Information On West Hills Real Estate

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West Hills is a community situated in the northwest portion of the San Fernando Valley. Woodland Hills, Canoga Park and Chatsworth border it. It is located approximately 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. West Hills real estate is comprised of both hilly and level terrain. Many homes in the community enjoy expansive views of the San Fernando Valley. West Hills real estate encompasses a total of 14 square miles and the community has a population of 25,000. Home prices range from around $450,000 to over a million dollars. The median home price is $550,000.

Bob Burkett

The community was born in 1988. Basically, the West end of Canoga Park changed its name to West Hills. The homes in the West end of Canoga Park tended to be more upscale and the residents voted to give the area a new identity. West Hills real estate values immediately jumped. After seeing that, other areas of the Valley voted to change the name of their communities and hope for similar increases in real estate prices. 

Originally, the Fernandeno and Chumash tribes of Indians inhabited the area. In 1912 H.G. Otis (owner of the Los Angeles Times) named the area Owensmouth because of its close proximity to the outlet of the Owensmouth aqueduct. From the late 1880’s the area had been used as a large wheat ranch. In 1917 Owensmouth was annexed to the city of Los Angeles. By this time the community had its own Grammar School, High School, Library and Chamber of Commerce. The Owensmouth Women's Club is the group that kept the historical records of modern day West Hills/Canoga Park throughout the years. In 1930 Owensmouth changed its name to Canoga Park. Like other San Fernando Valley communities, the area slowly changed from a rich agricultural area to a suburban bedroom community. In 1947 Pierce College was established as an agricultural school. In 1955 Rocketdyne moved a plant to current day West Hills. With this move came many new residents and a boom in real estate development. Each year there is a Memorial Day Parade, Job Fair and Street Fair put on by the Chamber Of Commerce.

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