[quote]But you are paying a quarter million more to buy a Carmel Valley home that is smaller by 1000 sqft,[/quote]
“quarter million” is not a particularly useful metric. You are paying a quarter million more today, and you’ll get that quarter million back later when you sell. You need to do the cost-benefit analysis properly.
In favor of 4S:
– interest and property taxes on 240K price difference, less taxes: ~$700/month
In favor of CV:
– Lower Mello-Roos: $300/month
– Lower heating and cooling costs: I’ll guess $100/month
– Lower gasoline expenses: 20 gallons/month = ~$60/month, assuming that the job is somewhere in Sorrento Valley or UTC; times two if it’s a double-income family
– Shorter commute (at least 30 min./day)
– Cooler summers and warmer winters
It seems to me, if your income is high enough that you can comfortably afford CV, there’s no good reason not to pay additional $240/month (or even less) to improve your quality of life.
