Why I am leaving San Diego

[jpinpb]

[quote=jstoesz]There are certainly nice parts of la mesa, right of La Mesa blvd for example.
Man did I love this house:
http://www.redfin.com/CA/La-Mesa/8001-Vista-Dr-91941/home/5489738
I wonder if the bones were good for that price, but man it is sweet!
[/quote]

Wow. Cool house. I love it, too. But I have to say, that one looks haunted. LOL.

[protorio]

Lots of good ideas here, and best of luck to the OP in Sac. Its really cheap up there.

I’ve read pigg for a long time, but only posted today on this thread.

I suppose I would hope that folks would spend some time with long-time residents, who lived in different neighborhoods, to cast some perspective on San Diego. I’m in my 30s, and I end up at a lot of cocktail parties and bars, overhearing people who’ve moved here from other places, and they have insular conversations, limited knowledge of the area, and stereotypes of what’s a good and bad place to live.

For example, I grew up in Linda Vista, and wouldn’t trade that childhood for the world. It was a gas – diverse kids united by a working class ethic. Its the kind of neighborhood where you still see kids playing outside organically. That’s cool to me. Today, LV13 is the only “gang” and its small time. There’s a gang in Encinitas! Alcala Knolls and the neighborhoods close to USD are complete gems. The original WWII houses are small, but well-built.

Anyway, I came up expecting to live in OB, where I surfed and hung out. Then, after the boom, I hoped to live in a walk-able mid-town neighborhood like University Heights. With a couple of kids and wanting to live within my means, I’ve started considering some of the older “suburbs” with larger, usually custom houses. I guess I’ve been pleasantly surprised. But I’ve spent lots of time talking with friends of mine who grew up in these neighborhoods. Just like anywhere, there are streets to avoid. But all these years being bummed out about the global housing bubble and how it changed San Diego, there’s stuff out there now that gives me hope about livability in descent neighborhoods.

I lived in New England during grad school, and I’d move to Western Mass. at the drop of a hat. I love Iowa City (yes – seriously). Austin rules. But my job and family is here. And the ocean, and the mountains are here too. So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect. As prices move toward affordability, and if one widens one’s vision, seems like San Diego is getting better. If only the Padres were getting better.

[protorio]

Lots of good ideas here, and best of luck to the OP in Sac. Its really cheap up there.

I’ve read pigg for a long time, but only posted today on this thread.

I suppose I would hope that folks would spend some time with long-time residents, who lived in different neighborhoods, to cast some perspective on San Diego. I’m in my 30s, and I end up at a lot of cocktail parties and bars, overhearing people who’ve moved here from other places, and they have insular conversations, limited knowledge of the area, and stereotypes of what’s a good and bad place to live.

For example, I grew up in Linda Vista, and wouldn’t trade that childhood for the world. It was a gas – diverse kids united by a working class ethic. Its the kind of neighborhood where you still see kids playing outside organically. That’s cool to me. Today, LV13 is the only “gang” and its small time. There’s a gang in Encinitas! Alcala Knolls and the neighborhoods close to USD are complete gems. The original WWII houses are small, but well-built.

Anyway, I came up expecting to live in OB, where I surfed and hung out. Then, after the boom, I hoped to live in a walk-able mid-town neighborhood like University Heights. With a couple of kids and wanting to live within my means, I’ve started considering some of the older “suburbs” with larger, usually custom houses. I guess I’ve been pleasantly surprised. But I’ve spent lots of time talking with friends of mine who grew up in these neighborhoods. Just like anywhere, there are streets to avoid. But all these years being bummed out about the global housing bubble and how it changed San Diego, there’s stuff out there now that gives me hope about livability in descent neighborhoods.

I lived in New England during grad school, and I’d move to Western Mass. at the drop of a hat. I love Iowa City (yes – seriously). Austin rules. But my job and family is here. And the ocean, and the mountains are here too. So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect. As prices move toward affordability, and if one widens one’s vision, seems like San Diego is getting better. If only the Padres were getting better.

[protorio]

Lots of good ideas here, and best of luck to the OP in Sac. Its really cheap up there.

I’ve read pigg for a long time, but only posted today on this thread.

