Highlands Village in Carmel Valley: need advice!

[Scarlett]

[quote=lepetitangel]Yah.
I guess one reason we started looking is just because I was worried that market is not gonna go down too much more. A lot of people on the forum seem to think market will be down/flat in the next 0~5-years. Do you agree?

Yah…I wanted 1800+ sqft cuz if we do have kids, my in-laws may move in and help for a bit. In that case, having both me and hubby, in-laws and baby, I think we def. need 3+ rooms. It’ll be nice to have large living area as well. That’s the reason why we want to buy. But then again, we can wait for another 2+ years.

It’s just so hard to time the bottom of things…when is the housing gonna hit bottom?

Seems like the current bottom is about March 2009 (same as stock market). But I don’t know if we will revisit the buttom. What you think?[/quote]

I agree that if you have parents living in with you, you need 3+ bdr and at least 1800 sf. Rather than stretching yourself thin now and compromising too much on the house, why don’t you wait and save for that time.

I also think that the market will not go up anytime soon, therefore flat or slightly down for the next few years. I believe in the double dip and I think we’ll see the spring 2009 prices again, and lower, as many on this forum do. But nobody has a crystal bar and very few anticipated how much the government intervened to prop the price up (or to slow their decline). But YOU need to think about all scenarios and see what’s the downside of waiting for YOU. What is the amount of risk and wait you can tolerate.

It doesn’t matter what I think. One cannot time the bottom. Better buy in a more solid normal market, in a better economy, on the way up. I don’t know when that would be, but sure as hell is not now.

From what I get from you – it’s the commute now, and kids+inlaws, later. Well, if the commute is that bad, then rent in CV something small and SAVE. I can’t tell if you should sell, or rent your place out. Then when kids come, buy a larger house. Rates will stay low for a while. So will prices, if they don’t go even lower. What if you buy now and all hell breaks loose and houses dip another 50% in a couple years? Will you still be ok with the house you bought? If you have to move, what do you do then – take a bath, or rent it out for less than P&I – are you ok with that?

[Scarlett]

Plan 4 needs to be into the low to mid 500s to be a steal, IMHO. And the others plans accordingly into high 400s…Remember, NO yard.

[Scarlett]

Plan 4 needs to be into the low to mid 500s to be a steal, IMHO. And the others plans accordingly into high 400s…Remember, NO yard.

[Scarlett]

Plan 4 needs to be into the low to mid 500s to be a steal, IMHO. And the others plans accordingly into high 400s…Remember, NO yard.

[Scarlett]

Plan 4 needs to be into the low to mid 500s to be a steal, IMHO. And the others plans accordingly into high 400s…Remember, NO yard.

[Scarlett]

Plan 4 needs to be into the low to mid 500s to be a steal, IMHO. And the others plans accordingly into high 400s…Remember, NO yard.

[cvmom]

Am late to post here, but yes our small CV house does have the (small) kitchen separated from the rest of the house. And I am one of the ones who prefers an open floorplan. But having the location and the price we got offset that downside for me.

Good luck with finding the house you want! If you ask me, it sounds like you really want to be in CV…

[cvmom]

Am late to post here, but yes our small CV house does have the (small) kitchen separated from the rest of the house. And I am one of the ones who prefers an open floorplan. But having the location and the price we got offset that downside for me.

Good luck with finding the house you want! If you ask me, it sounds like you really want to be in CV…

[cvmom]

Am late to post here, but yes our small CV house does have the (small) kitchen separated from the rest of the house. And I am one of the ones who prefers an open floorplan. But having the location and the price we got offset that downside for me.

Good luck with finding the house you want! If you ask me, it sounds like you really want to be in CV…

[cvmom]

Am late to post here, but yes our small CV house does have the (small) kitchen separated from the rest of the house. And I am one of the ones who prefers an open floorplan. But having the location and the price we got offset that downside for me.

Good luck with finding the house you want! If you ask me, it sounds like you really want to be in CV…

[cvmom]

Am late to post here, but yes our small CV house does have the (small) kitchen separated from the rest of the house. And I am one of the ones who prefers an open floorplan. But having the location and the price we got offset that downside for me.

Good luck with finding the house you want! If you ask me, it sounds like you really want to be in CV…

[joec]

I still think your best bet is to just wait a bit more and save for a larger down payment. Since you don’t need the space yet until kids, and with in-laws living with you, it sounds like a SFH is probably what you really want to be in…in CV as well. I can understand worrying about missing the bottom, but most people here don’t think it will rocket back up so you should have time to buy something which is a better fit long term…As mentioned before, transactions in real estate cost a lot of time and money so I know I wouldn’t buy something short term now, and then when kids come, be forced to find something else quickly again…

I wouldn’t bank on pricing changing too much in 6 months. A lot of the new home builders are really controlling their supply so will only build as much as they can to sell easily. Especially Pardee and CV so you are sorta stuck since they own all? (most) of the land out there. We looked at the Carriage Homes and I think they are still the same price as they were 2 years ago (low 700k? I think).

I’m probably in the minority camp that thinks the market is probably flat/slight down depending on area. There are enough piggs that have bought to make me think that way or it’s “close enough” for all those folks to buy themselves. However, I don’t think any of those bought homes in CV so maybe that area still has some room to fall.

I know the new places in 4S ranch were all selling same day and some of the earlier phases all sold out in an hour so the builder is probably not lying when they say they have enough folks on the waiting list already. Best bet is to just get yourself on the waiting list as well and go during a release day to see how quickly they sell. If you aren’t on the waiting list, you really don’t have a chance to even buy in Dec.

