Sell My House Fast in Pacific Palisades, CA — We Buy Houses for Cash

Yes. We make cash offers on Palisades lots where the house burned and the debris has been removed. The City says nearly all Palisades Fire parcels have been cleared and have final sign-off, which is required before anyone can rebuild. Have your Final Sign Off (FSO) papers ready, because any buyer will ask for them. If you opted into the federal program, the County says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Phase 2 cleanup in September 2025.

The County also tells owners to hold on to their final debris removal documentation. You do not need plans, a builder or a permit in hand to sell the lot to us. When you call, tell us where the sign-off stands and whether you have the paperwork. Then we will give you a no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Not under the rule the City has published. Its recovery FAQ says plan check and permit fees are suspended only for people who owned the property on the date of the fire. A buyer who takes title later pays those fees. The suspension is tied to who owned the parcel on the fire date, so it does not pass along with the deed.

Weigh that cost if you are deciding between rebuilding yourself and selling. Any buyer who plans to build, us included, has to count plan check and permit fees as part of the cost of the lot. Our offer reflects them, too. This was the rule when we read the FAQ in October 2026. Recovery rules are still being updated, so check recovery.lacity.gov before you decide. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

The seller applies to the City of Los Angeles for the Residential Property Report on LADBS Form 9. LADBS uses the names Residential Property Report, Form 9 and 9A Report on different pages for the same disclosure. The fee is $70.85 per report. Each parcel needs its own report, and each condo unit is ordered separately. The report must reach the buyer before the sale agreement or before close of escrow, so order it as soon as you decide to sell.

The report covers Building and Safety records plus City Engineer items such as special-assessment liens, weed-clearance liens, sidewalk repair notices and brush-abatement orders. A sale that is exempt under the Documentary Transfer Act does not need one. Neither does the first sale of a home in a new subdivision whose final map was recorded within the last two years. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Only if the price is over $5,400,000 on a sale closing after June 30, 2026. Above that line the City adds 4%, and at $10,900,000 or more it adds 5.5%. Before July 1, 2026, the thresholds were $5.3 million and $10.6 million. The City applies ULA to documents that convey real property anywhere inside its limits, and this community is inside them.

The City figures ULA on gross value, liens included, while the base tax is figured on value net of liens. A sale under the line still pays the City base tax of $4.50 per $1,000. It also pays the County tax of $1.10 per $1,000. If your price sits close to $5.4 million, have escrow run both versions before you agree on a number. The LA Office of Finance FAQ has the current tiers. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

USPS returns one ZIP for Pacific Palisades: 90272. ZIP codes are mail areas, though, not City limits. A City page lists Canyon Charter Elementary on Entrada Drive with a Santa Monica 90402 mailing address. That means some addresses near Santa Monica Canyon may mail as Santa Monica. Pacific Palisades itself is a community inside the City of Los Angeles, in Council District 11. LADBS handles permits and records there, and City Planning handles zoning.

ZIMAS shows the zoning for a specific parcel. The City's recovery FAQ also points owners to the same map to check whether a parcel is in the Coastal Zone. The County side of a sale runs through the LA County Assessor and the Property Tax Portal. That side includes the parcel number, the assessment and the tax bill. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

LADBS offers two ways. You can go in person to the LA One-Stop Rebuilding Center at 1828 Sawtelle Blvd in West Los Angeles. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. You can also email [email protected]. The City's FAQ says you need a government ID, a copy of your recorded deed and a request form. Plans help a buyer judge a like-for-like rebuild, and plans approved under the 2019 building code or later can be used again.

For permit history, start with the Permit and Inspection Report search on the LADBS site. Records that are not online can be requested from [email protected] with a Records Research Request Form. That office, however, does not reproduce files already posted as PDFs. You can sell to us without plans, but they are worth requesting. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Within limits on the fast track. Emergency Executive Order 1 lets an owner rebuild up to 110% of the old footprint and height. The owner can also keep non-conforming setbacks and skip Coastal, environmental and Mello Act review. Initial review is finished within 30 days. The expedited path is for projects inside that limit. Zoning-compliant single-family rebuilds in the Coastal Zone use Executive Order 8.

