Ask Gabi: South Bay Real Estate FAQ

It depends on the loan program, FHA loans allow as low as 3.5% down, and some conventional programs for first-time buyers go as low as 3%. There are also state programs like CalHFA's MyHome Assistance Program that can help with down payment and closing costs for buyers who qualify. Talk to a lender about your specific situation since this varies a lot based on credit, income, and loan type.

Possibly, yes. The common federal definition used for many first-time buyer programs generally means you haven't owned a home in the past three years, not that you've never owned one at all. Program-specific rules can vary, so check with your lender on the exact eligibility for whatever assistance you're looking at.

It can be competitive, but it varies a lot by city and property type, condos, single-family homes, and different neighborhoods all move differently. Being genuinely pre-approved and having your offer structured well matters more than most people realize in a competitive situation. This is a conversation worth having early so you know what you're actually up against for your budget and target area.

Pre-qualification is a rough estimate based on what you tell a lender, no verification involved. Pre-approval means the lender has pulled your credit and verified your income and assets, which is what sellers and listing agents actually take seriously when you're competing for a home. Get a real pre-approval before you start touring, not just a pre-qual.

Property tax, homeowners insurance, and, if applicable, HOA dues, all on top of principal and interest. California property tax is based on your purchase price and generally runs slightly above the 1% base rate once local voter-approved assessments are included, so it varies by property. Ask your lender to give you a full estimated monthly number before you commit to a price range.

No. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice, and every situation is different. Talk to a licensed lender for anything related to financing and a qualified tax or legal professional for anything specific to your situation, and reach out to me for the real estate side of it.

No. Pre-approval is a conditional commitment based on the financial documentation you've provided at that point, but final approval also depends on things like the property appraising for the purchase price and your financial situation staying stable through closing. Don't treat pre-approval as a done deal, it's a strong green light, not a guarantee.

Generally somewhere in the range of a month or two, though it varies by lender. If your home search runs longer than that, plan on providing updated documents to your lender to refresh it, talk to your loan officer about their specific timeline.

A full pre-approval typically involves a hard credit inquiry, which can cause a small, temporary dip in your credit score. A lender or loan officer can walk you through exactly how that works and how to manage your credit responsibly while you're shopping for a home.

You don't need to have it in hand before our very first conversation, but I'll want you working with a lender early in the process, ideally before we start touring seriously. In this market, knowing your real number and having a solid pre-approval ready is what lets us move fast when the right home comes up.

You can absolutely choose your own lender, it's entirely your decision. I can recommend local South Bay lenders I've seen move quickly and communicate well with clients, but who you work with is up to you and what fits your situation best.

They're different steps in the process. Pre-approval establishes what loan amount you're conditionally approved for; locking your rate is a separate step, usually done later once you're in contract on a specific property, that secures a specific interest rate for a period of time. Ask your lender directly how and when they handle rate locks.

No, and I generally don't recommend waiving it outright. There are middle-ground options, like a shortened inspection period or a pre-offer inspection, that can strengthen your offer without leaving you completely exposed. We'd decide this together based on the specific property.

An appraisal gap happens when the appraised value comes in lower than your offer price, and a lender will typically only finance based on the appraised value. Covering the gap means agreeing upfront to pay the difference in cash if that happens, which can strengthen your offer but needs to be sized to what you can actually afford. This is a numbers conversation we should have specific to your budget, not a generic percentage.

I usually advise against it. Many listing agents won't even pass them along anymore because of fair housing concerns, and a well-structured offer does more work than a letter ever will.

It depends entirely on the property, your risk tolerance, and what you know about it going in. There's no universal right answer, and I walk through the tradeoffs of each contingency with clients before we submit anything.

It happens more than people admit, especially in the tighter South Bay neighborhoods, and it doesn't mean your offer strategy is broken. We use what we learn from each one to sharpen the next offer.

No. This is general education about how offers work in California, not legal or financial advice for your specific situation. Any contract terms, contingency decisions, or gap coverage amounts should be reviewed with me and, where appropriate, a real estate attorney before you sign anything.

California is one of many states that relies on licensed, neutral escrow and title companies to manage real estate closings rather than requiring an attorney. The escrow officer's role is to follow the signed instructions from both buyer and seller, confirm contract conditions are met, and handle the transfer of funds and recording of the deed. It's a regulated process, but it's administrative rather than legal representation for either side.

