// the mood & vibes this week
— hi, friends :) i am writing this to you from an airbnb in silver lake. i'm in the process of moving from my house in topanga back to the eastside (can you even believe it!?!?!). definitely still in the disbelief, i can't believe that actually happened stage. i almost have this muscle memory left over, pausing at the freeway exit i used to take, my feet wanting to trek up the mountain of their own volition. moving is so weird, even when it's right. i really believe that places etch grooves into us, and it's so weird to suddenly have to walk a new tune. dig your heels in somewhere else. when there's a part of you that will always remember what it was like to be there, in that other place, in that other life.
— i explained my reason for moving on IG, but in a nutshell; i was planning on leaving anyways, but the fires accelerated my plans. despite feeling like in many ways topanga is a soul match, one of those places where you can just slot in, as yourself, and it clicks - it was imperfect in many ways. last fall, i began to realize the limits of my choice. i needed to be in the mix again, closer to my real estate business and other young queer folks. after a year of personal & professional transition, i no longer needed the profound isolation of the canyon. much like one comment on my post about this whole thing … leaving felt like a butterfly emerging from a protective cocoon.
— don't get me wrong, living over on the eastside, it's not perfect. i have a keen longing for the trees (as always!), and the grime of the city crinkles under the pads of my feet. it's an adjustment, for sure. BUT! wow, there are cool parts, too. for one - my business. whenever i need to sit an open house, attend an inspection, or simply check out a new listing on the market, it's going to be so much easier. and i kinda love that when i do my runs now, i see people going about their lives, that kind of split-second interaction that can fuel my whole day. not to mention i am closer to my friends, to queer community, to delicious food and stimulation.
— as i told ya, writing this from an airbnb, and moving into my more permanent spot TOMORROW! she's basically right on the silver lake reservoir, which is so cool. when i last lived on the eastside, my spot & location were notttt ideal. which i think is part of why i said yes to topanga so easily. but now, i'll literally be able to run the reservoir every day. walk down to incredible yummy eats. and just feel safer than i did before due to the better location.
— so, yeah, many things are changing. an avalanche of change, in fact. i'm definitely still reeling from it all. but my routines are carrying me through. since i'm a capricorn, i track all my weekly / daily tasks meticulously in my notes app, allowing me to basically chunk out my days down to the hour. because idk about you, but aimless free time is not my friend - schedules keep me sane. that's definitely the vibe as of late, and it's keeping me okay, even amidst upheaval.
— in terms of real estate things, GAHHHHDANG! the market is heating up as we march on into spring. despite the fires, there are still crazy multiple offer scenarios going on. i have an agent friend who won a house recently with FIFTY offers. yes. five, zero. and our team has put a gazillion new listings on the market as of late, mostly in los feliz. two of my favorites are
a treehouse in highland park and
a california cabin in echo park. i'll be at the open house for the treehouse this weekend, so come and say hello! i've also updated our compass collection of my favorite houses on the market as of late, so check it out ;).
— keeping these fire resources in here for visibility:
— if you are otherwise thinking about buying / selling in LA this year (or even elsewhere on the california coast!) hit me up and let's chat. a link to send a message & contact me
can be found here. as always, with the houses i feature below, if you're interested in more details, respond to this email.
— wonder what you're feeling this week. maybe respond and tell me!
— talk to you soon, and sending love.
xx,
sam
