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Happs
Participant[quote=bearishgurl]I don’t believe that CA coastal counties (and the most desirable cities within them) HAVE A DUTY to provide “affordable housing” to renters and 1st and 2nd time homebuyers and certainly do not have a duty to provide new construction housing tracts (of all prices ranges) TO ANYONE!
The low and moderate income renter and 1st and 2nd time homebuyer can keep driving inland until they find something to live in that they can afford. If they don’t like what’s on offer after they leave the coastal zone, then move out of county or out of state.
That’s the way its always been.
The SF Peninsula is within the “coastal zone.” Whether all of its tech companies stay or move to TX tomorrow, none of its jurisdictions “have a duty” to provide any type of housing to those looking for it except what already exists. If that is a 1180 sf fixer bungalow circa 1947 with a 350 sf granny flat over the garage in back for $850K, then so be it. Prospective buyers must accept these facts or shop elsewhere.
I don’t buy that SM and SC County real estate will “crash” if their local “tech bubble” bursts. Those cities were humming along quite nicely before Big Tech moved in and and will continue to do so. There are enough VERY established residents (and diversified industries) in most of those small cities as well as a LOT of BIG money and OLD money floating around there (often one and the same) that isn’t going anywhere today, tomorrow or ever. In other words, if the Google buses are off the road, it will just clear the ATV lanes and city bus stops they were using for other drivers.
The tech industry is not the be-all and end-all. I guarantee that SV will survive if all the youngish tech nerds exited it tomorrow.[/quote]
I agree that coastal counties don’t have a duty to provide affordable housing or any housing at all for that matter. The taxpayers of Solana Beach just got a bad deal on the city Council’s unanimous approval of an affordable housing apartment complex on Sierra Ave next to the ocean. It would have been cheaper to buy existing housing stock for less and designate them low income vs paying $600,000 a unit for new construction.
Yes, ideally the government should stay out of the housing business, but will the private sector fill the gap for “affordable housing?” Suppose in the next 10 years the coastal cities from Carlsbad to Del Mar become completely upscale with $2000 a month the base rent for a 1 bedroom apartment and houses selling for $600/sq ft. Where are the proverbial fast food workers, cashiers and retail clerks in these coastal cities going to live and will they commute from 20 miles away if petrol is $10 per gallon? Going a step up, how about a veterinarian assistant or a nursing assistant? How are you going to attract them to work in Del Mar if there is no place close for them to sleep at night? I don’t see many dumpy motels along 101 between Del Mar and Carlsbad they can stay at for the night, like in Silicon Valley along El Camino Real.
ParticipantHow long do these $500 chairs last before the seat cushion goes flat?
ParticipantLots of office, retail, hotel and residential projects underway in the city of Santa Clara. Every little bit of new inventory helps if you’re looking to rent/buy.
http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=2495
Anecdotally, a couple weeks ago, I spent some time reading hotel/motel review websites of budget to mid priced properties from San Jose up to Palo Alto along El Camino Real and the 101. The great majority of properties where rooms are $125/night or less get poor reviews. Common themes are lack of cleanliness, unsavory clientele, indifferent customer service by owner/managers, dated rooms, etc.. It seems like one needs to spend $200 a night to get a room in a newer-built or clean property with a caring owner/manager. These 40+ year old properties can’t be paying that much yearly property tax to justify around $100/night. Based on the reviews of some of these properties, it doesn’t seem like computer engineers are staying there and nor are regular tourists or people in town visiting family/friends. Maybe people who can’t afford a regular apartment or who don’t have good credit are staying in these motels. So the boom in housing prices is probably translating to higher motel rates too.
ParticipantWhat’s ironic is the unit owner whose remodel took 2 years was appointed to the architecture committee.
Participant[quote=no_such_reality]I see the internet lost my edit.
Basically, I appended a paragraph saying an HOA is a form of government. Like all forms of government, once they start providing a service, discontinuing the service is near impossible due to the number of people viewing their loss of ‘free’ service.
Trying to micromanage the budget and cable inclusion is a losing proposition. By having pre-included cable, the oondo association largely limits the number of requests and complaints they get for satellite dishes.
