What to Expect in 2022?

What to Expect in 2022?

What to expect in 2022?

Here are our market predictions for San Diego county:

We loved this article and found it super informative, so we wanted to share it with you.

SD Housing Market: Prices | Trends | Forecasts 2022

Home prices & sales are rising across the Southern California housing market and San Diego is no exception. In Southern California, the median home price has risen by double digits for twelve consecutive months. Homes on the market are selling at a fast pace, often fetching multiple offers well above what the sellers are asking. Homebuyer demand is expected to remain strong in 2022, but it will be tested by increasing mortgage rates.

Extremely low inventory levels, combined with active investor activity in the housing market, are keeping prices high. While gains are diminishing, it is improbable that prices will fall precipitously in 2022. Supply and demand fundamentals continue to favor an expensive housing market like San Diego. According to a recent C.A.R. report, the Southern California region remained reasonably strong in November, despite a slight decline in year-over-year sales growth.

The median price was $750,000, up 14% year over year but flat from October and September’s median price. San Diego County exhibits a similar trend. In San Diego County, the median single-family home price increased 14.6 percent year over year to $847,750, while sales fell 6.6 percent. Inventory is low, prices are rising, and pent-up demand alongside low mortgage rates has the San Diego housing market flooded with homebuyers.

The housing demand in San Diego has also been driven by the desire for additional space as people spend more time at home. Housing prices in San Diego County have risen dramatically in 2021 due to lower mortgage rates which allow buyers to put more of their monthly payment towards the principal. The record-low interest rates in 2020-2021 fueled San Diego’s high house prices, increasing consumer purchasing power. Since Q3 2021, interest rates began to increase, leveling buying power and reducing homebuyer urgency.

According to the most recent data from Realtor.com, San Diego County is a seller’s real estate market. In other words, there are approximately more buyers than active listings.

  • In November 2021, the median list price of homes in San Diego County was $779,900, trending up 12.2% year-over-year.
  • The median sale price was $770,000.
  • The median listing home price per square foot was $498.
  • Homes in San Diego County, CA sold for approximately the asking price on average in November.
  • There are 67 cities in San Diego County.
  • La Jolla has a median listing home price of $2.3M, making it the most expensive city in San Diego County.
  • Spring Valley is the most affordable city in San Diego County, with a median listing home price of $669,000.
  • The median listing home price in San Diego City was $825,000, trending up 16.4% year-over-year.
  • The median home sold price was $800K.
  • There are 100 neighborhoods in San Diego.
  • East Village is the most affordable neighborhood in San Diego, with a median listing home price of $500K.

Southern California Housing Market Trends (Most Recent)

Here’s how individual counties of Southern California are setting or matching price records as compared to last November (Data released by C.A.R.). Orange County led the pack again with the highest price increase of 23.7% over last year. San Bernardino is the most affordable with a median price of $440,000 (+15.7%) for existing single-family homes. Orange County is the most expensive real estate market in Southern California with a median sales price of $1,150,000. Sales fell in four out of six counties.

    • In Los Angeles County, the median price rose 14.3% to $769,500 in November, while sales increased by 1.8%.
    • In Orange County, the median price rose 23.7% to $1,150,000, while sales decreased by 12.7%.
    • In Riverside County, the median price rose 19.8% to $586,900, while sales decreased by 6.8%.
    • In San Bernardino County, the median price rose 15.7% to $440,000, while sales increased by 0.5%.
    • In San Diego County, the median price rose 14.6% to $847,750, while sales decreased by 6.6%.
    • In Ventura County, the median price rose 13% to $858,500, while sales decreased by 1.0%.

San Diego County median home price had topped the $850K market but the current price holds at $847,750, almost steady from last month but it is a gain of 14.6% over last year, according to C.A.R.’s Nov 2021 resale housing report. The report also shows that existing single-family home sales dropped by -6.1% MTM and -6.6% over last year. San Deigo’s condo market also saw a sharp increase in the median price as compared to last year. The condo’s median price is $587,000, +23.6% YTY and +4.6% MTM. Last year at this time the median price was $561,000.

Months Supply of existing single-family homes is very tight, currently holding at 1.3 months. It is a good indicator of whether a particular real estate market is favoring buyers or sellers. Typically, a market is considered balanced if it has 4 to 6 months of inventory of homes on hand. A lower number means that buyers are dominating the San Diego housing market and there are relatively few sellers.

