The diverse and urbanized San Fernando Valley is a true vast valley, surrounded on all sides by different mountain ranges and takes up approximately 260 square miles. "The Valley", as it is known, has a population of almost 2 million people. You know the rule: Where there are a lot of people, there are a lot of homes. This means there are a lot of homes being bought and sold. There's always something happening in the world of San Fernando Valley real estate.

San Fernando Valley consists of five incorporated cities, 5 unincorporated communities and several other communities/neighborhoods that are considered to be part of Los Angeles County.

Incorporated, independent cities in the Valley include San Fernando, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Burbank and Calabasas.  Some of the major neighborhoods in the Valley accounting for most home sales are Arleta, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills North Hollywood, North Hills, Northridge, Pacoima, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, Valley Village, West Hills, Woodland Hills and others.

Most communities in the Valley were founded around the early 1900's and those parts of the Valley feature older style single family homes. Because the Valley developed out of the large ranchos there before the turn of the century, there is a large amount of Spanish style homes and single story ranch homes. But as the Valley grew, large amounts of mid-century and modern style tract and custom homes have been built throughout the Valley communities and have been mostly well-maintained. Eastern portions of the Valley, like Van Nuys feature old style craftsman bungalows

There are several, high-end hillside communities that dot the hills surrounding the San Fernando Valley offering astonishing views across the Valley, into Greater Los Angeles and views as far away as the ocean.

Besides single family homes for sale in San Fernando Valley, the market offers condominiums, duplexes, townhouses and lofts. There are always a good number of foreclosures or short sales on the market.

Compared to the rest of Los Angeles, particularly West Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, where some of LA's oldest homes and neighborhoods reside, San Fernando Valley real estate market offers buyers more for their money: larger square foot homes; larger square foot lots. The Valley features tree lined streets and a large amount of park land and open spaces.

While most residents reside to jobs in neighboring Ventura County as well as in the Greater Los Angeles (also known as the Los Angeles basin), the Valley is convenient to most major freeways including I-405, US 101, SR 118, SR 170, and I 210.

When choosing an San Fernando Valley real estate agent ... experience matters

Because demand for San Fernando Valley homes are typically high and inventory is typically low, real estate in the Valley has become a seller’s market. Both buyers and sellers, then, are advised to work only with real estate agents who are experienced and intimately familiar with San Fernando Valley's real estate market to represent them in the transaction.