Caught off balance [Los Angeles]
Home prices dropping here, rising there and sluggish appreciation. Squeamish owners fear a sudden tumble. Experts predict a long slowdown.
Whether at the dinner table, Starbucks or just standing around the office water cooler, Question No. 1 for most property owners these days is this: Is my home’s value tanking yet, and if not, when?
The short answer is that home-price appreciation has slowed to single-digit levels in most Los Angeles County neighborhoods, homes are worth less than they were last summer in a few communities and values are falling faster than most experts anticipate