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February 22, 2011 at 2:21 PM #670824February 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM #669702ScarlettParticipant
[quote=jimmyle]The typical home in NW MM along Calle Cristobal is similar to the listing below. Right now it is in contigency. The listing price is $439k and I think the sale price will be in the range of $420k to $440k. Perhaps you can be patient and look for a smaller home in this area. There are houses in this area that are around 1700 sq ft that can go for $400k. Recently, there was one that closed at $360k. There was another one that close last year at $420k. One drawback of these houses is that many are along Calle Cristobal so road noise is a problem.
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100071449-7446_Sean_Taylor_Ln_San_Diego_CA_92126
Home insurance for a $400k home is usually around $450-$650 annually. PMI is around $180 monthly and if you put 10% down, it will take 7 years until your equity reaches 20% of sale price when PMI will stop.[/quote]
The problem with this NW corner of Mira Mesa which is the nicest area of MM – is that is mostly North of Calle Cristobal. And MOST houses fall in 2 categories – canyon view (a 30-50K worth canyon view – i.e. more expensive) OR you get a LOT of road noise from Calle Cristobal. I said MOST houses. There are a few in-between. So if you are ok with the ‘hood and Mira Mesa in general and you can find yourself one of those “in the middle” houses, great. Also the commute may be still an issue with the bottleneck at the railroad tracks at Sorrento Valley. I personally like the houses there on Cristobal quite a bit – I looked at 5 or 6 – only the road noise bothered us, and I didn’t care to pay for a canyon view, so I gave up on MM. I had enough other areas (PUSD, SR) to monitor without adding NW Mira Mesa to them.
February 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM #669764ScarlettParticipant[quote=jimmyle]The typical home in NW MM along Calle Cristobal is similar to the listing below. Right now it is in contigency. The listing price is $439k and I think the sale price will be in the range of $420k to $440k. Perhaps you can be patient and look for a smaller home in this area. There are houses in this area that are around 1700 sq ft that can go for $400k. Recently, there was one that closed at $360k. There was another one that close last year at $420k. One drawback of these houses is that many are along Calle Cristobal so road noise is a problem.
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100071449-7446_Sean_Taylor_Ln_San_Diego_CA_92126
Home insurance for a $400k home is usually around $450-$650 annually. PMI is around $180 monthly and if you put 10% down, it will take 7 years until your equity reaches 20% of sale price when PMI will stop.[/quote]
The problem with this NW corner of Mira Mesa which is the nicest area of MM – is that is mostly North of Calle Cristobal. And MOST houses fall in 2 categories – canyon view (a 30-50K worth canyon view – i.e. more expensive) OR you get a LOT of road noise from Calle Cristobal. I said MOST houses. There are a few in-between. So if you are ok with the ‘hood and Mira Mesa in general and you can find yourself one of those “in the middle” houses, great. Also the commute may be still an issue with the bottleneck at the railroad tracks at Sorrento Valley. I personally like the houses there on Cristobal quite a bit – I looked at 5 or 6 – only the road noise bothered us, and I didn’t care to pay for a canyon view, so I gave up on MM. I had enough other areas (PUSD, SR) to monitor without adding NW Mira Mesa to them.
February 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM #670371ScarlettParticipant[quote=jimmyle]The typical home in NW MM along Calle Cristobal is similar to the listing below. Right now it is in contigency. The listing price is $439k and I think the sale price will be in the range of $420k to $440k. Perhaps you can be patient and look for a smaller home in this area. There are houses in this area that are around 1700 sq ft that can go for $400k. Recently, there was one that closed at $360k. There was another one that close last year at $420k. One drawback of these houses is that many are along Calle Cristobal so road noise is a problem.
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100071449-7446_Sean_Taylor_Ln_San_Diego_CA_92126
Home insurance for a $400k home is usually around $450-$650 annually. PMI is around $180 monthly and if you put 10% down, it will take 7 years until your equity reaches 20% of sale price when PMI will stop.[/quote]
The problem with this NW corner of Mira Mesa which is the nicest area of MM – is that is mostly North of Calle Cristobal. And MOST houses fall in 2 categories – canyon view (a 30-50K worth canyon view – i.e. more expensive) OR you get a LOT of road noise from Calle Cristobal. I said MOST houses. There are a few in-between. So if you are ok with the ‘hood and Mira Mesa in general and you can find yourself one of those “in the middle” houses, great. Also the commute may be still an issue with the bottleneck at the railroad tracks at Sorrento Valley. I personally like the houses there on Cristobal quite a bit – I looked at 5 or 6 – only the road noise bothered us, and I didn’t care to pay for a canyon view, so I gave up on MM. I had enough other areas (PUSD, SR) to monitor without adding NW Mira Mesa to them.
