Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Evening Edition

San Diego Real Estate Prices Are Among The Fastest Rising In Nation

A house for sale in San Diego, Aug. 14, 2013.
Associated Press
A house for sale in San Diego, Aug. 14, 2013.

New data shows that San Diego real estate is getting more pricey.

The latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index shows home prices across the county are up by 11.6%, the highest in more than six years and the third fastest increase in the nation. Only Phoenix and Seattle saw bigger gains.

San Diego Real Estate Prices Are Among The Fastest Rising In Nation
Listen to this story by John Carroll.

“The charts are just incredible. Not just the median price is going up, but the price per square foot is going up," said University of San Diego professor Norm Miller.

Advertisement

Miller holds the Hahn chair of real estate finance at USD. He told KPBS that the current market is great for both buyers and sellers.

“That can only be explained by a lack of supply and very low interest rates,” he said.

But Miller also said that's only good news for those who can get the cheap financing and owners who have tons of equity in their homes.

RELATED: A Pause In San Diego Housing Market Price Increases May Be Temporary

For frontline workers and others struggling during this pandemic, Miller said the first quarter of next year is likely to be very difficult. He said a lot of foreclosures are coming with mortgage and rent relief running out, and help from the government will come too late for some.

Advertisement

“I think we’re going to have the bottom say 20% of the housing tier on price see a fair amount of distress, probably triple what we have right now in terms of foreclosure sales,” Miller said.

Investors will then come in, and Miller said much as they did in the financial crisis of 2007 through 2010, buy up those properties and convert them into rentals.

“There will be some people, who won’t survive this without losing their homes,” Miller said.

San Diego Real Estate Prices Are Among The Fastest Rising In Nation