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bearishgurl
Participant[quote=UCGal]I had a suggestion all ready to go until that last line.
We live on a canyon. We had critters of all sorts in our backyard until we got our dog.
It’s really fun to see him bound after errant critters that come into our yard.
Since we have fruit trees – we get rats. (Even yuckier than rabbits). He has totally eliminated that problem.[/quote]
I already made this suggestion here once before and I’ll make it again:
[img_assist|nid=15574|title=”Doxie”|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=100|height=67]
Your champion of all (above-ground and underground) tasks :=]
Participant…Stockton’s finances collapsed along with its housing market, forcing city officials to slash $90 million in spending in recent years and a quarter of positions across agencies.
Despite the cuts, Stockton has not been able to avoid recurring deficits. Its revenue is weak and its financial troubles have been compounded, according to city officials, by generous pay and benefits for city workers and retirees and too much debt taken on by the city when it enjoyed a home-building boom in the early part of the last decade that transformed it into a distant bedroom community for the San Francisco Bay area.
Many of the houses built and bought in that boom have been abandoned, repossessed and sold at deep discount as Stockton has been at the top or near the top of lists of housing markets suffering a glut of foreclosures in recent years…
As I’ve always maintained, the excessive formation of CFD’s (in this example, dozens of them encroaching on and occupying CA’s agricultural heartland) along with the subsequent bond selling and building on all that CFD-encumbered land (especially in the absence of nearby well-paying jobs) is what got the City of Stockton into the this mess to begin with.
After about 1998, almost ZERO cities and counties in CA made contracts guaranteeing a health benefit subsidy to non-sworn retirees and some did not even guarantee them to sworn retirees. This benefit is revocable at any time. Stockton can (and should) take away this benefit from all their current annuitants who were not guaranteed the benefit. And they likely will if they have not done so already.
The passing of the Mello Roos Community Facilities Act (MR) and its later implementation among cities and counties was THE catalyst which fueled rampant millenium-boom building boom everywhere in the state where there was any land at all to spare. The subsequent “bust” was both a byproduct of overbuilding (made possible by the MR bonds) in conjunction with “loose lending.” Today, most jurisdictions who approved these CFD’s don’t even have enough employees on staff to service their huge population influxes of recent years made possible by their creation of these CFD’s in conjunction with Big Development.
This was all prophesied by my SD City College RE professor in 1982 (just after the act had been signed by the Legislature). It turns out he was spot on.
Participant[quote=desmond]sdr,
If your in Flagstaff looking for a place to eat, great sopapillas
If you have your kids with you stop by the Meteor Crater near Winslow
http://www.meteorcrater.com/………..[/quote]
Desmond, I think we ate at LaFonda last summer. Is it next to the train tracks?
In any case, I think Flagstaff is very beautiful, even though it has grown A LOT in the last 12=20 years!
And I don’t think I’ve ever seen the meteor crater. I relation to the fast-food truck stop with dinosaur statues, would it be north or northwest of that??
ParticipantI travel the both the I-8/I-10 and the I/10/I-17/I-40 route thru AriDzona annually.
This particular SC decision, for better or worse, will have no bearing on how the US Dept of Homeland Security decides to run their east-west “checkpoints” on I-8/I-10 in CA/AZ. They ask EVERYONE in the vehicle (who is old enough to speak) to state their citizenship. They also have the right of search and seizure (and even have makeshift “secondary” sections set up off-road). I’ve seen a LOT of people people pulled over by USBP/Customs for document examination on these roads in the last 10+ years, even Asian people driving expensive cars. I don’t carry papers but have always been let go (one time after a cursory search of a trailer).
http://piggington.com/why_is_a_doper_snorting_bath_salts_my_problem
The days of a passenger with bare feet hanging out the window (no A/C in cars) and loading the bed of one’s pickup with kids and a giant thermos to head interstate to grandma’s house are gone :=[
ParticipantThe OP specifically asked if any of the three areas they mentioned was “family friendly” and having spent many weekend days there, I can vouch that Coronado is indeed very “family friendly.” Of course, their biz partner can tell them much more. I know a few students from my area that are going to school over there and they do this bridge commute twice every day because they think the Coronado schools are “worth it.”
