Margaret Hokkanen

The answer is determined probably more by what kind of a deal you get on any particular property. Overall, ASSUMING that you buy homes with equal equity, then Carlsbad has probably fared a bit better than San Marcos over the past two years, and if we have any further fall, that will probably continue to hold. But, if the deal that you get in San Marcos is a really smoking deal, then you may end up ahead in 5-8 years, but you are taking more risk due to risk of further fall. There are many who watch the foreclosure market who predict that we are nowhere near the end of that process. - Wed Sep 3 2008, 14:24

Your question is a difficult one to answer. Values in coastal San Diego have declined since 2005. It sounds like you may be asking, "Will 92008 decline further?" That's a bit of a crystal ball question, but here's the best that I can answer. The least likelihood of further decline is near the water. As you move away from the ocean, towards Vista and San Marcos, the likelihood of additional loss of value increases. The likelihood that we will see some further decline this year is fairly high simply because we are now past the primary season, and the number of buyers tends to fall off after mid August. There is one big factor that we predict will affect coastal California (the marine and coastal zones) in a positive way, and that's global warming. That's because the inland southwest is going to get increasingly hot while the coastal zone will remain relatively unaffected. But that is a long-term trend and likely not to play much of a role in the short term, which will primarily be determined by availability of mortgages, foreclosure rates, and the economy. - Mon Aug 11 2008, 01:08

You might look at Sea Bluff (Encinitas), Santalina (South Carlsbad), or Windsong Palms and Aqua Hedionda near Carlsbad Village. The latter ones have homes less than $450,000. The Santalina and Sea Bluff ones are much more expensive. You might check out our gated community maps; however, you will have to create an account to access them. - Tue Jul 22 2008, 15:10

You might also consider the lagoon smell. Inland waterways can have different odors from time to time. I agree with Roberta's comment about road noise; the noise is usually unobstructed and in some areas can be really tough (e.g., north side of Solana Beach, east of I-5). - Thu Jul 10 2008, 20:41

Call David Church at IFC Mortgage. Very strong mortgage broker. Link: http://www.ifcmortgage.com/contact_us.aspx If you need help, we're Carlsbad experts and have a lot of resources on our web site including our exclusive homes-by-school-boundary maps. Schools are tricky because Carlsbad has three different school districts. - Thu May 29 2008, 21:04