Regardless of the historical appreciation rates, if you’re going to buy a house, make sure that you don’t buy during the bubble cycle in that area.
Rent for 1 year or more then watch the market. That’s the best way to see if the market is headed up or down. Don’t buy as long as you see a downward slide. During that time you’ll have a lot of time to review historical trends. Buy only when prices are reasonable when compared to historical trends. Or continue to rent and enjoy your life. For the San Diego Area, I think that Rich provides good charts here on Piggington. Price to household income is a good metric to gauge the market.
