patrick.net

Many members of my Shanghai extended family used to bike to work and school. It's a pity (for their waistlines) that many have given that up.

It’s a pity (for their waistlines) that many have given that up.

I used to bike as a freshman in college. My waistline was still reasonable back then.

SP,

That's good to hear!

Though I'll wait a couple days to assess the situation. Many people may have missed work today. In any case, I'm pretty sure people who does the Oakland/Berkeley to North SF are not having much fun today.

SP,

LOL!

On the other hand, treadmills are easier on people's knees and weather controlled (though that's not a huge issue in BA).

I know someone who drives 2 miles each way in her BMW X5 to get to a gym, where she runs 5 miles on a treadmill (or an exercise bike, don’t know for sure).

Biking (or running) on public roads is not safe. I much rather exercise in a controlled, air-conditioned space. It is amazing how warm it is already.

Astrid, the Bay Area was very warm over the weekend. It was almost pushing 80 degrees.

Why buy in Canada? Real estate in Syracuse, Buffalo, Detroit, etc. is cheap. You can even get coastal property in Maine for much cheaper than anything CA has to offer. And no currency risk.

If the global warming thesis plays out, these places might actually be quite habitable (esp. as opposed to recent HB meccas like Phoenix, Vegas and the inland empire).

And no currency risk.

Huh? Did you get that upside down? :)

Well, we all know that in a few years, all homes in the Bay Area will cost at least 10M USP (US Peso).

It is a very all-or-nothing situation depending on whether your commute was across that interchange or on one of its feeder roads.

People commuting from SF to the Peninsula will also be affected as more vehicles elect to drive across the San Mateo bridge.

It is far from all-or-nothing. I believe traffic is a chaotic system.

I guess if you paid cash, the a dollar decline could work in your favor if you bought in Canada, since the decline of the dollar would increase the value of you Canadian property, as measured in USD.

But, if you are buying in the US today and you use a mortgage (like most people), then you will be paying off that mortgage in (possibly depreciating) US dollars.

If you buy in Canada and you get a mortgage, you will be making your mortgage payments in Canadian dollars, but first you will have to cash in your USD for fewer and fewer Canadian dollars.

What's the worst that can happen? BA turns into LA???

Is South City / Daly City considered a good area to buy a home in (were I to buy today or 5 years from now, just a general question) - is Mountain View or Sunnyvale considered better or worse?

South City/DC have a lot of really crummy housing stock. Not that MV/Sunnyvale don't have their share, but there are a ton up there. Lots of fog, and the schools are bad. There are pockets of shadiness too (around the Cow Palace, for example). Despite that, I think that part of the Peninsula has much more character than MV/Sunnyvale, both oppressively dull and culturally devoid sprawl areas.

On the positive side, SSF/DC have very good Filipino food, and Koi Palace is there.

If you buy in Canada and you get a mortgage, you will be making your mortgage payments in Canadian dollars, but first you will have to cash in your USD for fewer and fewer Canadian dollars.

You can also take a HELOC against your US home and pay the mortgage in US dollar. Depending on your AMT situation it may or may not have tax benefits.

Here, you will be borrowing USD to buy a CAD-denominated asset. Even better. :)

Not financial advice. Not investment advice.

There's no guarantee that global warming would make Canada or northern US more desireable. Current models are calling for hotter summers and equally cold winters. Throw in some disruptions to the North Atlantic/North Pacific current streams and winters might be as bad as ever.

On the positive side, SSF/DC have very good Filipino food, and Koi Palace is there.

Koi Palace has the best Chinese Food I have tasted in Northern California.

It sort of exemplifies how fragile the infrastructure in the Bay Area is. While we’ve been building exurb McAlbatross developments way out in nowhere-land and giving out awards for the “longest commute in the US” (a Cisco engineer who commutes round trip 6-8 hours daily from the Sierra foothills), we’ve done basically nothing to either shore up the freeway system or find alternative solutions.

It sounds to me like you're saying we should have a centrally planned society. Why do you hate our Freedom(TM), you communist?

It's always best when the market (e.g. developers) make the decisions. Just look at Texas!

There’s no guarantee that global warming would make Canada or northern US more desireable. Current models are calling for hotter summers and equally cold winters. Throw in some disruptions to the North Atlantic/North Pacific current streams and winters might be as bad as ever.

astrid,
I'll also add that no amount of global warming will change the lack of winter sunlight in the extreme latitudes of the planet.

But it would be really weird to have balmy temps during the time of year when there are only a couple hours of sunlight each day.

