Why I am leaving San Diego

[NotCranky]

Anything remotely like a tract home is not good enough…you just expect to live better than the 3rd world is all. Explicame… an engineer,who doesn’t care about cars and clothes, with a wife making a lot more than an engineer, willing to buy a fixer , could have it pretty good in San Diego. Rationale doesn’t make sense to me. You could live in a lot of places that are walkable, not “track home hell”, and pay for private school.What do you do with that engineering salary plus another salary that is a lot more than an engineering salary?

[jstoesz]

That was funny Rustico…no the 3rd world is not good enough. Yup, I am a stupid American I suppose. I also have an irrational fear/hatred of tract homes. Its always been there, I think I like variety and walking too much.

The biggest problem is that I do not want to be a two income family. Works well for some folks, but not what I am looking for.

Where would you suggest living in SD, Rustico?

You asked what do we do with our money? PA school student loan debt is quite the millstone…with a bit more penny pinching, it will be gone next year.

werewolf, because we both found better jobs in east sac, and we figured it would be fun to live in the mountains for a while. We had been considering putting down roots here, but the high price of SD gave us itchy feet.

[jstoesz]

That was funny Rustico…no the 3rd world is not good enough. Yup, I am a stupid American I suppose. I also have an irrational fear/hatred of tract homes. Its always been there, I think I like variety and walking too much.

The biggest problem is that I do not want to be a two income family. Works well for some folks, but not what I am looking for.

Where would you suggest living in SD, Rustico?

You asked what do we do with our money? PA school student loan debt is quite the millstone…with a bit more penny pinching, it will be gone next year.

werewolf, because we both found better jobs in east sac, and we figured it would be fun to live in the mountains for a while. We had been considering putting down roots here, but the high price of SD gave us itchy feet.

[jstoesz]

That was funny Rustico…no the 3rd world is not good enough. Yup, I am a stupid American I suppose. I also have an irrational fear/hatred of tract homes. Its always been there, I think I like variety and walking too much.

The biggest problem is that I do not want to be a two income family. Works well for some folks, but not what I am looking for.

Where would you suggest living in SD, Rustico?

You asked what do we do with our money? PA school student loan debt is quite the millstone…with a bit more penny pinching, it will be gone next year.

werewolf, because we both found better jobs in east sac, and we figured it would be fun to live in the mountains for a while. We had been considering putting down roots here, but the high price of SD gave us itchy feet.

[jstoesz]

That was funny Rustico…no the 3rd world is not good enough. Yup, I am a stupid American I suppose. I also have an irrational fear/hatred of tract homes. Its always been there, I think I like variety and walking too much.

The biggest problem is that I do not want to be a two income family. Works well for some folks, but not what I am looking for.

Where would you suggest living in SD, Rustico?

You asked what do we do with our money? PA school student loan debt is quite the millstone…with a bit more penny pinching, it will be gone next year.

werewolf, because we both found better jobs in east sac, and we figured it would be fun to live in the mountains for a while. We had been considering putting down roots here, but the high price of SD gave us itchy feet.

[jstoesz]

That was funny Rustico…no the 3rd world is not good enough. Yup, I am a stupid American I suppose. I also have an irrational fear/hatred of tract homes. Its always been there, I think I like variety and walking too much.

The biggest problem is that I do not want to be a two income family. Works well for some folks, but not what I am looking for.

Where would you suggest living in SD, Rustico?

You asked what do we do with our money? PA school student loan debt is quite the millstone…with a bit more penny pinching, it will be gone next year.

werewolf, because we both found better jobs in east sac, and we figured it would be fun to live in the mountains for a while. We had been considering putting down roots here, but the high price of SD gave us itchy feet.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.

All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.[/quote]

Your childhood home sounds positively bucolic, jstoesz! Not trying to sound facetious here, but let me ask you, would YOU pay $420K for your childhood home today if you could get work in MN?

