[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.
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All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. (…)
San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. (…)if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything(…) I don’t care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.
Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.
sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.
I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.
It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide
My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]
Well said. I totally agree with you. I am afraid those times when an senior engineer or scientist could support a family with kids and a nice home in a nice neighborhood are gone forever. Even with public schools.
Unless you get a major gift or inheritance. Even the large tract homes are too expensive IMHO.
