How much longer to wait before buy real estate?

[Reality]

Nice post JES. Sounds great. But I already have a job here in San Diego, and am NOT willing to move without something lined up. And I think it’s probably very difficult to line up a job out of state.

I’ve been unemployed, on the outside looking in, and NEVER want to go there again.

[sdrealtor]

Des Moines = Encinitas?

[sdrealtor]

Des Moines = Encinitas?

[recordsclerk]

Instead of trying to time the market in terms of what year to buy, I have set my barometer on 2001 pricing. I do not think you can go wrong with 2001 prices. I do not know for sure if prices will retract back to 2001, but if they do, that will be a good time to enter the market.

[recordsclerk]

Instead of trying to time the market in terms of what year to buy, I have set my barometer on 2001 pricing. I do not think you can go wrong with 2001 prices. I do not know for sure if prices will retract back to 2001, but if they do, that will be a good time to enter the market.

[PerryChase]

Glad it’s working out for you JES. With the same salary as in California and a great house for about $150k, you can’t go wrong.

But think that SD prices are bad? In Manhattan, prices are triple and quadruple. But some people, like my friend, would never even consider moving accross the river to New Jersey. It’s all a state of mind.

Personally, I think that, in San Diego, I’m saving money on winter clothes, utilities and pest control. In SD the heating/cooling bill is minimal. On the East Coast, my friends have to pay for monthly pest control service.

[PerryChase]

Glad it’s working out for you JES. With the same salary as in California and a great house for about $150k, you can’t go wrong.

But think that SD prices are bad? In Manhattan, prices are triple and quadruple. But some people, like my friend, would never even consider moving accross the river to New Jersey. It’s all a state of mind.

Personally, I think that, in San Diego, I’m saving money on winter clothes, utilities and pest control. In SD the heating/cooling bill is minimal. On the East Coast, my friends have to pay for monthly pest control service.

[gn]

My commute went from 1 hour to 5 minutes, my salary stayed the same

JES, just out of curiosity. What is your profession ?

[gn]

My commute went from 1 hour to 5 minutes, my salary stayed the same

JES, just out of curiosity. What is your profession ?

[eyePod]

JES,
Great post! Where do you work if I may ask? I see most folks simply don’t believe you. I have noticed for some time the pro-SoCal sentiment on this board. This idea of SoCal being such a wonderful place is really an anachronism in many ways.

[eyePod]

JES,
Great post! Where do you work if I may ask? I see most folks simply don’t believe you. I have noticed for some time the pro-SoCal sentiment on this board. This idea of SoCal being such a wonderful place is really an anachronism in many ways.

[JES]

I work for the federal government. I wouldn’t want to paint the picture that everything is perfect here in Iowa, but for families in situations like ours, it makes sense and life is as good or better than SoCal for us. For single people in their 20s, I would recommend living in a place like PB in San Diego, and I have encouraged a few people here to actually move out there, get out of Iowa, and experience the world. Also, for families who make 150k+ a year, San Diego offers quite a few choices, and were I in that boat I would be tempted to live in a place like Encinitas or Carlsbad. Instead, I make half that, my wife doesn’t work, and my quality of life – minus the weather, beach, mountains, Mexico, Vegas etc., is pretty good. But at this stage in my life I’m more worried about good schools, safe communities, reasonable cost of living etc. One downside is that we truly miss our relatives in San Diego. That is by far the hardest part…

[JES]

I work for the federal government. I wouldn’t want to paint the picture that everything is perfect here in Iowa, but for families in situations like ours, it makes sense and life is as good or better than SoCal for us. For single people in their 20s, I would recommend living in a place like PB in San Diego, and I have encouraged a few people here to actually move out there, get out of Iowa, and experience the world. Also, for families who make 150k+ a year, San Diego offers quite a few choices, and were I in that boat I would be tempted to live in a place like Encinitas or Carlsbad. Instead, I make half that, my wife doesn’t work, and my quality of life – minus the weather, beach, mountains, Mexico, Vegas etc., is pretty good. But at this stage in my life I’m more worried about good schools, safe communities, reasonable cost of living etc. One downside is that we truly miss our relatives in San Diego. That is by far the hardest part…

[pemeliza]

I guess our story is similar to yours JES. We lived
in a premier neighborhood in Encinitas and essentially gave
our house away late ’03 before the massive runup. By
mid ’04 we had enough of trying to buy back in
and headed to Chapel Hill NC.

Luckily we bought in at a fairly decent time for this area
and have done well on our new house. It wasn’t cheap
(450k) but we have an acre smack dab in the middle of
Chapel Hill, 3400 ft on one level, and can
walk to Whole Foods and soon a new Trader Joes.

Like you our biggest problem is no family. The second
biggest problem is mosquitos. Other than that we love
it here. The beaches are actually quite nice (Kure
especially) and remind me of old school Encinitas.
The weather is actually not quite as bad as what you are
probably led to believe. The spring and fall are really
quite nice. The winters are mild and the summers well
there’s the problem … but hey summers are visiting
folks in San Diego right?

The schools are excellent and well this is a premier
college town so there is a lot to do.

If we do move back
it would probably be to North Poway which I think is kind
of an underrated area on this board. The location isn’t
perfect but at least you can get some privacy, schools,
views and fairly funky housing stock. One thing is for
sure I couldn’t do the damn tract home thing again.

[pemeliza]

I guess our story is similar to yours JES. We lived
in a premier neighborhood in Encinitas and essentially gave
our house away late ’03 before the massive runup. By
mid ’04 we had enough of trying to buy back in
and headed to Chapel Hill NC.

Luckily we bought in at a fairly decent time for this area
and have done well on our new house. It wasn’t cheap
(450k) but we have an acre smack dab in the middle of
Chapel Hill, 3400 ft on one level, and can
walk to Whole Foods and soon a new Trader Joes.

Like you our biggest problem is no family. The second
biggest problem is mosquitos. Other than that we love
it here. The beaches are actually quite nice (Kure
especially) and remind me of old school Encinitas.
The weather is actually not quite as bad as what you are
probably led to believe. The spring and fall are really
quite nice. The winters are mild and the summers well
there’s the problem … but hey summers are visiting
folks in San Diego right?

The schools are excellent and well this is a premier
college town so there is a lot to do.

If we do move back
it would probably be to North Poway which I think is kind
of an underrated area on this board. The location isn’t
perfect but at least you can get some privacy, schools,
views and fairly funky housing stock. One thing is for
sure I couldn’t do the damn tract home thing again.

[Author]

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