Senate Bill 9 lot splits are suspended in the burn area under Executive Order 9. Hillside lots in geologically sensitive areas need geology and soils reports. The City's FAQ also says existing footings and slabs in fire-damaged buildings are not typically permitted to be reused. Zoning questions about a specific rebuild go to Los Angeles City Planning, which has staff assigned to fire rebuilds. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

The City says the Palisades has been a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone since 1999. Since January 1, 2021, AB 38 has required specific disclosures to buyers in that zone. Civil Code 1102.19 also requires the seller to give the buyer compliance documentation. LAFD runs the brush-clearance status check and AB 38 inspection requests, which you can start at [email protected].

Brush rules reach 200 feet from any structure, including a neighbor's. An open brush-abatement order from the Fire Department is also one of the items the City Engineer reports on the 9A. That means it will surface in escrow either way. Asking LAFD for the inspection as soon as you decide to sell gives the paperwork time to come back. A cash sale does not change these duties. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Possibly, if the fire damaged more than 50 percent of the home's value. State Board of Equalization rules then let a wildfire victim who sells the damaged home move its tax base. The replacement principal residence can be anywhere in California, bought or built within two years of the sale. A separate step is the claim to reassess the fire loss. It goes to the county assessor within the time set by county ordinance or 12 months from the damage, whichever is later.

To qualify for that relief, the loss has to equal at least $10,000 of current market value. Because the two-year window runs from the sale of the original home, keep your closing statement and the recorded deed with your tax records. Ask the LA County Assessor about your own parcel before you set a sale date. Then we can match the closing to the timing you need. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes, we can make an offer with tenants in place. The City's tenant rules still matter. LAHD says a unit may be covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance if the property was built on or before October 1, 1978. The Just Cause Ordinance also covers most other rentals, including units built after that date. Just Cause bars ending a tenancy without just cause and requires relocation assistance for no-fault evictions.

Rentals must be registered with the City every year, and the Form 9 application reminds owners of rent-stabilized units to register. Before you call, pull together the current leases, the rent amounts and your registration records, so the offer reflects the tenancies as they are. You do not have to end a lease or empty the unit to sell to us. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

The City's recovery FAQ says temporary housing such as an RV, mobile home or manufactured home is allowed. It can stay for up to three years or while there is an active rebuild permit, whichever is longer. That gives owners time to weigh rebuilding against selling. If you later decide to sell, we can make an offer on the lot, and you pick a closing date that fits your move.

The brush clearance rule for vegetation within 200 feet of structures still applies while you hold the lot. Keep your debris sign-off papers and any permit records in one place while you decide, because a buyer will ask for both. The City is still revising its recovery guidance, so read the current FAQ before you count on the time limit. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes, the fire orders make room for one. The City's recovery FAQ says applicants can apply for accessory dwelling units under Emergency Executive Order 1 and Emergency Executive Order 8. The fire orders also let an owner put up the ADU first or at the same time as the main house. That comes with no Coastal or environmental review. LADBS says the City's ADU rules come from the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (Ordinance 186,481). That ordinance added Los Angeles Municipal Code section 12.22A.33.

The City also says no design standards for single-family houses have been adopted since the fire. Even so, height, floor area and setback rules still apply to the house and the ADU. You do not need to design or permit an ADU before you sell. We make offers on the lot as it stands today, and the buyer handles the plans and permits. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Not if the family sells. Under Proposition 19, the LA County Assessor says a child keeps the lower base only if it was the parent's principal residence. The child must make it their principal residence within one year of the transfer and file for the Homeowners' Exemption within one year. Even then, Revenue and Taxation Code section 63.2 adds to the base any value above the old taxable value plus $1,000,000.

