Not really familiar with areas

[ibjames]

My wife and I are trying to get more familiar with areas around here. We really like living in PB because we ride our bikes on the boardwalk frequently or get a coffee and walk on the beach. We’d really like to have access to something like that but it seems like prices in PB will sustain.

She works in Sorrento Valley, I work in Carlsbad. I was thinking Encinitas.

What do you guys think? Are there any other areas that you think will give us access to things like this but might be more vulnerable to dropping prices?

I think I would love to live in North PB, but it just doesn’t seem like prices are dropping at all.

[SD Realtor]

Hi James –

I lived in crown point for years and loved it. My wife and I hit the path from Crown Point Park all the way around the bay down to the boardwalk to the jetty and back. It was really nice even though the summertime brought in all the zonies.

I kind of agree with you that getting a home in PB maybe tough. Others feel that north PB will fall substantially but I do not. Just an opinion.

Unfortunately there is no real boardwalk anywhere along the north county coast but that does not mean the beaches are not nice and the lifestyle is good as well. I think that your best bet may be Encinitas. I don’t know your price range but getting something east of El Camino Real may become more affordable in the next few years. You will also get more home/lot for the money up there. Of course that is not anywhere close to walking or biking distance to the beach. Moonlight is a nice beach, no boardwalk but nice.

Our decision while living in PB was to enjoy the lifestyle in the condo we were in and that worked well for us for many years. Once kids came along the lifestyle and priorities changed. So if kids are not in your future, maybe you should consider a condo in north PB or Crown Point as those are DEFINITELY coming down in price. Be patient…

Realtor

[lniles]

If traffic bothers your wife, you might want to consider that a morning commute Northward on the 5 is far easier than Southward and an evening commute Southward is far easier than Northward. If you end up in Encinitas it’s going to suck for your wife getting to/from Sorrento Valley every day. If you live somewhere more Southern (PB for example) it might be easier for both of you.

Bay Park is just East of the 5 near PB with fairly easy access to the bay and bike/rollerblade/walking paths. You can also head East from there to some great restaurants and shopping in Clairemont. Bay Park has no mello roos and usually no homo asses (my argot for homeowner’s associations). Their houses range from cheap trash heaps to million-dollar, panoramic-bay-view homes.

[El Jefe]

From what you describe, you enjoy the perks of an ‘urban’ lifestyle. I say urban in the sense that you do not get in a car every time you need a gallon of milk, a cup of sugar, want to grab a sandwich or a beer. I grew up in north county and can tell you that there are very few places where you would find a similar lifestyle. Del Mar, Encinitas, Leucadia, Carlsbad and Oceanside. The catch is that you MUST be west of 5 or you way as well be living in Mira Mesa or Poway. I too prize the ability of parking my car on Friday and not getting back into it until Monday morning, but I think that you will have a hard time finding anything in Encinitas for less money than you would in PB. PB has always been known as one of the best values in beach front real estate in SD after OB. Unless you want to load your bikes into your truck and drive them down to the beach.

As for the stability of the PB real estate market, I respectfully disagree with anyone who thinks that the market will hold values through the coming cycle. If anything, I feel the PB market will get hit proportionally harder than some of the other areas due to the demographic of purchasers that the PB market attracted… 1st time buyers with that were previously renting in the area that want to be able to get their kayak to the bay, their surfboard to the beach and their Schwinn cruiser to the Liars Club without getting in a car. I watched these people, and people just like them rush in and buy these ex-rental POS houses for top dollar under the “I’ll be priced out forever” clause when their landlord stuck the for sale sign in the front yard, and many/most got in WAY over their heads.

The same happened up in North Park/Kensington/Normal Heights. That demographic was the young hipster with his BSA or old moto guzzi hanging out at Lancers/Live Wire/Red Fox Room, Alibi etc. The disaster has already started up there because of the relative stability of the purchasers.

Pacific Beach will have its day. Now if you are holding your breath for a 50 cents on the dollar deal up on Mt. Soledad, or over by Tourmaline you may be waiting a while, but if you want your beach cottage on beryl there will be screaming deals to be had… just like the last time… and the time before that… and the time before that…

[Anonymous]

As we’ve stated before, PB prices as every other neighborhood in SD will go down dramatically. If you want to see the affect of a housing downturn on PB prices, just check sales prices from any area of PB in 1995-98. Just be willing to wait 3-5 years and you will see the same thing again.

[ibjames]

Yeah, I live near Dawes and Felspar and would just like to move a few blocks north. Doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. Just a nice place not next to the bars.

[lniles]

If you’re gonna buy in that area, check out the photos of this place. It looks like they’ve made a lot of sweet improvements to it inside and out! From the photos and the location I almost feel like it’s worth the $799k price they’re asking, but it might be a busy intersection (Ingraham and Missouri). The trees and landscape are really nice. Why not try a low-ball offer?

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=2146986029

[SD Realtor]

You do not want to live on Ingraham.

SD Realtor

[treylane]

Ok, it’s not PB, it’s got no beach… but I love living in the college area for pretty much the same reasons. Ya get to watch the kooky college kids get into trouble (lingerie parties in November?!)and there’s plenty of stuff to do within walking/biking distance: the school has a full blown gym, pool, bookstore, library, and all the other university facilities, there are dozens of mom+pop as well as chain restaurants, shops, coffee houses, grocery stores, and so on. Stay west of 70th, and not more than a couple blocks south of El Cajon.

The college kids CAN occasionally get a little noisy, but shouldn’t be any worse than PB. Petty crime here seems to be a little lower than PB – bicycles don’t disappear off the porch QUITE so often, fewer bums, etc.

[ibjames]

damn, $799,000? I must have not made myself clear. Perhaps I should be looking at El Cajon forever. I’m hoping to get into a house around 400k tops. That’s why I’m hoping there is a big crash. I currently rent a 2 bedroom for 1650. It would seem silly to me to go up to a 3k mortgage when I could rent for almost half. You guys don’t think prices will get down there?

I couldn’t live off of Ingraham either.

[SD Realtor]

ibjames I have heard you. Why don’t you consider a condo if you want to stay in PB? Much better pricing. Just try to sit tight for awhile and let the pricing come to you. I think the PB condo market will crash much harder and faster then the detached home market.

SD Realtor

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