No. The escrow officer is a neutral third party who doesn't represent the buyer or the seller and can't give legal or financial advice to either side. Their job is to carry out the written escrow instructions accurately and make sure conditions are satisfied before anything closes. If you need legal or tax guidance, that comes from your own attorney or CPA, not the escrow officer.

Your down payment is the portion of the purchase price you're paying in cash rather than financing. Closing costs are separate fees for services involved in originating your loan and closing the transaction, such as lender fees, title insurance, escrow fees, prepaid items, and recording fees. Buyers should budget for both, and your lender's Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure will break out each amount.

A financed purchase commonly takes somewhere around 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to close, largely because of loan underwriting time. Cash purchases can close faster since there's no lender approval to wait on. Your specific timeline depends on your contract terms, your lender, and how quickly conditions like inspections and appraisal are resolved.

Your lender is required to provide a Loan Estimate early in the process and a Closing Disclosure before you sign, both of which show your actual fees. Your escrow company can also provide an estimated closing statement as your transaction moves forward. Those documents are the reliable source for your real numbers — general guides like this one are meant to help you understand the categories, not predict your exact costs.

No. This is general education about how escrow and closing costs typically work for buyers in California, and every transaction is different. For advice specific to your situation, talk to your lender, your escrow officer, and, where appropriate, your own attorney or tax professional.

No, VA loans allow qualified buyers to finance up to the full purchase price with 0% down, and that benefit isn't capped by the higher home prices in areas like Manhattan Beach or Palos Verdes as long as you have full entitlement and the lender approves the loan amount. You'll still want cash reserves for things like inspections, earnest money, and moving costs. Your lender can walk you through exactly what to budget for.

Yes, and the belief that they won't is largely outdated. VA loans close on comparable timelines to conventional loans and are backed by a government guarantee, so the loan type itself isn't the risk factor sellers sometimes assume it is. What actually matters is the strength of the offer and the lender behind it, which is why working with an experienced VA lender and an agent who knows how to present the offer makes a real difference.

It's a one-time fee, which can typically be financed into the loan, that helps sustain the VA loan program since there's no monthly mortgage insurance. Veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, along with some Purple Heart recipients and surviving spouses, are generally exempt. Because the exact percentages and exemption rules can change, confirm your specific fee and exemption status with your VA-approved lender.

The VA appraisal isn't just checking value, it's also confirming the home meets the VA's Minimum Property Requirements for safety, soundness, and sanitation, things like peeling paint, an unstrapped water heater, or missing handrails. This shows up more often in the South Bay's older housing stock. It's not the VA being unusually strict, it's a similar bar to what FHA appraisals apply, and I walk my clients through likely issues before we're in contract.

For most veterans with full entitlement, VA loan limits were effectively eliminated in 2020, so there's no hard cap on the no-money-down benefit. Limits can still apply if you have reduced or partial entitlement, usually from an existing VA loan, in which case the relevant figure is the county limit, and Los Angeles County has a higher limit than most counties nationwide due to its high-cost designation.

Yes, but the building generally needs to be on the VA's approved condo project list, or your lender needs to secure spot approval for that specific building. This is a real practical hurdle in areas with a lot of condos and townhomes, like Redondo Beach and Torrance, so I check approval status before we tour a listing that isn't already cleared.

Start by talking to a VA-approved lender, who can pull your Certificate of Eligibility electronically in most cases without you needing to request it yourself first. From there we can talk through your service history, what you'd qualify for, and how to build a competitive offer strategy for the South Bay market. Reach out to me and I'll help you figure out the right next step.

An online estimate is generated by an algorithm working off broad, often outdated public data, with no eyes on your actual home or your specific street. A CMA is built by a person looking at truly comparable properties, adjusting for condition and location differences, and factoring in what's happening in the market right now — active competition, pending sales, and hyper-local trends an algorithm can't see.

It can feel that way, but it often works against you. Homes get the most attention in their first couple of weeks on the market, and if the price is off during that window, a listing can sit and lose momentum. A later price cut doesn't just fix the number — it can signal to buyers that something's wrong, even when there isn't, which can make the eventual sale price lower than if it had been priced accurately from the start.

