Seeking opinions on 2 Carmel Valley listings

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck, it is hard to compete with the expectations of a Google gazillionaire. Lots of money chasing a low supply of homes does make it “different there.”

I could have sworn you had a thread talking about the homes you were looking at in the Bay Area in the $2mm to $5mm range. At least some of those homes were 7000 sq ft.

HHH

[raptorduck]

HHH. I know you are not referring to me as a google-gazillionaire. I work for a living. And that price range, as you can imagine, is the very very low end of high end or the high end of ordinary up here. Indeed, your comment is what makes it so different up here. Don’t mistake different for better.

That price range will buy me my version of a dream house in SD, but not here. The size you mention is what I am finding in SD, not here, unless you are talking South San Jose. The few 5k+ sf homes I have found in Los Altos/Los Altos hills are in two categories, (i) in my price range, but on small lots with the extra square footage in the form of a finished basement, or (ii) way out of my league.

Google folks are not the only folks that drive prices here and force us to lower our expectations so much, though the high level Google folks have had a lot to do with price stabalization and increases in Atherton, Woodside, Portala Valley, and even Los Altos Hills.

Either way, I would like to point out that I did not disagree with your post. You were spot on. I was just saying, it could be worse. Here you get 1/2 the house than you do in SD with 1/10th the weather. Nuff said.

[raptorduck]

HHH. I know you are not referring to me as a google-gazillionaire. I work for a living. And that price range, as you can imagine, is the very very low end of high end or the high end of ordinary up here. Indeed, your comment is what makes it so different up here. Don’t mistake different for better.

That price range will buy me my version of a dream house in SD, but not here. The size you mention is what I am finding in SD, not here, unless you are talking South San Jose. The few 5k+ sf homes I have found in Los Altos/Los Altos hills are in two categories, (i) in my price range, but on small lots with the extra square footage in the form of a finished basement, or (ii) way out of my league.

Google folks are not the only folks that drive prices here and force us to lower our expectations so much, though the high level Google folks have had a lot to do with price stabalization and increases in Atherton, Woodside, Portala Valley, and even Los Altos Hills.

Either way, I would like to point out that I did not disagree with your post. You were spot on. I was just saying, it could be worse. Here you get 1/2 the house than you do in SD with 1/10th the weather. Nuff said.

[raptorduck]

HHH. I know you are not referring to me as a google-gazillionaire. I work for a living. And that price range, as you can imagine, is the very very low end of high end or the high end of ordinary up here. Indeed, your comment is what makes it so different up here. Don’t mistake different for better.

That price range will buy me my version of a dream house in SD, but not here. The size you mention is what I am finding in SD, not here, unless you are talking South San Jose. The few 5k+ sf homes I have found in Los Altos/Los Altos hills are in two categories, (i) in my price range, but on small lots with the extra square footage in the form of a finished basement, or (ii) way out of my league.

Google folks are not the only folks that drive prices here and force us to lower our expectations so much, though the high level Google folks have had a lot to do with price stabalization and increases in Atherton, Woodside, Portala Valley, and even Los Altos Hills.

Either way, I would like to point out that I did not disagree with your post. You were spot on. I was just saying, it could be worse. Here you get 1/2 the house than you do in SD with 1/10th the weather. Nuff said.

[raptorduck]

HHH. I know you are not referring to me as a google-gazillionaire. I work for a living. And that price range, as you can imagine, is the very very low end of high end or the high end of ordinary up here. Indeed, your comment is what makes it so different up here. Don’t mistake different for better.

That price range will buy me my version of a dream house in SD, but not here. The size you mention is what I am finding in SD, not here, unless you are talking South San Jose. The few 5k+ sf homes I have found in Los Altos/Los Altos hills are in two categories, (i) in my price range, but on small lots with the extra square footage in the form of a finished basement, or (ii) way out of my league.

Google folks are not the only folks that drive prices here and force us to lower our expectations so much, though the high level Google folks have had a lot to do with price stabalization and increases in Atherton, Woodside, Portala Valley, and even Los Altos Hills.

Either way, I would like to point out that I did not disagree with your post. You were spot on. I was just saying, it could be worse. Here you get 1/2 the house than you do in SD with 1/10th the weather. Nuff said.

