Can't find an apartment in L.A.? That's because fewer are being built

Drive around Riverside County and signs for new apartment complexes are all over the 60, 15 and 215 freeways.

Major new constructions in Beaumont and Riverside have led Riverside County to boast the third biggest year-to-year growth in apartment completions in the nation at 154.1%, according to apartment search website Rentcafe.com .

Contrast that with the city of Los Angeles, where building apartments has become too costly, and potential profits are unstable. That’s what my colleague Roger Vincent documented last week .

If your search for a new place in L.A. has seemed overly difficult, here’s why.

What’s happening with new apartment builds?

The supply of fresh rental units, which make up the bulk of new housing in Los Angeles, is petering out despite robust demand. T