Beachfront purchase

Danadu

New member
Would appreciate advice. Thinking of buying condo in Oceanside much cheaper than Dana point Long Beach etc. 1-1.5 range still gets you water view. Is not a bad time? Do you think Oceanside will depreciate?
 
Oceanside has always lagged in appreciation relative to other SD area beach communities. That said, what are you buying it for? Personal use? AirBnB? Family use? That area may have lower beach prices and looking long term is smart. Also, is this cash or financed? There are a few local areas that can be found in the $1-$1.5 range (condo) with ocean views.
 
I don't think Oceanside will depreciate independently of the surrounding area. If everything around Oceanside goes down, so will Oceanside. If everything around Oceanside goes up, so will Oceanside.
 
Used to own an apartment building on Pacific Street; which is across the street from the beach and lined with condos and apartments. If you plan to live there, spend some time and get to know who lives there and whether you'd be happy with them as neighbors. The demographics may surprise some people. A lot of the condos are rentals, both short and long term. Turnover for apartments is high. Tenants want to live by the beach until they have to deal with the summer traffic and parking issues as well as related quality of life issues. Seems like those who have scratched that beach living itch move out after the lease is up. From a valuation point of view, Oceanside has always been cheaper than neighboring beach cities and my guess is that trend will continue.
 
Grab it. The beach access, quality of surf and gentrification of O’side make that price a bargain.
 
Oceanside is a very interesting place that's on the up and up. It's not quite as seedy as it used to be, so I think it could potentially appreciate. It won't appreciate as quickly as Carlsbad or other parts of SD though.
 
A big driver of potential future appreciation which what the schools are rated. Are the schools rated 8 or higher in the area that you are buying?
 
I've heard Oceanside has improved in recent years, but last time I was there it still had a grittier feel to it than other nearby beach cities like Carlsbad or San Clemente -- My family camped in our RV last summer in Oceanside while visiting Legoland and some other local attractions. I rode my bike to the beach at night to watch the surf crash and I distinctly remember thinking I needed to be aware of my surroundings and also to keep an eye on my bike as I sat nearby on the sand.

You might want to check the local crime maps for the neighborhoods you're looking into and see how they compare to other areas. But like somebody else said, it could be a good gentrification play. I was looking into buying rental condos there in the wake of the Great Financial Crisis circa 2012-13 because it was possible to buy cheaply enough to cashflow in a beach community! Instead, I chose to focus on multi-family properties in the IE.
 
Would appreciate advice. Thinking of buying condo in Oceanside much cheaper than Dana point Long Beach etc. 1-1.5 range still gets you water view. Is not a bad time? Do you think Oceanside will depreciate?

Unless if you have a specific/good reason to buy in Oceanside, for $1-1.5 mil I would rather buy a single story SFR on decent sized lot, detached garage in back, long driveway with 2-car width porte cochere (drive through carport) instead of... a beach/ocean view condo with (likely) high monthly HOA.
 
I've heard Oceanside has improved in recent years, but last time I was there it still had a grittier feel to it than other nearby beach cities like Carlsbad or San Clemente -- My family camped in our RV last summer in Oceanside while visiting Legoland and some other local attractions. I rode my bike to the beach at night to watch the surf crash and I distinctly remember thinking I needed to be aware of my surroundings and also to keep an eye on my bike as I sat nearby on the sand.

You don't even have to slum it in your RV - I've stayed a few times at the new bougie Mission Pacific Hotel on the pier. It's super nice but spend a little bit more money to get an oceanfront room and watch the street on a Saturday night and you'll see loud cars, music, and youths. I think it's fine but I can also see why some people would find it not very peaceful.
 
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