Is San Diego overpriced or is it just corrected?

[CardiffBaseball]

I have thought about splitting myself, but I’d be uprooting the kids again. I can take a transfer to say Atlanta, and keep the same salary, but that place doesn’t interest me. Possibly one of the Texas cities, and of course Cleveland (due to family reasons) but I don’t want to go anywhere if there is a cut in pay involved, I have too many good things going on outside of work in the two years I’ve been here.

I am not quite 40 and some day I’ll probably go to NYC, but it’s never been a priority. From Youngstown where I previously lived it was around 400 miles away. Thinking back I should have just driven there at some point, but I was too provincial. I remember being in Tokyo in early 2001 and how my co-workers could not believe I had never been to NYC. The funny thing was I flew threw Newark, and remember looking out at the twin towers thinking, I ought to come out here some day. Now I can barely afford to fly home to visit family, and where I come from, you visit family before taking vacation.

In general I hate traveling anywhere. I probably burned out when I used to be a consultant who had to get on a plane and go somewhere every week. The flight to Tokyo was looonng. I also flew to Amsterdam a couple months later, and to Glasgow, and those weren’t too bad, but it does get tiresome sitting in that smelly tube.

[Alex_angel]

You’re only are bored as you want to be. Sitting at home watching TV to some is fun, so who cares if you live in San Diego or Ohio. To others, hiking is fun, or surfing etc… It’s all relative. It makes me laugh at how much people bash this city yet are on the sidelines waiting to buy a home here. skityy willie.

[Alex_angel]

You’re only are bored as you want to be. Sitting at home watching TV to some is fun, so who cares if you live in San Diego or Ohio. To others, hiking is fun, or surfing etc… It’s all relative. It makes me laugh at how much people bash this city yet are on the sidelines waiting to buy a home here. skityy willie.

[Alex_angel]

You’re only are bored as you want to be. Sitting at home watching TV to some is fun, so who cares if you live in San Diego or Ohio. To others, hiking is fun, or surfing etc… It’s all relative. It makes me laugh at how much people bash this city yet are on the sidelines waiting to buy a home here. skityy willie.

[SHILOH]

How many rich Sony execs are moving here?
I can’t even remember the last time I bought something made by Sony.

Can one company of employees like Sony float the whole bloated SD housing market? Unless companies like Sony plan to pay their employees big $$ —while raising prices on their sub-standard consumer market products…then they -like all the rest — can’t afford to do business in SD.

The fact is…it’s been said ad nauseam on this blog—the fundamentals: median incomes do not support mortgages that are 10X the median income. If housing costs suck up all the “expendable” income…consumers have no money to consume on all the stuff they want us to buy.

It’s also been said before that there comes a point when home “ownership” costs are not worth it, where renting allows for more financial stability.

It’s a nice thought to think that employers like Sony will move in — but to keep prices high because of all their rich execs –begs the question how much will that cost Sony -and how many execs are there??

[SHILOH]

How many rich Sony execs are moving here?
I can’t even remember the last time I bought something made by Sony.

Can one company of employees like Sony float the whole bloated SD housing market? Unless companies like Sony plan to pay their employees big $$ —while raising prices on their sub-standard consumer market products…then they -like all the rest — can’t afford to do business in SD.

The fact is…it’s been said ad nauseam on this blog—the fundamentals: median incomes do not support mortgages that are 10X the median income. If housing costs suck up all the “expendable” income…consumers have no money to consume on all the stuff they want us to buy.

It’s also been said before that there comes a point when home “ownership” costs are not worth it, where renting allows for more financial stability.

It’s a nice thought to think that employers like Sony will move in — but to keep prices high because of all their rich execs –begs the question how much will that cost Sony -and how many execs are there??

[SHILOH]

How many rich Sony execs are moving here?
I can’t even remember the last time I bought something made by Sony.

Can one company of employees like Sony float the whole bloated SD housing market? Unless companies like Sony plan to pay their employees big $$ —while raising prices on their sub-standard consumer market products…then they -like all the rest — can’t afford to do business in SD.

The fact is…it’s been said ad nauseam on this blog—the fundamentals: median incomes do not support mortgages that are 10X the median income. If housing costs suck up all the “expendable” income…consumers have no money to consume on all the stuff they want us to buy.

It’s also been said before that there comes a point when home “ownership” costs are not worth it, where renting allows for more financial stability.

It’s a nice thought to think that employers like Sony will move in — but to keep prices high because of all their rich execs –begs the question how much will that cost Sony -and how many execs are there??