Is it a good time to buy a house in San Diego?

Mortgage rates are still low as compared to last year. The 30-Year Fixed-Rate in November 2021 was 3.07% while in Nov 2020, it was 2.77%. The supply is very tight and with all of these factors considered, at this time, it is unlikely that the San Diego housing market will see a price decline in 2022. So, buyers should act now and take advantage of low mortgage rates before they rise to pre-pandemic levels.

  • The median price of a one-bedroom house in San Diego County is $429K. If you put 20% down, monthly payment = $1,953
  • The median price of a two-bedroom house is $565K. If you put 20% down, monthly payment = $2,572
  • The median price of a three-bedroom house is $759K. If you put 20% down, monthly payment = $3,455
  • The median price of a four-bedroom house is $1.35M. If you put 20% down, monthly payment = $6,143

Greater San Diego Housing Market Trends

In the Greater San Diego region, the decline in existing home sales coincides with rising sales prices, which continued to soar last month, with the median sales price of existing homes up 14.7% compared to last year, according to the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®.

The percentage change is shown year-over-year for November 2021.

  • The Median Sales Price was up 14.7 percent to $860,000 for Detached homes and 25.1 percent to $595,000 for Attached homes.
  • The Average Sales Price was up 17.7 percent to $1,138,076 for Detached homes and 23.3 percent to $692,496 for Attached homes.
  • Closed Sales decreased 12.3 percent for Detached homes and 11.6 percent for Attached homes.
  • Pending Sales decreased 0.3 percent for Detached homes and 6.5 percent for Attached homes.
  • Inventory of homes for sale decreased 44.0 percent for Detached homes and 64.8 percent for Attached homes.
  • Days on Market decreased 0 percent for Detached homes and 16 percent for Attached homes.
  • Months Supply of Inventory decreased 50 percent to 0.6 months for Detached homes and 66.7 percent to 0.5 months for Attached homes.

San Diego Housing Market Forecast 2022

What are the San Diego real estate market predictions for 2021 & 2022? Let us look at the price trends recorded by Zillow (a real estate database company) over the past few years. Since Dec 2011, the typical home value in San Diego County has appreciated by nearly 133.7% — ZILLOW HOME VALUE INDEX. ZHVI represents the whole housing stock and not just the homes that list or sell in a given month.

The price of low-tier housing in San Diego County skyrocketed after the latter half of 2012. 2015 experienced another price increase, due to the boost given by decreased mortgage rates throughout 2015 and 2016. San Diego’s high home prices continued to find fuel from increased buyer purchasing power. Although there has been a steady housing price growth from 2012 to 2018 the housing market did cool off from March 2018 till mid-2019. In 2018, home price growth sharply declined in reaction to slowing sales and rising interest rates, which began in late-2017.

The chart clearly shows the flattening of the home price curve in that period. Home prices have since turned back up and the forecast is also positive. The typical value of homes in San Diego County is currently $822,714. It indicates that 50 percent of all housing stock in the area is worth more than $822,714 and 50 percent is worth less (adjusting for seasonal fluctuations).

San Diego’s home values have gone up 23.9% over the past year. NeighborhoodScout.com’s data also shows that in the past ten years, San Diego real estate appreciated by 95.65%. This amounts to an annual real estate appreciation of 6.94%, which puts San Diego in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation.

During the latest twelve months, San Diego’s appreciation rate has been around 9.31%. In the latest quarter, the appreciation rate has been 4.01%, which annualizes to a rate of 17.04%. Overall, there exists a limited supply of homes in San Diego, and buyers are forced to compete often resulting in higher prices and/or quicker sales that tend to benefit sellers.

San Diego County also comprises the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is the 17th most populous metropolitan statistical area. The San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area is conterminous with San Diego County in Southern California. According to Zillow, the typical value of homes in San Diego-Carlsbad Metro is $822,714. The forecast for 2021 is that the shortage of supply and an increase in the demand for housing from millennials will push the prices higher in the next twelve months.

As of now San Diego home prices have reached the highest level in years and upward pressure is expected to continue into the next year even if there is a marginal increase in homes for sale. The inventory can dwindle in 1.3 months if no homes are listed. Low mortgage rates will bolster the home buying market and continue pushing up home price growth.