We look closely at what actually differs — square footage, layout, lot size, updates, condition, and location factors like street noise or proximity to amenities — and adjust the comp values accordingly. In the South Bay especially, small differences like which side of the street a home is on can matter, so I try to walk comps in person and talk to agents who were actually involved in those recent sales whenever I can.

If the agreed price is higher than what the comps genuinely justify, there's a real risk the buyer's lender appraisal comes in under contract price. That can lead to renegotiating the price, the buyer needing to bring more cash to closing, or in some cases the deal falling through. Pricing grounded in solid comps from the start helps protect the sale all the way to closing.

It depends on how the market responds — showing activity, feedback from buyers' agents, and any new comps that come onto the market are all worth watching closely, especially in the first couple of weeks. I stay in close contact with sellers during that window so we can talk through what we're seeing and make an informed decision together if anything needs to change.

The general principles are the same everywhere, but the execution isn't — Torrance, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, and Long Beach each have their own micro-markets, and sometimes those markets shift street by street. That's why I don't rely on one blanket approach; the comps and the strategy get built around your specific home and its specific pocket of the South Bay.

The baseline stuff — photography, MLS, syndication — is the same everywhere, and I do it too. The difference is that I keep a small client list on purpose so I can personally market your home to my own Instagram audience and respond to buyer interest myself, rather than handing that off to junior staff or a set-it-and-forget-it ad campaign.

In most cases, yes. MLS and full syndication are still how the largest pool of buyers finds a home, and for most sellers that's the right strategy, sometimes combined with a period of off-market marketing first. The exception is when a seller specifically wants privacy or wants to test the market quietly, which is when I'll walk you through an off-market approach instead.

Off-market means a home is being marketed and sold without being listed on the MLS or syndicated publicly — buyers find it through direct channels like my Instagram audience instead. It can make sense if you value privacy, want to avoid the pressure of a public days-on-market clock, or want to gauge interest before committing to a full public launch. It's not automatically better, and I'll tell you if I think your home is better served going fully public from the start.

When someone comments on one of my posts or reels about a home, it opens a direct message conversation that I'm personally involved in, not an automated dead-end. That lets me answer real questions, send details, and figure out whether someone is a serious buyer, which is a very different experience than a form-fill lead that goes into a generic funnel.

No, and I wouldn't want to promise that. Off-market marketing is a genuine channel I use and believe in, not a guarantee — how well it works depends on the home, the price, and timing. I'll always be upfront with you about whether I think your specific home is a good fit for an off-market approach, a standard MLS launch, or a hybrid of both.

Because the marketing I'm describing only works if I'm actually doing it myself — personally posting, personally responding to DMs, personally paying attention to who's interested. That's not something I can do well across dozens of listings at a time, so I'd rather work closely with fewer sellers than spread myself thin across more.

Clean and decluttered aren't the same thing. A tidy house can still feel cramped or too personal if closets are full, counters are covered, and personal photos are everywhere. Buyers need visual breathing room to picture their own belongings in the space, so thinning things out — even in a spotless home — usually helps.

It depends on the home. Vacant homes and awkward or oddly shaped rooms tend to benefit most from professional staging because buyers struggle to gauge scale and function in an empty space. Occupied homes often do fine with light rearranging and editing of existing furniture. I'll walk your specific house with you and tell you honestly where I think staging would help versus where it wouldn't move the needle.

Start with anything that's broken, visibly worn, or likely to show up on a buyer's inspection report — leaky fixtures, non-functioning outlets, sticking doors, damaged screens, and anything safety-related. Cosmetic upgrades like paint and landscaping generally come next. I can help you sort what's worth doing from what isn't, given your timeline and budget.

It's worth considering for any home, including ones that seem to be in great condition, because inspectors often find things owners don't notice day to day, like an aging water heater or a roof nearing the end of its life. Finding that out before you list means you control how it's handled instead of reacting to it mid-escrow. It's an added cost and an extra step, so we can talk through whether it makes sense for your specific situation.

It varies by how much work the home needs, but giving yourself at least a few weeks of lead time is usually more comfortable than trying to declutter, repair, and stage in a matter of days. Homes that need more repair work or a deeper declutter benefit from more runway. When we plan your listing timeline together, we'll map prep work backward from your target list date so nothing feels rushed.

