[quote=pri_dk]Lots of fairly high-priced restaurants in Temecula/Murietta are packed on weekends. It’s supposed to be one of the epicentres of the housing crisis, but you’d never know the economy took a hit if you only observed the traffic in these restaurants.
It bugs my wife because I always ponder it every time we eat out. My only theory is that it is strategic defaulters with extra cash flow because they are not paying their mortgages. But I’ve been observing this for years, and I’m still perplexed.[/quote]
pri dk, Temecula/Murietta is a lower-cost housing area. There are MANY homeowners there who DID NOT purchase their properties at high prices (they purchased pre-bubble). In addition, there are many lower-cost rentals there and even a few mobile home parks.
Not everyone has high living expenses or high property taxes. MANY people (including most Mexicans living in MX) have FAR cheaper living expenses than a “typical Pigg.” Therefore, they have more discretionary income for restaurants and entertainment.
LOTS of people eat out almost daily in lower cost-of-living regions of the US. MANY eat in the SAME 1-3 restaurants night after night.