I suppose I would hope that folks would spend some time with long-time residents, who lived in different neighborhoods, to cast some perspective on San Diego. I’m in my 30s, and I end up at a lot of cocktail parties and bars, overhearing people who’ve moved here from other places, and they have insular conversations, limited knowledge of the area, and stereotypes of what’s a good and bad place to live.

For example, I grew up in Linda Vista, and wouldn’t trade that childhood for the world. It was a gas – diverse kids united by a working class ethic. Its the kind of neighborhood where you still see kids playing outside organically. That’s cool to me. Today, LV13 is the only “gang” and its small time. There’s a gang in Encinitas! Alcala Knolls and the neighborhoods close to USD are complete gems. The original WWII houses are small, but well-built.

Anyway, I came up expecting to live in OB, where I surfed and hung out. Then, after the boom, I hoped to live in a walk-able mid-town neighborhood like University Heights. With a couple of kids and wanting to live within my means, I’ve started considering some of the older “suburbs” with larger, usually custom houses. I guess I’ve been pleasantly surprised. But I’ve spent lots of time talking with friends of mine who grew up in these neighborhoods. Just like anywhere, there are streets to avoid. But all these years being bummed out about the global housing bubble and how it changed San Diego, there’s stuff out there now that gives me hope about livability in descent neighborhoods.

I lived in New England during grad school, and I’d move to Western Mass. at the drop of a hat. I love Iowa City (yes – seriously). Austin rules. But my job and family is here. And the ocean, and the mountains are here too. So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect. As prices move toward affordability, and if one widens one’s vision, seems like San Diego is getting better. If only the Padres were getting better.

[protorio]

Lots of good ideas here, and best of luck to the OP in Sac. Its really cheap up there.

I’ve read pigg for a long time, but only posted today on this thread.

I suppose I would hope that folks would spend some time with long-time residents, who lived in different neighborhoods, to cast some perspective on San Diego. I’m in my 30s, and I end up at a lot of cocktail parties and bars, overhearing people who’ve moved here from other places, and they have insular conversations, limited knowledge of the area, and stereotypes of what’s a good and bad place to live.

For example, I grew up in Linda Vista, and wouldn’t trade that childhood for the world. It was a gas – diverse kids united by a working class ethic. Its the kind of neighborhood where you still see kids playing outside organically. That’s cool to me. Today, LV13 is the only “gang” and its small time. There’s a gang in Encinitas! Alcala Knolls and the neighborhoods close to USD are complete gems. The original WWII houses are small, but well-built.

Anyway, I came up expecting to live in OB, where I surfed and hung out. Then, after the boom, I hoped to live in a walk-able mid-town neighborhood like University Heights. With a couple of kids and wanting to live within my means, I’ve started considering some of the older “suburbs” with larger, usually custom houses. I guess I’ve been pleasantly surprised. But I’ve spent lots of time talking with friends of mine who grew up in these neighborhoods. Just like anywhere, there are streets to avoid. But all these years being bummed out about the global housing bubble and how it changed San Diego, there’s stuff out there now that gives me hope about livability in descent neighborhoods.

I lived in New England during grad school, and I’d move to Western Mass. at the drop of a hat. I love Iowa City (yes – seriously). Austin rules. But my job and family is here. And the ocean, and the mountains are here too. So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect. As prices move toward affordability, and if one widens one’s vision, seems like San Diego is getting better. If only the Padres were getting better.

[protorio]

Lots of good ideas here, and best of luck to the OP in Sac. Its really cheap up there.

I’ve read pigg for a long time, but only posted today on this thread.

I suppose I would hope that folks would spend some time with long-time residents, who lived in different neighborhoods, to cast some perspective on San Diego. I’m in my 30s, and I end up at a lot of cocktail parties and bars, overhearing people who’ve moved here from other places, and they have insular conversations, limited knowledge of the area, and stereotypes of what’s a good and bad place to live.

For example, I grew up in Linda Vista, and wouldn’t trade that childhood for the world. It was a gas – diverse kids united by a working class ethic. Its the kind of neighborhood where you still see kids playing outside organically. That’s cool to me. Today, LV13 is the only “gang” and its small time. There’s a gang in Encinitas! Alcala Knolls and the neighborhoods close to USD are complete gems. The original WWII houses are small, but well-built.