Inventory tends to drop come Sep so your choices become very limited in terms of resale homes so I’d probably wait longer if I was in your shoes…

Lastly, don’t worry too much about timing the exact bottom. No one can do that anyways, but from reading about your situation, you don’t really “need” more space or a SFH yet so until you do, might as well watch or rent instead, then save more now for something which will be a better fit maybe in a year or 2 instead and plan to stay for a longer time afterwards.

[joec]

I still think your best bet is to just wait a bit more and save for a larger down payment. Since you don’t need the space yet until kids, and with in-laws living with you, it sounds like a SFH is probably what you really want to be in…in CV as well. I can understand worrying about missing the bottom, but most people here don’t think it will rocket back up so you should have time to buy something which is a better fit long term…As mentioned before, transactions in real estate cost a lot of time and money so I know I wouldn’t buy something short term now, and then when kids come, be forced to find something else quickly again…

I wouldn’t bank on pricing changing too much in 6 months. A lot of the new home builders are really controlling their supply so will only build as much as they can to sell easily. Especially Pardee and CV so you are sorta stuck since they own all? (most) of the land out there. We looked at the Carriage Homes and I think they are still the same price as they were 2 years ago (low 700k? I think).

I’m probably in the minority camp that thinks the market is probably flat/slight down depending on area. There are enough piggs that have bought to make me think that way or it’s “close enough” for all those folks to buy themselves. However, I don’t think any of those bought homes in CV so maybe that area still has some room to fall.

I know the new places in 4S ranch were all selling same day and some of the earlier phases all sold out in an hour so the builder is probably not lying when they say they have enough folks on the waiting list already. Best bet is to just get yourself on the waiting list as well and go during a release day to see how quickly they sell. If you aren’t on the waiting list, you really don’t have a chance to even buy in Dec.

Inventory tends to drop come Sep so your choices become very limited in terms of resale homes so I’d probably wait longer if I was in your shoes…

Lastly, don’t worry too much about timing the exact bottom. No one can do that anyways, but from reading about your situation, you don’t really “need” more space or a SFH yet so until you do, might as well watch or rent instead, then save more now for something which will be a better fit maybe in a year or 2 instead and plan to stay for a longer time afterwards.

[joec]

I still think your best bet is to just wait a bit more and save for a larger down payment. Since you don’t need the space yet until kids, and with in-laws living with you, it sounds like a SFH is probably what you really want to be in…in CV as well. I can understand worrying about missing the bottom, but most people here don’t think it will rocket back up so you should have time to buy something which is a better fit long term…As mentioned before, transactions in real estate cost a lot of time and money so I know I wouldn’t buy something short term now, and then when kids come, be forced to find something else quickly again…

I wouldn’t bank on pricing changing too much in 6 months. A lot of the new home builders are really controlling their supply so will only build as much as they can to sell easily. Especially Pardee and CV so you are sorta stuck since they own all? (most) of the land out there. We looked at the Carriage Homes and I think they are still the same price as they were 2 years ago (low 700k? I think).

I’m probably in the minority camp that thinks the market is probably flat/slight down depending on area. There are enough piggs that have bought to make me think that way or it’s “close enough” for all those folks to buy themselves. However, I don’t think any of those bought homes in CV so maybe that area still has some room to fall.

I know the new places in 4S ranch were all selling same day and some of the earlier phases all sold out in an hour so the builder is probably not lying when they say they have enough folks on the waiting list already. Best bet is to just get yourself on the waiting list as well and go during a release day to see how quickly they sell. If you aren’t on the waiting list, you really don’t have a chance to even buy in Dec.

Inventory tends to drop come Sep so your choices become very limited in terms of resale homes so I’d probably wait longer if I was in your shoes…

Lastly, don’t worry too much about timing the exact bottom. No one can do that anyways, but from reading about your situation, you don’t really “need” more space or a SFH yet so until you do, might as well watch or rent instead, then save more now for something which will be a better fit maybe in a year or 2 instead and plan to stay for a longer time afterwards.

[joec]

I still think your best bet is to just wait a bit more and save for a larger down payment. Since you don’t need the space yet until kids, and with in-laws living with you, it sounds like a SFH is probably what you really want to be in…in CV as well. I can understand worrying about missing the bottom, but most people here don’t think it will rocket back up so you should have time to buy something which is a better fit long term…As mentioned before, transactions in real estate cost a lot of time and money so I know I wouldn’t buy something short term now, and then when kids come, be forced to find something else quickly again…

I wouldn’t bank on pricing changing too much in 6 months. A lot of the new home builders are really controlling their supply so will only build as much as they can to sell easily. Especially Pardee and CV so you are sorta stuck since they own all? (most) of the land out there. We looked at the Carriage Homes and I think they are still the same price as they were 2 years ago (low 700k? I think).

I’m probably in the minority camp that thinks the market is probably flat/slight down depending on area. There are enough piggs that have bought to make me think that way or it’s “close enough” for all those folks to buy themselves. However, I don’t think any of those bought homes in CV so maybe that area still has some room to fall.

I know the new places in 4S ranch were all selling same day and some of the earlier phases all sold out in an hour so the builder is probably not lying when they say they have enough folks on the waiting list already. Best bet is to just get yourself on the waiting list as well and go during a release day to see how quickly they sell. If you aren’t on the waiting list, you really don’t have a chance to even buy in Dec.

Inventory tends to drop come Sep so your choices become very limited in terms of resale homes so I’d probably wait longer if I was in your shoes…

Lastly, don’t worry too much about timing the exact bottom. No one can do that anyways, but from reading about your situation, you don’t really “need” more space or a SFH yet so until you do, might as well watch or rent instead, then save more now for something which will be a better fit maybe in a year or 2 instead and plan to stay for a longer time afterwards.

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