[bzribee]

[quote=meadandale]Costco and Ikea are always packed, even midday in the middle of the week. The malls are always full.

I look around San Diego and think “what recession”. Clearly people are hurting somewhere but I haven’t met any of them.[/quote]

As a classroom teacher (east county), I have met many of these folks who are hurting. Several times I asked parents (who appeared to me to be available) to help in the room and they broke down crying over money/housing issues. Families are constantly moving, often into a relative’s home, or out of town, then back, then out again. They’re on edge. They’re juggling child care, night shifts, and fear of losing both of those (a misbehaving child will be kicked out of childcare. If the parent has to leave work, they can lose their job, especially if it’s a frequent occurance).

Heck, even my apartment building is a good example of relatives living with family members, kids sleeping on the floor, watching tv all summer. I guess I’m just saying I see this also.

A few years ago, one of my 2nd graders was excited because he got a mattress for his birthday. He’d been sleeping on the floor (which helped explain the bite marks on his arms and legs). We got his family some help. 11 people lived in that apartment. I imagine they would pick up and leave when they couldn’t pay the rent. Or they were evicted.

I remember his mom getting angry at us for worrying about this kid’s homework when she was worried about keeping her job and about eviction. And she was right.

These families are very loving–but they are operating out of survival mode.

Makes me thankful for all I have.

[bzribee]

A few responses:

Itokuda: Thanks for your perspective. It wasn’t just “the bounce” that made me reel–it was the depth and breath of the discussion. As a non-realtor/ expert, it was a lot to think about.

Rustico:You’re right! I’d love to live within 3-5 blocks of University and 30th, not near El Cajon Blvd, and staying between Texas and 805. 1 bedroom is fine if there’s a garage. I’ve used realtor.com which gave me some different locations than sdlookup. I need to follow both of these more closely. There are options I wasn’t aware of.

sdduuuude: Sigh! I don’t wanna listen but yes, I should keep working. I’ve begun a small part time business and save plenty (for my needs). I needed your prompt to look at costs vs rents.

Everyone’s comments are good reminders that it’s okay to wait, to look where I want to live, and to run the numbers. Thank you, all. I appreciate the conversation and opinions.

[bzribee]

A few responses:

Itokuda: Thanks for your perspective. It wasn’t just “the bounce” that made me reel–it was the depth and breath of the discussion. As a non-realtor/ expert, it was a lot to think about.

Rustico:You’re right! I’d love to live within 3-5 blocks of University and 30th, not near El Cajon Blvd, and staying between Texas and 805. 1 bedroom is fine if there’s a garage. I’ve used realtor.com which gave me some different locations than sdlookup. I need to follow both of these more closely. There are options I wasn’t aware of.

sdduuuude: Sigh! I don’t wanna listen but yes, I should keep working. I’ve begun a small part time business and save plenty (for my needs). I needed your prompt to look at costs vs rents.

Everyone’s comments are good reminders that it’s okay to wait, to look where I want to live, and to run the numbers. Thank you, all. I appreciate the conversation and opinions.

[bzribee]

A few responses:

Itokuda: Thanks for your perspective. It wasn’t just “the bounce” that made me reel–it was the depth and breath of the discussion. As a non-realtor/ expert, it was a lot to think about.

Rustico:You’re right! I’d love to live within 3-5 blocks of University and 30th, not near El Cajon Blvd, and staying between Texas and 805. 1 bedroom is fine if there’s a garage. I’ve used realtor.com which gave me some different locations than sdlookup. I need to follow both of these more closely. There are options I wasn’t aware of.

sdduuuude: Sigh! I don’t wanna listen but yes, I should keep working. I’ve begun a small part time business and save plenty (for my needs). I needed your prompt to look at costs vs rents.

Everyone’s comments are good reminders that it’s okay to wait, to look where I want to live, and to run the numbers. Thank you, all. I appreciate the conversation and opinions.

[bzribee]

A few responses:

Itokuda: Thanks for your perspective. It wasn’t just “the bounce” that made me reel–it was the depth and breath of the discussion. As a non-realtor/ expert, it was a lot to think about.

Rustico:You’re right! I’d love to live within 3-5 blocks of University and 30th, not near El Cajon Blvd, and staying between Texas and 805. 1 bedroom is fine if there’s a garage. I’ve used realtor.com which gave me some different locations than sdlookup. I need to follow both of these more closely. There are options I wasn’t aware of.

sdduuuude: Sigh! I don’t wanna listen but yes, I should keep working. I’ve begun a small part time business and save plenty (for my needs). I needed your prompt to look at costs vs rents.

Everyone’s comments are good reminders that it’s okay to wait, to look where I want to live, and to run the numbers. Thank you, all. I appreciate the conversation and opinions.

[bzribee]

A few responses:

Itokuda: Thanks for your perspective. It wasn’t just “the bounce” that made me reel–it was the depth and breath of the discussion. As a non-realtor/ expert, it was a lot to think about.

Rustico:You’re right! I’d love to live within 3-5 blocks of University and 30th, not near El Cajon Blvd, and staying between Texas and 805. 1 bedroom is fine if there’s a garage. I’ve used realtor.com which gave me some different locations than sdlookup. I need to follow both of these more closely. There are options I wasn’t aware of.

sdduuuude: Sigh! I don’t wanna listen but yes, I should keep working. I’ve begun a small part time business and save plenty (for my needs). I needed your prompt to look at costs vs rents.

