Diana Braun Point of View

The Canyon, The Market, The Table

Newsletter · April 18, 2026

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

There are homes you show, and then there are homes you swoon over. 20 Latimer Road is the latter.

Our dear friend Robin just listed something truly special in the heart of Rustic Canyon, and I have to tell you about it because it's cut from the same cloth as our own home. It's an Uplifters house, and if you're new to the Canyon, that means something.

In the early 20th century, the Uplifters, an offshoot of the prominent Los Angeles Athletic Club, established a social club and ranch right here in Rustic Canyon. Members could lease a lot for $100, and many rustic cabins were built around the clubhouse. The group's name referred both to the uplifting of the arts and to the hoisting of cocktails. They became known for musical and dramatic presentations, their polo fields, and most notoriously, their annual all-male summer excursions. During Prohibition, this canyon was their sanctuary. The homes they built here carried that same irreverent, creative, deeply intentional spirit, and the ones that remain are unlike anything else in Los Angeles.

This 1928 English Tudor on Latimer is one of them. Soaring beamed cathedral ceilings. Custom herringbone floors. Stained glass windows. And yes, a Prohibition-era speakeasy hidden behind secret doors. Five en suite bedrooms, a 54-foot saline pool, a creative studio, and treetop views that have to be seen to be believed. Five thousand square feet of history at $7,775,000.

We live in an Uplifters house. We know what it means to come home to something that has a soul. We cannot wait to see who becomes our new neighbor on Latimer.

Listed by Robin Walpert | DRE 01237116 | Sotheby's International Realty

Tour 20 Latimer with Diana & Frank

The Best Time To Sell This Spring

That listing got me thinking about something the market is now confirming in real time.

According to Realtor.com's 2026 Best Time to Sell Report, this week (April 12 through 18) is one of the most historically favorable windows of the entire year for sellers. Homes listed during this period receive over 16% more views than the average week and sell roughly nine days faster.

Nationally, 83% of potential sellers expect to get their asking price or more this spring, and three quarters believe now is a good time to sell, citing strong home values, limited inventory, and stabilizing interest rates. But what I find most telling is this: sellers who have done their homework, made small fixes, and priced with intention are the ones who feel most confident and who tend to get the results they are hoping for.

On the Westside, and in the Canyon especially, that preparation matters even more. Buyers here are deliberate. They have seen enough to know the difference between a home that has been cared for and one that has not. When a home like 20 Latimer hits the market at the right moment, priced and presented with intention, the response speaks for itself.

If a move has been on your mind, this is the window. I am happy to walk through what that could look like for you.

Fia Steak

And to close, a dinner recommendation that has been on my mind.

Fia Steak on Wilshire in Santa Monica is the kind of place that earns its reputation quietly and then all at once. An intimate 48-seat restaurant with three distinct experiences: the lively Grill Room, the refined Dining Room, and a serene outdoor patio. Live fire on the wood burning grill creates a sensory experience that starts before you've even taken your first bite.

Michelin describes it as the kind of place you get dressed up for, even if all you're celebrating is the end of the week. Prime beef, Japanese A5 Wagyu, housemade pastas, and a champagne and caviar program that makes any Tuesday feel like an occasion.

It has the soul of a classic and the polish of something entirely its own. Right at home on the Westside.

A home with a hundred years of history. A market telling us now is the moment. A restaurant that makes Santa Monica feel like the best city in the world. Until next time.

xx. Diana

Westside Market Report

First Week of April 2026 Single Family Homes

City Spotlight: Venice

Inventory: 83

Median List Price: $2,995,000

Median Days on Market: 63

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