I’ve also seen it go the complete other way the OP intends, once the bored people realize they can propose their ‘feel’ good ideas and then use HOA money to inact. Things like community beautification and value enhancement. Which means, making the common areas look nice. Which really means, the hobbyist gardeners running the subcommittee start spending $12,000+ a year ‘updating’ and ‘replanting’ flowers in the flower beds every month.[/quote]
You’ve described my HOA very well with regards to the landscape committee. They spend a lot of money on plants each year and every month or so the flowers in certain areas seem to change. I don’t think many people are aware of this. Out of curiosity, I emailed a former Board member of a nearby condo complex regarding cable TV service and he wrote “We got rid of the HOA being in the cable TV business four years ago, and other bluff HOA’s have followed suit. It was our single largest expense on the property, and who are we do choose or force owners to use cable TV? We thought there might be an on-rush of satellite dishes, but there wasn’t even one (which you must allow, but your rules can say they cannot be attached to or placed on any common area – so they can sit on a private balcony or in a window). But people should be free to choose no TV, cable TV, DSL/phone line TV, satellite TV, or they can watch TV via the Internet.” This succinctly describes my feelings on cable TV.
I wrote a long college essay type letter to the Board regarding cable TV and time limits and I think it caught them off guard, since they are probably not used to people making constructive well thought out proposals and criticisms. The majority of people just are aloof and uninterested.
ParticipantI think you hit the nail on the head regarding resistant to change. They are cliquish but I am still perplexed why they are reluctant to put an item on the agenda and vote it down 5-0 if they don’t like them? It’s not like many people even attend the Board meetings.
ParticipantDo any of you know live or know of an HOA where they don’t allow prepared remarks? I’m wondering if the one I live in is the only one. It’s funny how when one writes a well written and researched letter, the silence from the HOA Board is deafening.
ParticipantYes, the complex is large. Most of the Board is retired, so it’s not like they don’t have time to answer me. If the complex disconnected Cox Cable TV, it would have no effect on high speed internet. There is a unit near me that took close to two years to remodel. When the unit next to me sells and gets renovated, I don’t want the new buyer to take two years.
ParticipantI would run, but I don’t have the time commitment needed.
ParticipantNo, just regular maple cabinets in slab/slab style (drawer and door front) with a normal sprayed on painted finish.
I don’t really have any negotiating leverage because all of the bids I received for this brand were the same or higher. Interestingly, I received a gift basket of cookies, biscuits, tea, coffee and a mug from the company and dealer thanking me for considering them. First time that’s ever happened.
ParticipantGood point, but do you think if the guy in the video said an introductory remark that was more erudite, philosophical or academic, and unrelated to looks that he would have had any interest from the woman?
ParticipantI agree that both parties in the video were being superficial but other than commenting about an article of clothing, the weather, a sports team, etc, it’s an easy introduction line that’s commonplace and complementary.
Both parties use outwards expression of money and materialism to their advantage. The non materialistic man or woman who is attractive looking physically with a high mileage 12 year old compact car that’s paid for and non designer clothes, but through savings, smart shopping and hard work has a large wallet/bank account will most often be passed over in southern California for a person who shows off money and materialism but may live in credit, have high debts, and a low bank account.
ParticipantI think social experiment video is indicative of how it takes more than looks to win over someone in southern California. In my opinion, men and women of all ages and backgrounds look better, healthier and more attractive in southern California than in most other parts of the country, so it takes money or another “edge” to get someone to go out to lunch/dinner with you.
ParticipantIdeally, I want to pay the original agreed upon price and have everything fixed. However, if the company has to ship out 6 new drawers for example, two doors and a new upper cabinet, I’m thinking that the replacements might not match color wise or what if they have other flaws? So that’s where my initial proposal came in. I’m not trying to get “something for nothing.” I will happily pay in full the agreed upon price for no flaws, but if the likelihood of that happening is slim because of poor quality control at the factory and I have to wait months for everything to get fixed and if there are no guarantees of new parts being an improvement, then I offer to “grin and bear it” and live with my existing cabinets and give my proposal to the company.
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