The Hmong people were brave allies to the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Let's not forget that they've earned a place in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Every home in Antelope Acres is unique!

Best part of Antelope Acres from my point of view is that the canyon roads will take you down into Santa Clarita in about 45 minutes, and from there you can catch the 5 into L.A. proper very easily, so you can get away without being far away.

If you're not familiar with Antelope Acres, it's an unincorporated rural community west of Lancaster on the northern end of L.A. County. It's an eclectic mix of "whatever someone wants" on large parcels, everything from rustic cottages to gorgeous custom homes (like this one).

There are those in Newhall, too. They will be in various states of repair.

The home itself is a depreciating asset. Property requires continual maintenance and updating or it falls apart. I love a well-maintained classic, too, but when it's time to update, update smart.

I can get you into actual new construction for a little less money, and if you're willing to deal with the hassles of having construction going on around you and it taking years to get the yard looking like this, there are a lot of advantages to that, too, but this is a fun blend of classic and new.

What I love about this listing is that it's an older home, built in 1988, with mature landscaping in an established neighborhood, but when they decided to update it, they didn't just slap paint on the bricks. They truly made it look and feel like new construction.

It photographs *very* well.

I will not have seen all of them in person (I don't disturb occupants if I don't have a client who is seriously looking), but I'd love to talk about them. Feel free to respond, ask questions, share your thoughts, etc.

Let's have some fun!

These will be homes ("listings") that are on the market ("active") as of when I post them ("today") that I think are worth looking at for one reason or another. Some will be gorgeous. Some will be a good value. Some will "have potential" as we say. All will be worth discussing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The solution to the affordability crisis is to build lots and lots of owner-occupied housing units that people can afford to buy.

The changes that will make that possible will come from the various legislatures, not the White House.

Paradoxically, lowering mortgage rates actually hurts affordability in the long run, because its rare for those price increases to come back down meaningfully when the rates rise again.

The people who win when mortgage rates drop are the one who are under contract on a house already and can pounce on a lower rate before they close. They get the house at today's price but tomorrows APR.

Similarly, people who bought at higher rates and are in a position to refinance.

So, what happens when there is a housing shortage and mortgage rates drop?

Invariably, prices rise.

Buyers look at the monthly payment they can afford. When rates drop, they can afford more, so the bidding wars come back.

Let's start with the assumption that this plan will actually happen and will actually work. I'm skeptical about the first part of that and the experts don't think $200B is going to move the needle much. But let's say it does.

It doesn't fix the underlying issue: We have a housing shortage.

And this is why you want to use a good title company and a good escrow company when you are buying or selling a house. It's their job to catch these things, and to know how to get it resolved.

Good agents know who's good in your area.

The upshot for us agents is that we've got something new to worry about when we're selling a home.

If there is one of these zombie liens on the property, the issue needs to be resolved before we can close the sale.

Since there is no easy resolution, that could easily make the home unsellable.