Essbee, he can speak for himself, of course, but I don’t think think FIH was making a direct comparison. I think he just used Clairemont (SD) as a “middle class” example of SD because it was reasonably close-in.
It is so very difficult to compare LA County communities apples to apples to SD County communities because each one offers something another one doesn’t have. I think part of the reason for higher property values the East LA County corridor are generous lot sizes. Another reason that the older stock of homes in SD County (ex: Clairemont) aren’t worth as much as the the older stock of homes in LA County or even close-in bay area counties is that buyers in SD County simply have too much choice. A “middle-class” buyer can easily flock to subdivision after subdivision of new development in the outer rings of SD county and buy a house or townhome in a “master planned community” which was built in the last decade and likely situated on a substandard lot. Why? Because they CAN! There is a large portion of SD County homebuyers who likely never set foot in a house more than 15 years old in their search. Ditto for buyers in San Bern and RIV Counties (new development in Orange and Ventura counties is likely too expensive for a moderate/middle-income homebuyer).
Not true for LA County and at least a dozen other populous counties in CA (esp close-in communities of bay area counties). Moderate, middle and upper middle income buyers who seek a single family home must buy used in these communities if they hope to obtain a home at all. By “used” I mean 30-80 years old. This is so because the leadership of these jurisdictions saw fit to curb development and didn’t pander to Big Development over the past three decades, as the leadership in SD County did. They valued their open space and took seriously their duty and privilege to ensure wise stewardship over it.
This has resulted in the preservation of thousands of fantastic unspoiled views for homeowners and neighborhoods and home values remaining stable … even during the recent downturn. Longtime homeowners often decide to sell and move when they find themselves surrounded by new development and all the traffic and lines that go along with it.
Middle-class buyers in the East LA corridor (and really, almost everywhere in LA County) must buy used, especially if they want to own a single family home south of I-10.
Essbee, IIRC, you grew up in SD County, no? You must admit that it is NOTHING today like the SD County you grew up in… and the tripling++ of its population did not enhance the quality of life for any resident, old or new.