The State Board of Equalization adjusts that amount every two years ($1,044,586 for transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027). A sale outside the family fails the residence test, and the Assessor reappraises the property as of the deed's recording date. If the family has no plan to rebuild in the Palisades, we can make a cash offer on the lot or house as it stands. Escrow handles the funds and recording. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

You pay the annual secured bill while you own the home. The County Property Tax Portal shows the first installment due November 1 and a 10 percent penalty after December 10. The second, due February 1, adds the penalty and a $10 cost after April 10. Ask escrow how your closing statement handles the current installment. A Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is filed with the deed. The LA County Assessor reappraises the home as of the recording date.

The County Treasurer and Tax Collector says a sale triggers a new assessment. Its supplemental bills go only to the new owner, even with a lender impound account. If the January 2025 fire damaged more than 50 percent of the home's value, State Board of Equalization rules let you carry its tax base. The replacement principal residence can be anywhere in California, bought or built within two years of the sale. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Because the Palisades is inside the City of Los Angeles, LADBS rules for selling an existing home apply. Plumbing fixtures must meet the City's Water Conservation Ordinance, which runs through LADWP. Fuel gas piping needs a seismic gas shut-off valve or an excess-flow valve. The house needs smoke alarms, and LADBS says battery-operated smoke alarms are allowed only in single-family dwellings.

A carbon monoxide device is required where the home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. Glass in sliding doors has to be impact hazard glazing, or an approved film can be applied to it. On an as-is sale to us you do not make repairs before closing. We also walk through which of these apply to your property before you sign. Ask LADBS if you are unsure whether an item covers your home. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

The January 2025 Palisades fire changed what a sale looks like here. Many owners now hold a lot instead of a house. Others own a home that came through the fire but sits on a street that is still being rebuilt. We make cash offers on both. You do not need to clean up the site, fix anything or hire a builder before you call.

Most of the debris work is behind the community. LA County reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished Phase 2 debris cleanup in September 2025 for owners who opted in. The City of Los Angeles says nearly all Palisades Fire parcels have been cleared and have final sign-off. That sign-off is a step that is required before anyone can rebuild.

Keep your Final Sign Off (FSO) paperwork in a safe place. The County tells each owner to keep a copy of the final debris removal documents. Any real estate buyer, including us, will also ask to see them.

A direct sale can make sense if you do not want to run a rebuild yourself, or if you have already settled somewhere else. It can also make sense if the house is standing but needs more work than you want to take on. If you want to sell a house as is in Los Angeles without fixing it first, that guide explains how an as-is sale treats condition.

What we buy in Pacific Palisades:

• Cleared lots with final sign-off
• Houses that were damaged but not destroyed
• Homes that came through the fire and need updates
• Rental houses and duplexes with tenants in place
• Inherited property the family does not plan to rebuild

A buyer prices a lot around what the City lets them build and how quickly they can start. The Mayor's emergency executive orders set those rules for the burn area. Recovery rules are still being updated, so read recovery.lacity.gov before you rely on any detail.

• Like-for-like rebuilds (EO1). A rebuild up to 110% of the old footprint and height gets expedited initial review, which City departments finish within 30 days. Non-conforming setbacks can stay, and there is no Coastal, environmental or Mello Act review.
• Coastal Zone houses (EO8). Zoning-compliant single-family rebuilds in the Coastal Zone have their own order. The City's ZIMAS map shows whether a parcel is in the Coastal Zone.
• Commercial sites (EO10). Commercial projects in the Specific Plan area fall under a separate order.
• No SB 9 splits (EO9). Senate Bill 9 lot-split and duplex rights are suspended in the burn area.
• ADUs. Under the fire orders, an accessory dwelling unit can be built before or along with the new house, without Coastal or environmental review.

Hillside lots add steps. In geologically sensitive areas, geology and soils reports must be reviewed by LADBS Grading, and those projects cannot use self-certification. Burned foundations are usually not reusable. Plans approved under the 2019 building code or later can be used for a rebuild; other new buildings must meet the current code. There were no required design standards for single-family houses before the fire, and none have been adopted since. Even so, height, floor area and setback rules still apply.