South City/DC have a lot of really crummy housing stock.

Earlier this year I had a "Daly City" week on my site. The places there are really strange.

http://www.burbed.com/category/daly-city/

Current models are calling for hotter summers and equally cold winters.

I still think those models are designed to maximize the scare-factor. The warming trend is probably there. But humans have nothing to do with it. And there is nothing we can do to stop it. We must adapt! The True North strong and free! :)

Koi Palace has the best Chinese Food I have tasted in Northern California.

I'll second that. But you have to like seafood... A LOT.

It's ironic that they don't serve koi at Koi Palace... (do people eat koi?)

I’ll also add that no amount of global warming will change the lack of winter sunlight in the extreme latitudes of the planet.

But the Polar Shift may.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_shift_theory

It’s always best when the market (e.g. developers) make the decisions. Just look at Texas!

Hey, don't mess with Texas!

Sardine Factory in Monterrey also does not serve sardines.

I’ll second that. But you have to like seafood… A LOT.

True. There are comparable dim sum elsewhere. But the seafood there is just amazing.

I call for a house roofed in black swan feathers!

There is a conspiracy theory making it rounds on the net (well, starting now it is) that the freeway "crash" involved a payoff from CAR slush funds normally used to augment purchases of large energy inefficient homes by politicans. Areas where they are "making more land" (Contra Costa) have been exerting downward pressure on BA home prices. Guess whose commutes got screwed up the most? Coincidence? I think not :-)

I call for a house roofed in black swan feathers!

Are you talking about this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory

Boston Transplant Says,

I understand biking is not realistic for those with a 20-30 mile commute, but I wonder what % of people have a 5-mile or less commute but still stick with a car.

100% guilty here. My commute is 2.5 miles each way, and I drive. Most of my co-workers live about the same distance away, and they drive too. Yes, I do need to get a bicycle.

So long, cruel, cruel real estate world.

The sobering reality, I've discovered, is that my wife and I cannot afford a home in a safe neighborhood in Los Angeles. Apparently, anything outside of gang infested areas would be buying "more house than we can afford." Our debt to income ratio tops out. I guess we will keep on renting.

azrob,

If at all possible, I would recommend taking Shanghai's light rail/subway system. I love Shanghai's cheap and relatively reliable taxi service, but according to my mom's last trip report, it's now really hard to hail a taxi.

Earlier this year I had a “Daly City” week on my site. The places there are really strange.

eburbed,

Man, there are some truly frightening properties you show. Thank you for the public service of bringing them to light.

It really begs the question, who the f&ck buys crap like that? For 600k-800k, why would you want to live there?

There is a conspiracy theory making it rounds on the net (well, starting now it is)

I like it. Now let's just hope some reporter from the MSM is trolling around Patrick.net and picks up this juicy "tidbit."

Peter P,

Yes, the black swan theory.

I will also accept an infinite improbability drive.

Hey, here's some interesting news:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/economist-lereah-leave-realtors-move/story.aspx?guid=%7B400443CB%2D51C2%2D4690%2D9132%2DC392B1D62488%7D

Our friend David Learah is leaving his post as chief econonut for the NAR. I don't know what this "MOVE" is, but I would get the name confused with Moveon.org or those nutjobs in Philly who were bombed out by the mayor a few years back.

so thats why just wondering for the long term whether to stay in south city/daly city or just move to south bay and caltrain it until i switch jobs to something more local

To keep on the topic of this infrastructure mess that is the Bay Area, How lame is it that Bart does not go down to the southern peninsula? Then there's San Jose's separate light rail system. It's like they are purposely trying to design a public transit system that discourages people from using it.

Yeesh. Comments like that make BA look bad compared to Japan or Singapore. It might be humid and hot and autocratic in Singapore, but their trains run on time and their government works hard to get nerds some nookie.

Yea, that’s right, the knee jerk elitist reactionaries here didn’t want any stinky diesel train clouding up their artisan village utopia.

How about some charming steam trains?

How about some charming steam trains?

Only if you could figure out a way to make them run on bottled smugness, emissions free of course. And the rail right of way would need to only go through "those places the workers all live".

Would it help if the steam train is to be called the Marin Orient Express?

Public transportation is great, but only if population density reaches a point where you can do your commuting in a streamlined manner.

Also, I don't mind BART, but DC's subway system must have some of the sorriest employees in existence. And about at least one major delay a week for a system not much bigger than BART.

Can't we just relocate the whole of Marin to Appalachia one night? The NIMBY jerks probably can't tell the difference.