After the Palisades fire: How two families found home together again
Editor's note: This is a case study from Live Near Friends' social media manager, Morgan. Like many people who work with LNF, Morgan lives near her friends. Here is her story.
After losing their Topanga home in the Palisades fire, Morgan and Greg faced the daunting question of where to go next. What they didn’t expect was that the answer would lead them right back to community, this time, with their close friends and former neighbors, Simona and Diego.
The basics:
Location: Malibu, CA
# of friends: 4
The instigators: Morgan and Greg
The setup: Two separate homes on one property, both rented, more friends walking distance nearby
Morgan and Greg moved to Topanga in 2023, into a home with a history - One built by Marvin Gaye in the 1970s. Below them, in the downstairs unit, lived Simona and Diego. The couples hadn’t known each other before, but quickly became close. “We both had huskies, which helped,” Morgan said. “Then came dinners, long conversations, and that feeling of stumbling into something special.”
When the Palisades fire came through in January 2025, the house was lost. What followed was a blur of displacement and decision-making. Two couples trying to navigate loss while holding on to the sense of home they’d built together.
Morgan and Greg found a temporary rental in Topanga and offered Simona and Diego the guest house while they all figured out their next move. “We were lucky to find a rental with a Casita, so we were happy to support our friends also navigating such a challenging time,” Morgan said.
The Malibu discovery
Morgan was determined to get the band back together and took it upon herself to be the instigator in the group.
In the months that followed, she spent hours scrolling through listings, searching for something that felt like a fresh start. One day, she came across a property in Malibu—two houses on one lot, each with its own privacy but close enough to maintain the connection we had built.
“The listing mentioned a second guest house that could also be rented, and I immediately thought of Simona and Diego,” Morgan said. “It felt too serendipitous not to share.”
Both couples toured the property and knew almost instantly it was the right fit. “The idea that we could each have our own place, but still live near each other, felt like exactly what we needed after everything,” she said.
Their leases started the same day: May 1, 2025.
Rebuilding community
What began as a way to stay close to friends quickly expanded into something bigger. On their quiet Malibu street, Morgan and Greg started meeting neighbors while walking their dog. “Greg says hi to everyone,” Morgan laughed. “Now we’ve made friends with lots of other couples who all live nearby, and there’s this wonderful rhythm of dinners and impromptu get-togethers.”
After months of displacement and uncertainty, they found themselves surrounded not just by nature, but by close friends too. “It’s been so healing,” Morgan said. “Losing a house was hard. But what came next—the community, the friendship—it’s made us feel more at home than ever.”
Lessons for living near friends
1. Start with connection, not logistics.
For Morgan and Greg, the foundation was friendship first. The logistics of leases, timing, and location followed naturally.
2. Keep the door open.
When the fire upended everything, Morgan and Greg didn’t know what their next step would be, but they stayed open to temporary arrangements, shared space, and other possibilities. That flexibility made room for something better to take shape.
3. Look for properties that make proximity easy.
Finding a setup with two homes on one lot meant each couple could have independence while still sharing daily life. It’s a reminder that living near friends doesn’t always mean being roommates co-owning property; sometimes, it’s as simple as coordinating your leases.
4. Let community grow around you.
Moving near friends was the spark, but it also led to meeting a wider circle of neighbors. “Now we can walk to each other’s houses,” Morgan said. “It feels like this little ecosystem of kindness.”
- Start with something easy
Morgan and crew started with a simple setup – two rented homes on a single property – instead of getting stuck in too big of a vision. Now they are moving other friends nearby and meeting neighbors to expand the community incrementally.
Morgan and Greg’s story shows that living near friends isn’t just a housing decision—it’s a way of redefining what home can mean. What began as recovery from loss turned into a new chapter of shared dinners, dog walks, and everyday joy on a small street in Malibu.
Check out our Instagram and TikTok for more of Morgan's work.
