The Seller’s Ultimate Guide to Via Bluffs Lots (2025): Maximizing Your Post-Fire Value
Pali Living – Your Pacific Palisades Lot Specialists
If your property in the Via Bluffs was affected by the January fires, you hold a complex, high-value asset. The decision to sell the lot as-is or rebuild a custom estate for profit requires expert analysis of current market comps, zoning rules, and the unique rebuild entitlements that maximize the lot’s selling price.
1. Current Market Landscape: Positioning for Price
The Pacific Palisades land market in 2025 shows strong signs of stabilization following the initial shock, with buyer activity remaining steady from developers and end-users who see long-term opportunity.
- Pricing Reality: Land values across the region saw a significant correction, but parcels with prime attributes—like those in the Via Bluffs—continue to secure the highest prices.
- Via Bluffs Premiums: Via Bluffs lots are exceptionally desirable because of their walkability and concentration of flat topography, factors that immediately reduce a buyer’s risk and cost.
- Buyer Demand: The most active buyer range is currently $1.5M–$3M, but premium lots will exceed this. Developers are actively buying, showing confidence that there is money to be made by rebuilding high-end homes. Actionable Step: Get a granular valuation based on current comps. Get a Free Lot Valuation.
2. Maximizing Value: The Fire Rebuild Entitlements
Your lot’s value is significantly increased by the rebuilding entitlements that transferred with the property. Highlighting these features is the best way to attract top-tier developers and secure a premium.
2.1. Coastal Zone & Size Bonuses
Since the Via Bluffs is near the coast, leveraging the following exemptions is crucial:
- 10% Size Bonus (EO1): Your lot is considered an “Eligible Project” and may be replaced without exceeding 110% of the original floor area, height, and bulk of the destroyed structure. This is a massive selling point—market it as a pre-approved size bonus—that adds measurable value for a buyer planning a larger estate.
- Coastal Exemption: The state’s Coastal Act Section 30610(g) exempts the replacement of structures destroyed by a disaster from requiring a new Coastal Development Permit (CDP), provided the replacement does not exceed the 110% size limit. This eliminates 6-12 months of permitting time for the buyer.
2.2. Property Tax Basis Transfer (Prop 19)
- If you are over 55, severely disabled, or a victim of the wildfire, Proposition 19 allows you to transfer your property’s low pre-fire tax base to a replacement primary residence of any value, located anywhere in the state, up to three times. This is a critical incentive for seniors to sell now.
Official Resources:
- For official guidance on tax basis transfer and disaster relief, reference the LA County Assessor Prop 19 Information.
- For the official definition of the replacement rules in the coastal zone, see California Public Resources Code § 30610(g) .
3. The Sell vs. Rebuild Decision
While rebuilding can be profitable, it requires significant time and capital. Selling now capitalizes on current demand.
- Selling as-is: Captures developers who will pay a premium for a lot with intact entitlements and a quick path to breaking ground.
- Rebuilding: Replacement homes will likely skew to the higher end due to increased cost of labor and materials, leading to higher eventual resale prices.
Warning: Opportunistic investors are targeting homeowners with low, off-market offers. Ensure your property goes on the market to benefit from competitive bidding and secure a fair market price.
Contact David & Anna Solomon
The Via Bluffs market requires an agent who understands the nuance of Coastal Exemptions and Post-Fire Comparables.
To list your property and maximize the value of your rebuild entitlements, contact David Solomon for a confidential consultation. Contact David Solomon for Listing Consultation