More Altadena burned properties for sale as community strives for preservation
Residents in the fire-ravaged Altadena area are facing tough choices involving the costs and the time to rebuild their destroyed properties.
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LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) — Residents in the fire-ravaged Altadena area are facing tough choices involving the costs and the time to rebuild their destroyed properties.
A search on Redfin shows hundreds of properties for sale within the Eaton Fire burn scar, and that includes at least thirty burned lots listed with “0 beds – baths and –sq ft.”
Sam Najarian, a Redfin agent who’s worked in the Altadena area for decades, says homeowners who’ve lost everything are making decisions to sell based on the trauma they’ve suffered, the costs and time involved with rebuilding, as well as future insurance costs and risks.
Many analysts stress that private investors need to play a role to get Altadena on its feet quickly, but locals fear their community will change.
“We gotta come together, stay here, and just be patient because we’re going to rebuild,” resident Willie Youngblood said. He lost the home where his children were born, and he plans to rebuild.
Resident Carrie Whitney Jackson scanned the rubble of her home one last time before the Army Corps of Engineers arrived with bulldozers, admitting there are many challenges in the rebuilding process. “I love Altadena, so I would like to stay,” she said.
“With the debris removal, I’m not really sure exactly how much the Army Corps is going to take. I am probably going to have to another debris company come through.”
Community activist, Heavenly Hughes, with My TRIBE Rise, has helped organize “Altadena is not For Sale” rallies. She said she doesn’t want fire survivors to feel pressured by the phrase and offers support in all choices.
“Especially our advanced aged community members, our seniors, they are saying that they don’t know if they have the bandwidth to wait another three to five years for the new build,” Hughes said.
She said the group is helping to connect those who want to sell with individuals and families who want to live in Altadena, and they are assisting those interested in rebuilding.
The goal is to help preserve the historical diversity and community that shaped Altadena. “(There’s) a lot of friendly, nice people, and it’s just a beautiful city,” Youngblood said.
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