I think you may be comparing apples to oranges. How close to a major body of water is your childhood home situated? Pt. Loma Woods is < 1 mile from the ocean and < 1.5 miles from world famous Sunset Cliffs. Mission Hills has many bay view homes and is situated .5 - 1.5 miles from SD Bay. Does your childhood home have any redwood, cedar or mahogany solid wood doors, moulding, stair rails, built ins, shelving, cabinetry, leaded/stained glass and/or cantilevers as many properties in Mission Hills in the $1.5M+ range do? Are your parents receiving any special property tax treatment due to the age and/or historical significance of their property (as many MH properties do)? How much do you think these original features and tax perk are worth? [quote=jstoesz]San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don't care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.[/quote]

There are many, many areas in SD County that were NOT built on tract. MH and Pt. Loma Woods (PL Woods is not “old”) are NOT the only “primarily custom” areas to choose from. There is also Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, Kensington, National City, Chula Vista, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, College area (50’s), Fleetridge, Plumosa Park, La Playa, OB, Upper OB, Sunset Cliffs, PB, LJ, Olde DM, Cardiff, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Ramona, Pine Valley, Mt. Helix (50’s), La Mesa (village), Esco, Fallbrook, Dehesa, Jamul, Crest, Lakeside, Sunnyside, Poway, Casa de Oro, Valley Center and Julian, off the top of my head. In most of these areas, large lots with older fixers mixed with unusual homes abound.

jstoesz, aren’t there tract-home developments in MN? Are ALL of these tracts located in upper MC areas? Aren’t there any working-class tract developments in MN, as there are here??

[quote=jstoesz]Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.[/quote]

What is your minimum SF requirement for the orig dwelling you would purchase?? And how much work can you do by yourself? Would you be willing to submit blueprints and wait for approval (poss. 1+ yrs), including noticing all neighbors within 300 feet (and allowing opposition) on a “footprint” expansion (to increase your living space)? What is your price range? How long were you thinking it would take to get the property the way you would want it? What economic sacrifices would you be willing to make during the months/years you are undergoing this major remodel? Would you be willing to live in part of it (or on the premises in an RV or trailer) while it was undergoing a major rehab? For how long?? Do you think this remodel process would be significantly different or any less painful in any other desirable locale in the US??

[quote=jstoesz]sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.

I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.

It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide[/quote]

jstoesz, if you have a high-earning spouse, you are very fortunate, indeed. Why do you now consider it your sole responsibility to provide for every member of your (future) family singlehandedly, and in coastal CA, no less?? Do you think this is realistic in this day and age?? Your parents didn’t do this for you in coastal CA. They did it for you in MN, with the caveat of your dad working out-of-state 25% of the time for YEARS. Again, apples to oranges. Where in the US do you think you can replicate your childhood existence for your own (future) family? Could you telecommute with an SV firm out of Placerville and share an apt in SV with a co-worker for one week per month?

[quote=jstoesz]My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]

jstoesz, the City of Irvine is one of the most, if not THE MOST heavily zoned and regulated cities in the entire state. In my repeated forays of getting off every exit for gas there, I couldn’t find ANY SIGNS for stores, gas stations, whatsoever that were above the level of the mandatory “enclosure” landscaping. IMO, this is why your in-laws “1500 sf” property may be worth $700K today. No part of Irvine could be considered “cheap” or “ghetto.” I have no doubt there are many OC dwellers in its lesser-desirable sisters of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin, etc who aspire to move there! I would venture to say that your in-laws will make far more profit for their retirement than your parents will (on their family home in MN) when they finally sell their longtime family residence in “tract home hell.”

Can I ask you jstoesz, did YOU go to private schools while growing up? Did you graduate from a private HS? When you were growing up in your 1920’s home in MN, was your street connected to the city sewer? Do you know what a typical winter utility bill for your 3000+ sf childhood home looks like today? How did you and your siblings feel about your dad working in CA one week a month? Since your parents are currently in the market to sell, had they ever realized that if they had left MN and bought a property in SV or SJ in the 1970’s or early 80’s that they would have increased their initial investment 8-20x over by now (not counting any improvements made)? How much does it cost to attend a public university in MN? Did you pay the 250%+ “out-of-state tuition” premium to attend Cal Poly? If so, for how many years did you pay it? Do you now have student loans to show for this debt? Did your siblings leave MN to attend college as well? Was your mom employed outside of the home when you were growing up? If she didn’t, when you and your sibling(s) were all 12+ years of age, would you have cared if she did?

Not trying to pry here and my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t wish to answer to any or all.

