Late Summer of 08′ appears to be a good time to start nibbling around the edges in S.D. I am sure there are some deals to be had if you do your homework and find a motivated seller. As for L.A., Late Summer of 09′ and into early 2010 could be a time to buy Real Estate. Alt-A mortgages will have a huge effect. You can check out the price hits just starting to take significant drops below.