Anyway, I came up expecting to live in OB, where I surfed and hung out. Then, after the boom, I hoped to live in a walk-able mid-town neighborhood like University Heights. With a couple of kids and wanting to live within my means, I’ve started considering some of the older “suburbs” with larger, usually custom houses. I guess I’ve been pleasantly surprised. But I’ve spent lots of time talking with friends of mine who grew up in these neighborhoods. Just like anywhere, there are streets to avoid. But all these years being bummed out about the global housing bubble and how it changed San Diego, there’s stuff out there now that gives me hope about livability in descent neighborhoods.

I lived in New England during grad school, and I’d move to Western Mass. at the drop of a hat. I love Iowa City (yes – seriously). Austin rules. But my job and family is here. And the ocean, and the mountains are here too. So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect. As prices move toward affordability, and if one widens one’s vision, seems like San Diego is getting better. If only the Padres were getting better.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=jstoesz]Those curves imo are kind of useless. I don’t want really affordable payments on a vastly overpriced asset. That is a recipe for a complete disaster. Not just a small disaster, but end of your fiscal life type disaster.

Furthermore, that is SD county which has on the aggregate come down. This includes all manner of neighborhoods, from Jamul to la jolla. I would like to see that curve by zip code. Now that would be enlightening.[/quote]

I disagree about the uselessness of these curves. These are approximately the ratios for areas like Clairemont. Areas like Clairemont are more affordable on a monthly basis (relative to income or rents) than they have been for most of the past three decades.

It might get more affordable in the future, but it’s not meaningless.

I purchased a house in Clairemont in spring 1996, one of the most affordable points of the last 20 years. Let’s compare affordability then to today…

Here are the approximate numbers for that house:

1996 Price: 165K
monthly mortgage (80% LTV, 8.25% 30-yr fixed) : 991
monthly taxes: 170
Total mort+ taxes : ~ 1160

That house would have rented for about $1000. (I actually rented it out 5 years later for $1200).

Example:
2010 Clairemont
400K purchase
2,000 rent

Monthly mortgage = 1574
monthly taxes ~ 400

My point is NOT that you should buy today or that there aren’t better investments or that prices won’t go down (they probably will for the next few months). My point is that right now, many places in San Diego are more affordable (relative to rent) than they have been for at least a generation.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=jstoesz]Those curves imo are kind of useless. I don’t want really affordable payments on a vastly overpriced asset. That is a recipe for a complete disaster. Not just a small disaster, but end of your fiscal life type disaster.

Furthermore, that is SD county which has on the aggregate come down. This includes all manner of neighborhoods, from Jamul to la jolla. I would like to see that curve by zip code. Now that would be enlightening.[/quote]

I disagree about the uselessness of these curves. These are approximately the ratios for areas like Clairemont. Areas like Clairemont are more affordable on a monthly basis (relative to income or rents) than they have been for most of the past three decades.

It might get more affordable in the future, but it’s not meaningless.

I purchased a house in Clairemont in spring 1996, one of the most affordable points of the last 20 years. Let’s compare affordability then to today…

Here are the approximate numbers for that house:

1996 Price: 165K
monthly mortgage (80% LTV, 8.25% 30-yr fixed) : 991
monthly taxes: 170
Total mort+ taxes : ~ 1160

That house would have rented for about $1000. (I actually rented it out 5 years later for $1200).

Example:
2010 Clairemont
400K purchase
2,000 rent

Monthly mortgage = 1574
monthly taxes ~ 400

My point is NOT that you should buy today or that there aren’t better investments or that prices won’t go down (they probably will for the next few months). My point is that right now, many places in San Diego are more affordable (relative to rent) than they have been for at least a generation.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=jstoesz]Those curves imo are kind of useless. I don’t want really affordable payments on a vastly overpriced asset. That is a recipe for a complete disaster. Not just a small disaster, but end of your fiscal life type disaster.

Furthermore, that is SD county which has on the aggregate come down. This includes all manner of neighborhoods, from Jamul to la jolla. I would like to see that curve by zip code. Now that would be enlightening.[/quote]

I disagree about the uselessness of these curves. These are approximately the ratios for areas like Clairemont. Areas like Clairemont are more affordable on a monthly basis (relative to income or rents) than they have been for most of the past three decades.

It might get more affordable in the future, but it’s not meaningless.