I can point you toward inspectors and trusted contractors I've worked with before, but I'm not licensed to assess structural, electrical, plumbing, or other systems issues myself. For anything beyond straightforward cosmetic work, I'll recommend you get a professional opinion so you're making decisions based on accurate information, not guesswork.

There's no fixed percentage that applies to every sale — it depends on your commission agreement, your city's transfer tax rules, how title and escrow fees are split, and your specific loan and tax situation. I'll build you a net sheet with real estimates before you ever list, and escrow will finalize the exact numbers as closing approaches.

In most of the South Bay, local custom splits title and escrow fees between buyer and seller, but this is negotiable and can be written differently into your purchase agreement. Your escrow company will show you exactly what you're responsible for once the transaction is open.

Transfer tax is a fee charged by the county, and sometimes by your specific city, when property changes ownership — it's calculated based on your sale price and is typically paid by the seller in Los Angeles County, though this can be negotiated. Rates vary by city and can change, so your escrow officer will calculate the exact amount for your property.

Escrow calculates how much of the current property tax period you actually owned the home and prorates accordingly, crediting or debiting the difference on your closing statement. You're not paying a full extra tax bill — you're settling up for the exact days of ownership up to your closing date.

Funds are typically released once the deed records with the county and escrow confirms the transaction has officially closed, which is often the same day or the next business day after signing. Your escrow officer can give you a specific timeline once you're in contract.

Yes, especially if your sale involves significant appreciation, a second home or investment property, or any complexity around capital gains or tax withholding. This page is general education, not tax advice, and a CPA can tell you how a sale affects your specific return.

No, Prop 19's base year value transfer applies to a replacement home purchased anywhere in California, not just your current city or county. You do need to confirm the specific mechanics and timing with the LA County Assessor or a tax professional, since eligibility rules do apply.

Under the general rule, the replacement home needs to be purchased or newly constructed within two years of selling your original home. Timing details can get technical, so I'd confirm your specific window with the Assessor's office or a tax professional before you plan around it.

Generally yes for exterior maintenance, landscaping, roof, and often building upkeep are handled through the HOA, but you're taking on an HOA fee and rules in exchange. Which one makes more sense really depends on your budget, how much you value control over your own space, and whether an HOA's restrictions bother you.

You don't have to have it all figured out before listing, plenty of people sort major furniture and keep sentimental or "not sure yet" items in storage for a while after the move. I'd rather you move at a pace that doesn't burn you out than rush a decision on something like your kids' childhood photos.

There's no universal right answer, selling first gives you price certainty and avoids carrying two homes, buying first gives you a smoother single move but usually requires more cash flexibility or bridge financing. I walk through both paths with clients based on their actual finances and comfort level before we pick one.

A rent-back lets you sell your home and then stay in it for an agreed period afterward, often a few weeks to a couple of months, while paying the new owner rent. It's a common, negotiable part of a sale contract and can take real pressure off your moving timeline.

No. This is general education based on how Prop 19 and downsizing transactions typically work, it isn't a substitute for advice specific to your situation. Please talk to a CPA, tax professional, or estate attorney, and confirm any Prop 19 specifics directly with the LA County Assessor before making decisions.

No, not for a standard ADU, California eliminated the owner-occupancy requirement for standard ADUs back in 2024, so investors can own a property and rent out both the main house and the ADU. JADUs are different: owner-occupancy is required only when the JADU shares a bathroom with the main house.

State law requires cities to tell you within 15 business days if your application is complete, then approve or deny it within 60 days of that complete submission, or it's automatically deemed approved. Real-world timelines can run longer depending on how busy your city's planning department is and how clean your submitted plans are, so treat 60 days as the legal ceiling, not a guarantee.

Under the state's streamlined pathway, cities generally have to allow at least an 800-square-foot detached ADU with minimal setbacks. Going through a city's own local ADU ordinance can sometimes get you more square footage, but the exact number depends on your specific city's rules, so check with your local planning department.

If you build under the state-exempt pathway, no additional parking is required at all. Even outside that pathway, state law waives the typical parking requirement in several common situations, including conversions of existing structures and properties near transit.

JADUs are prohibited from short-term rentals under 30 days under state law. For full ADUs, it often comes down to your specific city's short-term rental ordinance rather than a blanket state rule, so this is a "check with your city" answer, not a yes or no I can give you generically.

No. Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes, and Long Beach each layer their own local ordinance on top of state law, and coastal cities have an added layer of coastal permitting review. Always confirm the specifics with that city's planning department before you plan or price a project.

