Advice for young professional? (San Diego, Belmont: apartment complex, rent, condos)

[FluffyRabbit]

Hi,

I am a young, unmarried working professional moving to San Diego for work. I'll be here for the next couple of years, and was considering buying a 1br condo instead of renting. Looking around the price range of 200-300K.

My only requirements are that it is a reasonable commute to both La Jolla and Hillcrest (will be working at both places) in a safe neighborhood, with off-street parking. If I'm spending around the higher end of that price range, I would hope for either being closer to the beach or a second bedroom, although I don't know how realistic this would be.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[RainbowHope]

Start with this post: //www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...go-rental.html

Have you searched on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, etc.? They have search fields where you can narrow your search. Your price range will narrow it down for you quickly.

[FluffyRabbit]

I was looking on Redfin, and it seems like within this price range, I could get either a 1br in Pacific Beach or Point Loma, or up to a 2br in North Park, University Heights, Morena, or Clairemont.

I'd like to live near the beach, but I've heard that Pacific Beach is still a "frat-boy" type of neighborhood, which isn't my cup of tea. Is Point Loma/Mission Beach any different? My preference is somewhere where buying groceries and going out to eat is fairly convenient, but is also safe and quiet at night.

[Pedro2000]

Mission Beach is like a slower version of PB. You might have more 30 year olds, but you probably also have more tourists. And honestly I wouldn't want to live near Belmont Park.

Point Loma isn't the beach and depends on where you live. I imagine if you saw things for $200K, you're probably near Rosecrans or Sports Arean Blvd and I would say those places are just as bad, if not worse, than PB. It's not party central like PB, but it's kind of run down in a way. Nobody really likes living near Rosecrans.

Anything close to the beach is going to be expensive. Or you'll wind up with some crappy Condo in an apartment complex that was converted to "condos." And when I mean converted, they just kind of flipped a switch and started selling them individually. Why should you care? Because people who buy $200K condos in PB or MB and so on probably don't live in them. They rent them out people and usually young people. And it usually means ever 6+ months new neighbors move in. If you were just renting, who cares, but if you bought into this and aren't just an investor and actually live there, you'll probably hate it.

[The Flying Dutchman]

Stay single.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Originally Posted by FluffyRabbit

Hi,

I am a young, unmarried working professional moving to San Diego for work. I'll be here for the next couple of years, and was considering buying a 1br condo instead of renting. Looking around the price range of 200-300K.

My only requirements are that it is a reasonable commute to both La Jolla and Hillcrest (will be working at both places) in a safe neighborhood, with off-street parking. If I'm spending around the higher end of that price range, I would hope for either being closer to the beach or a second bedroom, although I don't know how realistic this would be.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Be assured, 200-300K, will not be at the top end or anywhere near the beach. And as mentioned, it will probably be a run down hovel you would not think twice about investing $ in.

[LuvSouthOC]

OP, look in "Bay Ho", off of Morena Blvd., close to Rose Canyon, etc.

[FluffyRabbit]

Thanks for the advice. I will be looking more inland to get more for my money then, and it sounds like Bay Ho or Clairemont would be neighborhoods that fit my criteria. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions? It would be nice to be close to restaurants, groceries, and other amenities while not being too noisy at night. I do work more at Hillcrest than La Jolla and so would not mind living nearer downtown.

[OwlAndSparrow]

Unless you define "close to the beach" to mean "within walking distance," you'll be close to the beach no matter what you get, so don't worry too much about that. Being right on the beach is overrated, anyway, in my opinion; I'd rather be inland a few miles where it's more dry.

Your main concern should probably be to avoid needing to drive around where the 805 merges with the 5 during rush hour. Traffic in San Diego isn't as brutal as it is in many other big cities, but that area is the worst, and it will get to you if you have to endure it every day.

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by OwlAndSparrow

Unless you define "close to the beach" to mean "within walking distance," you'll be close to the beach no matter what you get, so don't worry too much about that. Being right on the beach is overrated, anyway, in my opinion; I'd rather be inland a few miles where it's more dry.

Your main concern should probably be to avoid needing to drive around where the 805 merges with the 5 during rush hour. Traffic in San Diego isn't as brutal as it is in many other big cities, but that area is the worst, and it will get to you if you have to endure it every day.

This all depends on what the OP wants. And they need to decide on the neighborhoods as well. But living "close to the beach" and out in Mission Valley or South Park can be far different experiences depending on the person. If you're a beach person who hits the beach every day or jobs on the beach in the morning or evening or hits up a bar near the beach or surfs early/late, etc then living on the beach is going to be far better than living in a place you need to drive every day, find a parking space, etc.


It might not be a big deal to somebody who only visits the beach now and again, but if you're the kind of person who wakes up at 6 or 7am and wants to run/surf/jog, whatever almost every day, you're rarely going to do that if it means getting into a car and driving 15-20 minutes or more. Once a week, fine, every day, it becomes almost like a job in itself just to get there.