2005-2013 YTD Sales Comparisons: Atria@101 Market, Downtown San Diego

Sometimes market statistics are pretty boring. Actually, most of the time, sales statistics go in one ear and out the other for most people, and especially for people who are visual. After reviewing the sales statistics for Atria located at 101 Market St, San Diego 92101, we thought a pictorial representation of the sales statistics for the last 8 years might help my brain process market changes. These numbers are based on statistics retrieved from the Sandicor multiple listing service as of December 9, 2013.

As you can see from the graphs, 2008 and 2011 were the worst years and you can see that 2012 and 2013 are reflecting a recovery. Nothing like 2005 thru 2007, but at least prices are moving upwards again.

Average $ per square foot reflect the same upheaval over the last 8 years. Again, 2005-2007 were at the peak of the downtown San Diego real estate market. Again the $ per square foot are showing the same steady increase in pricing.

For owners who have been hanging on, many are approaching a break even point. An example is a sale we are representing. Our owner purchased his unit for $310,000 six months ago and is currently selling in the $330k's, less than 6 months later. That is a much better net sheet than the loses owners saw in the 2008-2011 timeframe.

If you would like additional statistics on Aria or any other Downtown San Diego condo buildings, just contact us via email, phone, or text.  victoriacrown@gmail.com or 619-977-3174

92101 and 92103 San Diego Real Estate Comparisons

Downtown San Diego (92101) and Hillcrest/Mission Hills (92103) are two San Diego areas located next to each other. Hillcrest is immediately north of Downtown San Diego, while Mission Hills is at the north west end of the 92103 zip code. Viewing this graphic comparison provides information that shows the Downtown San Diego market (92101) is a lower priced market than is Hillcrest/Mission Hills.

Click here for complete 92101 and 92103 comparison

What this Downtown San Diego and Hillcrest/comparison also confirms is that the downtown San Diego market would naturally be expected to be lower due to the majority of downtown San Diego housing being condos versus Mission Hills historical styled single-family homes.

Mission Hills is one of the most luxurious and desirable neighborhoods in San Diego. Mission Hills is the area where large historical mansions and smaller craftsman homes make up the inventory. A number of older homes have been demolished and have been replaced by large homes on small lot footprints. It has become  more difficult to raze a Mission Hills home to build a new monstrosity, therefore the "old-money" style homes command higher prices.

To further view the comparisons and contrasts and Downtown San Diego and Hillcrest/Mission Hills click this 92101 vs 92103 link

Who Lives in Downtown San Diego?

If you own or rent a Downtown San Diego condo, who are your neighbors? Is the marketplace primarily owner occupied or renter (non owner) occupied? Here is a graph that shows you the mix as of November 2013.

If you would like to view these statistics in depth or view additional Downtown San Diego neighborhood information, visit our Downtown San Diego Market Insider page.

Why San Diego Is Special City

San Diego has been known as "America's Finest City" since the 1970's.  San Diego lives up to its reputation.We have the location, the weather and the residents to make San Diego one of the best cities in the world to live, work and play. The place to start is in Downtown San Diego where buying a condo is an achievement for many first time downtown San Diego condo owners.

Downtown San Diego Neighborhoods

What are the 8 Downtown San Diego neighborhoods?

9 Sofa Styles to Decorate Your Downtown San Diego Condo

Decorating a downtown San Diego condo can definitely be a challenge. Space is minimal in many condos so efficiency counts. Buildings like Metrome, Alta, Atria, Sapphire, Gaslamp City Square, M2i and Union Square among others have downtown San Diego studio units.

Once you have purchased or rented a downtown San Diego condo, how do you make it liveable? How do you sit down? Where do you place your furniture?  Generally condo owners start with the "sitting" pieces and the key piece is usually a sofa, couch, or whatever else it may be called. Who would have ever guessed there are a minimum of 9 different sofas you can decorate your condo with in a large or small space.

