Million Dollar Listings ~ My San Diego Favorites

Real estate on TV is giving us all a chance to see how much property costs in different parts of the country. My all time favorite is Selling New York, which to me is a lesson in real estate every time it’s on.

My second favorite is House Hunters International, only because it’s so baffling! Why is everyone dying to get out of this country to buy in another country? And why do they all want it furnished? I have seen the furniture that goes with the purchases and it seems a bit, ahem, unsavory. So I watch this show to wonder how these buyers got enough money to burn on an international vacation home.

The show Million Dollar Listing (Los Angeles version; the New York version starts in March and I will watch) sort of misses the point for me, since it focuses on the agents a bit more than the houses. All I need to see are the houses, thanks. I work in real estate and watching people “act” while they “sell real estate” at the same time is hard to take, especially when the agents warrant throttling. Does arrogance make good television? Apparently.

My favorite San Diego houses for sale at the price point of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 are below.  My original post was going to be about houses for sale in San Diego that I love priced at exactly $1 million, but I actually thought the final list was weak. Not good enough for you to see!

One thing that came to mind very quickly is how little “super duper WOW” you really get for a million dollars in San Diego (compared to where everyone else lives who may read this), so I upped the budget.

Then added on some new criteria:

• the home can’t be a short sale.
• you have to be able to own the land — no detached home with condominium title ownership.
• no super fixers regardless of the other good factors.
• not too far “out there” geographically – we are 4,000 square miles in San Diego County after all!
• must be owner occupied or vacant.

Then I went through the 171 results to get to the final 17. Mind you, these are not my favorite photographed or decorated homes. Please look beyond some of the photos and occasional funk!

These properties are truly worth a second look if I or a client were in the market for a $1,000,000 or higher home, up to $1.5M.  The winning list is here.

To that, each of these properties is undoubtedly very negotiable. San Diego is in a very strong buyer’s market: more buyers than sellers. Sellers negotiate to get a buyer’s business. Some of the winners need a tiny bit of work to make them truly special.

The most impressive for me? One that I would buy? A no brainer. Love at first sight: 4366 Altamirano Way in Mission Hills (San Diego, CA 92103). Oh my! That courtyard! It probably needs a new kitchen since the agent didn’t bother to photograph the kitchen, but this house is my favorite.

As your dedicated San Diego real estate professional, I am prepared to put my discerning eye on your wish list of homes. Let me know if I can help you buy or sell a house.

Thanks!

~Kimberly

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