  • San Diego-Carlsbad Metro home values have gone up 23.9% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 20.7% in the next twelve months.
  • San Diego County home values have gone up 23.9% over the past year and will continue to rise in the next twelve months.
  • San Diego City home values have gone up 23.5% (current = $879,297) over the past year and will continue to rise in the next twelve months.
  • Carlsbad home values have gone up 28.8% (current = $1,268,517) over the past year and will continue to rise in the next twelve months.

Both home prices and sales have both risen in recent months, despite the turmoil in other areas of the economy. Low inventory and steady demand are two of the key driving factors affecting San Diego’s housing market outlook for 2022. The constraint on available inventory and a decline in new listings is keeping the San Diego housing market skewed to sellers.

The decrease in the number of active listings also indicates that inventory will be very tight over the coming months. It’s an opportune time for sellers to list their properties on the market as the sales to list price ratio is almost 101.2%. However, when you consider the current supply-and-demand situation, it’s easy to see why San Diego’s real estate market forecasts are mostly positive for the year 2022.

There aren’t nearly enough homes listed for sale to satisfy the current level of demand from buyers. Despite the COVID19 pandemic, San Diego and the entire metro area market is so hot that it hasn’t shifted to a buyer’s real estate market. In a balanced real estate market, it would take about five to six months for the supply to dwindle to zero.

In terms of months of supply, San Diego can become a buyer’s real estate market if the supply increases to more than five months of inventory. And that’s not going to happen. This housing market is skewed to sellers due to a persistent imbalance in supply and demand.

This is also true across much of Southern California. The Southern California region was recently singled out as having the steepest decline in housing inventory over the past year or so. It’s a positive sign for homebuyers, especially for those to want to invest in San Diego real estate. For buyers in San Diego, the mortgage rates are still low and the positive forecast for the next twelve months nearly guarantees appreciation.

The US housing market has been heating up with an increase in home-buying activity despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The real estate sector has been one of the most resilient areas of the economy during the severe economic shutdown. While uncertainty remains on the resurgence of COVID-19, the healthy housing demand we see today will create significant tailwinds in the near term.

San Diego Real Estate Investment Overview 2022

Should you consider San Diego real estate investment? Many real estate investors have asked themselves if buying an investment property in San Diego is a good investment? You need to drill deeper into local trends if you want to know what the market holds for real estate investors and buyers in 2022. Although this article alone is not a comprehensive source to make a final investment decision for San Diego, we have collected ten evidence-based positive things for those who are keen to invest in San Diego real estate now.

Let’s look at the state of the San Diego real estate market and the factors driving the property market short and long term. Affordability has become an issue for many homebuyers in the San Diego area. This is another housing market trend that is affecting many major cities across the country but particularly in the western coastal markets. How big is San Deigo’s housing market? San Diego is a moderately walkable city in San Diego County with a population of approximately 1,305,700 people.

It is the second biggest California city and one of the ten biggest cities in the country. San Diego is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S, and its economy is strong. San Diego is often overlooked in favor of hotter real estate markets like San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, that’s one of the reasons why you should consider investing in the San Diego real estate market. The city of San Diego continues to outpace California’s job recovery, which is good news for San Diego’s housing industry.

The San Diego metropolitan area is known as the birthplace of naval aviation, serving as a major employment center in the nation for defense and in the Southern California region for scientific research, health care, education, trade, and tourism. The significant military presence supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, pays billions of dollars in wages, and has an overall annual economic impact on the San Diego metropolitan area of billions of dollars.

San Diego’s housing market remains one of the hottest in the nation (ranked 10th by Zillow). Since home building takes time especially in a heavily regulated environment, there’s little chance of diminished demand. San Diego has been one of the hottest real estate markets in the country for many years. During the 20 years from 1998 to 2018, the median home value in San Diego rose by a whopping 217%. But the median household income only rose by around 77% during that same 20-year time frame.

San Diego has a mixture of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing. As per Neigborhoodscout.com, a real estate data provider, one and two-bedroom single-family detached are the most common housing units in San Diego. Other housing types prevalent in San Diego include large apartment complexes, duplexes, rowhouses, and homes converted to apartments.

