where to begin….

You didn’t say if you have kids or not but I am going to assume that you don’t but are planning to have them in the near future. Based on this assumption then Carmel Valley is a great place to set down roots and raise a family.

Spend a considerable amount of time on this blog and others that deal with San Diego and you will quickly rethink buying in one year. By being new to San Diego are you also new to the concept of Mello-Roos? This wonderful little non-deductible tax will have you running away from places like Del Sur. However, because of this special tax it makes the older homes in Carmel Valley more desirable because they don’t have Mello-Roos and have much larger lots.

I can empathize with your desire to buy because of the dogs but if you do find a good rental then just sign a 1 yr or 2 yr lease. This will give you even more time to scout out the areas and more time to watch the real estate market. Granted you have pay a hefty fine for breaking your lease should you decide to buy during your lease, but if you plan ahead for that contingency then it is manageable.

“End of line.”

I drove around Del Sur a few weeks ago and that place was a ghost town. It will definelty be nice and quiet out there for anybody dumb enough to buy. It’s so secluded out there but yet the houses are still right on top of each other. Why live in BFE if you can still reach out and touch you’re neighbor? I think that Del Sur will be hit extremely hard!!!

By the way, could someone elaborate on how purchasing optional features from the big developers works? Like another poster here at Piggington, I work in the same building as the Pardee “Design Center” on El Camino Real in Carmel Valley; this is where home purchasers go to order upgrades in carpet, tile, etc. On a lark I once stepped into the office and asked for a price sheet for options at one of the new developments in Carmel Valley; I was told these were only available to people who had signed a purchase contract. Can this be correct? The “standard” flooring and tile at these developments (even the monstrous $1m+ 4,000 sq ft homes!) is pretty awful, and I am certain most buyers would opt for upgrades, either direct from Pardee or via Home Depot or an independent contractor. But not knowing the price of these options before you sign on the dotted line? Isn’t that like going to the Toyota dealer and being told, “base price is $18K, and we’ll show you the cost of the options after you’ve committed to buying”. Crazy! DH

As much money as they charge for those upgrades, I’d seriously consider making a deal for a house with no flooring or cabinetry and do the interior myself. Pay the base price as if it had the standard buildout; get a credit for the itemized total of the “standard” cabinetry, fixtures, appliances and flooring; and then hire an outside contractor to finish the interior to your specs. You could probably parlay an accurate credit into a very nice interior buildout and save yourself an easy $50,000 or more. And it would still be financed in with the base price.

One more thing to keep in mind – it’s highly likely that the differences in builder upgrades for these homes will become basically invisible in the resale market 5 years from now. Friends don’t let friends get carried away at a developer’s design center.