San Diego Housing Bubble News and Analysis

BobS
Here's a thought: Rent in Santaluz. There is an empty Casita model near me that is owned by a builder who took it in trade in order to sell his new Santaluz house to the casita owner. Builder tried for a long time to sell the casita, but at an unrealistic price, and now he's "waiting for the market to recover". Property has a sign up but is not listed, I believe. You could offer to rent it for a limited time to suit your needs and his. Meanwhile you'd be getting to know Santaluz on an intimate basis, learn first hand the pros & cons of different streets & models, wait for a bargain, etc.
The address of this casita is 8242 Santaluz Village Green South. There are undoubtedly other house rentals here too, also likely be owners only wanting to rent out for a short time.

Thanks BobS. I know I would like Santaluz. I have a co-worker up here who lived there a few years and loved it and I have been sold on it for a while now.

I just need to help my wife see the light and so need more amunition.

Of course, any negative information/experiences is also solicitied as long as it is reliable. Every community has its pros and cons, that is for sure. My own biggest concern is appreciation risk. With so many developers still putting up new homes in SL and with so many distressed owners, it just won't appreciate like Fairbanks Ranch would, with many owners there many years and drowing in equity so fewer distressed owners and lots of fixer uppers with few new builds ripe for improvement and appreciation after the market recovers. That is why I am more agressive on price in SL than RSF, to account for that, among other things.

Nonetheless, I love the theme, homes, and entire community quite a bit and it is likely that even if we buy in Fairbanks Ranch, we will join the SL clubs.

As for renting. Very possible we would rent in SL, but not RSF.

At the risk of putting Santaluz residents off, here are my thoughts, based on the fact that you did ask for "views and tidbits" in addition to experiences of those living there -

Everytime I see the name Santaluz, I have to chuckle to myself because my husband and I used to refer to it as "Stand-To-Lose" when we first moved here in 2003.

At the time, our poor tortured realtor was trying to get a sense of where we really wanted to live...we were a lot like you, Raptor, in that we looked at hundreds of houses in many different areas - RSF, Santaluz, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and made unsuccessful bids on several. All the time, we felt the San Diego market was way too red hot and must be at or near its peak. We were reluctant to buy anything, but everytime we'd get into a good-natured debate w/the realtor about how the market was headed down, she'd tell us how Santaluz was different from other places, basically saying that it should hold its value and even continue to appreciate. Having lived through several real estate cycles in various areas around the country, we just didn't see it and thought that the homes in Santaluz were poised to eventually take a dive. Anyway, after we confessed to her that we'd been calling it "Stand-to-Lose", which was probably a clear indication that our chances of ever buying there were almost nil, she finally got the message and crossed Santaluz off the list. To this day she still loves Santaluz (and believe it or not, she still talks to us)!

Actually, as it turned out, the joke was on us for a few years since those Santaluz homes were still selling like crazy for at least a couple years after we started calling it that.

Our snide nickname aside, I can only give you my honest reaction to Santaluz although clearly I don't have nearly as much credibility as someone who lives there. We do know one family who lives there and they seem to like it, but honestly, I don't hear raves from them. I know that the mom complains about driving everywhere, but they like the schools and they like the rec trails/facilities.

When we were looking at homes there, in the "plus column" was the fact that Santaluz has all those great recreational facitilies, relatively large lots, and a more natural look and feel to the community than other planned communities. I also like the "big sky" feel of the landscape. In the "minus column", it's way too far out (where do people go for groceries? Doesn't going up/down the 56 to go anywhere become a major hassle?), it's still a little too cookie-cutter looking for us (I know they say the homes are custom, but it doesn't look that way to me in most areas), and then you have those terrible HOA/Mello Roos fees.

One more issue that weighed on us as a negative (and could just as easily be a positive for others) is that we don't care for the whole concept of having a built-in social community...heck, we have a hard enough time finding time in our schedule to hang out with our dearest friends and family and we don't want to feel pressure to attend gatherings in the Santaluz clubhouse. We're at an age (late 40's, early 50's) where we've had enough of the country clubs. Also, the whole gated community exclusivity concept also does not sit well with us...we always wonder, who would we be trying to keep out? We try our best to embrace the concepts of diversity and expanding our little worlds, not limiting our relationships to those of the "same kind" and we also try to model this for our kids. This is not always easy here in SoCal, and yes, we could take this to the nth degree and move to an area that is truly totally diverse...we're not going to do that, but on the other hand we think that gated communities are kind of the ultimate in shutting yourself off from the world (and not in a good way).