February 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM #670511ScarlettParticipant[quote=jimmyle]The typical home in NW MM along Calle Cristobal is similar to the listing below. Right now it is in contigency. The listing price is $439k and I think the sale price will be in the range of $420k to $440k. Perhaps you can be patient and look for a smaller home in this area. There are houses in this area that are around 1700 sq ft that can go for $400k. Recently, there was one that closed at $360k. There was another one that close last year at $420k. One drawback of these houses is that many are along Calle Cristobal so road noise is a problem.
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100071449-7446_Sean_Taylor_Ln_San_Diego_CA_92126
Home insurance for a $400k home is usually around $450-$650 annually. PMI is around $180 monthly and if you put 10% down, it will take 7 years until your equity reaches 20% of sale price when PMI will stop.[/quote]
The problem with this NW corner of Mira Mesa which is the nicest area of MM – is that is mostly North of Calle Cristobal. And MOST houses fall in 2 categories – canyon view (a 30-50K worth canyon view – i.e. more expensive) OR you get a LOT of road noise from Calle Cristobal. I said MOST houses. There are a few in-between. So if you are ok with the ‘hood and Mira Mesa in general and you can find yourself one of those “in the middle” houses, great. Also the commute may be still an issue with the bottleneck at the railroad tracks at Sorrento Valley. I personally like the houses there on Cristobal quite a bit – I looked at 5 or 6 – only the road noise bothered us, and I didn’t care to pay for a canyon view, so I gave up on MM. I had enough other areas (PUSD, SR) to monitor without adding NW Mira Mesa to them.
February 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM #670854ScarlettParticipant[quote=jimmyle]The typical home in NW MM along Calle Cristobal is similar to the listing below. Right now it is in contigency. The listing price is $439k and I think the sale price will be in the range of $420k to $440k. Perhaps you can be patient and look for a smaller home in this area. There are houses in this area that are around 1700 sq ft that can go for $400k. Recently, there was one that closed at $360k. There was another one that close last year at $420k. One drawback of these houses is that many are along Calle Cristobal so road noise is a problem.
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100071449-7446_Sean_Taylor_Ln_San_Diego_CA_92126
Home insurance for a $400k home is usually around $450-$650 annually. PMI is around $180 monthly and if you put 10% down, it will take 7 years until your equity reaches 20% of sale price when PMI will stop.[/quote]
The problem with this NW corner of Mira Mesa which is the nicest area of MM – is that is mostly North of Calle Cristobal. And MOST houses fall in 2 categories – canyon view (a 30-50K worth canyon view – i.e. more expensive) OR you get a LOT of road noise from Calle Cristobal. I said MOST houses. There are a few in-between. So if you are ok with the ‘hood and Mira Mesa in general and you can find yourself one of those “in the middle” houses, great. Also the commute may be still an issue with the bottleneck at the railroad tracks at Sorrento Valley. I personally like the houses there on Cristobal quite a bit – I looked at 5 or 6 – only the road noise bothered us, and I didn’t care to pay for a canyon view, so I gave up on MM. I had enough other areas (PUSD, SR) to monitor without adding NW Mira Mesa to them.
February 22, 2011 at 3:33 PM #669687ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll just put down 20% to avoid the PMI headaches.[/quote]I would rather keep some cash reserves on hand – 6 months of PITI – than put 20% down, as a safety cushion. In this economy you never know about the job stability. Also any move can be quite expensive – and you may repairs or upgrades you want to do right away. A new roof, a new kitchen…
PMI CAN be as low as $100 a month in your case – but usually those lenders may have slightly worse rates. I would really really ask a financial broker like HLS, I don’t know the numbers. PMI is removed once you achieve below 80% Loan-to-value, so it’s only a for a few years.
Home insurance I don’t know, I have a vague recollection of something about $125 a month?. I haven’t owned in more than 3 years though.
February 22, 2011 at 3:33 PM #669749ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll just put down 20% to avoid the PMI headaches.[/quote]I would rather keep some cash reserves on hand – 6 months of PITI – than put 20% down, as a safety cushion. In this economy you never know about the job stability. Also any move can be quite expensive – and you may repairs or upgrades you want to do right away. A new roof, a new kitchen…
PMI CAN be as low as $100 a month in your case – but usually those lenders may have slightly worse rates. I would really really ask a financial broker like HLS, I don’t know the numbers. PMI is removed once you achieve below 80% Loan-to-value, so it’s only a for a few years.
Home insurance I don’t know, I have a vague recollection of something about $125 a month?. I haven’t owned in more than 3 years though.
