.A. Is America's Most Valuable Housing Market

When it comes to the value of all the real estate in America's biggest cities, New York and L.A. are usually first and second on the list, often switching places, depending on what analysis you read.

Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.

Minorities More Likely to Have Underwater Home Loans


Minority homeowners in Greater Los Angeles are more likely than local whites to owe more on their home loans than their residences are worth, according to a new analysis from real estate listings site Zillow. But L.A. homeowners overall are in better shape than those elsewhere in the nation when it comes to so-called underwater loans.

Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.

Anti-Development Ballot Measure Befuddles Candidates

Measure S, the ballot measure formerly known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, aims to curb large-scale development in Los Angeles. It is arguably the most important issue voters face on the March ballot. And it has become something of a hot potato. No one wants to be seen sticking up for the developers. At the same time, the housing shortage crisis remains a top issue, and there are some fears that Measure S would exacerbate it.

Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.