Pacific Palisades residents aren't leaving their neighborhood for good ... because well-connected real estate sources say many want to come back -- even though the recovery timeline for the community is up in the air.

TMZ spoke to more than 10 powerful L.A. real estate brokers working at major companies like The Agency, Compass, Sotheby's and Coldwell Banker ... and, the consensus is many of their clients who owned homes in the devastated neighborhoods have expressed interest in holding onto the land and rebuilding.