One rule matters a lot at sale time. The City says plan check and permit fees are suspended only for people who owned the property on the date of the fire. A later buyer does not get that waiver, so those fees become part of the buyer's costs.

Zoning questions go to Los Angeles City Planning. It governs the area under the Brentwood-Pacific Palisades Community Plan (last updated in 1996) and the Pacific Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhood Specific Plan. Its rebuild staff take email at [email protected]. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

A complete file makes for a quick, calm sale, with us or with a realtor. The permit, plan, zoning and parcel records on this list come from City and County offices you can reach online or by email. The debris sign-off and the loan and insurance papers come from your own files.

1. Permit history. Search the parcel on LADBS's Permit and Inspection Report. If a record is not online, email a completed Records Research Request Form to [email protected]. The Records Section only produces documents that are not already online as a PDF.
2. Original plans for a burned home. Ask at the LA One-Stop Rebuilding Center, 1828 Sawtelle Blvd in West Los Angeles (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). You can also email [email protected]. The City's FAQ says to bring a government ID, a copy of the recorded deed and a request form.
3. Debris sign-off. Your Final Sign Off (FSO) papers from the debris program.
4. Zoning and Coastal Zone status. The parcel page from ZIMAS, the City zoning map.
5. Parcel number. The Assessor Identification Number (AIN) prints on your tax bill in the format 1234-567-890. You can also look it up in the Assessor Portal, and the Property Tax Portal shows the billing.
6. Loan and insurance papers. A recent mortgage statement and any insurance claim letters help escrow sort out the payoff.

If something is missing, tell us anyway. We can still talk through an offer while you track it down, and you know from the start which papers the sale will need.

Pacific Palisades is a community inside the City of Los Angeles, in Council District 11, so City point-of-sale rules apply. Los Angeles Municipal Code 96.300 requires the seller to apply for a Report of Residential Property Records and Pending Special Assessment Liens. The seller must then give it to the buyer before the sale agreement or before close of escrow.

LADBS calls it the Residential Property Report, the application is Form 9, and the LADBS records page calls it the 9A Report. The fee is $70.85 per report, one report per parcel, with each condo unit ordered separately.

The report has two parts. The Superintendent of Building's part covers Building and Safety records. The City Engineer's part must show:

• Pending special-assessment liens
• Weed-clearance liens
• Recorded notices to repair sidewalks
• Fire Department brush-abatement orders
• Whether a house sewer connection permit has been issued

Two kinds of sales are exempt. The first is property exempt under the Documentary Transfer Act. The second is the first sale of a building in a subdivision whose final map was recorded no more than two years earlier.

LADBS also lists items required when an existing home is sold. They include Water Conservation Ordinance plumbing fixtures (LAMC 122.03, run through LADWP). Fuel gas piping needs a seismic gas shut-off or excess-flow valve (LAMC 94.1217). Smoke alarms are on the list, along with a carbon monoxide device where there is a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage. So is impact glazing or film on sliding glass doors.

For a rent-stabilized rental, the Form 9 application reminds owners that the units must be registered with the Rent Stabilization Division. On an as-is sale, we go over which items apply to your property before you sign. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

The City says the Palisades has been a designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone since 1999. That status brings two sets of rules into any sale.

Brush clearance within 200 feet

Owners in the zone must keep vegetation under control within 200 feet of any structure, under the Fire Code at LAMC 57.4906.5.2. The rule counts a neighbor's structure as well as your own, so an empty lot next to a rebuilt house can still fall under it. The City Engineer's part of the 9A report lists any Fire Department brush-abatement orders, which means an open order shows up during escrow.

AB 38 disclosures

Since January 1, 2021, AB 38 has required specific disclosures to buyers of homes in the zone. State law, Civil Code 1102.19, requires the seller to give the buyer compliance documentation. The Los Angeles Fire Department runs the brush-clearance status check and takes AB 38 inspection requests at [email protected].

