[quote=all][quote=Happs]
I would argue that macro and quantifiable conditions such as the economy, number of foreclosures in an area, crime statistics, quality of school district, the CC&R’s and especially an HOA’s balance sheet and monthly dues vs services rendered take precedent over exterior looks when purchasing a house.[/quote]
You should probably ask the ladies on the board to comment. In our case my wife was interested in schools and crime statistics (sex offenders in particular), the neighborhood look&feel&walkability and the house itself. I had to hit all four – any developing nation looking neighborhoods (e.g. utility poles with overhead power lines along the street) was out of question.
The price, MR and HOA fees were part of ‘can we afford it’, not ‘do we want it’ discussion.[/quote]
all, you last statement speaks volumes. This is why you … and many of your brethren … are heavily encumbered … by choice.
You could have gotten the same property in some of SD’s finest hoods w/o the extra hundreds of dollars a month in encumbrances but you chose instead to direct this money every month to something other than the actual principal and interest on the purchase price of your home.
I am female with children (only one minor child left) and can assure you that I never met a creosote-laden utility pole that I didn’t like (or post a garage-sale notice on) ;=]
Many of SD’s finest areas still have utility poles, including Pt Loma and La Jolla, for example. Both of these areas are far more desirable and thus the properties within them are more valuable than those within the PUSD. Sempra/SDG&E still has at least 18 years of undergrounding to complete before the poles and overhead lines will all be gone.
You are most welcome to pay $300-$1000 per month in HOA/MR to live in an area w/o utility poles. However, there are MANY subdivisions in SD county which are less than 35 years old which were undergrounded before development. And some areas older than that have already been undergrounded.
Don’t whine to the rest of us here when your property taxes go thru the roof in the coming years in order to amortize your very expensive school bonds.
