Los Angeles skyline seen from the hills beneath a wide blue sky with soft clouds

Buying a home in
Los Angeles

Q: Can I get a mortgage in Los Angeles on a work visa?

Often, yes. Conventional loans are open to lawfully present non-citizens, including temporary visa holders, and each lender sets its own rules on visa type and remaining validity. You will have no US credit history at first, so a pre-approval before you search matters. Your US employment contract and the funds held in a US account carry most of the weight. Our guide to work visas and mortgages explains what lenders ask for and how to prepare.

Q: Why is my property tax so much higher than my neighbour's?

Because of Proposition 13. A home is assessed at its purchase price and the assessment can then rise by at most 2% a year, so a neighbour who bought long ago may pay a fraction of what you do. Your purchase also triggers a supplemental bill for the part of the tax year that remains. Ask for an estimate based on your own purchase price, never the seller's current bill.

Q: Does my insurance cover earthquakes?

Do not assume so. Check the policy wording, the deductible and whether earthquake cover is included or has to be bought separately. The USGS puts the chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake in the Los Angeles region at 60% over 30 years. If you cannot find ordinary fire cover in a hillside area, the FAIR Plan exists as an insurer of last resort, but it is a limited policy.

Q: Can I let my Los Angeles home on Airbnb while I am in Europe?

Not as an investment. The City of Los Angeles limits short-term rental to the host's own primary residence, with a cap of 120 days a year unless an extended registration is granted, and a home you do not live in cannot be registered. Coast cities set their own rules, and Newport Beach, for example, has a cap on permits. A homeowners' association can also forbid letting. Check the rules for the exact address.

Q: Will I need a jumbo loan?

Possibly. The 2026 conforming limit is $1,249,125 in both Los Angeles and Orange counties. A buyer at Los Angeles County's median, about $947,000, with 20% down would borrow well under it. At Orange County's median of about $1.45 million, 20% down gives a loan of about $1.16 million, just under it, while 10% down would exceed it. Jumbo lenders apply their own rules on down payment, reserves and visa status.

Los Angeles is a spread of separate cities and valleys rather than one city centre, and Orange County's coast and Irvine sit just beside it. People arrive for film and television, aerospace, health care and the universities, and meet a property market with unusual rules: a tax bill fixed by the year you buy, insurance that has to be settled before you offer, and an escrow company in place of a notary.

Start my mortgage scan ← All destinations

Free, no-obligation scan

15+ affiliated partners

25+ years' experience

Everything about buying in Los Angeles

Short answers on this page. The full guide has the detail, the figures and the sources.

The purchase and the loan

How a purchase runs here and which loans fit.

Financing at Los Angeles prices
How a purchase closes: escrow, not a notary
Condominiums and homeowners' associations

Prices, taxes and insurance

What homes cost and what you pay on top.

What homes cost
Proposition 13 and your tax bill
Earthquake, fire and insurance
Tax for non-residents and visa holders

Letting and living

Rental rules, local life and how to get there.

If you plan to let it
Getting home

Read the full guide

Who moves here from Europe

This page covers Los Angeles County, with its Westside, South Bay, valleys and beach cities, and the Orange County coast and Irvine. San Diego is a separate market and is not covered here. The state's 2026 list of major employers in Los Angeles County includes the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City, Live Nation, Television City, Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Caltech in Pasadena, Aerospace Corp and Infineon in El Segundo, and the airport itself.

For a European household that usually means arriving on an employer-sponsored or academic visa, with a US salary and no US credit history. That profile can still obtain a conventional mortgage, but it takes preparation, and it helps to start before you have found a home. See how a work visa affects the loan.

Residential street in Los Angeles sloping toward the ocean, lined with palm trees and homes

Los Angeles at a glance

Figures last checked: 4 October 2026

This is not a lending decision: a US specialist confirms what applies to your own situation.

Median sale price	$946,950 for a single-family home in Los Angeles County and $1,452,500 in Orange County, August 2026 (California Association of Realtors).
Property tax	1% of assessed value plus voter-approved charges. The assessment resets to the purchase price on a sale, then rises by at most 2% a year (California State Board of Equalization, March 2025).
Loan limit 2026	$1,249,125 for a one-unit home in Los Angeles and Orange counties (FHFA). Above that is a jumbo loan.
Earthquake risk	A 60% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake in the Los Angeles region within 30 years (USGS, UCERF3 forecast).
Short-term rental	City of Los Angeles: only in the host's primary residence, 120 days a year unless an extended registration is granted (City Planning guidelines, June 2019; confirm the current rules).
Flights home	Carriers listed at LAX on 1 July 2026 include Aer Lingus, Air France, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, Iberia, TAP and Virgin Atlantic (LAX airline map).

Griffith Observatory domes on a hillside above Los Angeles under a clear blue sky

Tree-lined Venice Canals in Los Angeles with gardens and houses along the water

Coastal homes and palm trees on a hillside in Newport Beach, Orange County

Cyclists on a beach path below stylish multi-storey homes along the coast in Los Angeles

Thinking about a home in Los Angeles?start with a free scan

Start my mortgage scan

Before you make an offer in Los Angeles

Get a pre-approval from a lender that understands your visa and employment contract.
Ask for a property tax estimate based on your purchase price, and ask about Mello-Roos and other direct assessments.
Budget for the supplemental tax bill that follows the purchase.
Confirm whether the loan would be conforming or jumbo at your price and down payment.
Obtain insurance quotes for the exact address, including earthquake cover and the wildfire position.
Understand who the escrow and title companies are and who pays which fees.
For a condominium or planned community, read the association documents and any rule on letting.
Do not count on short-term rental income for a home you will not live in.
Ask a cross-border tax adviser about rental income, sale withholding and estate tax.

100+people choose us every month
5permanent team members
10+specialists in our network
15+collaborating partners

And we are still growing. More about us

Our network and collaborating partners:

Start your scan for Los Angeles

Share the outline of your plans. A US specialist who knows this area will come back to you, without obligation.

Questions people moving from Europe ask

Can I get a mortgage in Los Angeles on a work visa?

Why is my property tax so much higher than my neighbour's?

Does my insurance cover earthquakes?

Can I let my Los Angeles home on Airbnb while I am in Europe?

Will I need a jumbo loan?

Continue your research

Sources (16)

Figures and rules on this page were checked against these sources on 4 October 2026. Rates, prices and local rules change, so confirm anything you rely on before you commit.

Buying a home inLos Angeles