10 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE Moving to Hollywood Hills

Discover Hollywood Hills living with luxury realtor Tony Mariotti. This guide covers Hollywood Hills real estate, from taxes and home prices to property restrictions and architectural styles like Mediterranean and Mid-Century Modern. Learn about Hollywood Hills neighborhoods, including HOA versus neighborhood association dynamics. Explore outdoor gems such as parks, trails, and a secret vineyard below the Hollywood Sign. This video offers valuable insights for anyone considering a move to the iconic Hollywood Hills.
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Tony Mariotti is the founder of RubyHome and a licensed broker, license number DRE 02037147.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

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[@KeepItCivilPlease293]

What a fantastic educational video! Always been obsessed with the Hollywood hills - just something mystical about that sign!

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Hey, glad you liked the video!

[@rhyannon3155]

Great video - so informative, you know a lot more than other agents videos I’ve watched on the Hills, really appreciate it Tony!

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Wow, glad to hear that it was helpful!

[@Omfgbran]

I hate visiting my friends in the hills! The parking is always terrible! Parking two streets down on an incline is terrible and that’s if you find parking and aren’t at risk of getting towed!!!

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Yes, parking is tough. Some neighborhoods are better than others.

[@beingmyself000]

My parents live in the Nichols Canyon area. The Greek Gods and Heroes built wide streets.

[@jlsc4125]

Maybe that's why they moved there, cuts down on unwanted guests.

[@evernit]

Well, I would expect the HH residents to have a garage also for their guests.

[@triquepersonalwork6369]

I can afford living there, but I wouldn’t, only for the fear that a wildfire will one day sweep through there and burn up every home. It’s just a question of wind speed and when.

[@evernit]

If that was the case it would happen by now that easily. Anyway one can harden their home to wildfire with ignition-resistant siding, roofs, decks, attic vents, eaves, and windows, avoid storing combustible materials on or under decks, and remove vegetation and flammable mulch to create a five-foot buffer zone around their homes.

[@jmorris023]

Nah, it’s probably the best defensed against fire. Tons of fire dept assets right around the corner. This isn’t Valencia.

[@BarneeFife]

Anyone who opens with “I can afford living there, BUT”…..probably can’t…

[@evernit]

@@Dinenedi I don't protect delusional people, much less from themselves

[@evernit]

@@Dinenedi and who says they trust your empty comment in vain

[@gingerriviera3654]

This was a really educational video! Thank you

[@Tony.Mariotti]

You're so welcome!

[@shadowfilm7980]

I’ve been to the area below the Hollywood sign. It’s special. Quiet. Lots of homes with character. It’s just smart to avoid going into the main tourist part of Hollywood. Hollywood Blvd etc. Not a good idea. Especially at night.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

The area below the sign is Beachwood Canyon. You may recall the Beachwood Cafe and Beachwood Market along the way.

[@deanr6278]

@@Tony.Mariotti , hollyweird getting exposed right now. Rosie O donell might have millions but we know who she is! Miserable!

[@MacRealty1]

Good Video the issue in buying in the hills to consider ia how narrow the roads are and the seemingly never ending construction traffic.

[@rcampbell4967]

We looked at a home in the hills when we moved to LA. The hills themselves, I'm told, are safe but the area immediately outside is bad and it's gotten worse. And when there is an event at the bowl...good luck getting home.

[@jlsc4125]

Never had an issue myself.

[@rcampbell4967]

@jlsc4125 An issue getting home or an issue with the homeless or the criminals in Hollywood. Because if it's that latter, you're either not speaking from the experience of being in Hollywood, or not telling the truth. It's a third world bad.

[@cobracommander9138]

It's a little rough but not that bad. You should have seen it in the late 80's it's really nice compared to back then. The Hollywood Bowl depending on which side of the hills you live. I use to live right at the bottom of the hills not to far from the Hollywood Bowl and never had an issue.

[@johnnycooker5298]

I lived in Whitley Heights in the 90's. There is not a day that goes by that I don't reminisce about my time there. Great location, above the riff-raff but close to everything!

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Whitley Heights is special, for sure. Being near the action but, as you say, above the riff-raff is the best combination.

