[bearishgurl]

Jazzman, I’m sure you’re aware that you’re going to have to use those “devalued (US) dollars” to buy your retirement home in France!

I believe you about the thick walls in houses built in France 100+ years ago. I believe you about the “quaint” villages surrounding or adjacent to these homes. I SAW the tiny home (3rd listing w/spiral staircase or ladder inside) in the middle of a forest.” I KNOW they are the “real deal.”

Yes, original Tudors or Victorians (with turrets) in CA would be over 85 yrs old and framed in wood. However, they may very well have a Mills Act contract in place, making their taxes very low. We have a few of them right here in Chula Vista which are just as big or bigger than listing #1 (in France).

There are even a few 75+ yo rock houses of over 2000 sf in Pasadena (one of your desired cities)!

I liked the first and second listings very much. I just don’t think they were all that big or equipped for the prices they were asking. However, listing #1 was “big enough” and had very rustic woodwork, which I liked.

You compared these listings in France to SoCal. I did not use any SoCal comparisons to your listings in France. I used central/northern Cal locations. THOSE are the locations in Cali which have properties comparable to listing #l in the same price range. There are others but I was trying to stay near those “coveted coastal areas” where you were shopping in CA. Your last post, however, reveals the type of property you REALLY wanted all along.

Perhaps when you first set out on your “CA shopping expedition,” you were unaware of the style of home you really wanted so you scoured a lot of locales in which you didn’t like the architecture, ambiance, “feel,” construction mat’ls … whatever. I don’t know. And if you DID know exactly what you wanted, then why would you have bothered standing in line (yawn) for shorts, distress sales and new construction when you could have just sought after properties with orchards, turrets, latticework gazebos with mature bougainvillea, rolling grassy lawns, stonework, archways, etc?

Yes, all “real” right here in Cali.

Do you realize that there are many RE brokers in CA who specialize in finding clients just this type of property anywhere in the state? With a <=$1M price range, I'm confident that you could have landed a property (prob w/lgr house and lot than France) that you would have been very happy with, but for a little needed work you could have done as time permitted. Especially during the time frame you were heavily shopping in. I now see that your problem, in my perspective, was that you were shopping in locales that either didn’t have the type of properties you really wanted or they DID but they were out of your price range. Uhh, hello . . .? Jazzman, are you out there?? I’m unclear if your agent told you this but you can’t just waltz into Palo Alto, SB, LJ, Coronado or Marin Co and expect to snap up one of these types of properties for a cool $1M. Not unless it’s currently uninhabitable and you have a bulldozer at the ready. And you can’t compare those CA coastal locales’ property values to your inland France listings. They are apples and oranges.

Not to belabor the issue any further, but the way I now see you situation, you had your sights set on a more valuable property in CA (w/poss room for appreciation) than you now do in France, which brings me to my next question, “Do residential properties in France appreciate in value?”

In my “comparison” post, I was attempting to compare the physical characteristics of France v CA properties and leave the “culture” out of it. Because your listings, however “charming,” are NOT coastal and NOT situated near job centers. If you now want to retire in France because of the “culture,” that has nothing to do with RE. You can rent there and enjoy the culture.

I don’t know if the quality of life for a retiree would be better in France or in the France-comparison (CA) areas I just posted. But, for you, they would have been much closer to family members. I don’t know very much about French culture. Maybe someday I’ll visit :=]

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jstoesz]I started looking for stats on long term disability. I entered such a morass of depression, I knew I could not continue working for the day if I went down that path. On the bright side at least I can now qualify for long term disability on account of my depression….[/quote]

jstoesz, sounds like “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (SAD) has been getting the best of you.

Time to pack up and move back to Cali ;=]

[bearishgurl]

[quote=barnaby33]Prices on Prime items are higher, to cover the shipping cost. Amazon isn’t stupid. I use prime extensively, but it’s a chimera, when considering price.

Since Amazon already has distribution centers here was the OP being glib when they linked a new center to tax collection?

Ninaprincess, they are still cheaper in most cases than anyone else. Even with tax.
Josh[/quote]

barnaby, Amazon is obviously building its distribution centers in CA on the cheapest land they can get … which makes sense (to hold their prices down). Any “beleaguered area” in the “armpit” of CA with 50%++ of distressed properties would be thrilled to have a new employer move in, offering the locals 750-1000 new jobs.

