Altadena's Newest Hot Market: From Ashes to Offers

Well folks, if you’ve driven through Altadena lately, you’ve seen the signs—literally. “Altadena Not for Sale,” they say, staked defiantly in the blackened front yards left behind by January’s Eaton fire. But let’s be honest: the market has a mind of its own, and right now, Altadena is very much for sale.

Since the fire, the phones haven’t stopped ringing. About 145 burned lots have already changed hands, another hundred are up for grabs, and more are in escrow as I write this. Who’s buying? Hard to say for sure—lots of LLCs and trusts in the mix—but if you ask around, it’s clear: developers are snapping up these lots faster than you can say “all-cash offer.”

Compare that to the Palisades, where fewer than 60 lots have sold and nearly 200 are still waiting for a buyer. Here in Altadena, things are moving. Fast.

Of course, it’s not all business. I met Victor Becerra on Wapello Street, standing next to a “SOLD” sign and surveying the ashes of his old home. He’s rebuilding, hopeful that the neighborhood will bloom again. And he’s not alone—many longtime residents are weighing their options, wrestling with insurance, and deciding whether to stay and rebuild or take the check and move on.

So yes, Altadena is for sale. But it’s also a community in transition, with every lot telling a story—some ending, some just beginning. If you’re thinking about buying, selling, or just want to talk about what’s next for our town, you know where to find me.