$500k and 33years old, when is enough enough?

[Eugene]

[quote=jstoesz]No I do not think that, I should have added the qualifier, one of the least happy and most superficial. It has stiff competition from lots of other cities. LA, SF, NY would be obvious victors in this contest of crap.

BTW I am sure Barstow or detroit are are pretty unhappy places as well. My point was that most cities are happier healthier places for a fraction of the price. I apologize for overstating it.[/quote]

Please name one large city that is happier, healthier, safer and cheaper than SD. And please don’t say Boise.

[flyer]

As an older native San Diegan (51), I can empathize with the OP’s comments, but in the final analysis, no matter what anyone else tells us, each of us has to look inside ourselves and decide what we want out of life, and what we want for our families.

Both my wife and I enjoyed growing up here, and have enjoyed raising our family here. We love our home and our lifestyle, and are grateful our kids are grown and doing well.

By virtue of our careers as Airline Pilots, we’ve always kept our home in San Diego, and have still had the opportunity to visit and live in other places for extended periods of time.

From these experiences, we’ve seen that there are many great places to live around the world, but, for us, there is no place we would rather be on a permanent basis other than San Diego.

At your age, I do understand your concerns for your long-term financial future and the financial future of your children in a place like San Diego. You are absolutely correct that financial concerns will be paramount for future generations in this city.

Since you have a great job here, your decision to stay or go will not be easy, but I wish you the best in deciding what’s best for you and your family.

[flyer]

As an older native San Diegan (51), I can empathize with the OP’s comments, but in the final analysis, no matter what anyone else tells us, each of us has to look inside ourselves and decide what we want out of life, and what we want for our families.

Both my wife and I enjoyed growing up here, and have enjoyed raising our family here. We love our home and our lifestyle, and are grateful our kids are grown and doing well.

By virtue of our careers as Airline Pilots, we’ve always kept our home in San Diego, and have still had the opportunity to visit and live in other places for extended periods of time.

From these experiences, we’ve seen that there are many great places to live around the world, but, for us, there is no place we would rather be on a permanent basis other than San Diego.

At your age, I do understand your concerns for your long-term financial future and the financial future of your children in a place like San Diego. You are absolutely correct that financial concerns will be paramount for future generations in this city.

Since you have a great job here, your decision to stay or go will not be easy, but I wish you the best in deciding what’s best for you and your family.

[flyer]

As an older native San Diegan (51), I can empathize with the OP’s comments, but in the final analysis, no matter what anyone else tells us, each of us has to look inside ourselves and decide what we want out of life, and what we want for our families.

Both my wife and I enjoyed growing up here, and have enjoyed raising our family here. We love our home and our lifestyle, and are grateful our kids are grown and doing well.

By virtue of our careers as Airline Pilots, we’ve always kept our home in San Diego, and have still had the opportunity to visit and live in other places for extended periods of time.

From these experiences, we’ve seen that there are many great places to live around the world, but, for us, there is no place we would rather be on a permanent basis other than San Diego.

At your age, I do understand your concerns for your long-term financial future and the financial future of your children in a place like San Diego. You are absolutely correct that financial concerns will be paramount for future generations in this city.

Since you have a great job here, your decision to stay or go will not be easy, but I wish you the best in deciding what’s best for you and your family.

[flyer]

As an older native San Diegan (51), I can empathize with the OP’s comments, but in the final analysis, no matter what anyone else tells us, each of us has to look inside ourselves and decide what we want out of life, and what we want for our families.

Both my wife and I enjoyed growing up here, and have enjoyed raising our family here. We love our home and our lifestyle, and are grateful our kids are grown and doing well.

By virtue of our careers as Airline Pilots, we’ve always kept our home in San Diego, and have still had the opportunity to visit and live in other places for extended periods of time.

From these experiences, we’ve seen that there are many great places to live around the world, but, for us, there is no place we would rather be on a permanent basis other than San Diego.

At your age, I do understand your concerns for your long-term financial future and the financial future of your children in a place like San Diego. You are absolutely correct that financial concerns will be paramount for future generations in this city.

Since you have a great job here, your decision to stay or go will not be easy, but I wish you the best in deciding what’s best for you and your family.