February 22, 2011 at 3:33 PM #670356ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll just put down 20% to avoid the PMI headaches.[/quote]I would rather keep some cash reserves on hand – 6 months of PITI – than put 20% down, as a safety cushion. In this economy you never know about the job stability. Also any move can be quite expensive – and you may repairs or upgrades you want to do right away. A new roof, a new kitchen…
PMI CAN be as low as $100 a month in your case – but usually those lenders may have slightly worse rates. I would really really ask a financial broker like HLS, I don’t know the numbers. PMI is removed once you achieve below 80% Loan-to-value, so it’s only a for a few years.
Home insurance I don’t know, I have a vague recollection of something about $125 a month?. I haven’t owned in more than 3 years though.
February 22, 2011 at 3:33 PM #670496ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll just put down 20% to avoid the PMI headaches.[/quote]I would rather keep some cash reserves on hand – 6 months of PITI – than put 20% down, as a safety cushion. In this economy you never know about the job stability. Also any move can be quite expensive – and you may repairs or upgrades you want to do right away. A new roof, a new kitchen…
PMI CAN be as low as $100 a month in your case – but usually those lenders may have slightly worse rates. I would really really ask a financial broker like HLS, I don’t know the numbers. PMI is removed once you achieve below 80% Loan-to-value, so it’s only a for a few years.
Home insurance I don’t know, I have a vague recollection of something about $125 a month?. I haven’t owned in more than 3 years though.
February 22, 2011 at 3:33 PM #670839ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]
Thanks Scarlett. I think I’ll just put down 20% to avoid the PMI headaches.[/quote]I would rather keep some cash reserves on hand – 6 months of PITI – than put 20% down, as a safety cushion. In this economy you never know about the job stability. Also any move can be quite expensive – and you may repairs or upgrades you want to do right away. A new roof, a new kitchen…
PMI CAN be as low as $100 a month in your case – but usually those lenders may have slightly worse rates. I would really really ask a financial broker like HLS, I don’t know the numbers. PMI is removed once you achieve below 80% Loan-to-value, so it’s only a for a few years.
Home insurance I don’t know, I have a vague recollection of something about $125 a month?. I haven’t owned in more than 3 years though.
February 22, 2011 at 3:35 PM #669677ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]I love UC and if I could buy a house here, it would be my first choice. PQ probably second. CV if I win the lottery.
My commute to work is anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on lights. This allows me more time with my boys and this is something I will lose if I move to PQ. I am guessing the commute to and from PQ to UC is 35-40 minutes. I would probably leave at 8:15am in the morning – probably the worst time to be on the road. And go home at 5 – equally bad timing.
This won’t be a decision I make lightly so that’s why I am anticipating a 1 year time frame.[/quote]
The problem, at your range, with UC is that condos attract either students or more riff-raff (as renters). Many are not well built, HOAs are high, can be raised even further.
What you should try to find out is if you CAN GET FINANCING on those condo/townhouses complexes. MANY lenders don’t lend on them because of LOW owner occupancy – i.e. rentals. That is the case with Southpointe which hovers right around 50% ( I was contemplating buying there last year). Another reason for not obtaining financing is various litigations with the HOA involved. It’s better you find that out right away before wasting too much time considering them. It can vary with the complex.
Your guesstimate of commute to PQ is about right – in the afternoon maybe more, depending where in PQ, but 5 to 56 backs up pretty bad at 5 oclock.
If you aren’t doing so already, go to open houses in those areas, don’t look at more expensive than 400K and try to narrow down the number of areas you are considering. It will take a while until you get a better handle on pluses and minuses of each area. If you can focus on one area is better. It may take more than 1 year, I wouldn’t hurry such an important process, but you don’t need to be concerned where your oldest goes to kindergarten, even if you have to move him/her in the first grade. Doyle is quite good. API scores for 2010 was above 900.
EDIT: I have a feeling that it might be easier to get financing on the SR townhomes than UTC condos or LJ Village Sq townhomes, but again, I would check that out with a broker.
February 22, 2011 at 3:35 PM #669739ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]I love UC and if I could buy a house here, it would be my first choice. PQ probably second. CV if I win the lottery.
My commute to work is anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on lights. This allows me more time with my boys and this is something I will lose if I move to PQ. I am guessing the commute to and from PQ to UC is 35-40 minutes. I would probably leave at 8:15am in the morning – probably the worst time to be on the road. And go home at 5 – equally bad timing.
This won’t be a decision I make lightly so that’s why I am anticipating a 1 year time frame.[/quote]
The problem, at your range, with UC is that condos attract either students or more riff-raff (as renters). Many are not well built, HOAs are high, can be raised even further.