Love Seat or Courting Chair

                          

At first you might think the love seat was designed for two people to sit close together for romantic reasons. Sounds good but the original love seats designed in the 1700's and 1800's were more designed to hold the wide skirts and hoops women wore. Once the dresses decreased in size, the romantic inclinations took over and love seat took on a new meaning.

Sofa

                   

Prior to the creation of the sofa around 1680, people sat on straight backed chairs. The first sofas set off a design revolution because they were padded and had cushions. Of course the French embraced the comfort of the sofa. Today a sofa is basically a piece of furniture with 2 or more cushion seats.

Sectional Sofa

                          

Where did the sectional sofa come from? Some designers will say the sectional sofa is relatively new, but there are others who claim the first sectional sofas were created in Virginia around the 1820's. Since I am not a furniture historian, I have no clue. What I do know is that the sectional sofa works in areas that need a little creativity. Some sectionals work in space challenged rooms, while other sectionals make an over-sized room look a little more manageable. Since most Downtown San Diego condos tend to be on the smaller size, a true sectional may be a little tougher to place.

Divan

                          

A divan is primarily a couch-like sitting furniture originally from the middle east. In fact, the divan may have originated in the Ottoman Empire of Turkey. Originally the divan was a long seat formed of a mattress laid against the side of a room, upon a raised frame or on the floor and included cushions to lean on for comfort. Boudoirs in the United Kingdom were in style during the middle 1800's and most bedrooms had a divan. It was the thing to do and to have.

Fainting Couch

               

Fainting couches apparently were for women who either fainted from the corsets they had to wear, or for women who needed to be massaged and wanted privacy during their female hysteria massages. Who could have guessed just from looking at this couch that it was for getting a massage in your pelvic area. Kind of creepy to tell you the truth. Some homes had fainting rooms,

Canape Couch

                                            

The canape couch is a unique piece of French furniture that doesn't look too comfortable to me. The canape couch was similiar to a couch but was a more elegant sofa. Typically the canape couch was made out of precious hoardwoods such as walnut, cherry and mahogany and had carved wooden legs and backrests and upholstered seats, armrests and back that would seat 3 people. Another style created by the French in the 18th century, the canape couch became popular in the 19th century for the Americas. Unless you have a really formal condo, you might skip this style for your unit. It doesn't look too comfortable.

Daybed

                       

The daybed is one of the oldest sofa styles dating back to ancient egyptian, greek and roman civilizations. Sigmund Freud used a day bed for his patients while they received therapy. The daybed is a practical item, especially in a small space. The daybed can be used as a sofa during waking hours and then converted into a bed if necessary in the evening or sleeping hours. This modern looking daybed would be a perfect piece of decor in a studio downtown San Diego condo.

Chesterfield Couch

                              

Folklore has that the 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773) ordered the creation of the leather chesterfield couch with the distinctive use of deep buttoned, quilted leather upholstery and a low seat base. According to legend, the Earl requested a couch that would allow a trendsetter such as the Earl to sit comfortably upright without wrinkling his garments. As you can see, the chesterfield appears as a masculine styled couch with rolled arms, and equal back and arm heights. If you have a luxury condo with a lot of room, then the chesterfield my appeal to you. Otherwise the chesterfield is too heavy looking for most condo owners.

Futon

                               

Futons are a much more casual style of couches.  Futons were and are popular in Japan. They are very casual padded mattresses and quilts that can be folded up during the day to create room in small spaces. Futons in the United States have developed into more than folding bedding. Most people who own a futon do not roll it up during the day. In fact, may futons are created with a metal frame. The beauty of the futon is not only its functionality, but it's lightness in weight, and its generally lower price than the traditional sofa.

Decorating a downtown San Diego condo can be a tricky proposition because of space constraints. Luxury penthouse condos may have the heavier Chesterfield-styled furniture, but the majority of decor we have seen falls between the simple sofa and futon.

