patrick.net

Walk to PF Changs (just happens to be one of my favorite)
Walk to Sonoma Chicken (my second favorite)
Walk to Starbucks
Walk to Adobe

I live in the same block as PF Chang's. There are way too many Gen-Y'ers around there, especially at night.

Loved reading the posts about San Jose. For years my husband and I have referred to Milpitas as the armpit of California, I don’t even want to guess what you guys would call San Jose.

Gr***. Censored. :)

Walk to Adobe (where I work)

Seriously, they will soon have light rail to Campbell. Would you consider there instead? Campbell gives a better vibe somehow.

You can even take light rail to mountain view, they have some pretty nice places there.

I used to live in Ciscoland aka North San Jose and I actually liked the area. It is empty at night, which is very pleasant.

Phoung Nguyen, I just want you to think very carefully. San Jose by day is *very* different from San Jose by night. I moved there despite stern warning by some good friends and now...

I urge you to stay in San Jose downtown for a few nights and experience first hand.

On the other hand, San Jose does have some pretty good steaks if you are a meat-lover. (AP Stump's, The Grill, Arcadia, etc)

The crime statistics for San Jose are very good actually for a large city, but there’s certainly more crime there than in most of the smaller towns in the Santa Clara/San Mateo counties.

It has certainly improved a lot. It is not only devoid of culture.

I agree, however, that downtown San Jose isn’t a fun place at night.

No, it is not a fun place at night. It is a funny place. ;)

Funny, I work at Adobe, too. I don't know any "Phuong Nguyen".

In addition, the correct spelling of "Phuong" is, as you've just noticed, with the 'u' before the 'o'.

Just curious how a person could misspell his or her name :-)

Just curious how a person could misspell his or her name

It is probably an altered-ego anyway. For example, Peter P is my altered-ego, "P" stands for "Peter P". :-P

You guys have the nicest buildings in town. Adobe is a great company!

I'd just like to clarify that I'm not trying to pick on "Phoung". It's OK, I'm just curious.

The Adobe buildings are awesome! You're right about Adobe being a very good company. Employees are treated well, and the people are just so friendly. It's a Microsoft without the aggression and the constant shouting at one another with expletives :-) We work hard though. It's not uncommon to see people staying at work after 7 PM.

About downtown San Jose, I like to go to a few restaurants for lunch and occassionally, dinner. But it seems we still direly need places with actually good, edible food. Maybe I'm too critical, but I can only enjoy food in just about five places. Some Mediterrean restaurants (in San Pedro Square) are just outright too expensive, with average food, but I can never have the a la Taco Bell "I'm full" moment.

If you go further to near SJSU, the scenes degrades pretty fast. Old houses, suspicious-looking people... That is why in my opinion, I would rent in downtown San Jose so that I can walk to work, but having a permanent place (i.e. buying a condo) there, I would rather spend some extra money and endure the commute to live in a condo in SF instead.

Sunnyvale near fair oaks and reed anyone?

I have lived there for two years. It is not nearly as bad.

Paseo Plaza is not bad. It is one of the best complexes in town.

I mean, I realize that the real estate market will have to take a breather at some point, but you guys have a terrible track record of getting it right.

How long has this site been here? When did we start posting?

I guess I’m just venting because I let people like you guys talk me out of buyings years back. If I had gone with my desires, I’d have at least $500K in my pocket in equity, as most of my friends do…

You are responsible for your own actions. Is it so difficult to take responsibility? Phrases like "could have" and "would have" do not exist in my dictionary.

I would rent in downtown San Jose so that I can walk to work, but having a permanent place (i.e. buying a condo) there, I would rather spend some extra money and endure the commute to live in a condo in SF instead.

Very true. Honestly, I like neighborhoods like Sharon Heights in Menlo Park. However, the condos there are usually very old. I like my neighbors to be 55-75 because I know they are harmless.

I don’t know…..I’ve known some to be real ASSHATS!

Very true though. Do you think more educated neighborhoods will be better?

Very true though. Do you think more educated neighborhoods will be better?