There were 4,100 single-family homes and 6,400 multi-family homes built in 2017, compared to 2,200 single-family homes and 7,800 multi-family units in 2016. Today, the general trend for SFR construction in San Diego County is still far below the 2002-2004 numbers. The next peak in single-family residential construction will likely begin around 2021, but it is doubtful to return to the frenzied mortgage-driven numbers seen during the Millennium Boom.

The San Diego Housing Market Is a Relative Bargain

California is known for its insane real estate prices. San Diego stands out as a relatively affordable real estate market. The median home price is around $550,000. This sounds bad if you compare it to the national average of $300,000, but it is a bargain in California. You could snap up several San Diego rental properties for the price of one home in San Francisco.

The San Diego housing market is cooling. Home price appreciation fell below 5%, and home prices in some areas are declining due to decreasing demand. This is an improvement over the 6 to 8% appreciation San Diego had been seeing. The expanding inventory of houses on the market makes this a great time to invest in the San Diego housing market.

San Diego’s Housing Supply Is Constrained As New Construction of Homes is Quite Slow

San Diego is a growing housing market. By 2050, the population of San Diego County is expected to grow to 4.5 million, approximately a 50% increase from the population in early 2007 of 3,098,269 people. Population trends have connections with housing trends as it increases the demand for housing supply. However, construction in San Diego has stalled. Single-family residential construction is well below the demand for such homes in the San Diego housing market.

There has been faster growth in the construction of multi-family housing in the San Diego real estate market, but that is also below historic rates. Currently, both single-family and multi-family housing construction is increasing in San Diego. Even though there are more multi-family starts over single-family homes in terms of raw numbers, the percentage of single-family homes being constructed outpaces that of multi-family units.

San Diego also shares several geographic constraints that other California coastal cities do. You can’t build on water. The Cowles Mountains limit how much the city can expand inland, constraining the housing supply. Regulations limit high-density construction, preventing the area from meeting demand with too many tall condo towers. So, do the wilderness areas off-limits to construction like Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Cleveland National Forest.

The Diverse Student Market Feeds the San Diego Rental Market

San Diego is a major metropolitan area, and it is home to several colleges and universities. The University of California at San Diego is one of the largest. It is sometimes confused with San Diego State University, a different campus, and the University of San Diego. Point Loma Nazarene University is a Christian school in San Diego. National University is located in nearby La Jolla.

Smaller schools like the Art Institute, Alliant International University, Azusa Pacific University, Brandman University, Miramar College, Mesa College, and California College of San Diego fill out the San Diego real estate market.

A side benefit of the diversified student market is that you can buy multiple properties across the San Diego housing market and enjoy a “diverse” investment portfolio. You won’t see demand for the property rise and fall based on the popularity of a flagship school, and the strong San Diego housing market allows you to rent it to newcomers to the area or military officers if you can’t fill the unit with students.

San Diego’s economy isn’t as reliant on tourism as other coastal towns. Instead, defense and the military are a larger part of the local economy. This dumps tens of thousands of renters into the San Diego real estate market who will never buy because they could be deployed elsewhere in a year or two. The military also gives generous allowances for those who rent San Diego rental properties, keeping rents near the military base strong regardless of the state of the economy.

San Diego Rental Prices Are Increasing Year-Over-Year

The San Diego real estate market has been ranked among the ten most expensive real estate markets in the country, though it ranks below several other West Coast cities. This creates massive demand for San Diego rental properties by those who simply cannot afford to buy homes. The rental market will continue to grow as the city grows an estimated 500,000 population by 2050, adding tens of thousands each year. The median rent in San Diego is $2700. The rent you’d receive on single-family San Diego rental properties would, of course, be much higher.

If you find a good bargain and make it family-friendly, you could charge well over $3000 a month. If you can convert San Diego rental properties into smaller units, you’d receive around $2200 a month for a one or two-bedroom apartment. The cash on cash returns for properties in the San Diego housing market is around 2.5% for traditional rental properties and nearly 2% if you rent on Airbnb. The fact that the city isn’t too dependent on tourism means you could rent properties on the beach to newcomers, locals, and students if tourism is slow.

