I'm a real estate for Keller Williams in Los Feliz and I love the history of this town. I love homes in the area too - here's a piece on the Los Feliz is the birthplace of the most enduring and lovable stars that Los Angeles has ever produced; Mickey Mouse.

The Pacific Ready-Cut house at 2495 Lyric Ave. was built by Walt Disney in 1926 for $8,000, including the 2875 square foot lot. His brother Roy bought an identical house and lived next door with his wife. Ready-Cut homes were ready to assemble houses, that came complete with the framing, doors, windows, sinks, cabinets - even the nails and paint were included along with an instruction manual to put it all together. Pacific Ready-Cut were popular houses in the 1920’s, selling over 37,000 in Southern California.

The 12,000 pieces for the houses were delivered by rail in August of 1926 and construction was finished by December, in time for the holiday season. The modest, two bedroom, one bath house was 1066 square feet inside. Walt and Lillian lived on Lyric Ave until they moved to Working Way in 1932. The brothers houses were identical and both are still standing today.

The current owner of the house bought it in 1997 for $150,000, not knowing the home's origins. He started to hear rumors that Walt Disney had owned the house and began investigating. When he bought the house, the previous owner had died, leaving it vacant for six months. Sadly, the house was in such a state of disrepair that it had to be completely gutted, with new plumbing and electrical installed.

Mickey Mouse was born in the garage of the house on Lyric Ave. Walt, Roy and Ub Iwerks worked in secret on the project, while still under contract to Charles Mintz and Universal Studios for the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons.

Disney had strong ties to Los Feliz, with many of the original workers living in the area. A co-worker moved into Walt’s house when he left for Working Way, while his brother stayed on at his home on Lyric Ave.

The very first ‘Disney Bros Cartoon Studio’ was located in the garage of Walt’s uncle Robert Disney at 4406 Kingswell Ave. The garage has been on display for the public since the 1980’s, at the Stanley Ranch Museum in Garden Grove. The brothers also rented an office next to their uncles house, which is where Walt met Lillian when he hired her as an ‘ink and paint girl’.

In 1926, Disney opened a new, larger studio at 2719 Hyperion Ave. Many Disney legends were created in that studio, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarf’s. It was sold in 1940 and demolished in 1966, replaced by a shopping center which is now Gelson’s market. In honor of the studio, Disney continued using the name Hyperion for many different things, such as Hyperion Books and the Hyperion Theatre.

Disney was fond of saying “it all started with a mouse!” The part that many people don’t know is that the mouse got his start in a modest home on Lyric Ave. in Los Feliz.

When hiring a real estate agent, hire local. Debbie Pisaro