SK, I think kev was shopping in the central (urban) OC market. He/she was distressed about the low inventory there, as well as the asking prices and the speed at which properties (in what he termed mediocre or “working class” areas) flew off the shelves.
The inventory situation is likely just as bad (if not worse) in the OC than it is in SD County. We addressed kev’s complaints in the thread below, showing that there WERE available listings to consider in the OC but it seemed he wasn’t interested in what was actually available in his/her price range.
When a “disconnect” like this occurs in a prospective buyer’s mind, they likely won’t buy at all. This is a common problem in CA coastal counties and the sole reason why a lot of practitioners (agents/brokers) won’t work with buyers, even if well-qualified. They feel they will just end up working 100+ hours (usually running around burning gas previewing and showing) for nothing …. and they would be right.
I note that kev374 signed up here over 6.5 years ago. One has to wonder if he/she was ever a SoCal homeowner in that time frame and/or how long he has been “shopping” for a residence in that time frame.