Back to the choices your parents made which formed the fond memories you now have . . . In hindsight, were ALL OF THEIR ECONOMIC CHOICES the BEST choices they could have made for themselves and their children given all your circumstances taken in their totality??

Not knocking MN here. With all things being equal, just offering you some food for thought ;=)

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.

All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.[/quote]

Your childhood home sounds positively bucolic, jstoesz! Not trying to sound facetious here, but let me ask you, would YOU pay $420K for your childhood home today if you could get work in MN?

I think you may be comparing apples to oranges. How close to a major body of water is your childhood home situated? Pt. Loma Woods is < 1 mile from the ocean and < 1.5 miles from world famous Sunset Cliffs. Mission Hills has many bay view homes and is situated .5 - 1.5 miles from SD Bay. Does your childhood home have any redwood, cedar or mahogany solid wood doors, moulding, stair rails, built ins, shelving, cabinetry, leaded/stained glass and/or cantilevers as many properties in Mission Hills in the $1.5M+ range do? Are your parents receiving any special property tax treatment due to the age and/or historical significance of their property (as many MH properties do)? How much do you think these original features and tax perk are worth? [quote=jstoesz]San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don't care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.[/quote]

There are many, many areas in SD County that were NOT built on tract. MH and Pt. Loma Woods (PL Woods is not “old”) are NOT the only “primarily custom” areas to choose from. There is also Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, Kensington, National City, Chula Vista, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, College area (50’s), Fleetridge, Plumosa Park, La Playa, OB, Upper OB, Sunset Cliffs, PB, LJ, Olde DM, Cardiff, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Ramona, Pine Valley, Mt. Helix (50’s), La Mesa (village), Esco, Fallbrook, Dehesa, Jamul, Crest, Lakeside, Sunnyside, Poway, Casa de Oro, Valley Center and Julian, off the top of my head. In most of these areas, large lots with older fixers mixed with unusual homes abound.

jstoesz, aren’t there tract-home developments in MN? Are ALL of these tracts located in upper MC areas? Aren’t there any working-class tract developments in MN, as there are here??

[quote=jstoesz]Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.[/quote]

What is your minimum SF requirement for the orig dwelling you would purchase?? And how much work can you do by yourself? Would you be willing to submit blueprints and wait for approval (poss. 1+ yrs), including noticing all neighbors within 300 feet (and allowing opposition) on a “footprint” expansion (to increase your living space)? What is your price range? How long were you thinking it would take to get the property the way you would want it? What economic sacrifices would you be willing to make during the months/years you are undergoing this major remodel? Would you be willing to live in part of it (or on the premises in an RV or trailer) while it was undergoing a major rehab? For how long?? Do you think this remodel process would be significantly different or any less painful in any other desirable locale in the US??

[quote=jstoesz]sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.

I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.

It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide[/quote]

jstoesz, if you have a high-earning spouse, you are very fortunate, indeed. Why do you now consider it your sole responsibility to provide for every member of your (future) family singlehandedly, and in coastal CA, no less?? Do you think this is realistic in this day and age?? Your parents didn’t do this for you in coastal CA. They did it for you in MN, with the caveat of your dad working out-of-state 25% of the time for YEARS. Again, apples to oranges. Where in the US do you think you can replicate your childhood existence for your own (future) family? Could you telecommute with an SV firm out of Placerville and share an apt in SV with a co-worker for one week per month?

[quote=jstoesz]My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]

jstoesz, the City of Irvine is one of the most, if not THE MOST heavily zoned and regulated cities in the entire state. In my repeated forays of getting off every exit for gas there, I couldn’t find ANY SIGNS for stores, gas stations, whatsoever that were above the level of the mandatory “enclosure” landscaping. IMO, this is why your in-laws “1500 sf” property may be worth $700K today. No part of Irvine could be considered “cheap” or “ghetto.” I have no doubt there are many OC dwellers in its lesser-desirable sisters of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin, etc who aspire to move there! I would venture to say that your in-laws will make far more profit for their retirement than your parents will (on their family home in MN) when they finally sell their longtime family residence in “tract home hell.”

