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Old 03-14-2011, 12:03 AM
 
9 posts, read 17,413 times
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I would like some honest advice on La Mesa, I found a house in the Serramar community that I think is very nice. Is this a good neighbored? Is it safe or noisy? Is this a good location to restaurants, parks, malls, etc. Will I be able to get to downtown in under 20 minutes?

The houses I'm looking at sold for 850k in 2005, in todays market do you feel 550-600k would be a good price for this house? I can put 200k down and do a 15 year fixed.

If La Mesa/Serramar is not very appealing, can you please recommended an area within 10 miles of downtown, that I could buy a comparably nice house in the 550-750k range.

Thank you all for your help and honest advice. I will be commuting to downtown M-F if that is of any importance.
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Old 03-14-2011, 09:50 AM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
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Serramar is a nice safe new area. 20 minutes to downtown should be easy. At current prices, they are a pretty good deal. Here's an example:
SDLookup.com | 7623*Seattle*Dr - MLS# 110013600

However, Serramar seems a little out of place. 3500+ sq ft McMansions in an area where most homes are half that size or less.

My advice is don't buy a house in San Diego till you've lived here for a year or so. San Diego is not easy to figure out. You need time to figure out where you, your family, and your lifestyle fit in.
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Old 03-14-2011, 10:16 AM
 
Location: 92037
4,630 posts, read 10,247,774 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cruitr View Post
Serramar is a nice safe new area. 20 minutes to downtown should be easy. At current prices, they are a pretty good deal. Here's an example:
SDLookup.com | 7623*Seattle*Dr - MLS# 110013600

However, Serramar seems a little out of place. 3500+ sq ft McMansions in an area where most homes are half that size or less.

My advice is don't buy a house in San Diego till you've lived here for a year or so. San Diego is not easy to figure out. You need time to figure out where you, your family, and your lifestyle fit in.
cruiter is spot on.

The area you are looking in has some deals right now. I live down the hill from Serramar . The views are pretty spectacular but I am not sure how the freeway noise is from the 94.

Serramar is the newest housing community La Mesa that I am aware of in terms of construction. I personally think that prices are at about where they should be. As a word of caution, its not a terribly effective exercise to compare current housing prices or trends with peak prices in SD without having been here. The numbers may seem impressive from afar, but as you look around the county, there is A LOT of inventory in that price bracket. Take your pick of zip code.
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Old 03-14-2011, 10:26 AM
 
9 posts, read 17,413 times
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Thanks for the replies, are there any other communities in the same price range that are around 10 miles or less from downtown, that are 2005 or newer construction?

Thank you!
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Old 03-14-2011, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
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Liberty Station was built in 2004: http://www.libertystation.com/wordpress/ (broken link)
It's a former Naval base and in a great location. Right on San Diego Bay. EZ commute to downtown.

Here's a sample home in Liberty Station:
SDLookup.com | 2998*Laning*Rd - MLS# 110006471
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Old 03-14-2011, 10:52 AM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
5,024 posts, read 7,542,124 times
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Stonebridge is another possibility. It was built in 2005 and about 30 minutes to downtown. Lots and lots of McMansions.

Here's a sample house: SDLookup.com | 11345*Silver*Oak*Ln - MLS# 100046071
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Old 03-14-2011, 11:32 AM
 
Location: 92037
4,630 posts, read 10,247,774 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SLM9555 View Post
Thanks for the replies, are there any other communities in the same price range that are around 10 miles or less from downtown, that are 2005 or newer construction?

Thank you!

Much further out from the City core are where there are newer homes. The eastern portion outside of Downtown is older until you get to Serramar. Then El Cajon and Lakeside have some newer homes. But for the most part anything along the 8 or 94 for 10 miles has been built out already.

If you are South, there is Chula Vista. Otay Ranch/Eastlake area. This whole area is new and was built during the peak years and has fallen on harder times during the boom n bust. The infrastructure is there but based on your needs, its too far. Actually most areas are too far for NEW homes. You might find a house here or there within the 10 miles radius you wanted, but the likelihood of it being around 500-600k may be unlikely.

Liberty Station, in Pt Loma was mentioned. I love the area, but as a resident, I am not so sure about the airplanes taking off every 10-15 mins in my font/backyard. Its LOUD.
The prices there are a bit steep too in comparison to Serramesa, the property sizes are smaller. Actually they are all stacked on one another, so it looks more like a townhouse area than anything else. Whereas the Serrmesa homes have a backyard and some property around it.
Ultimately it depends on where you are coming from and what is important to you.

Stonebridge was also mentioned in the Scripps Ranch area. I advise extreme caution on this area. For one its miles away from downtown which was what you wanted. Secondly there are high tension wires that run throughout the whole community. It is in a valley which in the hot summer is highly susceptible to fire danger. There are better parts of Stonebridge than others that are on higher plains and away from the tension wires, but might require some digging around the MLS.
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Old 03-14-2011, 12:05 PM
 
Location: Coastal San Diego
5,024 posts, read 7,542,124 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd View Post
Liberty Station, in Pt Loma was mentioned. I love the area, but as a resident, I am not so sure about the airplanes taking off every 10-15 mins in my font/backyard. Its LOUD.
The prices there are a bit steep too in comparison to Serramesa, the property sizes are smaller. Actually they are all stacked on one another, so it looks more like a townhouse area than anything else. Whereas the Serrmesa homes have a backyard and some property around it.
Ultimately it depends on where you are coming from and what is important to you.
We rented a single-family home in Liberty Station back around 2005. Loved the location. We thought the jet noise would bother us. It didn't. The noisy part of Liberty Station is the commercial side. Where the Von's, the offices, and most of the restaurants are located. Now that area is noisy.

We didn't like the small property sizes in Liberty Station. Not much room to garden and the whole area seems very condo-like. High Mello-Roos and HOA fees too.
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