[@charlespatrick8650]

@@Tony.Mariottiwho, exactly, do you consider "riff-raff"?!?

[@Rush_Subdivisions]

Outpost Estates had even a larger sign than the Hollywood sign and it was red neon. It’s been long torn down but you can find remnants of it in Runyon Canyon amongst the weeds. And Runyon is one of the few dog off leash canyons in the city.

[@MarkJoseph-vv4pj]

Great video and views of Hollywood. Wishing you the best in your career!

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Glad you liked it and thanks for the encouragement. Best of luck to you, too!

[@LizLyonsPhD]

I am a New York city ex-pat living in LA. I have friends who live in the HHs and as others here have mentioned, the steep incline, very narrow blinded and winding roads, and terrible parking prompt me to rule it out. I will take Westwood and hope you will feature that neighborhood in a upcoming video.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Thanks for watching. Westwood is on my radar for a video, specifically Wilshire Corridor.

[@LizLyonsPhD]

@@Tony.Mariotti Wonderful. That is exactly the area I am aiming for!

[@charlespatrick8650]

Westwood is nice because it has the college town vibe, and the micro climate is perfect imo just East of the 405 in most of the Basin

[@OuterEastLLC]

Great info. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Thanks, I appreciate it. And thanks for the sub!

[@takethepowerback83]

Property taxes in California, especially LA, are out of control. Who wants to spend 30k-40k a year on taxes alone?

[@Tony.Mariotti]

I call it the sunshine tax. I know exactly how much I'm paying compared to places with gloomy weather.

[@mineralt]

My house literally goes up $300k+ a year in CA. I pay $38k a year in property tax but for now at least, and it has it been for 20 years now, a rounding error. So, we pay to play I suppose.

[@notshylo]

Nonsense. Property tax burden in California is pretty average or even less because of Prop 13. People own houses valued in the eight figures and are paying a relative pittance, a fraction of the 1.25% cited in this video.

[@mrbillinsf]

30-40k, would be the annual taxes on a 3-4 million dollar home, since you apparently did not do well in life or math. My taxes for a $700k condo in 2024, were about 6k per year

[@bubba6989]

​@@mrbillinsf I mean if your property taxes are that high you are kinda doing very well lol

[@jimmyjam26]

Great video,very informative if i ever make it you will be the first person i call when i need a home in the hills Tony.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Thanks for compliment and good luck with your journey !

[@writereducator]

We moved from LA to Central Illinois due to the cost of living and bought a nice old house in a lovely neighborhood for $139K. I do miss the weather and the great hiking trails everywhere.

[@TexasPelican]

Excellent video, thank you

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Glad you liked it!

[@vjspivey]

11. Lack of Parking (lack of visitor parking especially)

[@mohammedfaiisal]

Hiking and nature is the only thing missing in New York. But I would still rather live there than LA, if I had to choose from the two. I've been to both and although the weather is better in LA, I also like the cold at times and seeing the snowfall. I feel more safe in New York City too, with everything at your doorstep. Manhattan alone is my favourite part of the whole city and just Manhattan, you can walk all around the city no problem. From downtown, all the way to Washington Heights. LA is a lot harder to do that, because of how large in scale it is. I did walk from Santa Monica to Hollywood once and it took about 4 hours. Where the Bronx is, would have been a great spot for the elevation to go high up. You'd have the view of nature, the skyline and even the ocean. But you get all that in LA already, plus mountain views. You get it all. Both has its pros and cons, but I can walk outside at night, anywhere in Manhattan, without feeling like I'm in danger. Complete opposite in LA. San Francisco is also a nice city for hiking. As, that whole city is a hike. Everywhere you go

[@362chop]

4 hours? Most of walked quickly 😂 Comparing NYC to L.A. is ridiculous. Nothing alike.

[@twal3]

A number of the areas in the HH just weren't meant to be built on...and that become really obvious when LA has its yearly rain downpour. I also heard something about the plumbing (pipes) in the hills being quite ancient; water pressure was an issue.

[@TheOtherKine]

Parking is hell. That's all you need to know. LOL

[@sutats]

Does property tax pay for services like waste collection and general maintenance of the area?

