[quote=temeculaguy]Follow BG’s advice and come rent. Unfortunately 200k is not an SFR budget in this county, it is a downpayment. From your name I’m guessing you are coming from possibly Canada. The locations where you can pay under 200k cash for an SFR will require locals to make some “adjustments,” coming from Canada, you will likely have seizures. I’m not attacking specific town, more so specific neighborhoods. Every town has dicey areas and the r/e prices reflect that, but the sub 200k sfr’s will probably have to be the diciest street of the diciest neighborhood of the diciest town. Sub 200 condo and you’ve got options, lots of them, sub 200k sfr, and that’s bunker prices.[/quote]
Agree except for ALL neighborhoods in this price range being “dicey.” Again, this is VERY subjective. After posting above, I took a look at the available MLS inventory of SFR’s in the OP’s price range in 91910. I wouldn’t have classified any of those properties to be in “dicey neighborhoods” but I DID notice no less than 3 of them that I have personally been in which ALL had what I would consider to be “structural problems” at the time I visited them. I have no doubt that their current low price reflects that they were never fixed and the majority of listings in that price range were “as-is.” Also, in 91910 and even moreso in 91911 and 92154, there are many properties where the garage has been converted into unpermitted sf for living space and would need to be “reconverted” to park in. The balance in 91910 were either on busy thoroughfares or need much more than just “floor covering, paint and faucets.”
Canuck, SD County is VERY diverse both in housing stock and populations from area to area. You would do WELL to actually live here awhile and drive around a bit in your spare time to get a “feel” for all the areas you have your eye on before making a purchasing decision, especially with all cash. You CANNOT SEE a property’s actual condition and surroundings from “MLS photos.” I’ve never been to Canada and do not know if you are situated urban or rural but would surmise that SD County is nothing like Canada, either in its topography, weather, people, housing stock, zoning, etc.
The “back roads” traversing from 91977 and 92139 down to Eastlake are slow, traffic-filled, two are winding and poorly-lighted at night and one is full of “speed bumps” specifically for the purpose of discouraging drivers like your friends who live here in the county from using residential thoroughfares to avoid the toll. Another thoroughfare has no less than five public schools on (or just off) of it all on different schedules and all the incipient traffic that brings.
I believe the prices in this region should stay stable for at least 3 more years giving you time to rent and check everything out for yourself.
I recommend you look into renting an individually-owned condo in Eastlake (91913). Take care to rent one that does NOT currently have a Notice of Default or Notice of Sale filed against it and preferably from a local property management company.