As it should be. If that’s the deal they made with Jerry, then so be it. Imagine how much sales tax the (small) state of TN collects (from their own residents and a poss % of other states) with all those online distribution centers located within minutes from the one of the country’s main UPS shipping hubs!

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Hobie][quote=citydweller]…he is offered an incredible opportunity and infrastructure in which he can use his ambition to become very wealthy. [/quote]

You won’t get any argument over infrastructure. However, it is the social welfare programs that gets those same hard working people so disillusioned. They are working and making personal sacrifices while watching lazy people abuse EBT or WIC.[/quote]

Hobie, CA local governments are 100% subsidized with transfer payments from the Dept of Agriculture for all EBT, WIC and school lunch benefits they dispense. These programs are available in all 50 states and are NOT exclusive to CA.

They have nothing to do with CA’s state or local budgets.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=spdrun]”Le tout sur 4.4 hectares de terrain en bordure de fôret.”

This all (i.e. the house), on 4.4 ha (approx 10 acres) near a forest. 4.4 ha refers to the lot size.[/quote]

Thank you, spdrun. Then that explains its high price. It appears to be a very small home with (likely) steep stairs inside with a sidewalk all around it. Very unusual :=0

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Jazzman]As I already pointed out the rate you quoted is for non-residents. I paid for the full year.[/quote]

Assuming this is so, then if you end up making your permanent residence in France (as you stated you wanted to do in the post below), you could end up having to pay the “non-resident” tax rate on Maui.

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216468

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Jazzman] . . . Soon we’re off to France and will be buying a beautiful stone farmhouse. The total tally will be our budget for California. Yep, two homes, in two of the most beautiful regions of the world for the price of one nothing-out-of-the ordinary single family home in southern California.

Here’s what’s on offer in France[/quote]

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/property-32298586.html

Asking price in US $: $582,400
Sq ft: 2034

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/property-20292576.html

Asking price in US $: $275,600
Sq ft: 1039 sf (main house) 273 sf (summer house/kit)

For comparison to US listing measurements, I did not count the sf in the hallways, terrace, garage, workshop and woodstore, as the above listing did.

http://www.guillon-immobilier.com/detail-IJL5135279-maison-lhoumois.html

Asking price in US $: $477,750
Sq ft: no size given but looks tiny in first photo

spdrun, can you translate this listing comment for us?

“Le tout sur 4.4 hectares de terrain en bordure de fôret.”

Does this measurement apply to the lot or the perimeter of the home?

References used:

approx (+/-) current Euro to dollar exchange rate: http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=ytff-yff17&p=exchange+rate+Euro+to+US+dollar

sq meter to sq feet conversion calculator: http://www.metric-conversions.org/area/square-meters-to-square-feet.htm

[quote=Jazzman]Now I love California and the people, so don’t get me wrong here, but they think they’ve got it right, and when it comes to home prices …well, they haven’t! According to a survey reported on NBC tonight, CA is the worst run state in the country. Now I don’t know about that, but I do know value when I see it.[/quote]

Jazzman, you had the opportunity to at least purchase a similar home to the your first link right here in CA for a comparable price (except its wood shingle is no longer insurable in CA). It may not have been hundreds of years old (not sure of the age of the one in your link) but like spdrun posted, there ARE homes like this in the US. The second and third link are a bit unusual. There ARE many stone and rock houses in TX, OK and AR, mostly 1600-1900 sf, which would cost about $180K to $220K today. Many of them are situated either lakefront (with a boat dock) or within blocks of a lake. The vast majority of them are owned as vacation homes by city dwellers (workers) who often move into them when they retire. They are mostly fully furnished down the last detail and almost never rented out.

Jazzman, it appears that you only “shopped” in some of CA’s most prestigious communities (mostly coastal) in which you “expected” to make a “killer deal.”

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216296

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216305

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216314

Even after reviewing these posts, I still feel like you may have “overshopped” and “overthought” your retirement home purchase up and down the state and so ended up talking yourself out of buying in CA for no other reason other than you were “tired” (and also got “distracted” by the “doomsayers” on the MSM).

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216410

http://piggington.com/future_housing_purchase_trading_up_when_rates_are_higher#comment-216468

Why am I now bringing back up the issue of “overthinking” as it applies to RE purchases? Because I believe it is very possible the OP here has done the same thing while shopping for a home for more than a year (albeit on a much shorter leash than Jazzman due to job constraints and available resources).