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Thanks for the question. Property taxes pay mostly for public safety (city police, fire department), infrastructure (road cleaning and repair, sewers), public schools, as well as the county government (sheriff and county fire departments). Waste fees as separate. General maintenance happens in neighborhoods or on condominium properties via HOA fees. Most neighborhoods do not have HOAs, but 100% of condo building do.

[@risingtide_official]

Outpost used to have a sign like the Hollywood sign.

[@samanthawise8745]

Actually percentage wise property taxes are fairly low - it’s the price of the homes that are expensive. The mansion tax is a one time payment

[@scrappy291]

Thought the thumbnail was Tim Heidecker at first glance.

[@Kittensinurface]

What can be done to assure potential buyers that the Hills will remain secure? LA is a dump nowadays sadly.

[@carolynluckas1219]

My son moved to the valley 10 yrs ago. I’ve visited every year and more since. He’s right when he told me, “There’s nothing good about anywhere with the word Hollywood in it.” Bam.

[@macharper8214]

There is one big reason never to move to the Hollywood hills, WILDFIRES. They happen all year round now.

[@Heathsmusic1]

Not in the Hollywood Hills. Very rare and if a fire ignites, it’s put out immediately. Griffith Park next door has had a few over the years but usually away from homes. LAFD is super efficient with inner city fires.

[@sirp194]

One of my favorite neighborhoods in all of LA! I could care less about the parking, there is something called uber! The west part is better than east though because you’re further out from the dangerous hollywood drivers.

[@ApprenticeDaily]

I like jumping up and down inside homes on stilts 😅 they should put children's jump houses on the roof

[@evernit]

So let's say one has a house in HH for 5 mil. How much the person is going to pay every single year extra? I'm a European, that's why would like to know final figures.

[@SM-ie8gn]

Property tax, maintenance, and insurance (required if you have a mortgage).

[@362chop]

Best weather on Earth. Just try leaving, you’ll quickly find that nothing compares.

[@Jackietreehorn-z5e]

I moved to Hawaii. Much better weather and people.

[@lisadolan689]

EVERY SINGLE HOME in Australia, including apartments, has MANSION TAX 🤣🤣🤣🤣 But our government calls it Stamp Duty! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 5% of purchase price 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 😐

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Whoa, I didn't know about the Stamp Duty. I've done some research about agent compensation in Australia, but hadn't come across the mansion tax. The fact that it's on all homes and apartments sounds pretty brutal.

[@Logan_Woods-zd2zi]

@@Tony.Mariotti Yes, but first home exempt

[@grahamhill6340]

Tony, you left out the NUMBER ONE reason not to buy in the HOLLYWOOD Hills, that is anything remotely close to the HOLLYWOOD SIGN, it being the number one tourist destination for LA!!! LA Dept. Transportation cites total gridlock of traffic with a 2-week summer period seeing well over 56,000 cars flooding the area... added to that is the well documented fact that the area is the number one FIRE RISK for Los Angeles! And with insurance companies not writing any new policies and cancelling existing ones, your well intentioned presentation is not giving people the right picture of what to expect...

[@362chop]

I reside in West L.A. where’s the sign?😂

[@eddieg6436]

My dream would be to have a gorgeous home on lower Sunset Plaza, about 5-10 blocks up from Sunset Blvd. I could walk down the hill to get lunch at Chin Chin, Saltie Girl, or Petit Four everyday. …….My dad’s almost 90, if there’s a decent inheritance then maybe it’ll happen!! 🤷🏼‍♂️😀😎🥂

[@Tony.Mariotti]

That's making me hungry for Le Petit Four's Niçoise salad.

[@thunderousapplause]

it's so funny that I can throw around real estate cost like 3 mol, 5 mil, 8 mil ...and I don't even have 100k. lols. I wouldn't live in the hills because of fires because of earthquakes because of mudslides. Those canyons aren't safe. They will never be safe.

[@jahanas22]

It would be nice but I could never afford it.

[@CJ2K]

Why are you limiting yourself

[@boscdny]

Any earthquakes, or mudslides??