Everyone’s comments are good reminders that it’s okay to wait, to look where I want to live, and to run the numbers. Thank you, all. I appreciate the conversation and opinions.

[bzribee]

OMG! What an amazing discussion, and just what I’ve been wanting to read. But what about those (few?) of us in the REALLY low end pricing? In central (and popular) parts of SD: 92104? When will it be better to buy then rent?

I started a new forum topic with the above questions as it feels like this one has reached closure. I just want to thank you all for the honest, searching and respectful posts. I’m so grateful. I can’t contribute to the discussions with any depth but boy do I learn a lot. Hope I can come to TG’s housewarming anyway 🙂

Congratulations.

[bzribee]

OMG! What an amazing discussion, and just what I’ve been wanting to read. But what about those (few?) of us in the REALLY low end pricing? In central (and popular) parts of SD: 92104? When will it be better to buy then rent?

I started a new forum topic with the above questions as it feels like this one has reached closure. I just want to thank you all for the honest, searching and respectful posts. I’m so grateful. I can’t contribute to the discussions with any depth but boy do I learn a lot. Hope I can come to TG’s housewarming anyway 🙂

Congratulations.

[bzribee]

OMG! What an amazing discussion, and just what I’ve been wanting to read. But what about those (few?) of us in the REALLY low end pricing? In central (and popular) parts of SD: 92104? When will it be better to buy then rent?

I started a new forum topic with the above questions as it feels like this one has reached closure. I just want to thank you all for the honest, searching and respectful posts. I’m so grateful. I can’t contribute to the discussions with any depth but boy do I learn a lot. Hope I can come to TG’s housewarming anyway 🙂

Congratulations.

[bzribee]

OMG! What an amazing discussion, and just what I’ve been wanting to read. But what about those (few?) of us in the REALLY low end pricing? In central (and popular) parts of SD: 92104? When will it be better to buy then rent?

I started a new forum topic with the above questions as it feels like this one has reached closure. I just want to thank you all for the honest, searching and respectful posts. I’m so grateful. I can’t contribute to the discussions with any depth but boy do I learn a lot. Hope I can come to TG’s housewarming anyway 🙂

Congratulations.

[bzribee]

OMG! What an amazing discussion, and just what I’ve been wanting to read. But what about those (few?) of us in the REALLY low end pricing? In central (and popular) parts of SD: 92104? When will it be better to buy then rent?

I started a new forum topic with the above questions as it feels like this one has reached closure. I just want to thank you all for the honest, searching and respectful posts. I’m so grateful. I can’t contribute to the discussions with any depth but boy do I learn a lot. Hope I can come to TG’s housewarming anyway 🙂

Congratulations.

[bzribee]

I have lived in North Park since 1984 and love the area, primarily because it is so convenient to many parts of San Diego. I also love its “walkability” although I’ve never felt particularly safe here at night. I started to get the daily police report after some friends refused to come visit at nighttime. I was surprised at the amount of crime–it hasn’t affected me directly, but is all over this neighborhood.
I also drove by La Boheme and saw the signage and folks looking over the property. I was accepted for a condo under the affordable housing program (it was 795 sq ft and faced the probation offices) but decided against it because of the HOA’s. My price would’ve been $161,000 and my HOA’s were $384. At the time, my rent was $600/month. I couldn’t see paying 2/3 rent for the HOA’s.
I didn’t think about the need for concrete floors, but I spent a lot of time there and the noise was better than what I hear nightly in my old but cheap apt. a few blocks off 30th. I would consider buying a condo at La Boheme if it was $139,000 BUT I still think the HOA’s are completely out of line. If they were under $200, I’d march over and buy–even with all the issues of North Park, I love it here and it would be nice to live in a better place. But HOA’s can go up 5%/year and it sounds like mortgage plus rent within just a few years.

[bzribee]

Hmmm. Pretty strong opinions : ) Actually, I do feel the HOA’s will get higher and make it very hard to re-sell should I want to. They are already 33% of my total monthly payment, should I buy!

I didn’t mention (I did on another thread) that I would be coming in under an
affordable program, and so the cost of ownership to me is much more reasonable, BUT even so, I do have many, many reservations. I”m holding out on deciding until I can go to a workshop the city puts on for affordable program homebuyers. I want to know the whole picture, which I suspect won’t look much better.

I’m very lucky that under the terms of this program, I don’t have to decide until 3 days after the workshop–with no loss of escrow. So I have time to explore, question, compare and then decide. Doesn’t look good–I agree with you and the other bloggers on this site. If I want a nicer place, I can save a lot by just fixing up my (VERY old) apartment…

Thanks again for taking the time to respond. I’m listening.

bzribee

[bzribee]

Thank you, 4plex–this is very clear and helpful. There are 224 units and I have not closed yet. I appreciate the time you took. bzribee

[bzribee]

Thank you to folks who have posted. I do have concerns about exiting and appreciate hearing your thoughts. My concerns are heightened by what I feel are high HOA’s.

I am not in a rush to buy so advice to wait is good. I only looked into La Boheme because of its very discounted price, and the location.

I am under the impression that affordable buyers HAVE to do the loans through the builder and that rates are set by the city (though I chose the 2nd due to the very low rate). I will DEFINITELY be looking into this on Monday.

Yes, I am a first time home buyer, but also close to retirement age. So, while I’m very stable, I may also want to travel, move, work elsewhere in a few years. I have always rented and I can certainly continue to ride out the downturn…

bzribee

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