[Chrispy]

Not all lawyers work on contigency fees. Many work for a set rate per hour, regardless of how the case turns out for their client.

[Chrispy]

“and I think that everyone should send their kids to Christian schools, especially selfish married people that don’t have children.”

How do you send your non-existent children to college?

[Chrispy]

Good call, LBC. BTW, who would buy a fully-furnished home? If you had enough money to buy one of these dogs (even at an auction price) wouldn’t you want to furnish it your own way?

[Chrispy]

Off topic, but speaking of interest lists and so on, I saw a hand-written sign (the kind with a stake, stuck in the ground at a busy intersection) in PB last weekend which said, “Now is the time to buy” with some agent’s phone number.

Someone had scratched out the word “now” and written “later.”

[Chrispy]

Mountain View – the city is a suburb outside of San Francisco. Where is Mountain View in the San Diego area?

Or is this guy sending money “home”?

[Chrispy]

I was doing some research on a house nearby and the records showed that it sold two years ago for $20K. Sometimes the ridiculously low price shows that some other type of transaction has happened… like a transfer to a family member or a payment of a debt of some kind which shows up as a valid sale.

Then again, maybe somebody got the numbers transposed! Or – maybe the house was used for meth cooking. The entire house has to be “haz matted” (sorry for not using the right terminology) to make it safe to live in again.

[Chrispy]

I used to play tennis with a guy who owns a 2/2 condo about a mile from the beach. He complained mightily about the traffic (it was on a major thoroughfare) but told me proudly last year that it had quadrupled in value in ten years and now was worth $900K, and he was going to hold onto it for at least two more years, because it would appreciate by another $500K in that time.

So – his two bedroom crap box on a well-trafficked street would be worth $1.4 million. Just before he made this pronouncement, he told me the entire complex had had a special assessment of $32K per unit for roofing and window replacement. But, what is $32K, when your profit will be over a million in just two short years?

I no longer play tennis with him because his comments were so annoying (constantly bragging about how smart he was re: money) but I finally pulled a Zillow on his address.

The condo today is valued at $638K. Last year, when he said it was worth $900K, it was worth $700K.

Thank God for Zillow. He was a crappy tennis player too.

[Chrispy]

I rent a one-bdrm cottage in University Heights for $895. Has a yard and deck too! A similarly-sized house is for sale a block up for $410K. With 20% down, mortgage there would be $2500 – $3000 plus prop taxes plus insurance….

[Chrispy]

It’s true that we can all filter past PS’s posts, but it does to time to scroll scroll scroll to get to the “new” stuff. I also think we have lost some valued members due to some of PS’s commentary. It’s not PS’s blog but Rich’s blog but he seems to be the silent partner in all this.

[Chrispy]

I agree with Lewman. I have stopped visiting Piggington as often as I used to because the majority of the content seemed to be coming from one source. I feel I know Powayseller’s views on the housing market thoroughly and would like to see more topics from others. However, others who do post get knocked to the bottom or in the archives because she posts so often.

I do like her topics but perhaps a break is in order to freshen up the site?

[Chrispy]

The owner of the San Diego Reader takes public transportation to work. He started the Reader in his Mission Beach garage 30 years ago and now lives in Coronado. Not a well-known guy outside of San Diego, but I wanted to add a local touch and nearly everyone knows the Reader.

[Chrispy]

We do have quarterly meet-ups. The next one is Nov 18 and I hope you make it, Trex and others!

[Chrispy]

Arnold did make some changes to our work comp laws, which brought the cost of doing business in CA down slightly. An example is, chiropractic visits for work comp patients used to be unlimited. Now they are limited to 24 visits a year that the state will reimburse for.

My brother-in-law owns a furniture manufacturing company in LA with 70 employees and last year paid $210,000 for work comp insurance – that is minus any claims! That’s $3K per employee per year, added to the other burdens such as health and dental insurance!

It costs more to “do business” in CA because the cost of owning a business is so much higher, and that cost is passed onto the consumer. Not to mention, leasing, renting, or buying facilities or offices is substantially higher than in other states where land is (relatively) cheaper – ie, Phoenix or Oregon. Or Mexico. No wonder there are so many maquilladoras in Mex as opposed to Otay.

[Chrispy]

sdduuuude, you just wanted to have the last word, right?

[Chrispy]

I won’t take advise from anyone over 30, but I will take advice.

[Author]

Posts