The problem, bg, is I think you are stuck in your own mindset like a lot of people…Making 100k+ is nothing and I made more than that 15+ years ago. It’s also dependent on who runs in your social/professional circle. Sadly, I know many people it seems making lots of money, so much money, they don’t know what to do with it all as well as dual doctor families clocking well close to a mil in income alone and biz owners with ferrari’s and millions.
You add in family help for all the asian families buying in CV (all the folks I knew in the bay area had family help buying mil+ places with ease) and they don’t buy these places to rent out, they buy them to live and raise their family/kids in and go to school in the area. My parents have even offered me hundreds of thousands in help if we needed it for who knows what so I’m guessing for some and quite a few, if the parents can help (since that generation didn’t really spend money), getting the down payment can make many home payments as easy as anyplace in the other “CV” down south.
All that said, I think for some people, they just can’t see why someone would pay anything for something which they don’t see a value in.
For me, I guess it could be makeup, shoes, clothes, perfume, bags, pedicures, haircuts, etc…
All worthless items that you should pay close to 0 for IMO if you could.
Also, some people like small backyard homes (me, less maintenance, landscaping) and don’t care for a view, etc…My house could be a shack with no windows for all I care since I always close my blinds anyways and turn off all the lights. Really, it’s just people rather live in CV (with their taxes and all) than maybe other areas with more land and less tax. Also, I think asians like living around other asians (prob true for most races actually) so some people will NEVER buy in certain areas since the food and demographics don’t match where they want to be.
If I wanted “character”, I’d watch a good movie with a well developed character or be careful who I date…I don’t need “character” in a home and I don’t think the thousands buying in CV or many other tract areas care that much about “character” in their home.
For Poway…I assume true in San Diego Unified, maybe less so in Carmel Valley, but some schools are always viewed as “the best” with their own foundations raising thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars to get more ahead.