I work in Sorrento Valley also. Why Hwy 56 was made a crappy 2 laner from the start is beyond my comprehension because it is pretty brutal in the morning and at night so I agree with you about the commute. It is not like going to Carlsbad but it is not fun… I absolutely agree with sdr about holding values. It all depends on inventory. Combing through the data to see which homes hold value better can be done but it is burdensome. I can give you a for instance though… In Scripps old Scripps homes are holding value substantially better then new Scripps. Even the highest ends home in Bridgestone are falling hard compared to old Scripps. Again, it is simple inventory… In 92131 the inventory on the MLS is dominated by newer homes compared to older homes.
As pointed out by yourself and sdr, the newer homes have more amenities and have lots of eye candy. In terms of the construction quality of the older verses newer, I am sure there are resources out there but personally I do not know where they would be.