Disclosures on a cash sale

A cash sale does not remove these duties. The disclosures still go to the buyer, and we receive them the same way any other buyer would. Starting the LAFD request early keeps it from holding up your closing date. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Because Pacific Palisades is inside the City of Los Angeles, two transfer taxes are collected when the deed is recorded.

• County tax: $0.55 per $500, which is $1.10 per $1,000. The LA County Registrar-Recorder lists Los Angeles among five cities with a special city rate. For those five cities, the County rate is figured at the full $1.10 per $1,000.
• City base tax: $2.25 per $500, which is $4.50 per $1,000, collected on top of the County tax.

Added together, those two come to $5.60 per $1,000 of price on a sale below the Measure ULA threshold.

Measure ULA tiers for 2026

Measure ULA, often called the mansion tax, is an added City tax. For sales closing after June 30, 2026, the LA Office of Finance lists two tiers:

• 4% on sales over $5,400,000 and under $10,900,000
• 5.5% on sales at $10,900,000 or more

When your price is near a tier line

Before July 1, 2026, the thresholds were $5.3 million and $10.6 million. The City says the ULA tax is figured on gross value, with liens and loans included. The base tax, by contrast, is figured on value net of liens. A sale below $5.4 million does not reach ULA.

If your price lands near a line, ask your escrow officer to run the numbers before you sign. That step matters, since ULA adds 4% or 5.5% of the gross value of the sale. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

A fire loss and a sale both change your property tax picture. The State Board of Equalization and the LA County Assessor publish the official rules.

Disaster relief

The Board of Equalization says a claim for reassessment after a disaster must be filed with the county assessor. It is due within the time set by county ordinance or 12 months from the damage, whichever is later. The loss must also be at least $10,000 of current market value.

Moving your tax base to a new home

The Board of Equalization also says a wildfire victim who sells the damaged home can move the tax base to a replacement principal residence. That home can be anywhere in California if it is bought or built within two years of the sale. The move is allowed only when the fire damaged more than 50 percent of the home's value. That can matter if you plan to sell the lot and buy somewhere else instead of rebuilding.

Bills before and after closing

Under Proposition 13, the tax is capped at 1% of assessed value, and assessed value rises no more than 2% a year. A sale resets that value for the new owner. The Assessor reappraises as of the date the deed is recorded, and a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) is filed at recording.

Paying the bill until you close

Keep paying the annual bill until the sale closes. The County Property Tax Portal shows the annual secured bill for your parcel, and the bill is paid in two installments. If an installment comes due while your sale is pending, ask escrow how the closing statement will handle it.

Installment dates

• The first installment is due November 1 and late after December 10.
• The second installment is due February 1 and late after April 10, with a $10 cost added.

Late penalty

Each late installment carries a 10 percent penalty. The Property Tax Portal says the first installment draws that penalty if payment is not received or USPS postmarked on or before December 10. For the second installment, the cutoff is April 10, and a $10 cost is added on top of the penalty. If your closing date falls near December 10 or April 10, confirm with escrow who will pay that installment and by what date.

Inherited Palisades homes

Under Proposition 19, a child keeps a parent's lower tax base only if the home was the parent's principal residence. The child must also make it their own principal residence within one year and file for the Homeowners' Exemption within a year. A family that sells instead of moving in does not meet that test. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

We buy across ZIP 90272, the one ZIP code USPS returns for Pacific Palisades. ZIP codes are mail areas, not City limits. A City page lists a school on Entrada Drive with a Santa Monica 90402 mailing address. That means some addresses near Santa Monica Canyon may mail as Santa Monica. If you are unsure which rules cover your parcel, look it up in ZIMAS.

City Planning's historic survey names the neighborhoods people know best: Santa Monica Canyon, Rustic Canyon, the Founders Tracts (No. 1 and No. 2), The Riviera, Castellammare, Miramar and Huntington Palisades. The survey describes the land as mesas split by Santa Monica, Rustic, Temescal and Santa Ynez canyons, with Sullivan Canyon on the Brentwood border. Canyon and hillside parcels in geologically sensitive areas need the geology review described above.