Before the pandemic, the average rent for an apartment in San Diego had been growing at 4% year-over-year (source: RentCafe). About 40% of the apartments can be rented for less than $2000, and 60% of the apartments can be rented for more than $2,000 per month. This shows that rent prices are very high in San Diego.

Homeowners vs Renters Statistics: According to the most recent 2020 American Community Survey census data, San Diego County has a renter percentage of 46.7% which is the second most renter percentage of all the counties in the greater San Diego County region. The homeowner percentage is 53.3%. The monthly cost of ownership for property owners in San Deigo is around $2,073.

The median gross rent is $1,658, which is the third most expensive among all other counties in the greater San Diego County region. Comparing rental rates to the United States average of $1,062, San Diego County is 56.1% larger. Also, compared to the state of California ($1,503), San Diego County is 10.3% larger.

Rental Trends: As of December 23, 2021, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, CA is currently $2,000. This is an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Over the past month, the average rent for a studio apartment in San Diego increased by 1% to $1,815. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment decreased by -11% to $2,000, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment decreased by -1% to $2,811.

  • Two-bedroom apartment rents average $2,811 (a 17% increase from last year).
  • Three-bedroom apartment rents average $3,495 (an 8% increase from last year).
  • Four-bedroom apartment rents average $4,300 (a 20% increase from last year).

San Diego Real Estate Market Is More Landlord Friendly For Short Term Rentals

We can’t say that California is landlord-friendly. However, specific cities are better for landlords and real estate investors than others. One reason to invest in the San Diego housing market over San Francisco or Los Angeles is the fact that San Diego is one of the few big cities that doesn’t have rent control. The city has groups fighting proposals to apply rent control to San Diego rental properties in addition to apartments.

San Diego has many tourist attractions. Balboa Park is home to the San Diego Zoo, the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Desert Garden, the local youth Symphony, a Japanese garden, and a golf complex. There’s a SeaWorld in San Diego, an MLB stadium, the USS Midway Museum, and the San Diego zoo safari park. On top of this is the mild weather and proximity to the beach. Any San Diego rental properties in easy reach of these attractions command a premium on rental sites like Airbnb.

Demand for rentals in the San Diego real estate market soars during Comic-Con, one of the biggest comic conventions in the country. The only limit on San Diego rental properties has been the fluctuating rules by the city council, such as a measure passed limiting rentals to primary residences that were rescinded a few months later in 2018. Yet permission for rentals is limited in many master-planned communities and condo developments, keeping rents for Airbnb and other short-term rentals strong.

San Diego Is A Great Place Place To Live In 

San Diego is a great place to live in which makes real estate investment a lucrative opportunity. It has nice sunny weather and impressive beaches. It has more than 300 parks, including Mission Trails Regional Park, and 40,000 acres of undeveloped open space. Balboa Park has the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Old Globe Theatre, and museums. San Diego Zoo is also one of the prettiest zoos in the world to walk around. U.S. News analyzed 125 metro areas in the United States to find the best places to live based on the quality of life and the job market in each metro area, as well as the value of living there and people’s desire to live there.

San Diego, California was ranked:

  • #36 in Best Places to Live
  • #51 in Best Places to Retire
  • #3 in Best Places to Live in California
  • #5 in Most Expensive Places to Live
  • #9 in Best Places to Live for Quality of Life
  • #12 in Safest Places to Live

San Diego is home attracts millennials with its higher education opportunities and big-city amenities such as excellent restaurants, dive bars or clubs, and great nightlife. The craft beer scene in San Diego is one of the best in the world. North County is desirable for young families whereas millennials are moving downtown and to communities to the northeast as a result of gentrification and the diverse entertainment options centralized in those areas.

Where To Invest In San Diego Real Estate Market?

Are you looking for an investment property in the San Diego real estate market? Maybe you have done a bit of real estate investing in San Diego but want to take things further and make it into more than a hobby on the side. It’s only wise to think about how you can and should be investing your money. In any property investment, cash flow is gold. San Diego offers an ideal mix of limited supply, high demand, and excellent income potential.

San Diego’s mild climate, miles of beaches, fun attractions, and great schools make the city one of America’s best places to live. If you’re going to invest in California, it needs to be in San Diego. Good cash flow from San Diego investment properties means the investment is, needless to say, profitable. On the other hand, a bad cash flow means you won’t have money on hand to repay your debt.