A legal, permitted ADU is generally a real asset, it adds usable square footage and rental income potential, which buyers and appraisers respond to. I don't have hard local data to hand you a specific dollar figure for the South Bay, but I can tell you an unpermitted "ADU" tends to create problems in a sale, while a permitted one almost always helps your position.

Under Prop 19, if you're 55 or older and your replacement home costs the same or less than the home you sold, you can transfer your existing assessed value to the new home rather than being reassessed at full market value. The exact numbers depend on your specific assessed value and purchase details, so this is a question to run past the LA County Assessor's Office or a tax professional before you commit to anything.

No. That was the old rule under Prop 60/90. Prop 19 allows eligible homeowners to transfer their assessed value to a replacement home anywhere in California, not just within the same county.

Eligible homeowners can generally use the base year value transfer up to three times. Confirm your specific eligibility and history with the Assessor's Office, since prior transfers can affect what you're still eligible for.

Not automatically anymore. Under Prop 19, to keep your parents' lower assessed value, you generally need to move into the home and use it as your own primary residence, and there's a value limit involved. If you don't live in it, or the home's value exceeds the limit, it can be reassessed at current market value.

If the home isn't your primary residence, it generally won't keep your parents' lower assessed value under Prop 19's current rules, which typically means reassessment at market value. This is a significant change from before 2021, and it's worth discussing with a CPA or estate attorney before you decide how to use an inherited property.

Yes, similar principal residence and value limit rules generally apply to grandparent-to-grandchild transfers under specific conditions. Because eligibility depends on details like whether the parents are still living, this is best confirmed directly with the Assessor's Office.

Start with the LA County Assessor's Office, since they administer Prop 19 and can tell you exactly where you stand. From there, a CPA or estate attorney can help you understand the tax and inheritance planning side, and I can help you think through the real estate timing and strategy once you know your options.

No, it's not illegal, but it has to be done within your MLS's specific rules, which usually require signed seller acknowledgment of the tradeoffs and, in some cases, a compliant status like "Registered" rather than simply skipping the MLS altogether. The specifics depend on the MLS covering the property, so this is confirmed at the time of listing, not assumed in advance.

On our local MLS as of mid-2026, it's a limited window of a few weeks, but MLS rules on this have changed more than once recently and can change again. I'll confirm the current allowed timeframe when we're actually setting up your listing.

It can, because a smaller buyer pool generally means less competition, and competition is what drives price up in a wide-open market. That's the real tradeoff for the privacy or control you gain, it's not a guaranteed downside, but it's a genuine risk worth weighing honestly.

You generally need an agent who's actively connected to other agents and brokers in the area, since these homes aren't searchable on public sites. That's a big part of what I do for buyers working with me in the South Bay.

It's still on the books nationally, but it's genuinely contested right now, some MLSs have added delay options, others haven't, and there's active industry disagreement and even litigation over how it should work. I'll tell you exactly what applies to your property and MLS when we're working together, rather than quoting a fixed rule that might already be outdated.

Coming Soon means the home isn't open for showings yet and hasn't fully launched to the public. Pending means an offer has already been accepted and the home is under contract, two completely different stages of the process.

Manhattan Beach has the strongest reputation for schools and family-centric culture and is where I send most buyers whose top priority is the school district. Redondo Beach is a close option for families who want more house or a lower price point and are willing to research schools by specific neighborhood, since the city is large enough that quality varies by area. Hermosa Beach works well for families too, especially away from the downtown nightlife core, but it's a smaller pool of family-oriented streets.

Redondo Beach consistently offers the broadest range of price points and the most housing stock variety, including condos and townhomes, making it the most accessible entry into South Bay beach living. Manhattan Beach is generally the most expensive of the three. Hermosa Beach sits close behind Manhattan and can match or exceed it for prime walk-street or oceanfront properties, despite being a smaller city overall.

Hermosa Beach, without question. Its compact, highly walkable downtown around Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue has the densest concentration of bars and restaurants of the three cities. Manhattan Beach has a more upscale, lower-key dining scene, and Redondo Beach's options are spread across Riviera Village and the harbor with a more relaxed feel.