They're just asshats with a better vocabulary.

No, in those neighborhoods, the asshats regulate everything, a la HOAs, what color I can paint my house, etc.

HOA = Hitler Operatives Association?

They’re just asshats with a better vocabulary.

LOL! I will have to interrupt their speeches and consult a dictionary.

As far as how long this website has been around, I ran into it couple years ago (I believe). But its just not this website, everybody is/was talking about the demise of the real estate market that never materialized.

So you blame the inaccuracies made by another website on us?

I heard that Google is hiring mostly elsewhere (e.g. China) BTW.

Oh, and “would have” and “could have” is a perfectly valid statement. We have every right to blame society for our decisions and ills.

Blame if you wish.

GOMBEI anyone? Best chicken teriyaki in town.

Try Kaygetsu in Sharon Height. (www.kaygetsu.com). It is by far the best Japanese restaurant in America I have been to. Larry and Steve eat there all the time.

I wished I haved shorted the market from 2000 to 2002 as well. I blamed... I blamed... I blamed no one but myself.

Did society tell them to buy a house that they knew was in a floodplain? Not to be insensitive, just sayin…..

I wanted to say the same thing...

We Cali-phonians are living literally on the fault-line though.

What about the mudslides? I hear they do some Van-damage too.

Yep, some homes literally crashed.

Are the Sierras volcanic?

I have no idea.

Looks like civilizations love to cluster around potential disasters.

Ryland Mew looks pretty nice. Is the Feng Shui okay though? I remember it is next to the Coleman street overpass.

There are some new lofts on 2nd street, have you looked at those?

Oh, and “would have” and “could have” is a perfectly valid statement. We have every right to blame society for our decisions and ills. We are social animals that depend on society to influence our decision. That cannot be avoided. For instance, most of us here speak english (social influence), most of us wear clothes before we walk outside (social influence), most of us want to own a home that is completely paid off (social influence) … Get my drift? So anyone that claims to be solely responsible for their actions are pretty much full of it… Victims of Katrina need society’s help. They were also victims of societies inability to react (e.g. government) Money itself is a product of social influence. If everyone in this society decided to not accept money as something of value, it would become useless. In another words, I have every right to blame the society for telling me not to buy RE while the same society was taking the price to the atmospheric level which is preventing me from making the purchase. There’s nothing I can do about it, but I have every right to blame society for it.

Wow

We have every right to blame society for our decisions and ills.

I guess blaming is harmless.

I have never seen such an open statement of complete non-responsibility. Will society also be responsible for your successes? If you're going to hold society at fault whenever you fail, then you can't decide to take credit when you might do something right. After all, it couldn't possibly be something you came up with all on your own. You said it yourself.

If you’re going to hold society at fault whenever you fail, then you can’t decide to take credit when you might do something right. After all, it couldn’t possibly be something you came up with all on your own. You said it yourself.

Exactly, when the bubble does burst and if you are still renting, do not take credit for having averted losses. :)

Why is it so difficult to take responsibility? I do not understand. It is just an emotion of pride anyway. Blaming the society will not get yourself compensated. You will just live in anger and miss the next opportunity. Then what? Blame more?

It's easier to blame than to take action.

Granted a lot of us here could be accused of not taking action. But there is a difference between prudence and inaction. I don't blame anyone for the choices I have made. I am not going to rail against people who have voiced caution in this market, because lets face it, the voices of caution have been in the vast minority. Let's see, we're up to almost 70% home ownership now. It sure hasn't been the 70% that have been saying "don't buy."

In fact, blogs like this one have only recently begun to take steam. I started look for info on the housing bubble at least 2 years ago and couldn't find ANYTHING. So if someone is trying to claim that a chorus of voices told them not to buy as far back as 2-3 years ago, then I know this person is full of BS. The bubblehead crowd has only had a voice for a very short time.

Granted a lot of us here could be accused of not taking action.

We took action by resisting the urge to buy. ;) I take responsibility for my decisions to stay out of the market.