Can I ask you jstoesz, did YOU go to private schools while growing up? Did you graduate from a private HS? When you were growing up in your 1920’s home in MN, was your street connected to the city sewer? Do you know what a typical winter utility bill for your 3000+ sf childhood home looks like today? How did you and your siblings feel about your dad working in CA one week a month? Since your parents are currently in the market to sell, had they ever realized that if they had left MN and bought a property in SV or SJ in the 1970’s or early 80’s that they would have increased their initial investment 8-20x over by now (not counting any improvements made)? How much does it cost to attend a public university in MN? Did you pay the 250%+ “out-of-state tuition” premium to attend Cal Poly? If so, for how many years did you pay it? Do you now have student loans to show for this debt? Did your siblings leave MN to attend college as well? Was your mom employed outside of the home when you were growing up? If she didn’t, when you and your sibling(s) were all 12+ years of age, would you have cared if she did?

Not trying to pry here and my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t wish to answer to any or all.

Back to the choices your parents made which formed the fond memories you now have . . . In hindsight, were ALL OF THEIR ECONOMIC CHOICES the BEST choices they could have made for themselves and their children given all your circumstances taken in their totality??

Not knocking MN here. With all things being equal, just offering you some food for thought ;=)

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.

All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.[/quote]

Your childhood home sounds positively bucolic, jstoesz! Not trying to sound facetious here, but let me ask you, would YOU pay $420K for your childhood home today if you could get work in MN?

I think you may be comparing apples to oranges. How close to a major body of water is your childhood home situated? Pt. Loma Woods is < 1 mile from the ocean and < 1.5 miles from world famous Sunset Cliffs. Mission Hills has many bay view homes and is situated .5 - 1.5 miles from SD Bay. Does your childhood home have any redwood, cedar or mahogany solid wood doors, moulding, stair rails, built ins, shelving, cabinetry, leaded/stained glass and/or cantilevers as many properties in Mission Hills in the $1.5M+ range do? Are your parents receiving any special property tax treatment due to the age and/or historical significance of their property (as many MH properties do)? How much do you think these original features and tax perk are worth? [quote=jstoesz]San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don't care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.[/quote]

There are many, many areas in SD County that were NOT built on tract. MH and Pt. Loma Woods (PL Woods is not “old”) are NOT the only “primarily custom” areas to choose from. There is also Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, Kensington, National City, Chula Vista, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, College area (50’s), Fleetridge, Plumosa Park, La Playa, OB, Upper OB, Sunset Cliffs, PB, LJ, Olde DM, Cardiff, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Ramona, Pine Valley, Mt. Helix (50’s), La Mesa (village), Esco, Fallbrook, Dehesa, Jamul, Crest, Lakeside, Sunnyside, Poway, Casa de Oro, Valley Center and Julian, off the top of my head. In most of these areas, large lots with older fixers mixed with unusual homes abound.

jstoesz, aren’t there tract-home developments in MN? Are ALL of these tracts located in upper MC areas? Aren’t there any working-class tract developments in MN, as there are here??

[quote=jstoesz]Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.[/quote]

What is your minimum SF requirement for the orig dwelling you would purchase?? And how much work can you do by yourself? Would you be willing to submit blueprints and wait for approval (poss. 1+ yrs), including noticing all neighbors within 300 feet (and allowing opposition) on a “footprint” expansion (to increase your living space)? What is your price range? How long were you thinking it would take to get the property the way you would want it? What economic sacrifices would you be willing to make during the months/years you are undergoing this major remodel? Would you be willing to live in part of it (or on the premises in an RV or trailer) while it was undergoing a major rehab? For how long?? Do you think this remodel process would be significantly different or any less painful in any other desirable locale in the US??

[quote=jstoesz]sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.

I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.

It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide[/quote]

jstoesz, if you have a high-earning spouse, you are very fortunate, indeed. Why do you now consider it your sole responsibility to provide for every member of your (future) family singlehandedly, and in coastal CA, no less?? Do you think this is realistic in this day and age?? Your parents didn’t do this for you in coastal CA. They did it for you in MN, with the caveat of your dad working out-of-state 25% of the time for YEARS. Again, apples to oranges. Where in the US do you think you can replicate your childhood existence for your own (future) family? Could you telecommute with an SV firm out of Placerville and share an apt in SV with a co-worker for one week per month?