The small business district on Swarthmore Ave is known as the Village. The Council District 11 page also lists a Sunday farmers market at 1037 N Swarthmore Ave.

Public places are coming back in stages. State Parks reopened Will Rogers State Historic Park on November 8, 2025 with limited access, though the fire destroyed its 31-room ranch house and stables. The Temescal Canyon waterfall trail at Temescal Gateway Park is still closed for fire damage. The Palisades Branch Library runs a temporary branch in its parking lot at 861 Alma Real Drive, Tuesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 pm.

Selling a Palisades rental

LAHD says a rental unit may fall under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance if the property was built on or before October 1, 1978. The Just Cause Ordinance covers most other rentals. It bars ending a tenancy without just cause and requires relocation assistance for no-fault evictions, and every rental property must be registered each year. We can make an offer with tenants in place, so you do not have to end a lease to sell. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Putting a house on the open market can bring more buyers, and for some Palisades owners it is the right choice. It also brings open houses, a realtor's commission, cleaning and staging, and a wait while a buyer's financing is approved. With a cash buyer there is no loan approval to wait on, and the house or lot is sold as it stands.

Here is how a sale to us works:

1. Call (424) 341-0837 or use the form on this page.
2. Tell us the address, the condition, where the debris sign-off stands and the timing you need.
3. Get a no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours.
4. If you accept, choose the closing date. We can close in as little as 7 days, or in 7 to 14 days, or later if that suits you better.
5. Sign with a title and escrow company, which records the deed and handles the money.

Our price reflects the property as it is today, the permit path a buyer will face and the fees a later owner pays. We never ask you to make repairs first, and there is no pressure to accept. Even if you decide to list, the offer gives you a number to compare.

We also buy along the coast and across the Westside. If you also own up the coast, you can sell your house fast in Malibu. Closer to the harbor, ask us for a cash offer on a Marina del Rey condo or house. For anywhere else, see where we buy houses in Los Angeles County.

• Debris Removal - LA County Recovery
• Frequently Asked Questions - City of Los Angeles Recovery (Palisades Fire)
• Frequently Asked Questions Related to Palisades Fire Rebuilds - Los Angeles City Planning (Jan. 30, 2026)
• Brentwood - Pacific Palisades Community Plan - Los Angeles City Planning
• Property Records - LADBS (City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety)
• Property Search Tool - LA County Assessor
• Annual Secured Property Tax Bill - LA County Property Tax Portal
• Pacific Palisades - Council District 11, City of Los Angeles
• Residential Property Report - LADBS
• Form 9 (Residential Property Reports) Processing - LA Bureau of Engineering permit manual
• Application for Report of Residential Property Records and Pending Special Assessment Liens (Form 9) - LADBS
• Brush Clearance Requirements - Los Angeles Fire Department
• Fire Zone - Los Angeles Fire Department (AB 38)
• California Civil Code section 1102.19
• Documentary Transfer Tax - LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
• Real Property Transfer Tax and Measure ULA FAQ - LA Office of Finance
• Disaster Relief - California State Board of Equalization
• California Constitution Article XIII A (Proposition 13)
• Change in Ownership - LA County Assessor
• Proposition 19 - LA County Assessor
• USPS ZIP Code Lookup by City and State (Pacific Palisades, CA)
• Historic Resources Survey Report, Brentwood - Pacific Palisades Community Plan Area - Los Angeles City Planning, Office of Historic Resources
• California State Parks and Palisades Community Celebrate Reopening of Will Rogers State Historic Park (Nov. 10, 2025)
• Temescal Gateway Park - Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
• Palisades Branch Library - Los Angeles Public Library
• Rent Control Property Overview - Los Angeles Housing Department
• Just Cause For Eviction Ordinance (JCO) - Los Angeles Housing Department
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) - LADBS
• California Revenue and Taxation Code section 63.2 (Proposition 19 parent-child exclusion)
• State Board of Equalization: Proposition 19
• New Property Owner - LA County Treasurer and Tax Collector