Seeing as Los Angeles is a place where many people want to move to, it should not be surprising that house prices are often much higher than the national average. According to the latest statistics from the real estate industry, the average sale price of a home in L.A. is currently $904,000.

Furthermore, on average, L.A. properties receive three offers and sell within fifty-five days. While that means many homebuyers are unable to live in the heart of the city, there are other options.

The suburbs of Los Angeles are much more affordable. So, as a first-time homebuyer, if you want to live close to the City of Angels but cannot afford downtown prices, you will certainly want to explore the suburbs.

Get started in your search by checking out the following guide.

Baldwin Park

With an average home price of $643,000, owning a property in Baldwin Park is almost $300,000 less than the average L.A. property. Furthermore, it only takes around fifteen minutes to drive to downtown L.A., so you wouldn’t be far from all the action.

Besides, Baldwin Park is a great place to live. You will not experience all the heavy traffic of central L.A., and there are a number of beautiful parks in the vicinity, such as Morgan Park and Walnut Creek Nature Park.

Baldwin Park offers other attractions, too. For instance, if you decide to live there, you will certainly want to visit The Original In-N-Out Burger Museum at least once.

So, Baldwin Park is ideal for young people who want to buy their first properties, but it is more expensive than some other L.A. suburbs.

Also, remember that buying a home is a long-term commitment. Just because a neighborhood may appeal to you now, make sure you take a closer look at the area to see how well-equipped it is for long-term stability and growth.

You should research any area you are thinking of moving to before you look at home loan services for a competitive mortgage.

Montebello

In Montebello, the average property price is $650,000. So, it is not much more expensive than Baldwin Park. Montebello is almost the same distance to downtown L.A. as Baldwin Park is too. It takes just twenty minutes to drive downtown.

The area is relatively small compared to other L.A. suburbs, with 63,000 residents, and there is plenty to see and do in the area. For example, you could visit the Montebello Barnyard Zoo, play golf at the Montebello Municipal Golf Course, or have a picnic at Montebello City Park. 

La Puente

La Puente is even more affordable, with an average home value of $284,800. Furthermore, like Montebello, La Puente is only a twenty-minute drive to central Los Angeles.

So, if you are commuting to L.A. each day and affordability is top of your mind, La Puente could be a good area to consider. And while La Puente is an urban place, it is also home to La Puente Park, which covers twenty-two acres and features playgrounds, athletic facilities, and picnic shelters.

Other Places to Consider

You should definitely spend time looking at all of the different suburbs in Los Angeles before you start searching for your first home. It is important that you choose an area that you can afford and which offers all the facilities and other things you need.

Here are just a few other places that you might like to consider, alongside the average costs of properties in those areas:

• Norwalk: $707,500.
• Bellflower: $722,500.
• Pico Rivera: $737,500.
• Whittier: $756,000.
• Downey: $830,000.