[svelte]

I remember in the 90’s bust there was a development caled “Discovery Hills” in San Marcos. Built by McMillan I think. They just abandoned it, homes sat half finished, streets left unfinished, some bare slabs with pipes sticking out. There were some finished homes which people had bought, and were living in. They tried to sue the builder, but the builder went BK.

I think you’re actually talking about Paloma in San Marcos, which was built by Baldwin before they went bankrupt. There were about 20 homes that sat for at least a year, and probably much longer, with just slabs and framing. The Paloma residents referred to them as the ‘stick’ houses.

After a few years, KB Homes bought those and several hundred vacant lots around them, renamed the community “Santa Fe Hills”, worked with the city to renegotiate the Mello-Roos to a *much* lower monthly payment (just for their section of the MR district mind you – they wanted to stick existing Paloma residents with the older, higher rate until they protested and became a part of the renegotiated lower interest rate bond), and finished building the development in typical KB style: huge square boxes with no style allowing them to buy big ads emphasizing monstrous square footage at low prices.

The renegotiated Mello Roos part is why it is probably not wise to pay off your Mello Roos early.

[svelte]

I remember in the 90’s bust there was a development caled “Discovery Hills” in San Marcos. Built by McMillan I think. They just abandoned it, homes sat half finished, streets left unfinished, some bare slabs with pipes sticking out. There were some finished homes which people had bought, and were living in. They tried to sue the builder, but the builder went BK.

I think you’re actually talking about Paloma in San Marcos, which was built by Baldwin before they went bankrupt. There were about 20 homes that sat for at least a year, and probably much longer, with just slabs and framing. The Paloma residents referred to them as the ‘stick’ houses.

After a few years, KB Homes bought those and several hundred vacant lots around them, renamed the community “Santa Fe Hills”, worked with the city to renegotiate the Mello-Roos to a *much* lower monthly payment (just for their section of the MR district mind you – they wanted to stick existing Paloma residents with the older, higher rate until they protested and became a part of the renegotiated lower interest rate bond), and finished building the development in typical KB style: huge square boxes with no style allowing them to buy big ads emphasizing monstrous square footage at low prices.

The renegotiated Mello Roos part is why it is probably not wise to pay off your Mello Roos early.

[svelte]

I remember in the 90’s bust there was a development caled “Discovery Hills” in San Marcos. Built by McMillan I think. They just abandoned it, homes sat half finished, streets left unfinished, some bare slabs with pipes sticking out. There were some finished homes which people had bought, and were living in. They tried to sue the builder, but the builder went BK.

I think you’re actually talking about Paloma in San Marcos, which was built by Baldwin before they went bankrupt. There were about 20 homes that sat for at least a year, and probably much longer, with just slabs and framing. The Paloma residents referred to them as the ‘stick’ houses.

After a few years, KB Homes bought those and several hundred vacant lots around them, renamed the community “Santa Fe Hills”, worked with the city to renegotiate the Mello-Roos to a *much* lower monthly payment (just for their section of the MR district mind you – they wanted to stick existing Paloma residents with the older, higher rate until they protested and became a part of the renegotiated lower interest rate bond), and finished building the development in typical KB style: huge square boxes with no style allowing them to buy big ads emphasizing monstrous square footage at low prices.

The renegotiated Mello Roos part is why it is probably not wise to pay off your Mello Roos early.

[svelte]

HUH? Have you ever been to these homes? I have and they are most definitely under some of the biggest transmission lines in the area.

The nearest of the two is 1603:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=66110966

The Zillow pic matches my memory. The power lines are about 400-500 feet to the right (pan to the right in the pic).
Unless they have built new powerlines directly overhead since the Zillow pic was taken, they appear to be near but not under the powerlines. I supposed we could argue about whether 400-500 ft is too close. Apparently it is for you.

[svelte]

HUH? Have you ever been to these homes? I have and they are most definitely under some of the biggest transmission lines in the area.

The nearest of the two is 1603:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=66110966

The Zillow pic matches my memory. The power lines are about 400-500 feet to the right (pan to the right in the pic).
Unless they have built new powerlines directly overhead since the Zillow pic was taken, they appear to be near but not under the powerlines. I supposed we could argue about whether 400-500 ft is too close. Apparently it is for you.

