I am a little surprised how relatively sticky prices have been in your hood. On the other hand I was going to be surprised if they were not.
The area between the park, Hillcrest/University Heights and Kensington did undergo a huge demographic shift,as you likely know. If there is an example of the “San Francisco effect” hitting town that is it. However, prices very much follow perception. The trendiness, while pretty dominant has gaps.
18 months is a good window, If you can’t get what you want but really want to stay there, I would suggest thoughtfully and patiently,looking in the gaps. While shoddier at first, it could possibly be a better move in the long run. You could get a bigger lot, a house with more potential and basically live in the same hood.I know many people who did this to good results over the years, including myself. The improvements are likely to keep catching up.
If you can stomach it, try to ponder going these few streets over,ones that are most likely to experience the positive changes we have seen, and getting the best value there.