I purchased a house in Clairemont in spring 1996, one of the most affordable points of the last 20 years. Let’s compare affordability then to today…

Here are the approximate numbers for that house:

1996 Price: 165K
monthly mortgage (80% LTV, 8.25% 30-yr fixed) : 991
monthly taxes: 170
Total mort+ taxes : ~ 1160

That house would have rented for about $1000. (I actually rented it out 5 years later for $1200).

Example:
2010 Clairemont
400K purchase
2,000 rent

Monthly mortgage = 1574
monthly taxes ~ 400

My point is NOT that you should buy today or that there aren’t better investments or that prices won’t go down (they probably will for the next few months). My point is that right now, many places in San Diego are more affordable (relative to rent) than they have been for at least a generation.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=jstoesz]Those curves imo are kind of useless. I don’t want really affordable payments on a vastly overpriced asset. That is a recipe for a complete disaster. Not just a small disaster, but end of your fiscal life type disaster.

Furthermore, that is SD county which has on the aggregate come down. This includes all manner of neighborhoods, from Jamul to la jolla. I would like to see that curve by zip code. Now that would be enlightening.[/quote]

I disagree about the uselessness of these curves. These are approximately the ratios for areas like Clairemont. Areas like Clairemont are more affordable on a monthly basis (relative to income or rents) than they have been for most of the past three decades.

It might get more affordable in the future, but it’s not meaningless.

I purchased a house in Clairemont in spring 1996, one of the most affordable points of the last 20 years. Let’s compare affordability then to today…

Here are the approximate numbers for that house:

1996 Price: 165K
monthly mortgage (80% LTV, 8.25% 30-yr fixed) : 991
monthly taxes: 170
Total mort+ taxes : ~ 1160

That house would have rented for about $1000. (I actually rented it out 5 years later for $1200).

Example:
2010 Clairemont
400K purchase
2,000 rent

Monthly mortgage = 1574
monthly taxes ~ 400

My point is NOT that you should buy today or that there aren’t better investments or that prices won’t go down (they probably will for the next few months). My point is that right now, many places in San Diego are more affordable (relative to rent) than they have been for at least a generation.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

[quote=jstoesz]Those curves imo are kind of useless. I don’t want really affordable payments on a vastly overpriced asset. That is a recipe for a complete disaster. Not just a small disaster, but end of your fiscal life type disaster.

Furthermore, that is SD county which has on the aggregate come down. This includes all manner of neighborhoods, from Jamul to la jolla. I would like to see that curve by zip code. Now that would be enlightening.[/quote]

I disagree about the uselessness of these curves. These are approximately the ratios for areas like Clairemont. Areas like Clairemont are more affordable on a monthly basis (relative to income or rents) than they have been for most of the past three decades.

It might get more affordable in the future, but it’s not meaningless.

I purchased a house in Clairemont in spring 1996, one of the most affordable points of the last 20 years. Let’s compare affordability then to today…

Here are the approximate numbers for that house:

1996 Price: 165K
monthly mortgage (80% LTV, 8.25% 30-yr fixed) : 991
monthly taxes: 170
Total mort+ taxes : ~ 1160

That house would have rented for about $1000. (I actually rented it out 5 years later for $1200).

Example:
2010 Clairemont
400K purchase
2,000 rent

Monthly mortgage = 1574
monthly taxes ~ 400

My point is NOT that you should buy today or that there aren’t better investments or that prices won’t go down (they probably will for the next few months). My point is that right now, many places in San Diego are more affordable (relative to rent) than they have been for at least a generation.

[jstoesz]

[quote=protorio]…So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect…[/quote]

I can understand and agree with a lot of what you said. But where would you live? What fits that criteria?

[jstoesz]

[quote=protorio]…So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect…[/quote]

I can understand and agree with a lot of what you said. But where would you live? What fits that criteria?

[jstoesz]

[quote=protorio]…So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect…[/quote]

I can understand and agree with a lot of what you said. But where would you live? What fits that criteria?

[jstoesz]

[quote=protorio]…So, for me, finding a modest, interesting house in a family neighborhood, with all of this in reach, is just about perfect…[/quote]

I can understand and agree with a lot of what you said. But where would you live? What fits that criteria?

[Author]

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