So, now you can see how we are not a good fit for Santaluz, nor are we probably their target market.

To give you the final snapshot of how different our tastes and needs are, we ended up buying in Del Mar village, which I think shows that we were/are really at the other end of the spectrum from Santaluz. Here in Del Mar, we have small-ish houses, no amenities, no community gates, no golf courses or rec facilities (well, besides the beach). It's not for everyone, but it suits us well.

In re-reading my post, I wish I could've offered you info that might have been more helpful to your own personal situation...I realize now in writing this all down that our needs and lifestyle may be so different from yours that my thoughts don't even apply to your situation, but there they are! In any case, I wish you and your family all the best.

BobS
Carli raises valid points about the pros and cons of living in Santaluz, and gated communities in general. To each his own.
When my wife and I, semi-retired empty nesters, moved here nearly 3 years ago (yep, at the very peak of the price boom), we fell in love with the open spaces, permanently low density, dark sky policy, and deliberately rustic, prarie landscaping. Escaped a Scripps Ranch house on a terribly busy street--actually a speedway--that was otherwise fine. Didn't especially like the gated aspect here, for all the "esclusivity" factors Carli mentions. But came to like it for the protection it gives us. We can take trips without security preparations and seldom lock our doors, windows, or vehicles.
The tough CC&Rs are fine--architectural controls, parking restrictions, pet rules, noise rules--I love 'em all. Nothing crazy smacks down your property value or the ambience.
Regarding diversity & demographics: Lots of families (to our surprise), lots of Asians of all types, some retirees, but not too many, and remarkably, no really elderly above 75 that I have seen yet. Maybe the CC&Rs kick you out at age 76.
Note that Santaluz includes tract-type, close together areas WEST of Del Sur with all their attendant parking problems, lack of privacy, foreclosures, etc. Quite a different atmosphere...although to clarify, just north of said neighborhoods are some very low density areas going in that are traditional Santaluz.
Yes, shopping is far away. One learns to consolidate errands.
As to appreciation/depreciation, Raptor is quite aware of likely future trends here. As a newer development with its share of "shaking-out", and ongoing building on the many lots still available, it doesn't have the stability of RSF or Fairbanks. OTOH, lots of big, architectually vetted SFRs going up is also a vote of confidence.
We are not into any of the clubs, the gym, pool, golf, or the social scene, but probably would be if we had kids. We love the walking trails, biking possibilities without traffic, the quiet atmosphere. It grows on you.

Carli. Thank you for your thoughful post. All insights are welcome, pro or con. Like every house, there are peoople who love a community and those who do not and individual needs differ. Clearly my own wife and I differ somewhat.

I hear your diversity concern. In that regard, I found Santaluz more diverse, due to the range of homes that can be purchased there, than the 3 other newer gated communities of Crosby, Bridges, and Cielo. But some folks find that also a negative. Vs. Del Mar, I realize it is a different story. I used to live in the village of Del Mar as well, on 10th street and my needs then were very different than my needs today, else I would be looking there again.

Your post was helpful as has always been BobS' insights. No matter what, while I love the neighborhood I am leaving here in NorCal, I know I will love whatever neighborhood I pick down there even more so this is only splitting hairs in a step up to QOL for my family and I.

BobS. Speaking of controls. If I wanted to add on to a house on a 1.5 acre lot, what kind of restrictions would I be dealing with? Lets say the add on would be on the existing building pad and not necessarly a second story.

Also, what kind of parking restrictions are you referring to? I street parking permitted for visitors if you have a large gathering?

As always thanks for your "insiders" insights.

BobS
I cannot speak to the add-on possibilities for an existing house...probably pretty tough to do. I only know that the whole process for building a custom house is long, expensive, and frustrating from what I've heard.
As to parking restrictions, it is not a problem on the big custom lots of 1+ acre. I'm in a Casita, a bunch of close in, higher density single story houses, where # of vehicles is very limited & no street parking overnight. Plenty of parking for guests in all housing types, if not overnight. Also, no RVs, trailers, work trucks.