To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.
Most of the criticisms of moving on this thread have surrounded the weather. Having lived in MN for most of my life, I can honestly say that I like the weather in MN. I loved making snow forts and ice skating on lake. I loved raking piles of leaves to jump in. I loved the icy waters of the spring where you could see 50 ft down. So for me, the weather is a reason to move back to MN. But the weather is something that one acquires an affinity for, or maybe it is born into you.
Carli, you comments about corporate relocation was hilarious. My dad would fall into that category. He spent most of the last 30 years commuting to Silicon valley for a week a month…only because he would be damned if he had to raise kids in San Jose or worse, Cambel.
All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.
San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don’t care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.
Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.
sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.
I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.
It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide
My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.
