Relocating to Franklin Hills

Start with Hyperion Avenue. The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council uses it as the line between Los Feliz and Silver Lake, and it is the eastern edge of Franklin Hills. From a distance this is the single most useful fact, because a listing a block east of Hyperion is a Silver Lake listing even when the photos look the same. The other edges are Franklin Avenue and Tracy Street to the north, Commonwealth Avenue and Hoover Street to the west and Fountain Avenue to the south. Addresses inside use the 90027 zip code.

Next find Franklin Avenue on the map and follow it to the Shakespeare Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1926 and carries Franklin Avenue 262 feet between Myra Avenue and St. George Street, across a ravine 35 feet deep where the Arroyo de la Sacatela once flowed, as reported by The Eastsider. The City named it Historic-Cultural Monument #126 in 1974. It is the reason the neighborhood exists in its present form, since it gave Franklin Avenue a way onto what was then an undeveloped hill. When you visit, you will cross it.

Then place Franklin Hills against the rest of Los Feliz. The Oaks sits immediately below Griffith Park on the far side of the area. Laughlin Park is a gated enclave between Los Feliz Boulevard and Franklin Avenue. The Los Feliz Hills, which is this site's name for the hillside above Los Feliz Boulevard, rise north of the boulevard. Franklin Hills is the hill on the east, with public streets and a neighbor called Silver Lake on the other side of Hyperion. Our comparison of Laughlin Park and Franklin Hills is a good read for a buyer weighing gated streets against open ones.

Last, know what the streets hold. Rooster Homes describes the neighborhood as eclectic hillside homes around the storybook bridge, many with city views. The City's survey records a 1953 Schindler house at 1901 N. Myra Avenue and a 1936 Streamline Moderne house at 4004 W. Franklin Avenue. Midtown School at 4155 Russell Avenue is a 1961 John Lautner building just south of the bridge. There is no historic district here, so each house's status is its own.

1. Fix the date. Write down when you need to be in Los Angeles and how much it can move. A fixed report date shapes the whole plan.
2. Get pre-approved. Our recommendation is to talk with a lender before touring. Loan programs vary by lender and by borrower, so confirm your options with your lender directly.
3. Sign your buyer representation agreement. We go through it line by line before the first showing, by video if you prefer.
4. Learn the edges. Hyperion Avenue on the east and Fountain Avenue on the south. Franklin Avenue and Tracy Street on the north, with Commonwealth Avenue and Hoover Street on the west.
5. Tour remotely with the hill in mind. Ask for the approach, the slope, the parking and the view in every video walkthrough.
6. Check the address with the City. Franklin Hills has no historic district, so a house is a Historic-Cultural Monument only if that address is designated. We look it up before you fall for a house.
7. Make one focused trip. See your top homes in person and cross the bridge yourself.
8. Write the offer and open escrow. An initial deposit of about 3% of the price goes to the escrow company. Brandon typically writes an inspection period of 7 to 10 days, set in each offer.
9. Close from where you are. Your escrow company confirms how signing will work for your purchase.

This page explains how the process works. It is not legal, tax or lending advice. For your own situation, talk with your lender, CPA or attorney as well.