Kids are one of the top reasons to buy a first home--you want to give them stability, a backyard, and of course a great public school. That's not always easy in LA, but we scoured for eight relatively inexpensive houses, all with at least two bedrooms, in eight of LA County's top elementary school districts (based on California's Academic Performance Index, with scores drawn from the LA Times's California Schools Guide). They're not the most glamorous starter homes, but they will guarantee your kid gets into Harvard (ok, no they won't).
School: Wonderland Avenue Elementary
Location: Hollywood Hills
API score: 975
Starter home: 8310 Yucca Trl., a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house built in 1926. Bonus: "Award winning platinum artists/hits recorded at this chateau." Asking price is $599,000.
School: La Canada Elementary
Location: La Canada
API score: 969
Starter home: 4413 Indiana Ave., with three bedrooms, one and three-quarter bathrooms, a backyard with fruit trees, and an unpermitted garage conversion. Asking price is $529,000.
School: Baldwin Stocker Elementary
Location: Arcadia
API score: 969
Starter home: 1141 W. Duarte Rd. Unit H, a two-bedroom, one and three-quarter-bathroom townhouse with a two-car garage. Asking price is $450,000 with HOAs of $150 per month.
School: Warner Avenue Elementary
Location: Holmby Hills
API score: 963
Starter home: 10501 Wilshire Blvd. #902, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in a building with a pool, gym, storage, and security. Asking price is $550,000 with steep HOAs of $868.90.
School: Naples Elementary
Location: Long Beach
API score: 962
Starter home: 103 Ravenna Dr. #10, a two-bedroom, one and three-quarter-bathroom condo in the Villa di Napoli, which has a pool and underground parking. Asking price is $569,000 with HOAs of $450 per month.
School: Franklin Elementary
Location: Santa Monica
API score: 957
Starter home: 1139 Twenty-Sixth St. Unit C, a two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo with no shared walls. Asking price is $494,000 with HOAs of $285 per month.
School: Clover Avenue Elementary
Location: Palms
API score: 955
Starter home: 10866 Rose Ave. #302, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fireplace, and a dining area. Asking price is $479,000 with HOAs of $425 per month.
School: Woodland Hills Elementary
Location: Woodland Hills
API score: 955
Starter home: 4908 Don Pio Dr., a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a fireplace and vegetable garden. Asking price is $489,900.
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