Therefore, finding the best investment property in San Diego in a growing neighborhood would be key to your success. The three most important factors when buying real estate anywhere are location, location, and location. The location creates desirability. Desirability brings demand. You should focus on neighborhoods with relatively high population density and employment growth.

Both of them translate into high demand for housing. There should be a natural and upcoming high demand for rental properties. Demand would raise the price of your San Diego rental property and you should be able to get a good return on your investment over the long term.

The neighborhoods in San Diego must be safe to live in and should have a low crime rate. The neighborhoods should be close to basic amenities, public services, schools, and shopping malls. A cheaper neighborhood in San Diego might not be the best place to live in.

A cheaper neighborhood should be determined by these factors – Overall Cost Of Living, Rent To Income Ratio, and Median Home Value To Income Ratio. It depends on how much you are looking to spend and if you are wanting smaller investment properties or larger deals in Class A neighborhoods. The inventory is low, but opportunities are there.

Some of the popular neighborhoods in or around San Diego are Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, Mission Valley, Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos, Bonita, Del Cerro, North Park, La Jolla, 4s Ranch, Mission Hills, Otay Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe.

As we write this, the asking price of single-family homes for sale in San Diego (on Realtor.com) starts from $132,000 for a 3-bedroom house and can go up to $37M for a luxury 10-bedroom house located in the Northern San Diego neighborhood.

You can get a beautiful 3-bedroom new construction single-family house for around $379,000 in the Southern San Diego neighborhood — which is quite an affordable entry price as San Deigo home prices are some of the most expensive in all of the United States.

Here are some of the best neighborhoods in San Diego where you can buy an investment property.

Encanto is one of San Diego’s most affordable neighborhoods if you want to buy an investment property. According to Neighborhood Scout Encanto’s median real estate price is $469,345, which is cheaper than 71.3% of California neighborhoods and 21.5% of all U.S. neighborhoods. Encanto is a hilly neighborhood located in the southeastern part of San Diego, California. The neighborhood of Encanto is split into two sections, North Encanto (which lies north of Broadway), and South Encanto (which lies south of Broadway).

The name Encanto usually refers to the neighborhood of Encanto, but it can also refer collectively to the neighborhoods of the Chollas Valley planning area, which consists of Chollas View, O’Farrell, Lincoln Park, Emerald Hills, Valencia Park, Broadway Heights, Alta Vista, Rosemont, as well as Encanto. The citizens’ community planning group that represents these eight neighborhoods in accordance with the City of San Diego Council Policy 600-24 is named the Chollas Valley Community Planning Group.

The Encanto Neighborhoods Community Plan is designed to expand the existing retail, commercial and light industrial areas along the main transportation corridors and the villages surrounding the trolley stops at 47th and Market streets, and Euclid Avenue and Market Street. Its cultural heart is the Market Street Village, situated along Chollas Creek, and the trolley stop at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Market Street.

With its proximity to San Diego Bay just 2 1/2 to 5 miles away, temperatures tend to be mild. The area offers excellent opportunities for infill development, including commercial, transit-oriented mixed-use along the main corridors, and view lots for single-family residential in the surrounding hills.

Nestor is another relatively affordable neighborhood in San Deigo having a median real estate price of $579,106, which is more expensive than 42.9% of the neighborhoods in California and 84.6% of the neighborhoods in the U.S. The average rental price in Nestor is currently $1,881, based on NeighborhoodScout’s exclusive analysis. Rents here are currently lower in price than 77.6% of California neighborhoods. Nestor is a residential neighborhood in the southern section of San Diego, and part of the Otay Mesa-Nestor community planning area. According to Zillow, Nestor’s home values have gone up 29.4% over the past year.

It neighbors Palm City and Otay Mesa West to the east, Egger Highlands to the north, San Ysidro to the southeast, and the Tijuana River Valley to the south. Major thoroughfares include Coronado Avenue, Saturn Boulevard, Hollister Street, and Tocayo Avenue. According to Areavibes.com, the cost of living in Nestor is 19% lower than the San Diego average and 13% higher than the national average. On their livability index, it ranks better than 42% of areas in San Diego.

