[raptorduck]

That Marine layer does indeed cover the coast a lot during a certain part of the year. I remember it well when I lived in Del Mar on 10th street, 50 yards from the beach.

It was the best place I have ever lived. If I could find the kind of house/land sf I need in that same neighborhood, I would be all over it. But I can’t so I will just have to visit. Interestingly, the house I lived in, was owned by folks who lived in RSF. Once their kids were out of the house, they sold the RSF house and moved in (and booted me and my roomate out).

I moved to CV after that. Nice, but not nearly as nice as I had before. Of course still nice enough for me to skip around singing “I live in San Diego, I live in San Diego, I live in San Diego.”

[raptorduck]

Landscaping is indeed expensive. The house I mentioned had hardscape (including a pool, which can cost $100k-$250k) and landscaping that was damaged. When I was considering building up here, the landscaping budget was 30% of the total project budget. It is often not just a matter of planting trees, but moving earth, backfilling, terracing etc. And one of those large Phoenix palms can cost $25k.

[raptorduck]

Landscaping is indeed expensive. The house I mentioned had hardscape (including a pool, which can cost $100k-$250k) and landscaping that was damaged. When I was considering building up here, the landscaping budget was 30% of the total project budget. It is often not just a matter of planting trees, but moving earth, backfilling, terracing etc. And one of those large Phoenix palms can cost $25k.

[raptorduck]

Landscaping is indeed expensive. The house I mentioned had hardscape (including a pool, which can cost $100k-$250k) and landscaping that was damaged. When I was considering building up here, the landscaping budget was 30% of the total project budget. It is often not just a matter of planting trees, but moving earth, backfilling, terracing etc. And one of those large Phoenix palms can cost $25k.

[raptorduck]

Landscaping is indeed expensive. The house I mentioned had hardscape (including a pool, which can cost $100k-$250k) and landscaping that was damaged. When I was considering building up here, the landscaping budget was 30% of the total project budget. It is often not just a matter of planting trees, but moving earth, backfilling, terracing etc. And one of those large Phoenix palms can cost $25k.

[raptorduck]

Rustico. Well, I paid cash for my first house and then decided to take money out of it and financed half of it a few years later, then a little more after that. Not a smart move I realize. This time I plan to pay things down so that 2/3 of the value is equity. But yea, at first I can pay just over 20% down at the top of my range and 50% down on the low end. Indeed, there are a couple of houses we like on the low end.

I don’t want to buy and then “trade up” to what I really want. I want to get what I really want in my range and stay in it 20 yrs. If I can find that at the low end of my range, that would be ideal.

In terms of paying cash or financing. As long as you don’t go over 28% of income for home expenses like banks want you to, you can finance IMHO. My own preferance is to be below 10%-15% so I would pay down the mortgage to get me to that level. Even if you pay all cash, you still have property taxes and insurance to pay, HOA fees, and perhaps Mello Roos, and that is included in those percentages.

Many financial planners will tell you to never pay cash for anything and leverage your cash with debt. Well, we all march to the beat of our own drummers.

[raptorduck]

Rustico. Well, I paid cash for my first house and then decided to take money out of it and financed half of it a few years later, then a little more after that. Not a smart move I realize. This time I plan to pay things down so that 2/3 of the value is equity. But yea, at first I can pay just over 20% down at the top of my range and 50% down on the low end. Indeed, there are a couple of houses we like on the low end.

I don’t want to buy and then “trade up” to what I really want. I want to get what I really want in my range and stay in it 20 yrs. If I can find that at the low end of my range, that would be ideal.

In terms of paying cash or financing. As long as you don’t go over 28% of income for home expenses like banks want you to, you can finance IMHO. My own preferance is to be below 10%-15% so I would pay down the mortgage to get me to that level. Even if you pay all cash, you still have property taxes and insurance to pay, HOA fees, and perhaps Mello Roos, and that is included in those percentages.

Many financial planners will tell you to never pay cash for anything and leverage your cash with debt. Well, we all march to the beat of our own drummers.

[raptorduck]

Rustico. Well, I paid cash for my first house and then decided to take money out of it and financed half of it a few years later, then a little more after that. Not a smart move I realize. This time I plan to pay things down so that 2/3 of the value is equity. But yea, at first I can pay just over 20% down at the top of my range and 50% down on the low end. Indeed, there are a couple of houses we like on the low end.

I don’t want to buy and then “trade up” to what I really want. I want to get what I really want in my range and stay in it 20 yrs. If I can find that at the low end of my range, that would be ideal.

