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Buy a house in LA: My home revealed

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Drum roll, please!

Now that this is the penultimate story in our LA house hunting series and the votes have been tallied, I almost wish I’d conferred with the internet-reading masses to inform our final decision. (Do I smell a pitch for a train-wreck of a HGTV reality show?)

But before I reveal where we ultimately landed, let’s take another look at the five contenders ranked in order of popularity according to poll takers.

The clear favorite among readers is the classic Post-War in Van Nuys, a three-bedroom, one-bath home with lovely vaulted living room ceilings, a big back yard, and a pretty rad tiki bathroom.

Coming in second place is the spacious four-bed, two-bath bungalow in South LA, which features a refreshed exterior, an renovated kitchen, new hardwood floors, and more modern upgrades.

Landing third is the cabin Craftsman in the city of San Fernando, a three-bed, one-bath that offers plenty of living and dining room space, a front and back yard, and charming built-ins.

Taking fourth place is the midcentury abode in Tujunga, a cozy two-bed, one-bath with the original kitchen intact and a roomy back yard with citrus trees.

Last is the Mediterranean-style house in South LA, which packs in three beds and two baths in an approximately 1,000-square-foot space.

Finally, the moment that everyone (okay, more like seven people) has been waiting for: The winner is ...

The cabin Craftsman, which cost us just over $465,000.

Nested in the incorporated city of San Fernando, the rock-covered three-bedroom immediately stole our hearts thanks to its original built-in features—though admittedly the glass bookcase and buffet doors don’t exactly mix well with small children. The front and back yards made up for the awkward kitchen and the “third bedroom,” not to mention we’d enjoy our own driveway and plenty of storage space in the garage.

It’s located in the next northern-most city in LA after Sylmar, so my husband is commuting at least one hour now.

Yes, we know that San Fernando is waaaaay the eff out there. But as outdoorsy folk at heart, we love that camping and hiking trails in Angeles National Forest and Rocky Peak are within arm’s reach. (But ask us again when we’re in the throes of two-toddler parenthood.)

Needless to say, it’s been quite the wild ride documenting our house hunting process in (almost) real-time, so I’d like to thank everyone who played nice throughout this series. Stay tuned for the grand finale in which I share more about our new neighborhood.