I’m unfamiliar with Europe but just trying to make a true apples-to-apples comparison of those listings in France to CA listings in the same price range. Since it doesn’t look like there are any jobs for miles around ANY of those listings, they should be comped to inland rural and semi-rural areas in CA, IMO. I just don’t think CA prices are that bad today for what you get, where the property is located and the fact that CA actually has “potable water” available everywhere and a very good infrastructure in comparison to other states.

When all is said and done, Jazzman will likely have spent $750K – $1M on RE but was “unable” to make a deal on a suitable retirement property for himself and his spouse in CA while diligently shopping between 2010 and 2012. There’s nothing wrong with having two homes, distant and diverse from one another. But I still feel he could have done the same thing in CA (condo near beach plus large Lake Tahoe cabin) or fixer mini-estate outside of Ojai, SLO, Napa or Sonoma (likely larger but as a comparable to listing #1 in France).

Thanks for sharing with us the listings in France, Jazzman. They are very interesting.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=spdrun]Dirt cheap as compared to the US, as is the case in most of Europe.[/quote]

spdrun, I haven’t been to Europe. Are there a lot of septic users outside of cities?

Why do you think property taxes are lower in the EU?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Jazzman]I think I paid about $450 in property tax, so small I can’t remember and can’t be bothered to look it up, but your calculations are way off. Different rates for kama’aina….[/quote]

Jazzman, that’s not what your county is saying on their website. Are you sure the taxes you already paid this year weren’t what we in Cali call a “supplemental bill” (the difference between the previous owner’s bill and yours for FY 11/12 or 2011)? After all, you stated you just purchased it this year and it was new construction. It’s very possible the tax bill you paid was representative of your portion of a fractional interest of the unimproved lot your condo complex now sits on.

Perhaps you haven’t received your full tax bill yet for FY 12/13 or 2013 or it is not yet due.

In any case, property taxes ARE lower on Maui than mainland cities (not sure about HI’s other islands) but this is likely attributable to a much smaller population who use services there and therefore much less infrastructure was needed/built on the island.

[bearishgurl]

ctr, have you visited some of these “flyover states?” They’re just begging for small biz folks like yourself and will even help you get started:

The Best States to Start a Small Business | Fox Small Business Center

The Best States to Start a Small Business | Fox Small Business Center

Texas continues to earn high marks for its welcoming atmosphere for businesses that call it home.

The Lone Star State had three cities — Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio — rank among the top four friendliest for small businesses in a new poll by Thumbtack.com and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Overall, Texas earned an A-plus in the poll, which graded cities and states on a number of factors, including ease of starting a business, hiring costs, government regulations and training programs.

The ranking comes after last week’s Best & Worst States Survey by Chief Executive Magazine, which gave Texas the top spot for its business climate.

Idaho, Oklahoma and Utah also landed A-plus grades in the Thumbtack poll for their friendliness toward small businesses, earning high marks for things like low tax rates and other perks

“Although Texas and Idaho clearly come out on top as the nation’s friendliest states towards small business, entrepreneurs value a lot more than just low tax rates,” said Sander Daniels, co-founder of Thumbtack.com. “Easy-to-understand licensing regulations and well-publicized training programs are critical tools necessary to support small business.”

Have you checked out Idaho? They have great skiing.

http://www.sunvalley.com/

And if you haven’t already, you should check out C’oeur d’alene:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&va=coeur+d%27alene

You could join a passel of thousands of retirees who “escaped” from the “Golden State.” However, I should warn you first that almost ALL of them are former public servants (now public pensioners), i.e. law enforcement … mostly from CA Hwy Patrol and LAPD. They would be happy to “commiserate” with you at your fav bar on the shortcomings of CA … with first-hand accounts of their “adventurous careers.”