[raptorduck]

HHH. I know you are not referring to me as a google-gazillionaire. I work for a living. And that price range, as you can imagine, is the very very low end of high end or the high end of ordinary up here. Indeed, your comment is what makes it so different up here. Don’t mistake different for better.

That price range will buy me my version of a dream house in SD, but not here. The size you mention is what I am finding in SD, not here, unless you are talking South San Jose. The few 5k+ sf homes I have found in Los Altos/Los Altos hills are in two categories, (i) in my price range, but on small lots with the extra square footage in the form of a finished basement, or (ii) way out of my league.

Google folks are not the only folks that drive prices here and force us to lower our expectations so much, though the high level Google folks have had a lot to do with price stabalization and increases in Atherton, Woodside, Portala Valley, and even Los Altos Hills.

Either way, I would like to point out that I did not disagree with your post. You were spot on. I was just saying, it could be worse. Here you get 1/2 the house than you do in SD with 1/10th the weather. Nuff said.

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck,
I was not disagreeing with you either. I was also lamenting what that kind of money buys and how factors other than the current melt down everywhere else can also contribute to the strange and distorted pricing.

I was fascinated by the thread talking about multiple bids on very expensive homes in the Bay Area and the discussion regarding what is driving it. It has been an education to me reading about what drove the bubble.

I ALWAYS used to wonder who the hell was buying all these homes for the ridiculous prices they were paying and now I find out they could no more afford it than I could afford a home in the Bay Area! My ex and I made great money together and never would have bought a home at that price. (Well, to be fair, I wanted more house! but he prevailed.)

Family is pressuring me(in a loving way )to buy in San Diego but never would even have thought of it until now, but I do love Temecula and will probably stay.

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck,
I was not disagreeing with you either. I was also lamenting what that kind of money buys and how factors other than the current melt down everywhere else can also contribute to the strange and distorted pricing.

I was fascinated by the thread talking about multiple bids on very expensive homes in the Bay Area and the discussion regarding what is driving it. It has been an education to me reading about what drove the bubble.

I ALWAYS used to wonder who the hell was buying all these homes for the ridiculous prices they were paying and now I find out they could no more afford it than I could afford a home in the Bay Area! My ex and I made great money together and never would have bought a home at that price. (Well, to be fair, I wanted more house! but he prevailed.)

Family is pressuring me(in a loving way )to buy in San Diego but never would even have thought of it until now, but I do love Temecula and will probably stay.

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck,
I was not disagreeing with you either. I was also lamenting what that kind of money buys and how factors other than the current melt down everywhere else can also contribute to the strange and distorted pricing.

I was fascinated by the thread talking about multiple bids on very expensive homes in the Bay Area and the discussion regarding what is driving it. It has been an education to me reading about what drove the bubble.

I ALWAYS used to wonder who the hell was buying all these homes for the ridiculous prices they were paying and now I find out they could no more afford it than I could afford a home in the Bay Area! My ex and I made great money together and never would have bought a home at that price. (Well, to be fair, I wanted more house! but he prevailed.)

Family is pressuring me(in a loving way )to buy in San Diego but never would even have thought of it until now, but I do love Temecula and will probably stay.

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck,
I was not disagreeing with you either. I was also lamenting what that kind of money buys and how factors other than the current melt down everywhere else can also contribute to the strange and distorted pricing.

I was fascinated by the thread talking about multiple bids on very expensive homes in the Bay Area and the discussion regarding what is driving it. It has been an education to me reading about what drove the bubble.

I ALWAYS used to wonder who the hell was buying all these homes for the ridiculous prices they were paying and now I find out they could no more afford it than I could afford a home in the Bay Area! My ex and I made great money together and never would have bought a home at that price. (Well, to be fair, I wanted more house! but he prevailed.)

Family is pressuring me(in a loving way )to buy in San Diego but never would even have thought of it until now, but I do love Temecula and will probably stay.

[HappyHouseHunting]

Raptorduck,
I was not disagreeing with you either. I was also lamenting what that kind of money buys and how factors other than the current melt down everywhere else can also contribute to the strange and distorted pricing.

I was fascinated by the thread talking about multiple bids on very expensive homes in the Bay Area and the discussion regarding what is driving it. It has been an education to me reading about what drove the bubble.