[quote=jstoesz]My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]

jstoesz, the City of Irvine is one of the most, if not THE MOST heavily zoned and regulated cities in the entire state. In my repeated forays of getting off every exit for gas there, I couldn’t find ANY SIGNS for stores, gas stations, whatsoever that were above the level of the mandatory “enclosure” landscaping. IMO, this is why your in-laws “1500 sf” property may be worth $700K today. No part of Irvine could be considered “cheap” or “ghetto.” I have no doubt there are many OC dwellers in its lesser-desirable sisters of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin, etc who aspire to move there! I would venture to say that your in-laws will make far more profit for their retirement than your parents will (on their family home in MN) when they finally sell their longtime family residence in “tract home hell.”

Can I ask you jstoesz, did YOU go to private schools while growing up? Did you graduate from a private HS? When you were growing up in your 1920’s home in MN, was your street connected to the city sewer? Do you know what a typical winter utility bill for your 3000+ sf childhood home looks like today? How did you and your siblings feel about your dad working in CA one week a month? Since your parents are currently in the market to sell, had they ever realized that if they had left MN and bought a property in SV or SJ in the 1970’s or early 80’s that they would have increased their initial investment 8-20x over by now (not counting any improvements made)? How much does it cost to attend a public university in MN? Did you pay the 250%+ “out-of-state tuition” premium to attend Cal Poly? If so, for how many years did you pay it? Do you now have student loans to show for this debt? Did your siblings leave MN to attend college as well? Was your mom employed outside of the home when you were growing up? If she didn’t, when you and your sibling(s) were all 12+ years of age, would you have cared if she did?

Not trying to pry here and my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t wish to answer to any or all.

Back to the choices your parents made which formed the fond memories you now have . . . In hindsight, were ALL OF THEIR ECONOMIC CHOICES the BEST choices they could have made for themselves and their children given all your circumstances taken in their totality??

Not knocking MN here. With all things being equal, just offering you some food for thought ;=)

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.

All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.[/quote]

Your childhood home sounds positively bucolic, jstoesz! Not trying to sound facetious here, but let me ask you, would YOU pay $420K for your childhood home today if you could get work in MN?

I think you may be comparing apples to oranges. How close to a major body of water is your childhood home situated? Pt. Loma Woods is < 1 mile from the ocean and < 1.5 miles from world famous Sunset Cliffs. Mission Hills has many bay view homes and is situated .5 - 1.5 miles from SD Bay. Does your childhood home have any redwood, cedar or mahogany solid wood doors, moulding, stair rails, built ins, shelving, cabinetry, leaded/stained glass and/or cantilevers as many properties in Mission Hills in the $1.5M+ range do? Are your parents receiving any special property tax treatment due to the age and/or historical significance of their property (as many MH properties do)? How much do you think these original features and tax perk are worth? [quote=jstoesz]San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don't care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.[/quote]

There are many, many areas in SD County that were NOT built on tract. MH and Pt. Loma Woods (PL Woods is not “old”) are NOT the only “primarily custom” areas to choose from. There is also Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, Kensington, National City, Chula Vista, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, College area (50’s), Fleetridge, Plumosa Park, La Playa, OB, Upper OB, Sunset Cliffs, PB, LJ, Olde DM, Cardiff, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Ramona, Pine Valley, Mt. Helix (50’s), La Mesa (village), Esco, Fallbrook, Dehesa, Jamul, Crest, Lakeside, Sunnyside, Poway, Casa de Oro, Valley Center and Julian, off the top of my head. In most of these areas, large lots with older fixers mixed with unusual homes abound.

jstoesz, aren’t there tract-home developments in MN? Are ALL of these tracts located in upper MC areas? Aren’t there any working-class tract developments in MN, as there are here??

[quote=jstoesz]Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.[/quote]

What is your minimum SF requirement for the orig dwelling you would purchase?? And how much work can you do by yourself? Would you be willing to submit blueprints and wait for approval (poss. 1+ yrs), including noticing all neighbors within 300 feet (and allowing opposition) on a “footprint” expansion (to increase your living space)? What is your price range? How long were you thinking it would take to get the property the way you would want it? What economic sacrifices would you be willing to make during the months/years you are undergoing this major remodel? Would you be willing to live in part of it (or on the premises in an RV or trailer) while it was undergoing a major rehab? For how long?? Do you think this remodel process would be significantly different or any less painful in any other desirable locale in the US??