What you should try to find out is if you CAN GET FINANCING on those condo/townhouses complexes. MANY lenders don’t lend on them because of LOW owner occupancy – i.e. rentals. That is the case with Southpointe which hovers right around 50% ( I was contemplating buying there last year). Another reason for not obtaining financing is various litigations with the HOA involved. It’s better you find that out right away before wasting too much time considering them. It can vary with the complex.
Your guesstimate of commute to PQ is about right – in the afternoon maybe more, depending where in PQ, but 5 to 56 backs up pretty bad at 5 oclock.
If you aren’t doing so already, go to open houses in those areas, don’t look at more expensive than 400K and try to narrow down the number of areas you are considering. It will take a while until you get a better handle on pluses and minuses of each area. If you can focus on one area is better. It may take more than 1 year, I wouldn’t hurry such an important process, but you don’t need to be concerned where your oldest goes to kindergarten, even if you have to move him/her in the first grade. Doyle is quite good. API scores for 2010 was above 900.
EDIT: I have a feeling that it might be easier to get financing on the SR townhomes than UTC condos or LJ Village Sq townhomes, but again, I would check that out with a broker.
February 22, 2011 at 3:35 PM #670346ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]I love UC and if I could buy a house here, it would be my first choice. PQ probably second. CV if I win the lottery.
My commute to work is anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on lights. This allows me more time with my boys and this is something I will lose if I move to PQ. I am guessing the commute to and from PQ to UC is 35-40 minutes. I would probably leave at 8:15am in the morning – probably the worst time to be on the road. And go home at 5 – equally bad timing.
This won’t be a decision I make lightly so that’s why I am anticipating a 1 year time frame.[/quote]
The problem, at your range, with UC is that condos attract either students or more riff-raff (as renters). Many are not well built, HOAs are high, can be raised even further.
What you should try to find out is if you CAN GET FINANCING on those condo/townhouses complexes. MANY lenders don’t lend on them because of LOW owner occupancy – i.e. rentals. That is the case with Southpointe which hovers right around 50% ( I was contemplating buying there last year). Another reason for not obtaining financing is various litigations with the HOA involved. It’s better you find that out right away before wasting too much time considering them. It can vary with the complex.
Your guesstimate of commute to PQ is about right – in the afternoon maybe more, depending where in PQ, but 5 to 56 backs up pretty bad at 5 oclock.
If you aren’t doing so already, go to open houses in those areas, don’t look at more expensive than 400K and try to narrow down the number of areas you are considering. It will take a while until you get a better handle on pluses and minuses of each area. If you can focus on one area is better. It may take more than 1 year, I wouldn’t hurry such an important process, but you don’t need to be concerned where your oldest goes to kindergarten, even if you have to move him/her in the first grade. Doyle is quite good. API scores for 2010 was above 900.
EDIT: I have a feeling that it might be easier to get financing on the SR townhomes than UTC condos or LJ Village Sq townhomes, but again, I would check that out with a broker.
February 22, 2011 at 3:35 PM #670486ScarlettParticipant[quote=sdmove]I love UC and if I could buy a house here, it would be my first choice. PQ probably second. CV if I win the lottery.
My commute to work is anywhere from 2-8 minutes depending on lights. This allows me more time with my boys and this is something I will lose if I move to PQ. I am guessing the commute to and from PQ to UC is 35-40 minutes. I would probably leave at 8:15am in the morning – probably the worst time to be on the road. And go home at 5 – equally bad timing.
This won’t be a decision I make lightly so that’s why I am anticipating a 1 year time frame.[/quote]
The problem, at your range, with UC is that condos attract either students or more riff-raff (as renters). Many are not well built, HOAs are high, can be raised even further.
What you should try to find out is if you CAN GET FINANCING on those condo/townhouses complexes. MANY lenders don’t lend on them because of LOW owner occupancy – i.e. rentals. That is the case with Southpointe which hovers right around 50% ( I was contemplating buying there last year). Another reason for not obtaining financing is various litigations with the HOA involved. It’s better you find that out right away before wasting too much time considering them. It can vary with the complex.
Your guesstimate of commute to PQ is about right – in the afternoon maybe more, depending where in PQ, but 5 to 56 backs up pretty bad at 5 oclock.
If you aren’t doing so already, go to open houses in those areas, don’t look at more expensive than 400K and try to narrow down the number of areas you are considering. It will take a while until you get a better handle on pluses and minuses of each area. If you can focus on one area is better. It may take more than 1 year, I wouldn’t hurry such an important process, but you don’t need to be concerned where your oldest goes to kindergarten, even if you have to move him/her in the first grade. Doyle is quite good. API scores for 2010 was above 900.
EDIT: I have a feeling that it might be easier to get financing on the SR townhomes than UTC condos or LJ Village Sq townhomes, but again, I would check that out with a broker.
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