Living Next Door to Day-Care Facility

My girlfriend and I have saved for a home in West Los Angeles for a long time. We have the down and pre-approval, and have been house hunting.

One of our priorities was that we didn’t want to live next to a school or a day-care facility.

We don’t have problems with children, but we don’t want to live next to a professional or semi-professional, licensed or unlicensed facility.

We finally found a home in the Westside Village area near Palms. We signed the counteroffer. There was laughter, tears, celebrations and the ceremonial throwing away of the Times’ Real Estate sections of the last few months.

Then I got the cell call from hell. My girlfriend was showing the home to a friend in the middle of the week after school, and she heard the noise--15 to 25 children in a 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot home.

The seller’s agent, with the knowledge that we wouldn’t even look at a home next to such a facility, sold us the home next to a loud day-care center.

When confronted, the seller’s agent just blew it off, saying. “I did not have to disclose that.”

Escrow had not started, so we were saved from the largest single mistake a young couple can make.

So if you’re house hunting, and this is an important issue to you too, ask if there is a child-care facility in your neighbor’s yard, and get a yes or no answer.

There are thousands of these type of facilities in Southern California and the vast majority are in homes. Maybe next to your new home.

HOWARD W. BROWN

Westside Village (Almost)