[quote=jstoesz]sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.

I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.

It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide[/quote]

jstoesz, if you have a high-earning spouse, you are very fortunate, indeed. Why do you now consider it your sole responsibility to provide for every member of your (future) family singlehandedly, and in coastal CA, no less?? Do you think this is realistic in this day and age?? Your parents didn’t do this for you in coastal CA. They did it for you in MN, with the caveat of your dad working out-of-state 25% of the time for YEARS. Again, apples to oranges. Where in the US do you think you can replicate your childhood existence for your own (future) family? Could you telecommute with an SV firm out of Placerville and share an apt in SV with a co-worker for one week per month?

[quote=jstoesz]My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]

jstoesz, the City of Irvine is one of the most, if not THE MOST heavily zoned and regulated cities in the entire state. In my repeated forays of getting off every exit for gas there, I couldn’t find ANY SIGNS for stores, gas stations, whatsoever that were above the level of the mandatory “enclosure” landscaping. IMO, this is why your in-laws “1500 sf” property may be worth $700K today. No part of Irvine could be considered “cheap” or “ghetto.” I have no doubt there are many OC dwellers in its lesser-desirable sisters of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin, etc who aspire to move there! I would venture to say that your in-laws will make far more profit for their retirement than your parents will (on their family home in MN) when they finally sell their longtime family residence in “tract home hell.”

Can I ask you jstoesz, did YOU go to private schools while growing up? Did you graduate from a private HS? When you were growing up in your 1920’s home in MN, was your street connected to the city sewer? Do you know what a typical winter utility bill for your 3000+ sf childhood home looks like today? How did you and your siblings feel about your dad working in CA one week a month? Since your parents are currently in the market to sell, had they ever realized that if they had left MN and bought a property in SV or SJ in the 1970’s or early 80’s that they would have increased their initial investment 8-20x over by now (not counting any improvements made)? How much does it cost to attend a public university in MN? Did you pay the 250%+ “out-of-state tuition” premium to attend Cal Poly? If so, for how many years did you pay it? Do you now have student loans to show for this debt? Did your siblings leave MN to attend college as well? Was your mom employed outside of the home when you were growing up? If she didn’t, when you and your sibling(s) were all 12+ years of age, would you have cared if she did?

Not trying to pry here and my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t wish to answer to any or all.

Back to the choices your parents made which formed the fond memories you now have . . . In hindsight, were ALL OF THEIR ECONOMIC CHOICES the BEST choices they could have made for themselves and their children given all your circumstances taken in their totality??

Not knocking MN here. With all things being equal, just offering you some food for thought ;=)

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]To be fair SD is a wonderful town. As far as cities over a few million go, it is near the top of the list.

All the comments about how all the other stuff (taxes or leaf removal) in other states gets you close to sd prices is just flat out wrong at least compared to MN. The house I grew up in was on a creek/parkway/forest, 5 miles from DT, built in the 1920s, 3000sq ft house (not including the basement),1700sq ft lot, in one of the nicest most established areas of Minneapolis. It is currently for sale, listed at $420k. The most comparable neighborhood to where I grew up in terms of feel, would be the wooded area of point loma, or upper Mission hills. IMO a comparable home and lot would go for 1.5+ million dollars.[/quote]

Your childhood home sounds positively bucolic, jstoesz! Not trying to sound facetious here, but let me ask you, would YOU pay $420K for your childhood home today if you could get work in MN?

I think you may be comparing apples to oranges. How close to a major body of water is your childhood home situated? Pt. Loma Woods is < 1 mile from the ocean and < 1.5 miles from world famous Sunset Cliffs. Mission Hills has many bay view homes and is situated .5 - 1.5 miles from SD Bay. Does your childhood home have any redwood, cedar or mahogany solid wood doors, moulding, stair rails, built ins, shelving, cabinetry, leaded/stained glass and/or cantilevers as many properties in Mission Hills in the $1.5M+ range do? Are your parents receiving any special property tax treatment due to the age and/or historical significance of their property (as many MH properties do)? How much do you think these original features and tax perk are worth? [quote=jstoesz]San Diego is filled with poorly built, horrific designed and overpriced homes. The beautiful established neighborhoods are not twice but three times more expensive. If you are comparing a new construction to a new construction, SD is twice. But if you want to live in a real neighborhood walking distance to anything, you are looking at three times. I don't care what your taxes or gardener cost you are not approaching this level. This is just because there are so few nice old neighborhoods. Most of the city has come up in the era of tract homes…so that what this city is. Tract homes.[/quote]

