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Five McMansions That Are Probably Illegal Now

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Earlier this week, the City Council voted to enact a two-year ban on giant, hulking new homes in 20 neighborhoods across LA—15 that were mentioned in the debate last week, plus bars new demo and building permits in five 'hoods that are proposed HPOZs (Sunset Square, Carthay Square, Holmby-Westwood, Oxford Square and El Sereno-Berkshire Craftsman District), reports the Daily News. The new temporary regulations attempt to close loopholes in earlier laws against this kind of building, and they vary from neighborhood to neighborhood; some govern how much dirt you can move to make your new home, while other dictate what does and doesn't count as your house's total square footage. But just taking a look at these mini-mansions in some of the 20 neighborhoods where the crackdown is happening, it seems like they probably couldn't get built under these new regulations.

↑ Right off Wilshire in Miracle Mile, this house's presence has definitely angered some people. Built in 2014 on the former site of an adorable 1924 dwelling that claimed to have a Batchelder-tile fireplace, the boxy, two-story beast has all the warmth and charm of recently sterilized surgical equipment. More than twice the size of the old house (and a story taller), this "VALUE!!" has been on the market for 127 days. It's now asking $2.695 million.

↑ Built just last year, this East Venice four-bedroom "in the heart of it all" (read: near a Whole Foods) replaces a 940-square foot single-family home. The lot was so big, though, that there's still ample room for a garage and a deck, plus some grassy space for kids or dogs or kids and dogs. It's asking $1.887 million.

↑ No sign of what was here before this two-story, 2,500-square-foot abode put down roots, but judging from the way this place literally looks down on the surrounding houses (see the view from the balcony), it was probably significantly smaller and shorter. With polished concrete floors, 10-foot-tall windows, and Carrera marble sprinkled here and there, the structure is hip but also homey. It's listed for $2.195 million.

↑ The super-cute little 1914 bungalow that previously occupied this site couldn't have imagined what was to become of its Sunset Square lot. (The bungalow had some really nice woodwork and dreamy built-ins, but alas, they are no more.) Enter a 4,721-square-foot McMansion, completed this year. It has five-bedrooms, four-and-a-quarter bathrooms, a zero-edge pool, and a water feature that flows through part of the first floor of the house. It's asking $3.459 million.

↑ And now for something completely different. Instead of going the high-end-minimalist, polished-concrete-and-a-floating-staircase route, this Carthay Square dwelling took a drive out to suburbia and came back with a poltergeist that turns all the lights in the house on at the same time. This tract home missing its tract took out a fairly forgettable house; it's about twice the size of the one-story that it replaced. The five-bedroom residence comes with three fireplaces, and a living room wall that basically completely opens onto the backyard. It's asking $2.999 million.
· Here Are the Anti-Mansion Rules Coming to 15 LA 'Hoods [Curbed LA]