Anthony Marguleas has released his July 2025 update.

Palisades Permitting Update

Anthony Marguleas, founder of Amalfi Estates wrote in his July 2025 newsletter, “It has been six months since the fires, and a lot has been happening.” He said there are now more than 650 plan check applications for more than 440 unique addresses that have been submitted to the L.A. Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

More than 220 plans have been approved, and more than 165 permits were issued. “This represents a 43% month-over-month increase, signaling accelerating momentum in the rebuilding process,” Marguleas said. “About 20 properties have begun construction, with many nearing completion of their framing.”

Land Financing Options for Buyers

Marguleas said that financing land is often a challenge and explained that US Bank offers land loans with limitations (e.g., a $500,000 minimum deposit). An alternative (if the seller does not need all the funds right away) is a seller carry, where the seller acts as the lender.

“We recommend a 50% loan-to-value ratio, with interest-only payments for one to two years,” the Amalfi founder said. “Then, the buyer obtains a construction loan to repay the seller. CLICK HERE .

MARKET TRENDS

LAND:

To view all the active, in escrow, sold, and withdrawn Palisades land listings CLICK HERE. Marguleas said that because of MLS listings/Agent misclassifications (e.g., land shown as SFR) and delayed public records data, accurately compiling this information becomes much more complex.

New listings sstill outpace sales, but it is narrowing. We expect a peak of 500 active listings by mid-to late 2025, assuming the current pace of 75 + listings per month continues.

LEASE MARKET:

To view all active and leased Palisades properties since the fires, CLICK HERE. Note that while 38 were leased, only 11 were located in the fire area. There were 152 leases during the same timeframe last year.

CONDO SALES:

To view all active or sold Palisades condos since the fires, CLICK HERE. Just six condos have sold this year, compared to 34 during the same period last year. Four of the six were in the Highlands.

ON-MARKET vs. OFF-MARKET SALES:

Off-market land sales now represent 17% of total activity, which is consistent with pre-fire sales. Please note that public record updates of off-market sales may lag behind by approximately two weeks.

FORECLOSURES:

There are 15 Palisades properties currently in foreclosure. This includes:

• Pre-foreclosure NOD: 3 months late on payments (Notice of Default)
• Auction Sale: typically, after 6 months of missed payments
• Bank-owned: When a property fails to sell at auction, the bank takes it back

Given that there are ~9,000 homes and condos in the Palisades, this total is less than 1/8 of 1%. While higher than last year, this is still a very low number. We anticipate that this could rise to 100–150 properties in foreclosure over the next year or two.

ALTADENA vs. PALISADES MARKET COMPARISON:

Altadena: Lots are selling at 102% of asking in an average of 13 days. Average price and lot size: $643,423 on 9,965 sq ft lots

Palisades: Selling for 91% of asking (ie, 9% under). Average price and lot size: $2,260,000 on 8,255 sq ft lots

Who are the Palisades buyers?

• There have been rumors that real estate syndicates are coming in and buying hundreds of properties, but currently, only one entity owns three lots, and three others own two each.
• Ownership is split approximately equally between individuals (trusts) and LLCs (developers)

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Price reductions are increasing, so pricing realistically is critical. Price your property based on what is selling, not what others are asking.
• Permit activity could double again by August.
• AI technology, such as Archistar (which reviews building plans), will streamline approvals in days instead of weeks.
• Higher-density fears are misplaced since some owners are buying adjacent lots, which is reducing overall density.

In light of all these developments, I have been speaking to several Homeowners associations, business groups and companies in person and via Zoom on what is happening with Palisades real estate, so let me know if you would like me to speak to your organization. CLICK HERE for a recent Fox News interview I did last week.

Marguleas can be reached at 310)293-9280 or anthony@amalfiestates.com,  click here.