By Craig Knizek
Los Angeles has long felt the impact of its titan industry “Hollywood” upon its real estate market. Not only is the comings-and-goings of our screen legends fascinating, but also the largesse of the industry’s talent and executives contributes to propping up values and creating price appreciation for everyone.
Another aspect where Hollywood’s impact is felt is in the construction of creative home design and buildings. Writers, directors, actors, and producers are risk-takers, and love the creative process. Building a home is analogous to making a movie. The concept and execution of a movie or a house can be wonderfully novel, or predictably banal. Similarly, there are dramas on the set, firings over “creative differences,” budget overruns, abandoned projects, blockbuster hits, and those classic films/houses that we all love and admire over generations.
As a developer/builder with a history of acclaimed homes, I’m often retained by clients to guide their process to find a home they can renovate, or build their own “dream home.”
I try to impart the complicated nature of building, and stress that it definitely is not for all temperaments. Just as it is extraordinarily difficult to make a great movie, it is equally challenging to develop and build a great house. The ultimate joys however in embarking upon the process can often outweigh any bumps in the process.
Like all real estate, the essential component of building your own home is all about location, location, location. Where do you want to live? Where does the buyer want to start and end their days? Do you desire privacy, views, and a convenient location to shopping and work? The pursuit of the ideal location is crucial, and much like developing a great script, the foundation for future success.
Hollywood Blockbuster Property: Like a classic Hollywood film, the views from this 4.5-acre property in the Hollywood Hills are timeless.
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Buyers pursuing their dream home are fortunate that like Hollywood, there is a deep talent base of “crew” – experienced architect and contractors, as well as Geological and Structural engineers that can guide the Owner-Builder thru the production process, identifying the difficult choices and value-engineering options. Most builders can create a production schedule with accuracy from your approved plans, so that you can have a degree of certainty for how the project will progress. However, like the notorious movie script development process, the design of a home is what can take the most amount of time. You also have to account for the dreaded “script notes” in the form of code changes dictated by Building & Safety that can slow or derail the project.
Once embarking on building a dream house, the Owner-Builder will assume a sense of ownership far beyond the mere purchase of purchasing a regular home on the market. It’s a chance to make a creative stamp, the creation of a home for family & friends, that provides a lifetime of memories.
The 4.5 acre parcel on Oakshire Road is such a property that every person looking to build their dream home should consider.
It’s a prime opportunity to own a private secluded canyon in the Hollywood Hills. The site abuts 17 acres of dedicated preserve, creating an expansive 21 acres to design your unique, architectural masterpiece. Close to the studios, Hollywood’s exciting night life, and downtown’s dynamic resurgence, this lot is unlike anything on the market.
Mature specimen trees, a quaint brook, the lush verdant nature offers an amazing canvass for an owner to maintain this special land, or create their personal vision.
There are multiple sites for multiple structures. Gorgeous trees overhang the grand driveway approach leading to an already cleared turn-around to accommodate city utility services. There is an elevated flat hilltop plateau that affords views of the Griffith Park observatory and would be ideal for a house, a Guest House/Studio, or a tennis court. Down below, with the utmost in privacy, is a setting to build a Frank Lloyd Wright-type of home where walls of glass live in tranquil harmony with the Arcadian surroundings.