The Otay Mesa-Nestor community planning area is located in the southern region of the City and is bounded on the north by Chula Vista, on the east by the community of Otay Mesa, on the south by the Tijuana River Valley and the San Ysidro community, and on the west by Imperial Beach. Twenty percent of the planning area consists of schools, parks, transit, and other public facilities, while vacant, undeveloped, agricultural, and mineral extraction and processing uses comprise the remaining 15 percent.

Emerald Hills is a fairly good neighborhood in San Diego to invest in real estate. It is a calm neighborhood with many green spaces nearby for residents to visit. Most areas in this neighborhood are quiet, as noise from the streets and other parts of the city is rarely an issue. It is bordered by Oak Park and California State Route 94 on the north, Chollas View and Euclid Avenue on the west, Encanto on the east, and Valencia Park and Market Street on the south. Major thoroughfares include Kelton Road and Roswell Street.

Most houses for sale in this neighborhood are located in places that are not very suitable for walking since carrying out daily needs is sometimes difficult. The typical home value in Emerald Hills is $659,983, up 33.0% over the past year.

Another urban area that is great for investment is the Downtown/City Center. It is one of the best places to live in California. It offers residents a dense urban feel and more than 70% of the residents rent their homes. So it is a great neighborhood to buy rental properties due to high demand. Downtown’s public schools are above average. It offers good nightlife with restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Niche.com ranks it #25 among the best neighborhoods to live in San Diego.

Highest Growing San Diego Neighborhoods For The Last 5 years (List by Neighborhoodscout.com)

  1. La Jolla Shores Dr / N Torrey Pines Rd
  2. 4th Ave / Quince St
  3. Emerald St / Cass St
  4. Soledad Mountain Rd / Pacifica Dr
  5. Jellett St / Erie St
  6. Stresemann St / Gobat Ave
  7. Darkwood Rd / Park Run Rd
  8. City Center
  9. Spring Canyon Rd / Scripps Ranch Blvd
  10. Rosecrans St / Nimitz Blvd

The cheapest or most affordable neighborhoods to rent in San Diego are Alta Vista, where the average rent goes for $1100/month, Broadway Heights, where renters pay $1100/mo on average, Emerald Hills, where the average rent goes for $1100/mo, Encanto, where renters pay $1100/mo on average $1,383, Jamacha Lomita with an average rent of $1100, and Skyline, where the average rent price is 1100. In all of these areas, the asking prices are below the average San Diego rent.

San Diego Rental Market
Graph Credits: RentCafe.com

Apart from San Deigo, you can also invest in several other real estate markets in California. California has the 6th largest economy in the entire world. This is largely driven by its innovative production, the heavy tech sectors in the state, and more. Apart from the San Diego real estate market, you can also invest in another hot market in San Jose. San Jose is part of Silicon Valley, a place where $100,000 a year or higher salaries from competing for tech firms has driven up the cost of real estate.

But what about the San Jose housing market itself? San Jose is the third-largest city in California, home to roughly a million people. It has the highest cost of living in any area in the U.S., and it is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. If you want to invest in San Jose real estate, you may not need to buy and renovate. Instead, if you know of industrial or commercial properties near major employers they may need to convert to employee housing, which you could buy now and hold until it sells.

If that doesn’t happen, you could still turn it into a co-working space. In January 2018, Redfin ranked the ten hottest neighborhoods in the United States. Nine of the ten were in San Jose. When single home prices fall from 1.2 million to 1 million, homes now sit on the market for several days instead of being snapped up immediately.

The other good place for real estate investment in California is Sacramento. Sacramento is an island of sanity in an overpriced, over-regulated, and overheated West Coast housing market. It reflects the California ideal that most of the state has lost, and that’s we recommend it to investors over the “hotter” California metro areas. These are the same factors causing many Californians themselves to vote with their feet and move here instead of moving out of the state altogether.

If you’re considering Sacramento real estate investment, the diverse rental market is a definite plus. Being a state capital, it is home to several universities. This allows you to rent to the relatively large student market in addition to the local population. There is, of course, the University of California campus in Sacramento, but you could own investment properties by American River College and other, smaller schools in the area, too.

Buying or selling real estate, for a majority of investors, is one of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a real estate professional/counselor continues to be a vital part of this process. They are well-informed about critical factors that affect your specific market areas, such as changes in market conditions, market forecasts, consumer attitudes, best locations, timing, and interest rates.