I’ve lived in this county for nearly 40 years (probably longer than the vast majority of these “North County booster Piggs” have) and understand intimately what life is truly like in the major SD Metro communities, South County and parts of East County. I don’t believe in “steering” and feel that the OP will be able to see it (and drive or sit in traffic) all by themselves when they actually get here to look around.
I have nothing against North County (or the far reaches of “North City”) except that in this instance, living in those locations could very well unduly complicate the life of the worker in the family.
flu, last time I looked, you weren’t left in charge of directing this discussion ;=]
ParticipantCoronado has great public schools at all levels. It is a small relatively “self-contained” very walkable small town and the OP could live near their biz partner without ever having to set wheels on a freeway. The whole town (incl the strand) is safe for kids to walk and ride bikes in. There ARE lots there the size the OP is used to but those (rare) properties would likely be far above their price range. However, I think they could find something suitable there for a family of six for $1-$1.5M, although it may not have the square footage they are used to. In any case, why not RENT there near your partner while you look around the county at the different areas, try various “commutes” out during rush hours and accept longtime local knowledgeable counsel?
School is on a “traditional schedule” in the CUSD and begins August 23.
Participant[quote=SD Realtor] . . . Oh yeah and how long ago was it that you raised kids bg?[/quote]
I’ve presently got one who attends a top-rated HS in the county (down here in that “other CV ghetto”), lol. I can assure you that they could and would know how to conduct themselves properly in the heart of the Newport Ave shopping drag (yes, day and night) as well as the beach and park.
As a matter of fact, my kid and a local friend of the same age are flying to SF soon, to stay with relatives and “entertain themselves” while the relatives work during the day. This includes taking the the bus out of Portrero and riding the cable cars and streetcars to SOMA and Union Square to shop, as well as several other areas there.
If you choose to lock your kids up in lizardland, muzzle them and vet all their “friends,” activities and TV programs, etc, you could easily end up with unsocialized morons who can’t even find a public restroom by themselves, IMHO.
The world out there beyond HS is NOT “cookie-cutter suburbia.” Your kids will realize this before you will realize that they realize it.
June 25, 2012 at 12:44 PM in reply to: Loan mods not working… Really??? Kicking the can down the road doesn’t work??? Who would have thought… #746426Participant[quote=sdrealtor] . . . You called for 45%+ declines in prime NCC areas.
I said 30% would be worst case scenario and beleived the number would be about 20 to 25%.
Surprise surprise! 5 years later we bottomed out at a 20 to 25% decline and are starting to head back up albeit slowly. CV didnt even get that low.
Giddyap Dead Horsey![/quote]
Might you be “jumping the gun” a little here??
I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen or heard the “fat lady’s” encore yet.
Participant[quote=spdrun]
I would also think 3, 4, or 10 times about places like Ocean Beach if I were raising a family.
Why? Yeah, you get some skells and characters, but it’s less rowdy than PB. I’d say it would be broadly comparable to raising a family in parts of Brooklyn, NY.
Being a kid in an area where you can actually WALK around is a wonderful thing.[/quote]
I agree, spdrun. I know several people (both young and old) who had an “idyllic life” growing up in the PL/OB area. There are many local well-known recreational programs for children in that area of town. And SDR stated the public HS there (PLHS) takes in numerous CHOICE and VEEP transfers from around the city. True, as does his “home” HS, Scripps Ranch HS. I know kids in the Morse HS attendance area (92139) who are currently attending SRHS (from 30+ miles away)! And they are NOT alone …
Participant[quote=SD Realtor]If I were you I would not make any decisions until you come out here….[/quote]
Obviously, we all can agree here. It is clear this OP is completely unfamiliar with SD County.
SDR, try not to espouse your own values upon a distant stranger. You and sdr both have clear biases on where you believe the “best places” are in the county to raise a family. Neither of you are immune from “bias” and “categorizing people.”
All local Piggs have their own preferences and priorities in this regard as does incoming relocatees.
Participant[quote=spdrun]If the OP is considering beach cities, and local schools aren’t an issue, what about Ocean Beach? Beautiful area, has a walkable “downtown” and less of a rowdy crowd than PB.[/quote]
Excellent suggestion for SD’s finest coastal living (92106,92107), spdrun.