I ALWAYS used to wonder who the hell was buying all these homes for the ridiculous prices they were paying and now I find out they could no more afford it than I could afford a home in the Bay Area! My ex and I made great money together and never would have bought a home at that price. (Well, to be fair, I wanted more house! but he prevailed.)

Family is pressuring me(in a loving way )to buy in San Diego but never would even have thought of it until now, but I do love Temecula and will probably stay.

[gn]

FLU & Arty brought up an interesting point:

– Newer houses in newer neighborhoods vs. older houses in estalished neighborhoods.

I have always thought buying an older house in an established neighborhood tend to be better because:

1. For the same price, you get a better neighborhood.
2. The demographic in an established neighborhood is less likely to change dramatically. When you pay a certain amount of money for a house, most of that goes toward paying to be among a certain demographic. Your investment is at risk when the demographic changes dramatically.
3. The downside is the maintenance cost is higher, but I think it’s worth the benefits.

For example, take Santa Luz. I’m pretty sure there will be much foreclosure activities there in the next few years. This means there will be a lot of “turn over” in term of the people who live in Santa Luz. The future demographic of Santa Luz may very well be very different that the current demographic (and it’ll likely change for the worse not better). The same thing can be said for Ivy Gate in 4S.

10 years from now, houses in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate will have lost their “luster”. By then, the older houses in Carmel Valley will be worth more than those in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate.

Any thought ?

[gn]

FLU & Arty brought up an interesting point:

– Newer houses in newer neighborhoods vs. older houses in estalished neighborhoods.

I have always thought buying an older house in an established neighborhood tend to be better because:

1. For the same price, you get a better neighborhood.
2. The demographic in an established neighborhood is less likely to change dramatically. When you pay a certain amount of money for a house, most of that goes toward paying to be among a certain demographic. Your investment is at risk when the demographic changes dramatically.
3. The downside is the maintenance cost is higher, but I think it’s worth the benefits.

For example, take Santa Luz. I’m pretty sure there will be much foreclosure activities there in the next few years. This means there will be a lot of “turn over” in term of the people who live in Santa Luz. The future demographic of Santa Luz may very well be very different that the current demographic (and it’ll likely change for the worse not better). The same thing can be said for Ivy Gate in 4S.

10 years from now, houses in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate will have lost their “luster”. By then, the older houses in Carmel Valley will be worth more than those in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate.

Any thought ?

[gn]

FLU & Arty brought up an interesting point:

– Newer houses in newer neighborhoods vs. older houses in estalished neighborhoods.

I have always thought buying an older house in an established neighborhood tend to be better because:

1. For the same price, you get a better neighborhood.
2. The demographic in an established neighborhood is less likely to change dramatically. When you pay a certain amount of money for a house, most of that goes toward paying to be among a certain demographic. Your investment is at risk when the demographic changes dramatically.
3. The downside is the maintenance cost is higher, but I think it’s worth the benefits.

For example, take Santa Luz. I’m pretty sure there will be much foreclosure activities there in the next few years. This means there will be a lot of “turn over” in term of the people who live in Santa Luz. The future demographic of Santa Luz may very well be very different that the current demographic (and it’ll likely change for the worse not better). The same thing can be said for Ivy Gate in 4S.

10 years from now, houses in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate will have lost their “luster”. By then, the older houses in Carmel Valley will be worth more than those in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate.

Any thought ?

[gn]

FLU & Arty brought up an interesting point:

– Newer houses in newer neighborhoods vs. older houses in estalished neighborhoods.

I have always thought buying an older house in an established neighborhood tend to be better because:

1. For the same price, you get a better neighborhood.
2. The demographic in an established neighborhood is less likely to change dramatically. When you pay a certain amount of money for a house, most of that goes toward paying to be among a certain demographic. Your investment is at risk when the demographic changes dramatically.
3. The downside is the maintenance cost is higher, but I think it’s worth the benefits.

For example, take Santa Luz. I’m pretty sure there will be much foreclosure activities there in the next few years. This means there will be a lot of “turn over” in term of the people who live in Santa Luz. The future demographic of Santa Luz may very well be very different that the current demographic (and it’ll likely change for the worse not better). The same thing can be said for Ivy Gate in 4S.

10 years from now, houses in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate will have lost their “luster”. By then, the older houses in Carmel Valley will be worth more than those in Santa Luz & Ivy Gate.

Any thought ?

[Author]

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