[svelte]

HUH? Have you ever been to these homes? I have and they are most definitely under some of the biggest transmission lines in the area.

The nearest of the two is 1603:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=66110966

The Zillow pic matches my memory. The power lines are about 400-500 feet to the right (pan to the right in the pic).
Unless they have built new powerlines directly overhead since the Zillow pic was taken, they appear to be near but not under the powerlines. I supposed we could argue about whether 400-500 ft is too close. Apparently it is for you.

[svelte]

HUH? Have you ever been to these homes? I have and they are most definitely under some of the biggest transmission lines in the area.

The nearest of the two is 1603:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=66110966

The Zillow pic matches my memory. The power lines are about 400-500 feet to the right (pan to the right in the pic).
Unless they have built new powerlines directly overhead since the Zillow pic was taken, they appear to be near but not under the powerlines. I supposed we could argue about whether 400-500 ft is too close. Apparently it is for you.

[svelte]

HUH? Have you ever been to these homes? I have and they are most definitely under some of the biggest transmission lines in the area.

The nearest of the two is 1603:

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=66110966

The Zillow pic matches my memory. The power lines are about 400-500 feet to the right (pan to the right in the pic).
Unless they have built new powerlines directly overhead since the Zillow pic was taken, they appear to be near but not under the powerlines. I supposed we could argue about whether 400-500 ft is too close. Apparently it is for you.

[svelte]

Those particular homes don’t appear to be near the powerlines, but they both do back up to a busy 4 lane road.

As everyone keeps saying, only the homes that are impeccable in all respects are going to sell in this environment. If the home has warts it is going to get kicked in the teeth.

Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were a buyer with zillions of choices?

[svelte]

Those particular homes don’t appear to be near the powerlines, but they both do back up to a busy 4 lane road.

As everyone keeps saying, only the homes that are impeccable in all respects are going to sell in this environment. If the home has warts it is going to get kicked in the teeth.

Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were a buyer with zillions of choices?

[svelte]

Those particular homes don’t appear to be near the powerlines, but they both do back up to a busy 4 lane road.

As everyone keeps saying, only the homes that are impeccable in all respects are going to sell in this environment. If the home has warts it is going to get kicked in the teeth.

Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were a buyer with zillions of choices?

[svelte]

Those particular homes don’t appear to be near the powerlines, but they both do back up to a busy 4 lane road.

As everyone keeps saying, only the homes that are impeccable in all respects are going to sell in this environment. If the home has warts it is going to get kicked in the teeth.

Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were a buyer with zillions of choices?

[svelte]

Those particular homes don’t appear to be near the powerlines, but they both do back up to a busy 4 lane road.

As everyone keeps saying, only the homes that are impeccable in all respects are going to sell in this environment. If the home has warts it is going to get kicked in the teeth.

Wouldn’t you do the same thing if you were a buyer with zillions of choices?

[svelte]

I’m seeing a huge mind shift toward outsourcing, even for finance jobs that require a significant amount of judgment and expertise. This has been going on in IT for some time, but it is rapidly working it’s way up the food chain.

It’s been going on for 30 or 40 years, with manufacturing being shipped overseas prior to IT. It’s just finally hit your neck of the woods.

Is it any wonder that we have enjoyed such a vibrant consumer based economy when a working class couple with perhaps $60,000 per year of household income can borrow over $500,000 (tax free) and buy whatever they want with the money?

Oh, it isn’t just consumers. It appears to me they’ve learned it from the executive and legislative branches of their government- look at how the federal debt took off around 1980 and has barely looked back.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/faq.html

[svelte]

I’m seeing a huge mind shift toward outsourcing, even for finance jobs that require a significant amount of judgment and expertise. This has been going on in IT for some time, but it is rapidly working it’s way up the food chain.

It’s been going on for 30 or 40 years, with manufacturing being shipped overseas prior to IT. It’s just finally hit your neck of the woods.

Is it any wonder that we have enjoyed such a vibrant consumer based economy when a working class couple with perhaps $60,000 per year of household income can borrow over $500,000 (tax free) and buy whatever they want with the money?

Oh, it isn’t just consumers. It appears to me they’ve learned it from the executive and legislative branches of their government- look at how the federal debt took off around 1980 and has barely looked back.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/faq.html

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