[flyer]

As an older native San Diegan (51), I can empathize with the OP’s comments, but in the final analysis, no matter what anyone else tells us, each of us has to look inside ourselves and decide what we want out of life, and what we want for our families.

Both my wife and I enjoyed growing up here, and have enjoyed raising our family here. We love our home and our lifestyle, and are grateful our kids are grown and doing well.

By virtue of our careers as Airline Pilots, we’ve always kept our home in San Diego, and have still had the opportunity to visit and live in other places for extended periods of time.

From these experiences, we’ve seen that there are many great places to live around the world, but, for us, there is no place we would rather be on a permanent basis other than San Diego.

At your age, I do understand your concerns for your long-term financial future and the financial future of your children in a place like San Diego. You are absolutely correct that financial concerns will be paramount for future generations in this city.

Since you have a great job here, your decision to stay or go will not be easy, but I wish you the best in deciding what’s best for you and your family.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=CA renter]The main reason for today’s foreclosures is not that people “bought too much house,” but that they PAID TOO MUCH for those houses with idiotic ARM mortgages when rates were at generational lows (the lenders were trying to shift the interest rate risk onto the borrowers).

Also, there is nothing wrong with a professional (single or couple) wanting to live in a safe, clean, decent area with similar people. Some people can move into these neighborhoods by “moving up” from starter homes, but first-time buyers who have worked many years to earn advanced degrees, have responsible positions, and who have saved up a decent down payment are just as “entitled” to live in the move-up neighborhoods as any “move-up” buyer.

While you are perfectly welcome to live in the areas you like, other people are welcome to live in neighborhoods of their choosing as well. I don’t think people are “whining” about the fundamentals of housing prices; they are “whining” about all the manipulation that is forcing buyers to overpay for housing. That’s a VERY legitimate complaint.[/quote]

CAR, I agree with you that ALL RE buyers should buy what they can afford, regardless of whether they’re considered “professionals” or not. During the recent “bubble,” many young, first-time buyers bought properties they could not afford and KNEW their mortgages would eventually adjust/reset when they signed on the dotted line. They signed anyway because the only other choice was to buy a property they could afford and qualify for under *normal* lending guidelines and this was distasteful to them. Back when I was in the “homebuyer with a young family” category, it was not possible to buy property above what our “station-in-life” afforded us. So our “expectations” never exceeded what we could reasonably afford. What we could afford was our reality and so we didn’t get involved in coveting properties we couldn’t afford.

Yes, I DO believe there is SOME manipulation of prices going on in SOME micro-markets which still have a little or a lot of distressed property which has yet to be marketed by lenders. But I also believe that the balance of “bubble distress” has all but been flushed out of SOME micro-markets and these markets are currently operating about as normally as could be expected, given the current tight lending guidelines in existence today.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=CA renter]The main reason for today’s foreclosures is not that people “bought too much house,” but that they PAID TOO MUCH for those houses with idiotic ARM mortgages when rates were at generational lows (the lenders were trying to shift the interest rate risk onto the borrowers).

Also, there is nothing wrong with a professional (single or couple) wanting to live in a safe, clean, decent area with similar people. Some people can move into these neighborhoods by “moving up” from starter homes, but first-time buyers who have worked many years to earn advanced degrees, have responsible positions, and who have saved up a decent down payment are just as “entitled” to live in the move-up neighborhoods as any “move-up” buyer.

While you are perfectly welcome to live in the areas you like, other people are welcome to live in neighborhoods of their choosing as well. I don’t think people are “whining” about the fundamentals of housing prices; they are “whining” about all the manipulation that is forcing buyers to overpay for housing. That’s a VERY legitimate complaint.[/quote]

CAR, I agree with you that ALL RE buyers should buy what they can afford, regardless of whether they’re considered “professionals” or not. During the recent “bubble,” many young, first-time buyers bought properties they could not afford and KNEW their mortgages would eventually adjust/reset when they signed on the dotted line. They signed anyway because the only other choice was to buy a property they could afford and qualify for under *normal* lending guidelines and this was distasteful to them. Back when I was in the “homebuyer with a young family” category, it was not possible to buy property above what our “station-in-life” afforded us. So our “expectations” never exceeded what we could reasonably afford. What we could afford was our reality and so we didn’t get involved in coveting properties we couldn’t afford.

