Well it couldn’t hurt to go take a look and see what actually needs to be done on the condo. Usually the photos REAs post are the ones that make it look good. Your condo’s photos don’t look good at all so imagine what they’re not showing you.

Run the faucets, flush the toilets, turn on/off everything electrical, run any remaining appliances, check for mold or wood rot or termites or carpet beetles, look for dark spots on the walls close to the ceiling (indicating roof leaks), talk to the upstairs/downstairs neighbors, and video/photo everything for later review/negotiation. Walk around the property and look for graffiti or junk or hazards. See if any cars were broken into, see if the public areas will require “special assessment” like new pool heater, resurfacing the parking lot, repainting the exterior, fix leaking roofs, etc.

I personally don’t like anything too close to the freeways. For MM I don’t like much East of Cam. Ruiz. I think you can find some bargains between Cam. Ruiz and Cam. Santa Fe, to the South of Mira Mesa Blvd. In a year or two you can find bargains to the North of MMB in that area. This is all IMO. One reason I like West of Cam Ruiz is because it is close enough to Sorrento Valley to get good renters, yet it is also close enough to Vons/Seafood City/Edwards Cinemas etc.