Go check it out! I think you will be more than pleased 🙂

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Hobie]Love ya BG but you’ll have to trust me on this. You are also a great researcher. Here is a gift for you:
Andrews Electronics for OEM consumer electronic parts. Good folks, tons of parts.[/quote]

Why thank you, Hobie. Just part of my “job” and what I do best, lol. Since I already have my stuff fixed (knock on metal) and don’t need your referral and since I’ve already pulled a chair up, I was thinking more on the order of:

https://www.mcnabridge.com/xe/xe.asp?page=viewitem&p=559&cat=mcnab-ridge

Barring the availability of my first choice, I’ll take a cutty and water with a twist, and proceed to tell you how you give up too easily. I mean … I understand … considering we live in a “throwaway society” and all …

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Jazzman]I should I suppose presage my posts with “now wait for the Realtors responses to come fighting back”. BG, it was not aimed at you, just a general note of caution, and since you claim not to be a Realtor, I’m sure you will agree that pressure from a broker is usually a pretty one sided affair and to be avoided. As for the rest of your essay, I will have to come back to you. Got to dash (from my $270/sq ft home in paradise with no property tax) to catch the next big surf. Yep, there’s a good reason indeed. Common sense mostly.[/quote]

Hmmm, looks like Jazzman’s current tax bill for his condo is approximately $2173.50.

http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?NID=755

http://www.co.maui.hi.us/documents/24/99/519/Reso%2012-053.PDF

That’s not “nothing” …. it’s .575%, which is a little less than half the (ad valorem + local svcs) rate of “city” parcels in Cali w/o MR (more than half of the tax base of uninc parcels). Perhaps Maui doesn’t have as many “services” available to its residents as we do. Being completely “waterlocked,” they certainly don’t have anywhere near the population we do to use them.

Acc to his post below, Jazzman paid ~$378K for his 1400 sf condo (new construction):

January 2012 Resale Data Rodeo

That’s not such a “good deal” in a lot of areas of SD but might be there. I have no idea.

Jazzman, are there sidewalks, street lights and storm drains in your neighborhood??

I will concede that one doesn’t need a full wetsuit to get into the water in Maui in Nov/Dec, lol 😉

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Hobie]Ok BG pull a chair up to the bar. 🙂 Calling Sony Tech support gets you a fellow in India with an American first name. Read him the serial number and he will tell you the OEM replacement part number. This is different than what is printed on the actual circuit board as they don’t use those numbers for replacement parts and their system would not recognize my number that I’m staring at anyway. But before that, you will be subjected to a new sales pitch for a new TV rather than fix the old one. Annoying. Order part and its is wrong. Try again, new number and assured it is correct. Wrong again. Online sources each return different or conflicting part numbers. Maybe I had the one wierd model, but still….

So there is the full story to why I don’t wanna deal with Sony any more. Used to be top of line products but not anymore. I’m actually liking Samsung stuff very much lately. YMMV.[/quote]

Hobie, I don’t understand the problem you’re having. There are apparently some parts available for Bravia directly from Sony:

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl?prodtype=1%2C24%2C26%2C66%2C9%2C70%2C5%2C72

A Sony x-xxx-xxx-xx part no is not the same as its 3-digit model no (sometimes stamped on the part).

A cursory check at partstore.com reveals parts for these 3 models (there may be more):

http://www.partstore.com/Model/Sony/Sony/KDL40Z5100.aspx

http://www.partstore.com/Model/Sony/Sony/BRAVIAVPLVW40.aspx

http://www.partstore.com/Model/Sony/Sony/KDL32S2010.aspx?s=google&CID=g8Account18Sony8ModelNumbersTVs8BOM

and there’s plenty of parts on e-bay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2043521.m570.l1313&_nkw=Sony+Bravia+Parts&_sacat=293&_from=R40

You need to get the “Sony Confidential Parts List” from your service manual first, so you know exactly what to order. If you don’t have a service manual, that is a big part of your problem.

Try: http://servicerepairmanuals.net/tvmonitors/sony-klv-sa10-series-lcd-tv-service-manual/

You are talking to a distant “support desk” person with an unintelligible “English” accent instead of determining for yourself the part(s) that you need. For instance, see:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkIf0sbZQ3ikAjByJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http3A%2F2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DSony%2BConfidential%2BParts%2BList%2BBravia%2BSeries%26fr%3Dytff-yff17%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D27&w=419&h=609&imgurl=servicerepairmanuals.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F04%2FSony-KLVS26A10.png&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fservicerepairmanuals.net%2Ftvmonitors%2Fsony-klv-sa10-series-lcd-tv-service-manual%2F&size=58.3+KB&name=Service+Repair+Manual+for+%3Cb%3ESony+Bravia+%3C%2Fb%3EKLV-S26A10%2C+S32A10%2C+S40A10+…&p=Sony+Confidential+Parts+List+Bravia+Series&oid=7f27f42d669784a46cef80d664cd85fc&fr2=piv-web&fr=ytff-yff17&tt=Service%2BRepair%2BManual%2Bfor%2B%253Cb%253ESony%2BBravia%2B%253C%252Fb%253EKLV-S26A10%252C%2BS32A10%252C%2BS40A10%2B…&b=0&ni=21&no=27&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12mfhv5na&sigb=145289aa6&sigi=1269kea4o&#038;.crumb=D4PsowTom7D

If there is a blog about your particular model, you might be able to snag the service manual for free 🙂

The stuff I recently fixed was circa 2003 and 2006.