Yes, I DO believe there is SOME manipulation of prices going on in SOME micro-markets which still have a little or a lot of distressed property which has yet to be marketed by lenders. But I also believe that the balance of “bubble distress” has all but been flushed out of SOME micro-markets and these markets are currently operating about as normally as could be expected, given the current tight lending guidelines in existence today.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=CA renter]The main reason for today’s foreclosures is not that people “bought too much house,” but that they PAID TOO MUCH for those houses with idiotic ARM mortgages when rates were at generational lows (the lenders were trying to shift the interest rate risk onto the borrowers).

Also, there is nothing wrong with a professional (single or couple) wanting to live in a safe, clean, decent area with similar people. Some people can move into these neighborhoods by “moving up” from starter homes, but first-time buyers who have worked many years to earn advanced degrees, have responsible positions, and who have saved up a decent down payment are just as “entitled” to live in the move-up neighborhoods as any “move-up” buyer.

While you are perfectly welcome to live in the areas you like, other people are welcome to live in neighborhoods of their choosing as well. I don’t think people are “whining” about the fundamentals of housing prices; they are “whining” about all the manipulation that is forcing buyers to overpay for housing. That’s a VERY legitimate complaint.[/quote]

CAR, I agree with you that ALL RE buyers should buy what they can afford, regardless of whether they’re considered “professionals” or not. During the recent “bubble,” many young, first-time buyers bought properties they could not afford and KNEW their mortgages would eventually adjust/reset when they signed on the dotted line. They signed anyway because the only other choice was to buy a property they could afford and qualify for under *normal* lending guidelines and this was distasteful to them. Back when I was in the “homebuyer with a young family” category, it was not possible to buy property above what our “station-in-life” afforded us. So our “expectations” never exceeded what we could reasonably afford. What we could afford was our reality and so we didn’t get involved in coveting properties we couldn’t afford.

Yes, I DO believe there is SOME manipulation of prices going on in SOME micro-markets which still have a little or a lot of distressed property which has yet to be marketed by lenders. But I also believe that the balance of “bubble distress” has all but been flushed out of SOME micro-markets and these markets are currently operating about as normally as could be expected, given the current tight lending guidelines in existence today.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=CA renter]The main reason for today’s foreclosures is not that people “bought too much house,” but that they PAID TOO MUCH for those houses with idiotic ARM mortgages when rates were at generational lows (the lenders were trying to shift the interest rate risk onto the borrowers).

Also, there is nothing wrong with a professional (single or couple) wanting to live in a safe, clean, decent area with similar people. Some people can move into these neighborhoods by “moving up” from starter homes, but first-time buyers who have worked many years to earn advanced degrees, have responsible positions, and who have saved up a decent down payment are just as “entitled” to live in the move-up neighborhoods as any “move-up” buyer.

While you are perfectly welcome to live in the areas you like, other people are welcome to live in neighborhoods of their choosing as well. I don’t think people are “whining” about the fundamentals of housing prices; they are “whining” about all the manipulation that is forcing buyers to overpay for housing. That’s a VERY legitimate complaint.[/quote]

CAR, I agree with you that ALL RE buyers should buy what they can afford, regardless of whether they’re considered “professionals” or not. During the recent “bubble,” many young, first-time buyers bought properties they could not afford and KNEW their mortgages would eventually adjust/reset when they signed on the dotted line. They signed anyway because the only other choice was to buy a property they could afford and qualify for under *normal* lending guidelines and this was distasteful to them. Back when I was in the “homebuyer with a young family” category, it was not possible to buy property above what our “station-in-life” afforded us. So our “expectations” never exceeded what we could reasonably afford. What we could afford was our reality and so we didn’t get involved in coveting properties we couldn’t afford.