Who could have guessed there was such history and such distinctions between sofas. Fortunately most downtown San Diego residents will worry more about how a couch will fit into a small efficient space than the history of said couch.

619-977-3174

If you have any questions or help in your search for the perfect San Diego home or condo, contact us via phone, email, or text.

Civita: 13 New Frame and Focus Room Names

  

Civita in Mission Valley 

Frame & Focus

Frame and Focus is a Civita development by Shea Homes that is focused on a wide-open an yet interlocked lifestyle. There are two separate styles in Frame and Focus. Frame is located on the outer portion of the development and Focus is the inner portion of the development.

Shea Homes has wedded mid-century "Motor Court" style living with today's organic and eclectic lifestyle. Civitia is designed so residents can walk everywhere. Frame and Focus incorporate this feeling of community into both townhome developments.

Frame offers 4 floorplans using the ground floor level for both the two-car garage and the common living areas. Frame is the most affordable of the two developments, and the retro feel of mid-century living is combined with today's buyer who wants efficiency and green living.

Sometimes it's hard not to sound like a commercial when reviewing the new developments because the builders hire people who know what to say and how to say it. Language for Frame is no different. What is different however, is how the rooms are named. Most of us are used to searching for bedrooms, baths, parking etc. when we search for a home or condo to purchase or rent. Take a look at how the rooms in Frame are labeled.

Frame Plan 4 Floor 1

Frame Plan 4 Floor 2

Frame Plan 4 Floor 3

You can see by the names of rooms that Shea Homes is capturing the lifestyle of Civita. Where else have you seen rooms called Dine, Watch, Cook, Park, Arrive, Greet, Splash, Dream, Clean, Sleep, Lounge, Fresh, and View? Each of these rooms is named for an activity rather than a place. The only room I had to think about was the "fresh" room and when I looked at the 'fresh" room I realized it is the half-bath off the cook and greet area. For people like me, that means off the living room and kitchen.

Watch this Frame and Focus video to see the ideas behind their concept.

There is something delightful about naming rooms after activities. It is unexpected, modern, and adds excitement. If you are interested in the concept and homes available in Civita, contact us. If we accompany you to any of the Civita developments on your first visit, we are able to help you in your negotiations with the builders. Builders do no generally negotiate on prices because they are tied to release prices from their lenders and if they low ball sales, they make their lenders uneasy and other buyers mad. However, many builders will negotiate terms and conditions. Since our representation does not cost you any more than if you represent yourself, it might be worth considering our services, expertise, and most importantly our experience in working with major builders.

Contact us at 619-977-3174. Call or text us.

11 Mission Valley 1970's Condo Complexes

Mission Valley is located several miles north of downtown San Diego. While Downtown San Diego started its current redevelopment 10-15 years ago, Mission Valley 92108 began its residential development in the 1970's.

Mission Valley had been a farming area for many years. In the mid-1960's Mission Valley as we know it today began with Mission Valley mall. As you can see from the above photo, Mission Valley mall appears to be in the middle of no where, and at the time that was the truth. Mission Valley mall began with the May Company anchoring the eastern end and Montgomery Ward anchoring the west end. Today Macys is at the easterly end of the mall and Target anchors the westerly end. In fact, Pei Wei and Corner Bakery sit on the Montgomery Ward Auto Center.

Due to Mission Valley mall, housing, hotels and auto dealerships began to be constructed in Mission Valley. Many large apartment complexes sprung up along Interstate 8 at the easterly and westerly ends of Mission Valley. In fact, for the most part, Mission Valley developed inwards. Newer developments such as Civita occupy an old rock quarry and Escala was cut out of the hillside. Early Mission Valley developments took the line of least resistance.

A number of these projects began life as apartment buildings and were converted to condos in the 1980's when it was profitable. If you would like to see what the 1970's looked like, just check out these Mission Valley condos ala 2013. They look like they did in the 1970's. They may be boring and old-fashioned looking, but their locations are in the heart of Mission Valley and owners have easy access to everything. We will compare the two newest Mission Valley developments, Escala (about 10 years old) and Civita (currently under construction) in future blogs.