Some of the Sony parts are interchangeable and/or will work, even if it is the part for a little older model.

For the most part, I feel Sony makes well-built, quality products.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Hobie]Just stay away from Sony Bravia. My $1k unit died in 3yrs and could not get correct repair parts.[/quote]

I don’t have a Bravia TV but have other Sony items which are older and I was able to find parts for them. A couple were backordered and took a month or so to get:

https://www.servicesplus.sel.sony.com/sony-parts.aspx

http://www.partstore.com/Content/BrandLandingPages/Sony.aspx

There may be others but I have tried these two and am satisfied. All were OEM.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Jazzman][quote=SDEaves]BG,
Just as you said last month, homes in our price range are getting snatched up by cash buyers.
Since last month’s post, we have put in 2 offers in LM but to no avail. One was taken by an investor; the other we were outbid.
We are still searching. As you and other Piggs have said, inventory is extremely low in our price range. So this all should come as no surprise to you 😉 Your last post implies some sort of impatience at us taking our time with buying and asking questions in the meantime. Perhaps I read into your last post wrong? We will gladly update you once we close escrow on a home. Please send us good luck with our search- we need it![/quote]

With inventory so low, and the frustration of being out-bid, why don’t you put your search on hold until things improve. Look at these numbers. Things aren’t improving. http://www.deptofnumbers.com/asking-prices/california/san-diego/

Never, ever bow to pressure from a Realtor. As far as your OP is concerned, you may be a little over-concerned in respect of values. Although some appraisers may be initially confused, it seems pretty clear cut that the two values are not interconnected, which would be made clear to any prospecting buyers, just as you yourself found out.

I personally wouldn’t hold out for any appreciation down the road anyway. The best investments in this market are not based on future potential, but on how well you managed to negotiate the seller down on price. If that is not possible due to shortage of supply, you run the risk of your investment remaining flat. A great time to borrow doth not a great time to buy maketh.[/quote]

Ahem … a few of things come to mind, here Jazzman …

First, if you’re referring to me, I am not at present a “Realtor.” I am a nearly 30-yr licensee (not active) and have resided in SD County (permanently) for ~35 yrs. I have resided in CA for nearly 50 yrs. So I have seen more than a few RE cycles here. In addition, I have been a “principal” more times than I can count on my fingers.

You are opining here that RE will remain flat when that is not what has been happening in the last nearly two years in CA coastal counties, especially in areas within ~12 mi from the coast. Of course, desirability varies widely from community to community but they aren’t making any more land <10 mi from the coast. I don't think the OP's "Realtor" was "pressuring" them. In fact, he stated his "realtor" showed him properties for a year simply so he and his spouse could “familiarize” themselves with SD County.

http://piggington.com/townhouse_close_to_work_or_house_in_the_burbs

The reality is that most “Realtors” acting as buyer’s agents (myself incl) not only would want an executed Buyer-Broker Agency Agreement in place at all times to do this, but WOULD grow impatient spending hundreds of hours and many gallons of gas with a FT buyer who might ultimately defect (and purchase) in a new construction tract. Based upon his posts, not only has he toured new construction tracts (incl the complex in the OP) and considered purchasing there, his agent has been exceedingly patient and cooperative with the OP’s “window shopping,” even though he may very well end up making nothing, due to not taking better control of the situation.

LOL. Compare what I’m telling the OP here to Pigg flu’s recent assertion that he can’t get good advice out of a “financial advisor” because they “get paid to tell people this stuff” and the info they dole out is “proprietary.”

http://piggington.com/cash_out_refinance_then_tax_free_muni_investment#comment-222505

I “gave” this OP a little tidbit of “free advice” on how to win a bid for a single family home in his $360K price range for his young family in THE CURRENT market in SD County. And I’m not even his “Realtor!” Of course, he is free to take it or leave it.

