San Diego real estate is hot, that’s for sure. The March 2015 edition of San Diego Magazine did a neighborhood breakdown and classified areas by their attributes and attractions. For bike riders, they recommended Carlsbad; horseback riders San Marcos. For folks who like to jog, Encinitas was the target; for bus lovers, University City. For the community-minded, there were several suggestions: Chula Vista for health oriented services, City Heights for many robust community services and Grantville for people loving the old “village” feel. If you’re looking for an urban neighborhood, Little Italy scored for families, and La Mesa as a less pricey option. Loving cultural diversity, try Normal Heights. A beam bum, there’s Imperial Beach, stellar for cleanliness. And if you can live without big box stores, North Park could be your next place.
And for a really hot hot new hood, there’s El Cerrito, where the hip are now looking to house. El Cerrito is Spanish for “the little hill” and is located in the middle of San Diego just southeast of Talmadge and west of SDSU. The area was developed in the 1920s as the heart of the neighborhood and El Cajon Boulevard, home to many ethnic restaurants, was created. The hill is encircled by Overlook Drive.
How is hotness actually determined? Well, you can measure interest by the number of pages viewed online, as compared to other areas and the number of homes that viewers favorited. Redfin came up with an algorithm that did the metrics and was then able to predict which homes were hot, i.e., about to sell quickly. And guess what, El Cerrito came out on top.
The median home is listed as $498,000 and the average rent $1,493, relatively low numbers for pricey San Diego. In the early years the neighborhood was known for its orange and lemon orchards; today those orchards have given way to walkable streets, gentrified houses and cozy bistros, many of the elements found in the more expensive San Diego sections.
Before El Cerrito gets so hot it’s untouchable, some outstanding homes are still available at relatively reasonable prices. Current listings are now topping that median, but not by that much. This week we’re showcasing one of them, a midcentury home located on a cul-de-sac. This 60th Street beauty boasts three bedrooms and two baths and is on the market currently at under $550,000. The open space plan features a gleaming new kitchen and even new electrical and plumbing systems.
Other exceptional properties in El Cerrito range from about $550,000 to under $700,000, but there is considerable value here when compared to other favored San Diego neighborhoods. It’s a pocket of San Diego now being entertained by folks priced out of Kensington, and seeking attractive alternatives. Why not take an afternoon spin on its winding streets sooner rather than later, before it’s all gobbled up.