There are many, many areas in SD County that were NOT built on tract. MH and Pt. Loma Woods (PL Woods is not “old”) are NOT the only “primarily custom” areas to choose from. There is also Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, Kensington, National City, Chula Vista, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, College area (50’s), Fleetridge, Plumosa Park, La Playa, OB, Upper OB, Sunset Cliffs, PB, LJ, Olde DM, Cardiff, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Ramona, Pine Valley, Mt. Helix (50’s), La Mesa (village), Esco, Fallbrook, Dehesa, Jamul, Crest, Lakeside, Sunnyside, Poway, Casa de Oro, Valley Center and Julian, off the top of my head. In most of these areas, large lots with older fixers mixed with unusual homes abound.

jstoesz, aren’t there tract-home developments in MN? Are ALL of these tracts located in upper MC areas? Aren’t there any working-class tract developments in MN, as there are here??

[quote=jstoesz]Bearishgurl, I completely disagree with your sentiment that young people are not interested in more run down houses…There are few if any homes located in established neighborhoods (read: Not tract home hell) in a reasonable price range. Even tear downs can cost more than a few hundred thousand. And something big enough to raise a family, Fugetaboutit. I know, I was looking and hoping to buy a house in need of gutting, but those are horrifically priced too.[/quote]

What is your minimum SF requirement for the orig dwelling you would purchase?? And how much work can you do by yourself? Would you be willing to submit blueprints and wait for approval (poss. 1+ yrs), including noticing all neighbors within 300 feet (and allowing opposition) on a “footprint” expansion (to increase your living space)? What is your price range? How long were you thinking it would take to get the property the way you would want it? What economic sacrifices would you be willing to make during the months/years you are undergoing this major remodel? Would you be willing to live in part of it (or on the premises in an RV or trailer) while it was undergoing a major rehab? For how long?? Do you think this remodel process would be significantly different or any less painful in any other desirable locale in the US??

[quote=jstoesz]sdr’s comments about money and the life you desire as being unatainable I agree with, as well as all of you alls jumping on him for money not making you happy. Both are true. I am not looking for a opulent life (although by 3rd world standards I guess I am), I am looking to create for my children what I was given. Nothing more, maybe even a little less.

I want to afford a comfortable home (preferably one that needs work), live in a walkable, established, and safe neighborhood, send my kids to private schools (cheap ones), and support 3 kids and a wife on an engineering salary. My Father did it on an engineering salary, and I could too in most areas of the country…nice ones even. But I can’t even do one of those in SD. Thankfully, my wife makes a lot more than me, but that last want is the most important sadly.

It is not about clothes, cars, or even homes. It is about the experience one can provide for their family. Its about providing a home as you experienced a home. And no matter how perfect the weather is, or how much I love surfing, SD is prohibitive to all I want to provide[/quote]

jstoesz, if you have a high-earning spouse, you are very fortunate, indeed. Why do you now consider it your sole responsibility to provide for every member of your (future) family singlehandedly, and in coastal CA, no less?? Do you think this is realistic in this day and age?? Your parents didn’t do this for you in coastal CA. They did it for you in MN, with the caveat of your dad working out-of-state 25% of the time for YEARS. Again, apples to oranges. Where in the US do you think you can replicate your childhood existence for your own (future) family? Could you telecommute with an SV firm out of Placerville and share an apt in SV with a co-worker for one week per month?

[quote=jstoesz]My wife’s family bought a 1500sq ft Tract home hell hole in Irvine (not SD I know) as their first home when their first daughter was born. They still have it. Today it is worth over 700k. I couldn’t even begin to afford the crappy home, in a crappy neighborhood that my wife was born into. This is how out of wack CA home prices are.[/quote]

jstoesz, the City of Irvine is one of the most, if not THE MOST heavily zoned and regulated cities in the entire state. In my repeated forays of getting off every exit for gas there, I couldn’t find ANY SIGNS for stores, gas stations, whatsoever that were above the level of the mandatory “enclosure” landscaping. IMO, this is why your in-laws “1500 sf” property may be worth $700K today. No part of Irvine could be considered “cheap” or “ghetto.” I have no doubt there are many OC dwellers in its lesser-desirable sisters of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Tustin, etc who aspire to move there! I would venture to say that your in-laws will make far more profit for their retirement than your parents will (on their family home in MN) when they finally sell their longtime family residence in “tract home hell.”

