In July 2017, when we were home shopping, I started to monitor—and occasionally write about—the local housing market. The next month, countywide, median price for a single-family residence reached $610,000, according to San Diego Association of Realtors. Fast-forward six years and $1,025,000 is median, according to SDAR, which released the data yesterday.
By my quick math, that’s a 68-percent increase, which makes homeownership an outstanding investment for anyone owning before SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 or increased interest rates this year and last. For anyone else not fairly wealthy, the choices are rent, move, or live on the streets—something of an increasingly common lifestyle.
Today, Apple announced iPhone 15 Pro and Max, which sport new cameras with cool sounding features ( hey, say tetraprism five times fast). The smartphone promises much, but my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra already delivers. The Featured Image, shot specifically to illustrate this missive, makes the point.
This one is 12-megapixel JPEG, composed as captured and not retouched. A second shot, using Night Mode, is better light-balanced. But I prefer the ambiance of the darker photo. For context, timestamp is 8:16 p.m. PDT and deep dusk. The only light came from passing cars. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 5000, 1/15 sec, 23mm (film equivalent).
For the record, final sale price of this 728-square-foot home isn’t public. But the University Heights property listed for $775,000.