Dean is a lovely host and was waiting for me outside, even though I arrived at around 11pm. He had left bottles of water, soda, milk and a bowl of fruit in the fridge for me which was very welcoming. I stayed at his property for 3 weeks and although some of the furnishing is old, the place is generally clean and has everything you need, including the extra things like tin foil. I was able to cook meals and do laundry which is a must if you are staying for a long period of time. The internet worked fine.
There is an orange tree and a banana tree in the garden, and Dean was kind enough to pick bananas and leave them on the table for me. Though I did find there was a bit of clutter outside.
To get around in LA, a car is a must and you would have a parking space at Deans place. If you don't plan on driving you might find yourself using a lot of taxis.
I personally stayed at Deans place because I had a work placement about a 15 min walk away. So I didn't hire a car during the week. Within walking distance, there are lots of Mexican restaurants. There is a seafood supermarket, another general supermarket and a dollar store less than 10 mins walk away. So it's relatively easy to find food and essential items which are not overpriced.
The area is relatively safe, but I wouldn't feel safe walking around at night alone though. It's not really a touristy area either.
So in summary Dean is a great host, his place is decent, but if you want to do the touristy things there, you'll really need a car to get around.