Orange County vs. San Diego market

[Gaurav Bahal]

Hi,

My wife and I currently rent in San Clemente and have been thinking of buying a 2 bedroom condo for under 400K that we can rent out later once we move out of CA.  Any suggestions on which markets are good in San Diego north county or South Orange county? I think SD is a bit cheaper but does Orange county has a greater chance of appreciation?

[Christine Kankowski]

Hi Gaurav,

I used to live in Poway (north san diego) and moved to Temecula several years ago.  Love it here!!  In Temecula, you can buy a nice 3 bedroom or even a 4 bedroom home for $400, so if you want a condo, you will be able to get one for quite a bit less.

The rental market in Temecula is excellent and only 35 miles on the freeway to the Poway area of San Diego. I work in both markets: both rent well and quickly.  Cost of entry in San Diego is much higher, but then again, so are rents.

I would focus on areas in San Diego with good schools- This keep the home values and rent values strong.  Temecula has excellent schools and so do several areas of San Diego, such as Poway school district. 

Temecula is growing rapidly, and being situated between SD and OC will continue to fuel strong appreciation. (In my opinion)   Happy NEw Year!