Although we are almost losing our downpay for the 2-bed/2.5-bath 1450-sqft condo we bought in 4S back in 2007, I still think it’s better to buy in good area than not so good area. 4S Ranch is still a nice community, with good schools, lots of families and close to most shops/restaurants that we like in Rancho Bernardo. We’re not into partying or drinking so living closer to downtown or PB doesn’t make sense to us. It also doesn’t make sense for us to live in Clairemont cuz it’s older and doesn’t provide us with anything. Bottom line is most people like to have stress-free commute. My husband works in RB so living in 4S is like a 1-mile commute for him. It’s a lot easier to rent our condo out in 4S ranch since young families renter would like to rent in areas wiht good school district. Thus I think buying in good area always makes more sense in buying in not-so-nice areas.
As for buying in CV, I still think CV is the best place to live in terms of commute. Everywhere you go you’ll be going against traffic. No traffic on 56-east, no traffic on 5-north or 5-south. People might think CV is kinda boring but it’s a safe community, close to beach (cooler temp and less prone to wild fire). I also do feel it’s still over-priced. But we’ll be patient and wait to see if we find any good deals. After reading so many comments from fellow users on the forum, I think we’ll concentrate on SFHs that are built prior to 1990. I think in preparation for kids, it’s better to have a yard, and our own driveway instead of condo/townhomes. Hopefully we’ll find something under $600~$650K in the next 6 months.
Has anyone have experiece looking at housing in summer months vs. winter? Are there seriously way fewer inventory in winter?
