Mission Hills and the light

Mission Hills sits on a ridge that turns gold in the late afternoon. The homes people compete hardest for are the ones whose main rooms face west, because that light is the one thing you cannot add later with a remodel.

Square footage is a number on a listing sheet. The way a living room holds five in the evening in October is not, and it is usually worth more to the people who live there. When I walk a Mission Hills home with a buyer, I look at orientation before I look at finishes, because finishes are easy to change and a dark front room is not.

The neighborhood also rewards patience. Inventory here is thin, and the best houses often sell before they ever reach the open market. I keep a close watch on what is coming, so my clients see the right homes early instead of chasing whatever is already public.

If you are thinking about buying or selling in Mission Hills, the smartest first step is to walk through a few homes at the same time of day you would actually be living in them. I am happy to set that up.