[SD Realtor]

I responded to lniles post primarly to thank the gods above for telecom and gainful employment for the last 25 years. However, I don’t think I will ever leave San Diego. If so it would be a radical departure perhaps to live in Australia in a coastal area over there but that would be more pipe dream/retirement then anything else. Last winter we took the toddlers and dog to the snow in the morning and then went back to dog beach at rivermouth and were home by 3. Going to college at UCSD and living in Mission Beach was priceless. Some of the beach towns from OB (insert joke here….but OB does have character) to Encinitas are cool. I can work all week and cut out to the track to catch 4 o’clock Fridays… The urban center is what you want to make of it. If you crave culture and an urban experience then San Diego may not be your place. Most everyone here would take the 1977 version of San Diego over the 2007 version but I still like it here. I will bitch and moan about the cost of living here and most likely endure a lower quality of life because of the hours I have to work as opposed to living elsewhere. However family is here and above all that is the priority. I guess the weather is not to bad either.

[SD Realtor]

I responded to lniles post primarly to thank the gods above for telecom and gainful employment for the last 25 years. However, I don’t think I will ever leave San Diego. If so it would be a radical departure perhaps to live in Australia in a coastal area over there but that would be more pipe dream/retirement then anything else. Last winter we took the toddlers and dog to the snow in the morning and then went back to dog beach at rivermouth and were home by 3. Going to college at UCSD and living in Mission Beach was priceless. Some of the beach towns from OB (insert joke here….but OB does have character) to Encinitas are cool. I can work all week and cut out to the track to catch 4 o’clock Fridays… The urban center is what you want to make of it. If you crave culture and an urban experience then San Diego may not be your place. Most everyone here would take the 1977 version of San Diego over the 2007 version but I still like it here. I will bitch and moan about the cost of living here and most likely endure a lower quality of life because of the hours I have to work as opposed to living elsewhere. However family is here and above all that is the priority. I guess the weather is not to bad either.

[SD Realtor]

I responded to lniles post primarly to thank the gods above for telecom and gainful employment for the last 25 years. However, I don’t think I will ever leave San Diego. If so it would be a radical departure perhaps to live in Australia in a coastal area over there but that would be more pipe dream/retirement then anything else. Last winter we took the toddlers and dog to the snow in the morning and then went back to dog beach at rivermouth and were home by 3. Going to college at UCSD and living in Mission Beach was priceless. Some of the beach towns from OB (insert joke here….but OB does have character) to Encinitas are cool. I can work all week and cut out to the track to catch 4 o’clock Fridays… The urban center is what you want to make of it. If you crave culture and an urban experience then San Diego may not be your place. Most everyone here would take the 1977 version of San Diego over the 2007 version but I still like it here. I will bitch and moan about the cost of living here and most likely endure a lower quality of life because of the hours I have to work as opposed to living elsewhere. However family is here and above all that is the priority. I guess the weather is not to bad either.

[ibjames]

I grew up in Milwaukee and spent much time in Chicago. While it has all the things you speak of, it doesn’t have many things San Diego has. It all depends on what you are looking for.

To me a lot of Chicago is just urban sprawl, everything is old, and concrete. Trees have a small hole they are planted in the sidewalk. Buildings are crammed together and winters are long and grey. All cars seem to have some sort of dent in them from bad traffic and the basic clusterf*ck that is Chicago.

San Diego can be the same, but I have never read a full section of the newspaper while stuck in traffic in San Diego. I have never had to wait the long toll lines or drive my salt laden car with bad wipers hardly able to see in San Diego.

I keep my windows open almost year round, I come home and ride my bike with a surf board on it to see what small waves I can play in. I walk on the beach with my wife on Sundays and we share a coffee and enjoy the sun. We drive up to a winery and sip wine and enjoy the scenery. No hustle, no bustle, just enjoying life.

You guys talk about extra things to do, and cultural interaction that you are missing. I’m talking about daily life. Being able to feel a cool breeze off of the ocean on a warm day, and taking a dip. Try that in lake michigan, if you can even take a dip, because the water is unsafe a lot of times or just too cold. That cool breeze? Yeah, usually smells like crap coming off the lake.

Different strokes for different folks.

[ibjames]

I grew up in Milwaukee and spent much time in Chicago. While it has all the things you speak of, it doesn’t have many things San Diego has. It all depends on what you are looking for.

To me a lot of Chicago is just urban sprawl, everything is old, and concrete. Trees have a small hole they are planted in the sidewalk. Buildings are crammed together and winters are long and grey. All cars seem to have some sort of dent in them from bad traffic and the basic clusterf*ck that is Chicago.

San Diego can be the same, but I have never read a full section of the newspaper while stuck in traffic in San Diego. I have never had to wait the long toll lines or drive my salt laden car with bad wipers hardly able to see in San Diego.