Hermosa Beach is the most walkable overall, it's small enough that most of the city is within easy walking distance of the sand, and it's been recognized nationally for pedestrian-friendly design. Manhattan Beach's downtown and Sand Section are also highly walkable. Redondo Beach's walkability varies more by neighborhood, with South Redondo and Riviera Village being the strongest pockets.

Redondo Beach has by far the most variety, with a real mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and condos across a wide range of prices and sizes. Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach are more uniformly single-family and premium condo product, with very little true low-end inventory left in either city.

All three sit close enough to LAX and the 405/105 corridor that the differences come down to local traffic and time of day more than which city you're in. I wouldn't base this decision on commute alone, lifestyle fit and budget matter far more between these three.

All three have a strong track record of holding value given their coastal location and limited buildable land, and I don't have data suggesting one dramatically outperforms the others long-term. Manhattan Beach tends to offer the most price stability given its established demand and school district, while Redondo's variety means performance can differ more by specific neighborhood and property type. I'd rather walk through your specific budget and goals than make a blanket call here.

It's several, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rancho Palos Verdes each have their own character, price tier, and rules, even though people casually refer to the whole area as "PV" or "the Peninsula." I always recommend narrowing down which of the four fits before we start touring, since they're not interchangeable.

Generally yes, Torrance tends to offer more square footage and land per dollar than Palos Verdes and the beach cities, though pricing varies a lot by specific neighborhood and school boundary within Torrance itself. I don't like quoting blanket price numbers because they go stale fast; I'll pull current comparables for whatever specific area you're considering.

Not really, they're distinct waterfront pockets with their own walkable, small-town feel that differs a lot from the rest of Long Beach. If a client falls in love with Naples or Belmont Shore, I make sure they understand that's a specific micro-market, not a preview of the whole city.

All three have a mix of highly regarded and average schools depending on the specific neighborhood and boundary, so I'd avoid trusting any city's overall reputation. If schools are a priority, tell me the boundaries that matter to you and I'll research the specific schools tied to specific addresses rather than rely on general reputation.

Torrance and Palos Verdes both sit near the 405/110 corridor, with PV adding more hillside, winding driving depending on which part of the Peninsula you're in. Long Beach is farther south and has its own freeway network, so it commutes better toward Orange County, the ports, and downtown Long Beach than toward central LA or the South Bay beach cities.

That's usually Torrance or the Rancho Palos Verdes side of the Peninsula, depending on your budget and how much land you want. Torrance gets you close with more affordability; Palos Verdes gets you close with more space and views at a higher price point.

Yes, that's honestly the more useful conversation than comparing the cities broadly, since the right pocket of Torrance or Long Beach can matter more than the city label itself. Reach out and tell me what you're prioritizing and I'll walk you through the specific neighborhoods that fit.

It means the home is genuinely for sale but was never submitted to the MLS or publicly marketed, so it's not searchable on Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com. Access happens through private networks, agent relationships, and direct outreach instead of public listing sites.

Not inherently, the same disclosure laws, inspection rights, and contingencies apply whether a home is on the MLS or not. The real difference is exposure, fewer buyers see it, which can mean less competition for you.

Reach out directly and tell me your price range, target cities, and must-haves. I'll add you to my private buyer list and contact you personally when something matching your criteria comes up.

Availability changes, so the best way to get current status and full details is to reach out directly or view the property page. I'll give you a straight answer on where things stand.

Some sellers want privacy, want to test a price quietly before committing to a public days-on-market clock, or want to fully prepare a home before the world sees it. It's a real tradeoff, a smaller buyer pool against more control and discretion, and I'll walk you through whether it makes sense for your specific situation.

No, this is simply part of how I work with buyers and sellers who want it. There's no separate fee for being on my off-market list.

Primarily Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes, and Long Beach, with additional experience across the Westside and greater Los Angeles area.

ENRG Realty. Her California DRE license number is #02246390.

Gabi works with a small number of clients at a time and personally handles every showing, offer, and negotiation herself, rather than routing clients to a team member or assistant.

She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and social communication and built her career in market analysis and advertising before founding and growing her own consumer research company, which she later sold to pursue new ventures, including real estate.

Call or text (424) 213-9938, or email gabibottura@gmail.com. She answers her own phone and personally responds to every inquiry.

Yes, she represents both buyers and sellers across the South Bay, and also handles off-market opportunities for buyers and sellers who want more privacy or a quieter process.