The real estate agent listing the original “Brady Bunch” home in Studio City said he expected an avalanche of lookers at the property. He probably didn’t expect a candidate for governor of California to be one of them, but that’s what he got.
Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox made a video of himself standing in front of the house, which he placed on Twitter. In the one minute, 20 second video Cox declared that the family representing the middle class Brady family in the sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974 could not afford the house today. The asking price for the Studio City home is $1.88 million.
Standing across the street with the famous façade in the background, Cox argued that a family buying the house today would have to make $300,000 a year. Cox blamed the high cost of housing on politicians that add mandates and requirements on homebuilders while putting up with the CEQA law. Cox’s contention is that the requirements, mandates and laws increase the cost of home building limiting supply, which jacks up the price on older home like the Brady house.
According to a Los Angeles Times article about the sale of the home, the exterior of the house was used in the show’s opening and closing as well as some script interludes while the interior shots were all done in a studio.
Housing costs make California unaffordable for many residents causing them to look out of state if they want to become homeowners. The cost of housing is the driver behind California’s leading poverty rate with cost of living now part of the poverty rate calculations.
Cox’s website carries no specific recommendations on overcoming the housing crisis, although he does speak to pulling down oppressive regulations. His opponent in the governor’s race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, also points to streamlining regulations to make it easier for private builders to add to the housing stock for middle class families.
In addition, Newsom has a number of ideas on a housing page on his website dealing with ways to manage the housing crisis.
The Brady home was purchased in 1973 for $61,000. If it does sell for $1.8 million or anything close to that, Los Angeles County is going to see a big boost in property tax revenue from the home’s sale.