I keep my windows open almost year round, I come home and ride my bike with a surf board on it to see what small waves I can play in. I walk on the beach with my wife on Sundays and we share a coffee and enjoy the sun. We drive up to a winery and sip wine and enjoy the scenery. No hustle, no bustle, just enjoying life.

You guys talk about extra things to do, and cultural interaction that you are missing. I’m talking about daily life. Being able to feel a cool breeze off of the ocean on a warm day, and taking a dip. Try that in lake michigan, if you can even take a dip, because the water is unsafe a lot of times or just too cold. That cool breeze? Yeah, usually smells like crap coming off the lake.

Different strokes for different folks.

[ibjames]

I grew up in Milwaukee and spent much time in Chicago. While it has all the things you speak of, it doesn’t have many things San Diego has. It all depends on what you are looking for.

To me a lot of Chicago is just urban sprawl, everything is old, and concrete. Trees have a small hole they are planted in the sidewalk. Buildings are crammed together and winters are long and grey. All cars seem to have some sort of dent in them from bad traffic and the basic clusterf*ck that is Chicago.

San Diego can be the same, but I have never read a full section of the newspaper while stuck in traffic in San Diego. I have never had to wait the long toll lines or drive my salt laden car with bad wipers hardly able to see in San Diego.

I keep my windows open almost year round, I come home and ride my bike with a surf board on it to see what small waves I can play in. I walk on the beach with my wife on Sundays and we share a coffee and enjoy the sun. We drive up to a winery and sip wine and enjoy the scenery. No hustle, no bustle, just enjoying life.

You guys talk about extra things to do, and cultural interaction that you are missing. I’m talking about daily life. Being able to feel a cool breeze off of the ocean on a warm day, and taking a dip. Try that in lake michigan, if you can even take a dip, because the water is unsafe a lot of times or just too cold. That cool breeze? Yeah, usually smells like crap coming off the lake.

Different strokes for different folks.

[cyphire]

I agree with all you say about San Diego… It doesn’t have the urban toughness, etc. I was on Long Island (outside of NYC) driving to my old company about a year and a half ago. I was crawling on the Long Island Expressway, there was a driving freezing rain, I couldn’t see anything, was cold and miserable, and the traffic went 10 miles an hour for 2 hours.

I kept telling myself that thank god I live in SD.

The problem is that there is so much missing out here. And to the previous poster – you can watch TV either here or Ohio, but your mortgage precludes you from relaxing in SD.

Now I say THANK GOD I sold my house in Dec 2006 and am renting!

To the poster that talked about the dog beach, the skiing, ect., these are nice but the rest of the country has awesome stuff to do as well.

In NY I could drive up to ski, could go to the beach (warm water), could go play golf, go to real museums and real theater (still like the Old Globe, but it’s not Broadway!), and the clubs were fantastic. It’s a different fast paced lifestyle, but Central Park is amazing… truly amazing. Balboa Park doesn’t cut it because it isn’t an oasis like CP is. I still want to be here, not NY… NY is for when you are 20 something (like PB), but for every attraction and cool thing about San Diego, I can name 5 in any other city.

p.s. New York has real weather. that is very, very cool. It is also a pain in the ass. But sometimes the neutral warmth of SD isn’t so awesome either. We live in La Jolla and it was basically cold and damp this winter. Not freezing, but not like a warm tropical island

[cyphire]

I agree with all you say about San Diego… It doesn’t have the urban toughness, etc. I was on Long Island (outside of NYC) driving to my old company about a year and a half ago. I was crawling on the Long Island Expressway, there was a driving freezing rain, I couldn’t see anything, was cold and miserable, and the traffic went 10 miles an hour for 2 hours.

I kept telling myself that thank god I live in SD.

The problem is that there is so much missing out here. And to the previous poster – you can watch TV either here or Ohio, but your mortgage precludes you from relaxing in SD.

Now I say THANK GOD I sold my house in Dec 2006 and am renting!

To the poster that talked about the dog beach, the skiing, ect., these are nice but the rest of the country has awesome stuff to do as well.

In NY I could drive up to ski, could go to the beach (warm water), could go play golf, go to real museums and real theater (still like the Old Globe, but it’s not Broadway!), and the clubs were fantastic. It’s a different fast paced lifestyle, but Central Park is amazing… truly amazing. Balboa Park doesn’t cut it because it isn’t an oasis like CP is. I still want to be here, not NY… NY is for when you are 20 something (like PB), but for every attraction and cool thing about San Diego, I can name 5 in any other city.

p.s. New York has real weather. that is very, very cool. It is also a pain in the ass. But sometimes the neutral warmth of SD isn’t so awesome either. We live in La Jolla and it was basically cold and damp this winter. Not freezing, but not like a warm tropical island

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