The 1970's Again

Friars Pointe

Lots of wood, lots of stucco, trees and greenery. Dated to today's tastes but units offer good size for value.

Mission Greens

Before we all had to worry about water conservation, water themes were common in both condos and apartments. Lush grounds attracted tenants and owners who liked space. Today's density cannot support such open space at a reasonable homeowner association cost, so spacious grounds and lower homeowner association dues are more common in these 1970's projects.

Mission Heights

Another stucco and frame project built over parking. Same 1970's Mission Valley look with a great location.

Mission Plaza

Are you getting the feeling that "Mission" was a popular name in the 1970's? Because of the San Diego Mission located at the easterly end of the Mission Valley, architects and developers had mental blocks and could only come up with a name that contained "Mission" when a project was located within a mile of the San Diego Mission.

Mission Ridge

Same theme, same 1970's design. Good sized balconies, not so much wood in this complex, but plenty of stucco. It was easier to design box looking projects.

Mission Verde

When I started this research, even I had no clue how many of these projects had "Mission" in their name. It kind of boggles the mind. It could be made into a good trivia drinking game. Every time you can name a Mission Valley "Mission" project, bottoms up!

Mission Village

Amenities in the 1970's included a pool and usually a party style recreation room. Stucco, wood and balconies round out our 1970's look.

Search MISSION VALLEY 92108 Condos

Rancho Mission Villas

Rancho Mission  Villas began life as an apartment complex and underwent conversion to a condominium complex. Located at the easterly end of Mission Valley, Rancho Mission Villas are situated within walking distance to a trolley station and are a perfect location for San Diego State students along with first-time homebuyers.

Park Villas

Before you  begin to think someone got creative with the Park Villas name, you would need to know that Park Villas began life as the "Apple Apartments". The Apple Apartments were the Austin Powers of Mission Valley living. You could select up-to-date lime green carpet, mandarin orange carpet, lemon yellow carpet, or camel beige carpeting. The Apple apartments were the newest style of decor in the early 1970's. I know because I lived in a lime green apartment. Kind of scary as I look back, but at the time, it was fantastic. When the Apple Apartments were converted to condominiums, Park Villas sounded much better to owners.

The Bluffs

The Bluffs also began life as apartments in Mission Valley West and within walking distance from Fashion Valley mall, which was beginning its creation. The Bluffs originally sold their studio units for $39,000. Imagine what an investment that would be today. The Bluffs currently has the condominium portion and the apartment portion. Creativity was also used to name the Bluffs. They are located below the bluffs that ring the northerly portion of Mission Valley.

The Franciscan

Another "Mission" related name. Same 1970's style, but located in a great Mission Valley locale.

Search Mission Valley Condos

92108 Mission Valley Condos

What if you don't want to live in Downtown San Diego? Why not try Mission Valley which is a few miles north of the Downtown San Diego core. Mission Valley runs from Interstate 5 on the west to Mission Gorge on the easterly boundary. Mission Valley is commonly known with the 92108 zip code, but the westerly edge of Mission Valley is the 92110 zip code.

As you can see, the main focus of Mission Valley is the San Diego river. Mission Valley Center is built along the river as as several other commercial and residential properties. Mission Valley has come a long way from the small farming community it once was. Mission Valley has developed with shopping centers, car dealerships, office buildings, hotels and condominium projects. Single-family homes are a rarity in Mission Valley. In fact, you have to do a lot of searching to find a home in the center of Mission Valley. If you drive Interstate 8, look south as you drive east of Texas/Qualcomm Way. You will see a home east of the 805 bridge sandwiched between two office buildings. It an oddity in the valley.

If you would like to search for Mission Valley condos, visit our Mission Valley search page for the most up to date results.