Yes, I DO believe there is SOME manipulation of prices going on in SOME micro-markets which still have a little or a lot of distressed property which has yet to be marketed by lenders. But I also believe that the balance of “bubble distress” has all but been flushed out of SOME micro-markets and these markets are currently operating about as normally as could be expected, given the current tight lending guidelines in existence today.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=CA renter]The main reason for today’s foreclosures is not that people “bought too much house,” but that they PAID TOO MUCH for those houses with idiotic ARM mortgages when rates were at generational lows (the lenders were trying to shift the interest rate risk onto the borrowers).

Also, there is nothing wrong with a professional (single or couple) wanting to live in a safe, clean, decent area with similar people. Some people can move into these neighborhoods by “moving up” from starter homes, but first-time buyers who have worked many years to earn advanced degrees, have responsible positions, and who have saved up a decent down payment are just as “entitled” to live in the move-up neighborhoods as any “move-up” buyer.

While you are perfectly welcome to live in the areas you like, other people are welcome to live in neighborhoods of their choosing as well. I don’t think people are “whining” about the fundamentals of housing prices; they are “whining” about all the manipulation that is forcing buyers to overpay for housing. That’s a VERY legitimate complaint.[/quote]

CAR, I agree with you that ALL RE buyers should buy what they can afford, regardless of whether they’re considered “professionals” or not. During the recent “bubble,” many young, first-time buyers bought properties they could not afford and KNEW their mortgages would eventually adjust/reset when they signed on the dotted line. They signed anyway because the only other choice was to buy a property they could afford and qualify for under *normal* lending guidelines and this was distasteful to them. Back when I was in the “homebuyer with a young family” category, it was not possible to buy property above what our “station-in-life” afforded us. So our “expectations” never exceeded what we could reasonably afford. What we could afford was our reality and so we didn’t get involved in coveting properties we couldn’t afford.

Yes, I DO believe there is SOME manipulation of prices going on in SOME micro-markets which still have a little or a lot of distressed property which has yet to be marketed by lenders. But I also believe that the balance of “bubble distress” has all but been flushed out of SOME micro-markets and these markets are currently operating about as normally as could be expected, given the current tight lending guidelines in existence today.

[jstoesz]

Have I used up Minneapolis? And I really do like Boise. But I think Spokane is pretty awesome. Basically pick a number any number…except for LA and SF. So far I have been impressed with Sac, the town as a whole is pretty ghetto, but parts of downtown are really nice and affordable (crap schools though). I am just really impressed with what I can afford. Omaha is also a great little town, but poor outdoor opportunities. I liked Portland, Eugene, and Seattle when I visited, but I have spent little time there, so I am not confident in my analysis…

How about Salt Lake City… Mormons are generally happy and healthy!

[jstoesz]

Have I used up Minneapolis? And I really do like Boise. But I think Spokane is pretty awesome. Basically pick a number any number…except for LA and SF. So far I have been impressed with Sac, the town as a whole is pretty ghetto, but parts of downtown are really nice and affordable (crap schools though). I am just really impressed with what I can afford. Omaha is also a great little town, but poor outdoor opportunities. I liked Portland, Eugene, and Seattle when I visited, but I have spent little time there, so I am not confident in my analysis…

How about Salt Lake City… Mormons are generally happy and healthy!

[jstoesz]

Have I used up Minneapolis? And I really do like Boise. But I think Spokane is pretty awesome. Basically pick a number any number…except for LA and SF. So far I have been impressed with Sac, the town as a whole is pretty ghetto, but parts of downtown are really nice and affordable (crap schools though). I am just really impressed with what I can afford. Omaha is also a great little town, but poor outdoor opportunities. I liked Portland, Eugene, and Seattle when I visited, but I have spent little time there, so I am not confident in my analysis…

How about Salt Lake City… Mormons are generally happy and healthy!

[jstoesz]

Have I used up Minneapolis? And I really do like Boise. But I think Spokane is pretty awesome. Basically pick a number any number…except for LA and SF. So far I have been impressed with Sac, the town as a whole is pretty ghetto, but parts of downtown are really nice and affordable (crap schools though). I am just really impressed with what I can afford. Omaha is also a great little town, but poor outdoor opportunities. I liked Portland, Eugene, and Seattle when I visited, but I have spent little time there, so I am not confident in my analysis…

How about Salt Lake City… Mormons are generally happy and healthy!

[Author]

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