Another area to look might be Encino. You can get one to two bedroom places in the 140-250K range. Plenty of underemployed actresses in that area also (i.e. waitresses ).

Real estate market in the Encino area has been outstanding the last few years. In fact the LA basin itself has been as strong as anywhere in the U.S. Whether we're in for a fall, no one can tell. But as long as interest rates remain low, the market looks like it wil continue to gain ground.