Can I ask you jstoesz, did YOU go to private schools while growing up? Did you graduate from a private HS? When you were growing up in your 1920’s home in MN, was your street connected to the city sewer? Do you know what a typical winter utility bill for your 3000+ sf childhood home looks like today? How did you and your siblings feel about your dad working in CA one week a month? Since your parents are currently in the market to sell, had they ever realized that if they had left MN and bought a property in SV or SJ in the 1970’s or early 80’s that they would have increased their initial investment 8-20x over by now (not counting any improvements made)? How much does it cost to attend a public university in MN? Did you pay the 250%+ “out-of-state tuition” premium to attend Cal Poly? If so, for how many years did you pay it? Do you now have student loans to show for this debt? Did your siblings leave MN to attend college as well? Was your mom employed outside of the home when you were growing up? If she didn’t, when you and your sibling(s) were all 12+ years of age, would you have cared if she did?

Not trying to pry here and my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t wish to answer to any or all.

Back to the choices your parents made which formed the fond memories you now have . . . In hindsight, were ALL OF THEIR ECONOMIC CHOICES the BEST choices they could have made for themselves and their children given all your circumstances taken in their totality??

Not knocking MN here. With all things being equal, just offering you some food for thought ;=)

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Rustico]Anything remotely like a tract home is not good enough…you just expect to live better than the 3rd world is all. Explicame… an engineer,who doesn’t care about cars and clothes, with a wife making a lot more than an engineer, willing to buy a fixer , could have it pretty good in San Diego. Rationale doesn’t make sense to me. You could live in a lot of places that are walkable, not “track home hell”, and pay for private school.What do you do with that engineering salary plus another salary that is a lot more than an engineering salary?[/quote]

Excellent observations, Rustico. I forgot to ask the OP if he and his spouse were going to make salaries comparable to their SD salaries in Placerville. I actually really like Placerville . . . for a retirement locale.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Rustico]Anything remotely like a tract home is not good enough…you just expect to live better than the 3rd world is all. Explicame… an engineer,who doesn’t care about cars and clothes, with a wife making a lot more than an engineer, willing to buy a fixer , could have it pretty good in San Diego. Rationale doesn’t make sense to me. You could live in a lot of places that are walkable, not “track home hell”, and pay for private school.What do you do with that engineering salary plus another salary that is a lot more than an engineering salary?[/quote]

Excellent observations, Rustico. I forgot to ask the OP if he and his spouse were going to make salaries comparable to their SD salaries in Placerville. I actually really like Placerville . . . for a retirement locale.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Rustico]Anything remotely like a tract home is not good enough…you just expect to live better than the 3rd world is all. Explicame… an engineer,who doesn’t care about cars and clothes, with a wife making a lot more than an engineer, willing to buy a fixer , could have it pretty good in San Diego. Rationale doesn’t make sense to me. You could live in a lot of places that are walkable, not “track home hell”, and pay for private school.What do you do with that engineering salary plus another salary that is a lot more than an engineering salary?[/quote]

Excellent observations, Rustico. I forgot to ask the OP if he and his spouse were going to make salaries comparable to their SD salaries in Placerville. I actually really like Placerville . . . for a retirement locale.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Rustico]Anything remotely like a tract home is not good enough…you just expect to live better than the 3rd world is all. Explicame… an engineer,who doesn’t care about cars and clothes, with a wife making a lot more than an engineer, willing to buy a fixer , could have it pretty good in San Diego. Rationale doesn’t make sense to me. You could live in a lot of places that are walkable, not “track home hell”, and pay for private school.What do you do with that engineering salary plus another salary that is a lot more than an engineering salary?[/quote]

Excellent observations, Rustico. I forgot to ask the OP if he and his spouse were going to make salaries comparable to their SD salaries in Placerville. I actually really like Placerville . . . for a retirement locale.

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