Small Catholic School in Pt Loma (Gr 1-12):
http://www.saint-agnes.org/religiouseducation.html
Larger Catholic Elementary (K-8) in Loma Portal:
Participant“New England” could be rural Vermont or NH, for all we know!
ParticipantI’m not seeing this OP as necessarily seeking a “prestigious” address. They may have mentioned these locations because that is all they’ve “heard about.” I’m getting from the OP that they desire a Catholic education for their four children (Grades 1-12). That can be done in SD. An Elementary Catholic education can be reasonable but Catholic HS comes with a price (which I think is worth it).
In any case, the OP has four young children to educate. This seems to me to be more important to him/her than housing considerations (which is secondary to where they will choose to join a parish and send their kids to school).
Correct me if I’m wrong, rired.
Participant[quote=poorgradstudent]Out of curiosity, are you going to be commuting to work in San Diego? I *love* coronado, but it’s essentially an island, which makes the commute getting on and off of it pretty challenging. San Diego has some bad rush hour traffic (although it’s nothing like LA). We don’t have good public transportation options like you probably have in New England, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at areas to live. Coronado in particular is just a long drive to almost anywhere, except maybe downtown.
Those are all very ritzy areas of San Diego. La Jolla Country Day in particular has snobbery issues amongst the students. I knew a former UCSD professor who sent his kids there, they probably grossed at least $250K a year, and they were “poor” kids there and hated it. SD actually does have a couple Catholic schools, they are more centrally located. If you have money but want a more “walkable” neighborhood check out Kennsington and South Park. Kennsington in particular is a beautiful, old established neighborhood that is just isolated enough to feel extremely safe. You should at least drive through it to get a contrast to La Jolla and Del Mar. I’ve just heard too many people not from San Diego complain about how “fake” it is, when they only see La Jolla and the Gaslamp.[/quote]
Excellent suggestion, poorgradstudent. rired, he is referring to St. Augustine HS (for boys), which is located in the prestigious “South Park” area of San Diego (92104).
and the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (for girls), located in “Normal Heights” SD (92116), locally known as “OLP.”
Both HS’s are surrounded by older, very well-built and well-located housing stock which tends to have larger lots but be smaller in square footage than homes in more distant outlying areas. However, homes over 2500 sf can be found in 92102, 92104, 92116 and 92115, which are all short surface-street drives to these HS’s as well as the Blessed Sacrament Elementary School.
Both HS’s serve students in grades 9-12 and are located approx 2.5 mi from one another.
An online perusal also shows a newer Catholic Elementary School (to grade 7) in Eastern Scripps Ranch (92131).
http://s393158953.onlinehome.us/
The tuition for St Gregory for 3 students in one family is just over $15K yr (for all 3) if the parents are parish members. This location is NOT coastal, however. There are large newer homes available out there for approximately $700-$900K and the larger older homes west of the school range in price from $500-$900K (all 92131). The property taxes are MUCH less in the older tracts because there is no “Mello Roos” bonds to pay on those tax bills. Since your kids would likely be attending private schools, I see no reason for you to pay the hefty annual Mello Roos (MR) tax of Stonebridge (the newer nearby avail homes, of which a very substantial portion of their MR ends up in the coffers of the Poway Unified School District [PUSD]). In any case, the vast majority of public schools located in the older section of 92131 (SDUSD) are also rated very highly!
Cathedral High (92130) and Mater-Dei High (91913) are both newly-built schools which migrated from much older campuses with decades-long histories in SD. Both have fantastic college-prep programs and their campuses are designed much like college campuses. I am aware that Mater-Dei (in Chula Vista) brought in all their teachers from a diocese in Ohio and ALL presumably have Doctorate degrees. Both campuses send buses to different areas of the county to pick up and drop off students and both offer a grade 9-12 college prep and advanced-placement curriculum.
http://www.cathedralcatholic.org/
http://www.materdeicatholic.org/
There are many more Catholic elementary schools to choose from in SD County serving students in grades 1-8. It all depends on where you need to live to mitigate the daily commute to job(s).
If I could have afforded it, I would have sent my last kid to Mater Dei High.
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