when i worked in construction during the late 90’s as a soils tech/engineer, some of the things i’ve seen and heard can relate. I’d been on regrading jobs where tracts had sat fallow for upwards of 8 years, the original owners having done all the homework and the grading only to quit and eventually sell the lots off.
san elijo was in high gear at the time with grading work. it was projected to be a 10 year project with new schools, shopping malls, etc. at the time, i thought it was ridiculous that they were preselling the homes at 300k+; san elijo is out there in the boonies.
another comment made by senior engineers was that fly by night builders would slap a home together and get out of town, go belly up, change names, whatever to escape the responsibilities of warranty work and liability. like, poor foundations, insufficient soil work, etc. you cant see that stuff and if it goes bad, it wont be for a year and more.
eastlake, preselling with people camping out in line and such for 250k. another boonie housing tract that suffers massive traffic problems… but values going up 50k in months or even weeks.
carmel valley/del mar… those mcmansions off black mt road across from the synygogue… ~800k/pop. tiny little lots, stupid looking houses and for what?
san marcos. clay sewer lines. terrible commute/freeway interchange at both ends.
temecula/murrieta. come on, 1 hour commute each way? or more, the 15 being jammed tight during rush from escondido to mira mar…
poway… that guy lorenzo llamas lives (lived) out there. woo hoo. big lots, boonies, still a tract house. and for a 1 mil+? people are stupid.
carlsbad and la costa, some 350k. boonies. carlsbad village is nice tho as is the beach…
the builders have made massive profits in the past few. they can easily afford to walk away. lay off a bunch of employees, keep your core together and sit it out. not many unions left in town, construction workers take an extended vacation in mexico (even the white ones), wait for the next upturn.
