Cantabria Condos / Powerlines

[saiine]

All, I posted about cantabria condos off rancho penesquitos road a few weeks back. They have 2 bedroom / 1 bath units in the 280’s. I finally went and visited the units today.

Good news, it’s very close to my work, a quick drive down 56 (i’m currently commuting from o’side down 5)

However, immediately I noticed powerlines in the parking lot. Behind the development is a grassy field which what looks to be like some sort of major electrical area. There were men in hard hats, etc.

A quick google showed that living by powerlines seems to pose no real danger, although it did effect the price of my sisters house in Carlsbad when purchased.

For those who know about these units, what are your opinions? Do you know of the powerlines I am speaking about, and what risks would be associated?

Not really looking for investment advice at this point. I want to live in this place, not flip it, 280 is comfortable for me to afford and it’s close to work.

[4plexowner]

I am a cynic by nature – consider yourself forewarned.

The reason you won’t find anything negative about powerlines in the mainstream media is because of all the public schools that are built underneath high-voltage power lines. To acknowledge that power lines are a health issue would open up the government (city, state and federal) to numerous lawsuits.

Imagine what would happen if the FDA announced that being in close proximity to high-voltage power lines caused cancer!

Same issue with mercury/lead fillings in teeth. Anyone with more than 3 brain cells can see the health issue involved with putting two highly toxic substances into the human mouth. The ADA can’t acknowledge this health issue without exposing themselves to lawsuits – therefore they will always maintain that mercury/lead fillings are safe. (I have had all the mercury/lead fillings removed from my teeth and I will never poison my children in this manner.)

Remember that 90% of the media in the US is now owned by only 5 corporations. And one man, Robert Murdoch, controls a significant portion of these 5 corps. My point is that media in the US is tightly controlled and therefore it is easy to prevent unacceptable news from being aired or printed.

You’re obviously a thinking biped (as opposed to the mindless sheeple that populate most of this planet). The fact that you are asking questions about powerlines probably means your intuition is telling you that there could be an issue. Go with your gut and stay away from these hi-powered condos. Or at least make a serious effort to research the effects of power lines on the human body.

And now for my next rant, why would you want to pay $280K for a condo that will be selling for $120-140K within the next 5 years?

[sdduuuude]

I highly, highly recommend finding out what are these renting for. Let us know and we’ll help you with the math to understand better why you may or may not want to buy one.

[Anonymous]

Saiine – Please, please, please, make sure you note 4pxleowner’s first line in his post, and keep that in your head the entire time.

And while you’re at it, go read some good books about the differences between science and junk science. “Naturally Dangerous” by Collman will be a good start. And be very wary of the Center for Science in the Public Interest types – they’re idiots. (I’m not accusing 4pxleowner of being one of those guys – I think he just has a healthy bit of cynism in him and is willing to listen to all sides.)

However, I listened to all sides, and came to a very reasonable conclusion: power lines are not going to hurt you, saiine, unless you grab hold of one while standing in your kiddie pool… and neither will amalgam fillings (although I do recommend the composites for visible portions of your dental work – for cosmetic reasons).

Your worries about powerlines should center on their ugliness and, unfortunately, OTHER people’s irrational fears – which may hurt your property value. This reminds me, it’s about time one of the primetime news magazines did a special on the powerline/school crisis. I haven’t seen one in a year or two. They do this periodically and it’s amazing that despite that, the schoolkids just seem to keep on learning and remain free of all the crazy diseases that, if they even did exist, certainly never had any epidemiological link to the powerlines. (Once 60 Minutes and 20/20 and Dateline cycle through their standard crisis-of-the-month list, including fluoridated water, I’m sure they’ll get back to powerlines again.)

But onto the real issue – when you mentioned power lines, I thought you were referring to the new big transmission lines that are going to come in from Imperial County (look for “Sunrise Powerlink” online for info).

Those lines will cross the 15 near Rancho Penasquitos and then run along the 56 (they may go through the exact area you mention – I’m not sure where exactly the Rancho Penasquitos substation is – but they’ll go through there on their way to Carmel Valley). They are supposedly burrying the lines near the 15, but I haven’t seen a map showing which lines will be buried.

And I can agree with part of 4pxleowner’s post… and that’s the last line, with the added notation that Cantabria just isn’t very nice (and every time I drive by during the day, there’s a gaggle of day-laborers hanging out under the 56 overpass there). That CAN’T be good for property values…

[barnaby33]

How about renting closer to work? If you are here on this site, it means you probably think that the real estate market is overvalued. If so, just rent. The area you are talking about is ok, but 280 for a 2brdm seems really high to me. Even if it only devalues by 20% over the next few years thats almost 50k. Thats alot of rent.

Josh

[powayseller]

Magnetic fields are misunderstood, and seem scary to the public. This fear makes potential buyers, such as yourself, reluctant to purchase a home near a power line. When you are ready to sell, you will face this same problem. Thus, powerline proximity does depress property values.

The studies to date show no link between power lines and disease. Check out this summary.

I also wonder why you’d want to buy now. You’ve heard of the “greatest fool” phrase, right? Anyone buying now is that greater fool. I don’t mean to insult. If you have money to burn, get a sports car. You’ll still enjoy it and won’t kick yourself when prices come down.

[Author]

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