I see here that the OP states he has recently placed two (unsuccessful) offers in LM (an area I suggested to him in Oct). He needs to keep on keepin’ on, IF he really wants a house, IMHO. And the sooner they can close, the better. They’ve had enough time to “familiarize themselves.” There’s nothing wrong with that, btw, but in their case, this “familiarizing time” turned out to be concurrent with a time which prices in areas of their original target market (NE suburban SD) rose exponentially.

***

Jazzman, let’s assume arguendo that SDEaves buys a market-rate unit in the complex he posted about in his OP.

I have looked at a ~3 yr-old version of the CA Transfer Disclosure Statement (and don’t know if it’s changed since then), but I don’t believe there are any questions on there that ask the seller whether they know of any “inclusionary” or “set aside” units in their complex for low-income buyers or renters (UR, SDR, etc, please correct me if I’m wrong here). If there is no current sold comp or current listing among the five inclusionary units when the OP accepts an offer to purchase in the future, then why would he have to disclose at all that such units even exist? This “cloud” on the title of the five IU’s won’t be on HIS title report (which will be ordered up by potential buyers) and I am unclear if the CC&R’s would have any need to mention it because those five owners are entitled to the same rights of enjoyment of the amenities, etc as the market-rate buyers.

If I’m reading your post right, Jazzman, you are stating here that a market-rate seller in this complex should tell a buyer he has in escrow to, “[i]gnore that (~20% lower) recent sold comp because my unit is `market-rate.'” However, their lender is not going to “ignore” the appraisal they just got. Who do you think buys these units, Jazzman? Do you think it is buyers who are able and willing to reach into their pockets (while in escrow) to make up the difference between what the condo appraises for and what the seller wants??

Even if a future seller of a market-rate unit doesn’t have to contend with a listing or recent sold comp from among the five inclusionary units, I just feel that those five owners are so vulnerable to short sale, foreclosure or walking away due to the high carrying costs (over rent of a comparable unit) and later possibly taking their title report to an attorney and being advised to let it property go. These five units perpetually in “distress” on the public record don’t bode well for the market-rate sellers’ future values, IMO.

***

Jazzman, I agree with your statement about “deal-making at the outset” being critical. This applies to accepting employment, also :]

HOWEVER, “deal making,” if it includes counter-counter-counter-counter offers are a wee bit harder to get a seller to “entertain” when there is so little on the market to choose from. Of course, sellers today are aware of the inventory shortage. Jazzman, you’re forgetting that THIS buyer (the OP) isn’t looking for a retirement home or a second home, as you were (and you didn’t want to but ended up “giving up” on Cali, even though your spouse’s relatives live here):

http://piggington.com/8_years_later_it_happened_we_bought_a_home#comment-206359

http://piggington.com/8_years_later_it_happened_we_bought_a_home#comment-206393

Conversely, the OP here is looking for a suitable place to raise three young kids, which he can purchase for ~$360K, with a short commute to his work, which is in the Tierrasanta/Miramar area.

Jazzman, I’m happy for you that you found a “retirement” home in HI which you are happy with and were/are looking for another home in Europe.

http://piggington.com/housing_a_lost_decade#comment-214197

January 2012 Resale Data Rodeo

January 2012 Resale Data Rodeo

http://piggington.com/ot_where_would_you_live_if_not_in_usa#comment-179757

But that’s not the situation this OP is in. He NEEDS a home HERE in SD County because he WORKS HERE and he NEEDS a mortgage in order to buy one.

Ask yourself how much less than a $360K home SDEaves will be able to buy if interest rates go up even .5% ? And more importantly, if rates begin to rise, how long will it take them to do so? And will the OP be “locked in” and in escrow, already closed, or “still looking” while rates are rising??

You are imparting your views to this OP of Cali RE being “overpriced” because you refused to pay the price sellers wanted for the retirement homes you wanted in Cali after “shopping” and “making offers” up and down the state for many months. So you don’t have a house in Cali because someone else paid more for the ones you wanted. And you never “bowed to any `realtor pressure'” … but … were you successful? Uhhh … no.

That is how I see your story. Do I have it all correct, Jazzman??

SDEaves, you may take Jazzman’s “sage advice” at your peril. And while you’re doing it, just keep in mind ONE THING … Uhhh …. he’s not here anymore and there’s a reason for that. ;=]

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