The thought of buying a home in Los Angeles is always very tempting! While the name Los Angeles invokes images of a hustling and bustling city, the tucked-away historic neighborhoods are a real asset. At one point in time, the need to identify and protect such neighborhoods became crucial and in 1979 the Los Angeles’ Historic Preservation Overlay Zone ordinance was passed. This allowed a neighborhood to petition the city for designation as a historic district. In 1983, Angelino Heights became Los Angeles’ first HPOZ. Today there are many designated HPOZs in Los Angeles with many more under consideration. If you are planning to buy a house and it falls under an HPOZ, you need to understand the benefits and limitations of the same. Read on to know more!
Benefits of HPOZ
- Enhanced Property Value – The prices of properties in an HPOZ increase significantly and attract a higher sell value when compared to a similar one in a non-HPOZ neighborhood.
- Attractive Neighborhood – An HPOZ neighborhood is a well maintained one, owing to adherence to the HPOZ rules.
- Reduced Property Tax – Houses in an HPOZ can avail of property tax relief under the Mills Act.
- Flexible Permits – Historic properties can use the more flexible regulations in the California Historical Building Code to obtain building permits.
- Enhanced Community Feeling – There is an enhanced sense of belonging in an HPOZ neighborhood. Bound by an HPOZ status, all the homeowners feel a greater sense of pride in being a part of the same community. They work and meet together frequently to apply for getting the status as 75% of the owners within the proposed zone to have to be on board.
- Preserving the Look and Feel – Every HPOZ homeowner has to abide by certain rules while making external changes to the property. Protected by such HPOZ laws, the neighborhood’s historic look and feel is preserved, adding to the homeowner’s sense of pride.
HPOZ Limitations
- Rules not liked by all – While some homeowners like the restrictions on home improvements, others do not.
- Process of Approval – The process of applying and getting approval might seem cumbersome and a hassle for some homeowners.
While every aspect has two sides to it, one always outweighs the other! It is up to you to decide which one does in your case!
Contact Tashman Home Center Today!
We, Tashman Home Center, are an approved HPOZ vendor in Los Angeles and an approved Resource Professional for the Los Angeles Conservancy. We can help
- you navigate the HPOZ approval process
- restore and replace windows and doors with historically correct materials and styles
- you provide the necessary information to get your project approved by your local HPOZ board
Visit our website at https://www.tashmans.com to learn more about the process and service or give us a call at (323) 628-6506.