By Derrick Ruiz
eXp Realty | 40+ Years West LA Experience
Thinking about buying a home in the Westside LA area? Most buyers make at least one of six costly mistakes, and it can mean losing your dream home, wasting thousands of dollars, or dealing with years of regret.
In this article, I'll walk you through the six common mistakes I see buyers make over and over, and most importantly, how to avoid these costly mistakes. Stick around to the end because mistake number six is one that even smart buyers overlook.
I'm Derrick Ruiz, a broker with eXp Realty here in Westside LA. Over the last 40 years, I've closed over 500 transactions all over the Westside—from Westchester, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverlywood, Palms, Mar Vista, West LA, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and beyond. I know the Westside like the back of my hand. I've seen buyers succeed and I've seen deals fall apart due to these avoidable mistakes.
My goal is to make sure you go into your home purchase confident and successful in finding the right home for you and your family.
The Los Angeles market is complex and competitive, and you need every advantage you can get when looking to buy your new home.
Download Free GuideOne of the biggest mistakes buyers make when starting their home search is not getting properly pre-approved for a loan early on. They'll browse Zillow, go to open houses, and may even fall in love with a house they see online, but when it comes time to write an offer, they're just not ready. In the Westside market, that delay can mean the home is gone by the time you get your home loan approved.
Sellers want certainty when reviewing offers. They're asking: Who can really close this transaction? A pre-approval from a trusted local lender carries a lot of weight and is a requirement for many sellers before they even entertain your offer. Without it, you're simply not competitive.
When I'm a listing agent and a buyer's agent sends me an offer without proof of funds or a pre-qualification letter from a trusted local lender, I call them back and ask where their documentation is. Sometimes the agent will say, "Oh, they're working on it. Don't worry, they have a good job, good credit, and a down payment." I can't take that offer to my seller with just that information—and a lot of other listing agents won't either.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Get properly pre-approved by a local lender who knows the market. If you need a referral to a trusted lender, give me a call or shoot me a text, and I'll connect you with lenders I've worked with successfully in the past.
The Westside market is complex and competitive—there's no way around it. Homes in Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice, Playa Del Rey, and Culver City often receive multiple offers, sometimes on the day they hit the market.
A big mistake buyers make is underestimating the fierce competition for the best properties that are well-priced in good Westside neighborhoods. You think you have time to think it over before making an offer. If that house is the right house for you, you're pre-approved, you can afford it, and it checks most of your boxes—don't wait.
There are many highly qualified home buyers on the Westside with good incomes, excellent credit, and substantial assets who can also purchase that house. If you like it, I guarantee somebody else is looking at it too.
Right now in early 2026, buyers have a slight advantage, but when interest rates come down—and they will—there will be more buyers and more competition for the best Westside LA houses that are priced well in great neighborhoods.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Understand the pace of the market. A well-priced property in a good neighborhood will move quickly. If you find the right house, act now—or you might lose out.
Another mistake I see, especially in a hot market, is buyers waiving inspections or not doing all the inspections they should. On the Westside, there are many older homes—what we call mid-century—built in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. These are common in Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, West LA, and Westchester.
Many of these homes have hidden issues. I've seen everything from cracked foundations to outdated plumbing to unpermitted additions. Without thorough inspections, these problems can become your problem—and cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
It's not just the home inspection either. There are also special assessments, insurance costs, and city permit issues that need to be investigated thoroughly.
One of the biggest mistakes I see buyers make is not getting a sewer line inspection. Many older homes have sewer line problems due to roots or shifting ground where old clay pipes have cracked or been infiltrated by tree or bush roots.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
I'm an expert at walking buyers through all the various inspections so you don't leave money on the table and don't have surprises after closing escrow on your new home.
Many buyers make the mistake of choosing the wrong broker to help them with their home search. Maybe it's a friend, or someone who just recently got their license, or somebody who doesn't really know the Westside. But in this market, with all the competition and complexity, having the right representation is crucial.
Here's why: Different neighborhoods have different rules, values, and even pitfalls. One block in Venice may be completely different from the next block in terms of price or zoning. A condo may look like a great deal until you realize there's a massive special assessment coming.
The wrong broker can cost you the house—or worse, put you in a deal that doesn't serve you long term.
I had a friend who didn't use me for the purchase of a triplex in Venice. He thought he'd be able to get the tenants out of the property when he bought it. He didn't investigate this properly. It turns out there's rent control, and with rent control, you can't just snap your fingers and pay tenants to leave. It's a legal process, and if they refuse to go, that could be a big issue for you.
Another friend bought a house without me, and it also had a renter. Due to changes in California rent control laws, he had to pay thousands and thousands of dollars and hire an attorney just to get that tenant out so he could owner-occupy the house.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Choose the right broker with years—even decades—of experience on the Westside who knows all the angles, including rental property, rent control laws, and other complex issues that could derail your home purchase.
The true cost of owning a home on the Westside includes maintenance, repairs, insurance, property taxes, and sometimes HOA fees if you're buying a condo or townhouse.
If you're buying an older home—especially in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Culver City, or Westchester—these homes will have ongoing repairs and maintenance needs.
Personally, I own a 1949 Spanish-style property. I've had so many repairs over the years: electrical upgrades, replacing my sewer line ($10,000), roofing, foundation work, termite treatment. If you don't budget for those repairs and maintenance over the long haul, you're going to be stretched thin financially.
You've got to budget for unexpected expenses—a washer or dryer that goes out, garage door openers that fail, HVAC systems that need replacement. Now, if you're buying a newer home, it's less of a concern. But older homes, especially mid-century properties, will have ongoing repairs and maintenance. You better be prepared for surprises when you least expect them.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Plan for these expenses. Even if the mortgage payment seems affordable, you may find yourself financially stretched if you don't have cash reserves for ongoing repairs and maintenance.
The last big mistake is trying to do it all on your own. With online listings and apps, many buyers think they don't need a professional to help them. But what these platforms can't tell you are the nuances about certain properties or neighborhoods—the block-by-block differences, future development plans, rental restrictions, and zoning quirks.
You may be buying a house in a neighborhood that allows homes to be torn down and large apartment complexes to be built—even right next to your home.
The LA market is complex. There are countless rules and regulations that state and local politicians throw at us. You really have to know what the neighborhood entails, what can be built there, and what pitfalls and hazards to look out for when buying a home.
Westside LA is not just one market—it's dozens of micro-markets. Having a trusted local agent like myself means not only will you find the right home, but you'll negotiate the best terms, avoid pitfalls, and close your home purchase with confidence.
How to Avoid This Mistake:
Partner with a local expert who knows the Westside inside and out. The right agent will save you stress, money, and missed opportunities.