To All:
I appreciate and respect each and every comment I’ve receieved so far in this message string. My wife and I have decided to rent, given the data we’ve witnessed here and from other sources. Even a Professor at the USC Lusk Institute (for Real Estate in Southern California) confirmed this approach given our situation and the state of the Real Estate economy in SoCal.
Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose where we get stationed in the military, only the way we choose to live once we get there. As such, until we find data which supports otherwise, we’ll be sending our children to school on base at Edwards–a 9 out of 10 Standardized Test scoring versus 1s, 2s and 3s elsewhere in Rosamond, Lancaster and Palmdale. Most likely we will rent in Rosamond or Lancaster and carpool with other military families in similar situations.
As a Lieutenant, I started my career at Los Angeles AFB and lived in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach–13 years ago. Such a different situation, given that we did not have children at the time. How different things are now that Children (and their education) drives the entire search for our home, eh? That said, we are ill-equipped to withstand the negative effects of a poor home investment: especially of the magnitude discussed on this board. As such, we will use our relative buying power as renters in a depressed and further depressing market to negotiate a rental that suits our needs until either the housing market improves (unlikely within the short period of our stay) or the housing project on base is completed.
Thanks again for the candid and informative responses. I look forward to reading any others that you may have to offer. As for you, Ponynaround, I look forward to the opportunity to run into you and shake your hand on base some day!
