Remodel Due Jan 15th 2026

It’s a problem, you have no idea.

We live in Los Feliz, a popular neighborhood in Los Angeles. It’s hard to explain how Los Angeles is so big. If you took a map of LA and superimposed the outline of other US cities, quite a few would fit inside the outline of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is as large as a small European country, such as Kosovo. One time, my out-of-town sister called me while driving across LA. thinking she was close. I had to coax her on the phone to keep driving for another hour. "Walk towards the light Carolanne." Remember close is relative in a place that is 40 miles across in all directions and contains the population of a state like Kansas. All of them on the road at the same time getting in your way.

This matters to me because I am trying to rent apartments. My husband and I are lucky enough to manage our apartment building. Doubly so because Los Feliz is a popular neighborhood for renters. I get inquiries from far and wide, so I have to make sure I ask 20 questions about where people want to live to make sure this is going to be a fit. No point in showing if it makes their work commute hours long. At the same time, there are fair housing rules that don’t allow you to ask many questions that would be really helpful to know in advance of signing a lease.

Lucky Breaks

I was super jazzed to show an apartment in October that won’t be ready until the middle of January. My prospect is from out of town, not in a hurry, and has been a guest in our building previously. Sorting out the if this is a good spot was pre-solved. I was not sure when the flat would be ready. It's a big job with many vendors plus we had both Thanksgiving and Christmas to work around. I made a promise of mid-January 2026. I am right on the mark. This week our plumbers solved two issues that did not have easy solutions. I just need to get the tub reglazed and schedule the cleaners. After that, the last few odds and ends are under my control. I know exactly how long I need to finish up the remodel.Living Large in Los Feliz: Adventures in LA Apartment Management

The Vastness of Los Angeles

We call Los Feliz home, one of LA's most sought-after neighborhoods. But explaining the sheer scale of Los Angeles to outsiders? That's always an adventure in itself.

Los Angeles isn't just big—it's incomprehensibly vast. If you laid a map of LA flat and started placing outlines of other US cities on top, you'd fit quite a few before running out of room. To put it in perspective, LA is roughly the size of Kosovo, a small European country.

I'll never forget the time my out-of-town sister called me while driving across the city, convinced she was almost at my place. I found myself on the phone, gently encouraging her to keep going—for another full hour. "Walk towards the light, Carolann," I half-joked. In a city that stretches 40 miles in every direction and packs in a population equivalent to the entire state of Kansas, "close" is a dangerously relative term. Especially when it feels like all those people are on the road at the exact same time, getting in your way.

The Rental Reality

This geography lesson matters more than you might think in my day-to-day life. My husband and I are fortunate to manage our apartment building here in Los Feliz, and doubly fortunate that our neighborhood attracts renters from all over.

But that popularity comes with challenges. I field inquiries from across the country and beyond, which means I've become an expert at asking the right questions—about 20 of them, actually—to determine if our location will work for prospective tenants. There's no point in scheduling a showing if someone's dream apartment turns their work commute into a multi-hour odyssey.

The tricky part? Fair housing rules limit what I can ask upfront, even when those questions would save everyone time and disappointment before signing a lease. It's a delicate balance between being helpful and staying compliant.

A Lucky Break

This October, I caught what felt like a rental unicorn: a prospect who didn't need the apartment until mid-January, was relocating from out of town, wasn't in a rush, and had already stayed in our building as a guest. All the "is this location right for you?" conversations were already solved. Perfect.

The timing worked beautifully because the unit needed significant work, and I wasn't entirely sure when it would be ready. Major renovations involving multiple vendors, plus navigating around both Thanksgiving and Christmas? It's the kind of project that can easily slip off schedule. But I made a promise: mid-January 2026.

I'm thrilled to report I'm right on target. This week brought a major milestone when our plumbers resolved two particularly challenging issues. Now it's just down to reglazing the tub, scheduling the final cleaning, and tackling the remaining odds and ends—all tasks firmly under my control. I know exactly how long I need to wrap up this remodel.

What I'm Reading This Week

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

Yes, really. And here's my big takeaway: it gets an unfairly bad rap.

First, it's surprisingly short. Second, once you move past the 19th-century terminology used to describe social classes, it reads as remarkably thoughtful—dare I say insightful? Reading it now, in our current moment, I find myself thinking about the kind of revolution we actually need: everyone taking a collective breath, minding the gap between us, and recognizing how much we actually have in common.

It's also important to remember that much of the text was directed at the specific situation facing German people in the early 19th century—a very particular time and place that shaped Marx's observations and arguments.

Sometimes the most misunderstood texts are the ones worth revisiting.

Managing apartments in Los Feliz keeps me busy navigating the quirks of LA geography, the complexities of fair housing, and the satisfaction of bringing a renovation across the finish line. And when I need a break? Apparently, I read political philosophy. Life keeps things interesting.