In terms of paying cash or financing. As long as you don’t go over 28% of income for home expenses like banks want you to, you can finance IMHO. My own preferance is to be below 10%-15% so I would pay down the mortgage to get me to that level. Even if you pay all cash, you still have property taxes and insurance to pay, HOA fees, and perhaps Mello Roos, and that is included in those percentages.

Many financial planners will tell you to never pay cash for anything and leverage your cash with debt. Well, we all march to the beat of our own drummers.

[raptorduck]

Rustico. Well, I paid cash for my first house and then decided to take money out of it and financed half of it a few years later, then a little more after that. Not a smart move I realize. This time I plan to pay things down so that 2/3 of the value is equity. But yea, at first I can pay just over 20% down at the top of my range and 50% down on the low end. Indeed, there are a couple of houses we like on the low end.

I don’t want to buy and then “trade up” to what I really want. I want to get what I really want in my range and stay in it 20 yrs. If I can find that at the low end of my range, that would be ideal.

In terms of paying cash or financing. As long as you don’t go over 28% of income for home expenses like banks want you to, you can finance IMHO. My own preferance is to be below 10%-15% so I would pay down the mortgage to get me to that level. Even if you pay all cash, you still have property taxes and insurance to pay, HOA fees, and perhaps Mello Roos, and that is included in those percentages.

Many financial planners will tell you to never pay cash for anything and leverage your cash with debt. Well, we all march to the beat of our own drummers.

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Well I did read Homebuilding for Dummies. This board helps me with the local market down there and gives me a contrarian perspective. I can’t find either of those on Amazon.

Joining a blog and admitting I need some education is not bellow me. Ignorance knows no economic boundry. You are mistaken if you think that financially well off and highly educated people are all knowing experts at everything. Many think they are, but I have found that the more education and experience I have obtained in life, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am.

Thanks for the warning on posts. I don’t make life and death decisions from what I read on a blog, and filter accordingly. It otherwise adds to my database of information I can use to make my own decisions.

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Well I did read Homebuilding for Dummies. This board helps me with the local market down there and gives me a contrarian perspective. I can’t find either of those on Amazon.

Joining a blog and admitting I need some education is not bellow me. Ignorance knows no economic boundry. You are mistaken if you think that financially well off and highly educated people are all knowing experts at everything. Many think they are, but I have found that the more education and experience I have obtained in life, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am.

Thanks for the warning on posts. I don’t make life and death decisions from what I read on a blog, and filter accordingly. It otherwise adds to my database of information I can use to make my own decisions.

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Well I did read Homebuilding for Dummies. This board helps me with the local market down there and gives me a contrarian perspective. I can’t find either of those on Amazon.

Joining a blog and admitting I need some education is not bellow me. Ignorance knows no economic boundry. You are mistaken if you think that financially well off and highly educated people are all knowing experts at everything. Many think they are, but I have found that the more education and experience I have obtained in life, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am.

Thanks for the warning on posts. I don’t make life and death decisions from what I read on a blog, and filter accordingly. It otherwise adds to my database of information I can use to make my own decisions.

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Well I did read Homebuilding for Dummies. This board helps me with the local market down there and gives me a contrarian perspective. I can’t find either of those on Amazon.

Joining a blog and admitting I need some education is not bellow me. Ignorance knows no economic boundry. You are mistaken if you think that financially well off and highly educated people are all knowing experts at everything. Many think they are, but I have found that the more education and experience I have obtained in life, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am.

Thanks for the warning on posts. I don’t make life and death decisions from what I read on a blog, and filter accordingly. It otherwise adds to my database of information I can use to make my own decisions.

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Come on, I have read your other posts. I know you are flavorful and all, but you can’t be that ignorant.

So I can afford a house in RSF, BFD. I have nothing to brag about. I am paying 20% down like everybody else, have to finance it like everbody else, and will never pay the mortgage down past 33% of its value.

Last time I checked, I don’t have a degree in real estate and folks here know a lot about the market I am interested in. I have learned a lot here. Need I say more?

[raptorduck]

AlexAngel. Come on, I have read your other posts. I know you are flavorful and all, but you can’t be that ignorant.

So I can afford a house in RSF, BFD. I have nothing to brag about. I am paying 20% down like everybody else, have to finance it like everbody else, and will never pay the mortgage down past 33% of its value.

Last time I checked, I don’t have a degree in real estate and folks here know a lot about the market I am interested in. I have learned a lot here. Need I say more?

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