[@Arquitectura_Ciudad]

Streets are latín America 😢

[@kimjoohans]

Can't focus 😂 because ur hair made u look hotter ❤

[@Eovar_Endre]

Buying a house in the hollyweird hills is easy........WHEN YOU'RE A MILLIONAIRE !!!!

[@BarneeFife]

Keep defunding and the prices will get super cheap…

[@ThePaulpope]

Watching California tax their people to the point they leave for Nevada,Texas,Arizona, Florida etc is hilarious .... I left in 2009 and have never looked back don't miss it either .....

Id never live in Hollywood anything much less even in California... too many taxes and problems...

[@rturney6376]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@claudioravaglia8581]

The Hollywood hills is one of the worst places to live in Los Angeles

[@robertdavis5714]

High Risk area, was held-up at Gun Point and this was over 40 yrs ago, can only imagine what it is Like Now....................War Zone.

[@mikemiller659]

the wealthy footing the bill for the migrants

[@362chop]

All cities

[@DanRustle]

great video. i love the LA vibe. if only Cali was ran like Texas. a beautiful state ruined by failed liberal policies

[@angoraca]

No one in California calls it “Cali” ya tourist. And no one cares about you being butt hurt over how things are run. Keep your cowboy boots in your dusty Texas as you obsess over our state all day from your own house. You only have yourself to blame if California affordability is a problem for you. The rest of us don’t even think about you. Yet you love obsessing about us as you complain to each other about our “failed policies” despite Texas being unable to achieve even close to the economic prosperity of California. Anyway, hows that 110 degree heat going for you 😂

[@Tony.Mariotti]

I love the LA vibe, too.

[@Metal0sopher]

I've lived in Texas and California. You're in a cult. There is nothing in Texas that's better than in California. Every Texas city is over 50% ghetto, in California it's closer to 30% or less. All forms of crime much higher in Texas cities than Cali cities. Property taxes higher in Texas. Average wage is 1/3 less in Tx than Cali. Homelessness is worse in Cali but Texas is also full of homeless. Texas policies are the most corrupt on Earth. Small Tx towns are all dying, white ghetto drug cesspools. And let's not even talk about the weather. So the only thing better in Texas is lack of state income tax, witch is negated by nearly double at over 2% property tax in the nicest areas. Less homeless in cities, but still too many, but small towns look 3rd world. But guys like you in the cult, who've never been to California, love spreading your brainwashed bullshit.

[@stanlee3619]

You mean how Texas has the highest percentage of people without health insurance, or higher poverty than the national average, among the worst in income inequality and funding for public education. I like that you're commenting on a channel about California real estate, but we're not looking at Texas real estate. By the way, this is KZbin, based in California, and you are using an Android or Apple phone, both of which are also based in California. You should boycott those companies if you want to stick to your principles.

[@TurnRiver]

I keep hearing about these liberal policies that ruined California, but nobody can tell me what they are. The way I see it, California is crumbling from the weight of its own success. Too much demand, and not enough housing. The minimum rent in Cali is equal to upper rents in Texas.

[@xxOblivionxx]

It’s this a joke??? Who would ever want to live in LA? Insane Taxes Insane Crime Insane Cars laws..(getting pull over for tint windows) No right to protect yourself… I mean lmao 😂😂😂😂

[@manonfire923]

I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

[@charlespatrick8650]

PLEASE never move here, and encourage all of your family and friends to never move to SoCal

[@Markyrob]

Rather put needles in my eyes than move anywhere near LA 🤮🤮🤮

[@manonfire923]

Good! No one wants you here!

[@ddavefl]

Loved your video!! I lived there for 4 years! As you said, great warm weather ... except on the 3 days a year it rained. Since there are no storm drains, the roads act as such during a storm, making it impossible to drive on the streets in the hills until the rain stops and clears from the mountain down to the storm drains, which for us was Sunset Blvd.

[@Tony.Mariotti]

Thanks! BTW, I call those handful of rainy days a year "free car wash" days.

[@greeneyedwarlock882]

Fact #1........don't even THINK, repeat EVEN THINK about buying a house there unless you're worth, AT LEAST 100 million bucks. And THREE million will get you A GARAGE. A SINGLE CAR GARAGE.😵😵😵😵😵☠☠☠☠☠