Buying a home in San Diego, quite frankly, can be tough. With extremely short sales times and rising prices in the San Diego market, purchasing a property in this area seems like an impossible task.
But it’s certainly not impossible. And it’s worth the effort. Here are 6 reasons why purchasing a home in San Diego is an excellent choice.
6 Reasons to Purchase a Home in San Diego or the Surrounding Area
Outstanding Parks, Beaches, and Attractions
The reasons that people come to visit San Diego are the same reasons people move to San Diego: the parks, beaches, and numerous attractions.
The world-famous San Diego Zoo, for example, is an excellent attraction for adults and children, and it creates an unforgettable experience for families. Of course, we also have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, as well as numerous parks that make the city a wonderful place to live.
San Diego also has excellent sports. Although we lost our Chargers, we still have the San Diego Padres, so there are major sports in this city. With San Diego State University, we still have big-time college football and basketball for San Diego sports fans.
Relatively Easy Commute Times
Many residents of San Diego would complain about commute times and log-jammed traffic. However, as a whole our county actually has relatively short commute times. The average commute time for San Diego County, according to Index Mundi, is 26 minutes.
That sounds like a lot; but when you consider the commute times in many other areas, it’s not so bad. In nearby Riverside County, the commute time is over 33 minutes, and in Orange County the commute is 27 minutes. 14 California counties have commute times over 30 minutes, including Contra Costa County, where the average commute is 38 minutes. With that perspective, a 26 minute commute isn’t so bad.
San Diego County’s commute time is actually lower than the overall average for California, which is 29.3 minutes. For more perspective, 16 states (including California) have average commute times higher than San Diego County’s.
Cost of Living is Reasonable Compared to Many Metro Areas
Like commute time, San Diego residents often think the cost of living is high. To be fair, it is high compared to most regions of the country. However, compared to major metropolitan areas, the cost of living in San Diego is relatively low.
Numbeo provides data on the cost of living index. Their information shows that among North American cities, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda, San Diego’s cost of living ranks #31, with a cost of living index rating of 75.71. (Basically, the higher the index rating, the more expensive it is to live in the area.)
Numerous cities (some a bit surprising) have a higher cost-of-living rating than gorgeous San Diego. Milwaukee, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco, and New York, to name a few, all have higher cost of living than San Diego. We are higher up on cost of rent and restaurants (around 17 for both), but we dip down in groceries and our purchasing power is relatively strong.
All of this means you can get more from your money, surprisingly, if you live in San Diego.
A Major International Airport Just Minutes Away
If you have to travel for work, you likely don’t want to book flights that require layovers. In San Diego, you’ll have access to an international airport that provides direct access to dozens of areas across the country and the globe. Changes could be made, but the San Diego International Airport currently provides direct flights to New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, London, Chicago, and more.
It also provides fast flights to Mexico and other international destinations, making foreign travel all the more accessible.
San Diego is Largely a Safe City
Not only do we have some of the finest attractions in one of the most gorgeous cities, San Diego is also a safe place to live. Of course, like all cities across the country, we have our problems, but crime rates in San Diego appear to be lower than other major areas.
Alarms.org compiles information on the most dangerous cities in America, providing data on statistics like violent crime, police adequacy, and changes in crime.
We searched their database and could not find San Diego listed among any of the top-100 cities for crime in general and violent crime specifically. Meanwhile, California cities like San Jose, Oakland, and Los Angeles were on many of the lists.
Whether you are bringing yourself or your family to the area, knowing that San Diego is a relatively safe city can be very comforting.
The Buying Market is (or Appears to Be) Cooling
On a much lighter note, the San Diego market appears to be cooling, making this a better time to be a buyer. It’s still a highly competitive market, but it’s becoming a bit easier for aspiring homeowners to find affordable property in the area.
Statistics from Redfin show that the San Diego market has seen dips in home prices, falling from a median sale price of $800,000 in June of 2021 to $775,000 in September. Whether this is merely seasonal or a sign of cooling has yet to be determined, but it’s a positive sign for people buying a home in San Diego.
Time on the market has also edged upward. It was down to 9 days on the market (meaning the average home was listed and sold in 9 days), but has increased slightly to 12. Again, still extremely short, but a positive sign nonetheless.
If you are buying a home in San Diego, it’s looking more and more like a reasonable marketplace.
Buying a Home in San Diego? Let Us Help!
In a competitive market like San Diego, you need to give yourself every possible advantage when looking for a home. This means you need to be pre-qualified or (even better) pre-approved for a mortgage before shopping for homes.
Make sure your offer is competitive by getting pre-approved for an affordable mortgage today!
