Yeah, what he said. You’ll get FAR more for your money buying a house, and even more later this year. I’m seeing 1,700-2,000 sq ft detached houses in the mid 200’s, many built only a few years ago. My wife and I will be pulling the trigger this winter on a newer 4/2.5 in Redhawk, which we’ll live in for a few years, and then rent at about $400-$500/mo positive cash flow, assuming 11 month/year occupancy. Not bad at all.
That said, good condos do exist. The key is to make sure they were built to “condo specs” with thick walls between units (although this doesn’t ensure you won’t hear the neighbors – some are more soundproof than others) and get in a multi-level townhome style so you don’t have upstairs or downstairs neighbors. We currently rent a solid 2/2.5 in Carmel Valley and we CANNOT hear our neighbors, ever, on either side. We also have a 3-month-old baby and they can’t hear him.
