Westchester home and condo appraisals for estates, trusts, and taxes
Late-1930s and postwar tract houses between LAX and the Ballona bluffs
Westchester is a City of Los Angeles community on the mesa north of LAX, home to Loyola Marymount University and bordered by Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Ladera Heights and Inglewood. Executors and families here usually need date-of-death values for tract homes held since the 1950s, Prop 19 transfer support, and values that properly account for aircraft noise.
- Location
- Westchester is a community within the City of Los Angeles in the Westside & Malibu region of Los Angeles County
- ZIP codes
- 90045
- Properties
- Single-family homes and condominiums
- Fees
- $449 Standard Desktop, $299 Basic Desktop
- Delivery
- 3+ business days
Homes in Westchester
Growth came with the aircraft industry and Loyola's move to the area in 1928, and in the late 1930s Fritz Burns and Fred W. Marlow began building inexpensive homes near Manchester Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard. Named areas such as Kentwood, Westport Heights and Loyola Village are mostly single-family houses on standard city lots, many since enlarged or rebuilt. Homes along the northern bluffs can have views over Playa Vista and the Ballona Wetlands.
What moves value in Westchester
Buyers value Westchester for its single-family streets close to the beach, Playa Vista and Silicon Beach employers, and quick freeway and airport access. Distance from the flight paths, bluff views and street location explain much of the price variation. Original homes on larger lots often sell for their lot and expansion potential.
Neighborhoods and tracts
- Kentwood
- Westport Heights
- Loyola Village
- Westchester Bluffs
- Howard Hughes Center
Local reference points: Loyola Marymount University, LAX and its Theme Building, Westchester Recreation Center, Westchester Golf Course, Otis College of Art and Design and the Howard Hughes Center are local landmarks.
Appraisal considerations in Westchester
Jet noise led the City to buy out and remove thousands of homes near LAX, including the Manchester Square tract, so a subject's position relative to the runways and flight paths needs paired-sales testing. Homes nearest the airport may have had sound insulation work, which should be noted, and comparables should come from a similar noise setting. Expanded homes and ADUs are common, so permitted area should be verified before adjustments are made.
Do Westchester homes closer to LAX sell for less than those near the bluffs?
Often they do, but the size of any difference has to come from sales near the effective date. We compare homes with similar flight-path exposure and support any location adjustment with paired sales rather than a rule of thumb.
Reports we prepare for Westchester properties
Each is a certified desktop appraisal of a single-family home or condominium, as of a current or past date.
- Date-of-Death Appraisals
- Step-Up in Basis Appraisals
- Trust Administration Appraisals
- Estate Settlement & Estate Tax Appraisals
- Gift Tax Appraisals
- Prop 19 Parent-Child Transfer Appraisals
- Divorce & Date-of-Separation Appraisals
- Family Sale & Co-Owner Buyout Appraisals
- Retrospective Appraisals
Reviewed November 2026.
Need a value for a Westchester property?
Send the address and the date the value is needed for. We confirm the property and the fee within one business day; the report is delivered in 3+ business days.