92101 Downtown San Diego : 92101 Downtown San Diego Condo Sales October 2013

92101 Downtown San Diego : 92101 Downtown San Diego Condo Sales October 2013: Review 92101 Downtown San Diego sales for the month of October 2013 and search the MLS for available Downtown San Diego condos by check...

92101 Downtown San Diego Condo Sales October 2013

Review 92101 Downtown San Diego sales for the month of October 2013 and search the MLS for available Downtown San Diego condos by checking our 92101 condo search link.

92101 Jimbos in Horton Plaza

Jimbos in Horton Plaza has finally opened and it is a delightful store with food bars, beautiful produce, a large variety of beverages and a great little cafe to eat what you purchase. We visited Jimbos today to order a burrito at the burrito bar. It is fun to order what you want and watch them prepare it while you watch. If you like sushi, the sushi bar is centrally located and offers a wide variety of sushi choices.

Initially it seems a little odd to have a full-service grocery store located in the middle of the mall, but Horton Plaza has been on the cutting edge from the very beginning. Jimbos offers free parking and easy access so you can carry your groceries to the car. Since so many people who live in downtown San Diego like to walk, there is a high probability a number of customers will walk to and from the store.

Amenities such as healthy food shopping attract both Downtown San Diego renters and Downtown San Diego condo owners.

We specialize in downtown San Diego real estate. We can help you rent or purchase. Check out our Downtown San Diego rental link to search for downtown San Diego rentals. Call, email or text us for additional information. For downtown San Diego property management visit us at LBG Property Management.

Search for San Diego real estate and find your home or condo by visiting our San Diego property search link.


Search for San Diego real estate and find your home or condo by visiting our San Diego property search link.

92101 Little Italy's Aerial Suites

Little Italy is one of the unique Downtown San Diego neighborhoods. Once the hub of the San Diego fishing fleet, Little Italy has now become an urban hub for those who want to live in this established neighborhood.

Little Italy's festivals along with Little Italy's Farmers Market create a happy cheerful living environment. One of the newest projects located at the southerly end of Little Italy is the Aerial Suites project located at Kettner and Beech. Aerial Suites is a mixed used project containing both retail and apartment housing. Rising 269 feet into the air, Aerial Suites is a 22-story building containing 224 apartments and 279 underground parking spaces. 

Aerial Suites

Anchoring Aerial Suites will be an 8700 square foot Hanson's Market which originally began in San Clemente. Because of Hansons' emphasis on healthy food choices, their will be a mezzanie area housing a deli and raw juices bar. Hanson's Market has focused on the health conscious consumer, and as such, will offer a large array of organic and natural products. For those that love komucha, Hanson's will offer a kombucha bar on tap. If you are not a komucha lover, this won't matter, but if you are a kombucha lover you will be in seventh heaven.

Bottomline is Hanson's Market should be a perfect match for the Little Italy resident. The Saturday Farmers market is always crowded and the fresh produce and juicing stands always seem to have a line.

Aerial Suites also offers corner a 5000 square foot restaurant space for lease at the corner of Beech and Kettner.

We specialize in downtown San Diego real estate. We can help you rent or purchase. Check out our Downtown San Diego rental link to search for downtown San Diego rentals. Call, email or text us for additional information. For downtown San Diego property management visit us at LBG Property Management.

Search for San Diego real estate and find your home or condo by visiting our San Diego property search link.

92101 Condos For Rent

What if you want to rent a downtown San Diego condo but don't want to live in an apartment building? Why not look for a downtown San Diego condo in one of the downtown districts you love. Rental rates range from $1350 for a studio in Element to $10,000 for a penthouse unit in Parkloft. Both buildings are located in downtown San Diego. It's just a question of how much you want to spend for rent. 

We specialize in downtown San Diego real estate. We can help you rent or purchase. Check out our Downtown San Diego rental link to search for downtown San Diego rentals. Call, email or text us for additional information. 

For downtown San Diego property management visit us at LBG Property Management.

Search for San Diego real estate and find your home or condo by visiting our San Diego property search link.