Josh,
You can't make your point without the insult? Where did I call you out personally? And while your at it, show me where I proclaimed myself as the all-wise one? That's a cheap shot.
Since I am so ignorant, why don't you impart the wisdom? I've driven by your personal home. It's nice and from the web shots, it is nicely furnished. Why hasn't it sold? Let me guess, it is due to real estate being down all over the country. I should have known. Could price have anything to do with it? Or maybe the abundant supply of houses for sale within 10 miles of your street? How does it feel to be stuck in the middle of a stagnant market?
I don't know when the bottom will come. And I'll make the best choice that I can personally and hope for the best. I just refuse to believe things aren't going to change in the next few months. There are too many signs (both literally and figuratively) that shouldn't be ignored.
I don't expect everybody to agree with me, nor did I ask for such in my posts. (I've got to learn how to post under the correct heading.)
I just say, "Thank God we're not California!" $500,000 won't get you a treehouse 2 hours from the beach!
while that's true, let's be fair. it's not as though we have the job opportunities, economic potential, cultural offerings, health care or other infrastructure of california coastal towns.
while this area has it's charm, people buying beach houses in california are not just buying a home, but buying into a lifestyle. big difference.
We thought about buying in California. We looked from the wine country to San Diego. It's really beautiful there. Santa Barbara-Wow! Ojai-It's like Shangri-La. San Francisco-Super! La Jolla-Something Else! Over the years we've spent lots of time there.
We really wanted to be near the beach, so we looked for the prettiest one. One that wasn't too cold to swim in without a wet suit. And we wanted a lifestyle with which we were comfortable, where we could raise a daughter and instill in her some good southern values. A place where the people seemed down to earth.
We looked and looked. We certainly didn't feel as though we could find what we were looking for in California. We can always go there to visit, I guess. Instead, we chose a place to live that is unlike any other. For the longest time it was hard for me to put my finger on why we liked it here so much more. Obviously, we have the beaches.
It finally hit me one day a couple of years ago: Everywhere you go here you see happy people. The people that live here are happy. The people that come here to visit are happy. Every time I meet an out-of-towner and they find out we live here, they're incredibly jealous. That validates the reason I have a smile on my face. Happy, happy, happy.
Happy isn't a lifestyle I guess. It's the result of it.