House Hunting in Monrovia

I've been helping a friend look for a place. He is looking for a small guest house or bungalow to rent, and he's also looking for a 3-bedroom house for his company to invest in. It's interesting for me to see how home prices have risen in just the last couple of years. My home has risen in value even more than I would have expected. Not so long ago Monrovia was a cheaper alternative to Pasadena, but it seems that prices here have risen to a similar range. There are still some good deals to be found, with much hunting, I suppose.

One thing that has stuck me about this area is how people tend to stay here, or come back. Those I know who have grown up here have fond memories of it. We looked at a little bungalow today that was recently renovated and renting for $1200/mo. The man who was telling us about the property said that his mother-in-law purchased the group of bungalows more than 10 years ago. What a shrewd move! They are quite close to old town, and I wish that more of these types of dwellings were available. So much nicer than an apartment building, but I guess small bungalows aren't being built anymore because they are not as lucrative for landlords (I can't imagine them ever being vacant, however)!

One of the things I love about Monrovia is that there are quite a few small bungalows to be found, though they don't come up for rent very often. We just happened to be driving by and I spotted a sign in the window. He said he had just put it up today, and expected to have enough applications to make a decision in the next two days.