San Diego Beach Blog

How Is the Market Doing ?

This is the hot topic, similar to the question "When will housing prices start to increase ?" which is asked almost as often and unfortunately does not have as simple an answer.

There are ways to monitor the housing market though and give some perspective.  One is inventory level, another is the price / rent ratio and the third is the foreclosure factor.

In Pacific Beach (92109) the inventory level is at 6.8 months which is pretty healthy.  This number is calculated by taking the number of active listings (233) compared to the number that have sold in the last year (410) and divided by 12 which equals 34 sales a month. This number is then divided into the total number of listings (233) for a monthly inventory of 6.8 months.  This is the length of time on average that it takes to sell a property in Pacific Beach. 

The price to rent ratio is another way to assess the health of a market.  Is it cheaper to buy a house than it is to rent it ?  This is calculated by taking the list price of a home and dividing this by one year's rent on a comparable home.  It is cheaper to buy when the ratio is below 15.   San Diego county as a whole is above 15 but not by much. 

Last is the foreclosure number.  RealtyTrac.com gives the number of foreclosures by zipcode. Pacific Beach they said, had 1 foreclosure in 794 units.  That is pretty low compared to 1 in 414 units in La Jolla and 1 in every 289 units in Carmel Valley.

 

This Week's Favorite Vacation Vibe

 
I love the pedestrian walkways in Mission Beach that run between the ocean and the bay.  They definitely remind me of Fire Island. 

 
This  wins the small space design award .  Always nice to have a couple of  separate living spaces too... a guest cottage AND  a studio over the garage can make a great place for a family reunion.

Beach Living

 
I like the way they set the priorities in this room.... that is the ocean out there by the way.

 
Turquoise accents seem perfect for a California kitchen.

 
This is it... one bedroom, but seems cozy enough.

 

Farmer's Market Goodies

 

We ran into a cool lady at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market who makes organic goat cheese popsicles.  The girls loved them, they're called viva pops and can be found at both the Little Italy (Saturday mornings) and Hillcrest (Sunday until 2) farmer's markets. They have wonderful flavors like strawberry/balsamic and lavender/honey. There is a store too at 3330 Adams Avenue.

Residents,City and Surfers consider Erosion issues on Sunset Cliffs

 
Sunset Cliffs is a hidden gem along the western side of Point Loma and a Master Plan was approved to protect it's natural beauty.   The park is a local favorite but slowly over the years it has attracted many more admirers and the City with help from the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council are working to manage the effects of erosion which inevitably wreak havoc on the gently sloping sandstone , called the Point Loma Formation.  

 

Uphill runoff is the main contributor of the erosion.  Some of the effects are turbidity  in the water which is not healthy for marine life on the coastal shelf  and  there is also the issue of  more rapid loss of the Cliffs themselves.

 
Revegation with the use of native plants is one solution.  This helps to absorb some of the runoff. Also creating a trail system with more winding paths that do not encourage water flow straight up and down the hill.  Reworking parking lots up the hill are also being considered.  These act as water conduits during the rainy winter months

 
 
Native plantings have many advantages... their roots are stronger and they look greener throughout the year and have longer blooming cycles and most importantly don't need extra water.   Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council is a good resource for tracking the implimentation of the Master Plan.  They have a website :  www.sunsetcliffs.info .  It's a new site so suggestions are welcome.  Meetings are held monthly and the public is welcome to join.  Information about the native plants that can be used effectively by all residents who live on or near the Cliffs is available on the website and by contacting the Council. 

Annual OB Street Fair and Chili Cookoff : Awesome !

 Make good chili and they will come.

 
The dogs just wanted a little water... and they got what they wanted, this being OB.

 
The surfers were able to get to the waves no problem.

 
The judges had a hard time picking the best chili this year with 20 or more recipes to choose from.

 
 
 
And then there was the music !  Some of the best bands in San Diego came to perform on the beach near the beer garden.

 
The Ocean Beach Historical Society was one of the more popular booths as usual

 

Seal Caught in the Rip Rap along the Cliffs

 
Our dog spotted something in the rocks as the girls were going for a walk on this June Gloom type  day.

 
Not wanting to get too close but you could tell that the seal (or sealion) was a little dazed but could move around.  We tried to get him to move closer to the edge so he could find his way back to the water.

 

 
Sea World was the first to call back and they sent their truck over to the area within a half hour.

 
This is  the last time we saw him... when we  got back to the spot an hour later with the Sea World rescue truck he was gone. The animal specialist said it was unusual to see them this far south on the coast.  He said it was probably injured and may turn up on the shore in another spot.

 
A neighbor who lives on the cliffs said he is not a fan of the rip rap which are the big rocks piled in to try to shore up the cliffs and prevent erosion.  He said it was inhospitable to shore birds and other wildlife who prefer a more sandy landing.

 

Coronado Beach comes in 2nd in Top 10 Beaches of 2011

ABC News Travel named Coronado Beach #2 in Top 10 Beaches list for the 2011 summer season.

 

Cottage by the Sea

 
You can spot the house for sale not by the "For Sale" sign but by the flag waving in the stiff southerly winds.   In the masses of homes available for sale on zillow and the multiple listing service this may come up as a one- thousand- square- foot line item, but in fact this is an original bungalow with a large front porch and big huge windows  moved to this location in the 1950s. 

You rarely see an icon of original California architecture right on the Cliffs without anything between you and the surf .  More often a developer has maximized the space with a large building more sleek and comfortable  but there's something inspired about transporting a humble cottage to this spot overlooking the sea.  The owner, now in her 80s, feels that after all the fun she has had living here, it's time to move on. Well, I for one hope we can keep this lovely piece of history right where it is.  As the next inspired traveler passes by this place, they may envision more than just a house on a cliff.... they may connect to the carefree California lifestyle of the past.

Hurricane Forecast Means Fewer Big Swells for San Diego

 
The prediction for the eastern Pacific is weaker than normal hurricane activity which could mean fewer large swells for San Diego surfers.  The ocean is colder which is suppressing storm activity.

Surfline.com says "Spring time weather along the Pacific West Coast often dictates what kind of hurricane season we might encounter in the Eastern Pacific Tropics.  Water temps are still very cool off southern Baja and were recently hovering in the mid 50's.  

The cool water will drift south to form a barrier south of the tip of Baja.  Any hurricane development will run into that cold water and weaken before they can send swell our way.