In fact, blogs like this one have only recently begun to take steam. I started look for info on the housing bubble at least 2 years ago and couldn’t find ANYTHING.

Just two years I actually thought buying using an I/O loan was a good idea. However, I cannot ascertain whether I wanted to stay in the Bay Area so I did not buy. Though. No one to blame.

The bubblehead crowd has only had a voice for a very short time.

Yes, I started posting here in around April/May this year. SactoQt, do you remember?

Peter P

You started posting a bit before I did, I also thought you were Patrick at first. :)

We also looked at buying a couple of years ago but decided that if we had to use a NAAVLP to actually get into a house, then it was to risky for us.

We could've been like all the other people who jumped in and be sitting on a nice pile of equity (on paper anyway) but the funny thing about crystal balls, they work better when looking into the past. The fact is most people just got lucky. The market could have turned at any time depending on any number of unforseen factors; but bubbles have a way of outlasting all predictions.

Really, the natural response of many homeowners is: I have been hearing it for 10 years and it did not happen.

I think the "oldest" bubblehead is the Anderson (UCLA) guy, which is taking some heat in our latest thread. :)

You started posting a bit before I did, I also thought you were Patrick at first.

My fault. I was posting as "P". Also, I am talking too much.

The market could have turned at any time depending on any number of unforseen factors; but bubbles have a way of outlasting all predictions.

Very true.

I can't believe "Phoung Nguyen" is that childish. I know it's a pseudo name, but at least, when you have problem with your own self-esteem and try to be a Vietnamese guy, please spend some efforts to make sure you do it right.

"Phoung", please don't get upset and try to blame anyone. As I've said before, I'm not trying to pick on you. Although, I kind of guess what line of work you do inside Adobe. Fortunately for you, we've now got the waterless urinals, so you don't have to work too hard cleaning them each evening anymore. Congrats.

I find it amazing that people keep bragging about how much equity they've accummulated over the recent five years. So their houses have gained 300k in average. So what? If they sold their houses and had $300k in average in return, where would they live then? All other houses have appreciated the same amount, if not more, and they'd end up paying more property tax.

Unless they move to Akarsas, Idaho, or Texas, their gains are just meaningless.

Unless you're a baggy pant wearer type of person, San Jose is probably not the right place for you to raise a family with children. The school system is terrible, and most of the neighborhoods are blue-collar. Not necessarily bad, but that's not for everybody.

I'd rather save up to live in the better parts of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, or Mountain View. If I'm really lucky, Palo Alto (not East).

Fortunately for you, we’ve now got the waterless urinals, so you don’t have to work too hard cleaning them each evening anymore.

That is a bit harsh.

Unless you’re a baggy pant wearer type of person, San Jose is probably not the right place for you to raise a family with children.

It is good for people who like to "club". There is one in my apartment complex. I do not like to drink at all. But I will have beer with fellow bubbleheads. ;)

I’d rather save up to live in the better parts of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, or Mountain View. If I’m really lucky, Palo Alto (not East).

No East Palo Alto? They are building a Four Seasons there. No kidding.

It appears FS loves transitional neighborhoods. First it was SOMA, now it is EPA.

Oregon. Went to an RE meeting tonight. You can pick the out o’staters w/cash out of the crowd no problem. I think things could last a bit longer up here. Ugh.

No worries. Remember Escape's mouse trap analogy? They will all pop within months of each other.

>That is a bit harsh.

Actually, I first stopped at "I kinda guess what line of work "Phoung" does inside Adobe". I went just a little bit too far and elaborate about "Phoung's" potential line of work.

"Phoung", let's shake and leave it at that. After all, I may run into you sometime. This is pointless brickering, right?

>It is good for people who like to “club”.

I loved to club! But that was five years ago. I'm approaching 30 now, and it seems I want a family more than keep taking one kamikaize shot after another. When I can buy a house and settle down here? When???

Patience is a virtue. I hope what I'm holding for, a housing value adjustment, will be rewarding.

“Phoung”, let’s shake and leave it at that. After all, I may run into you sometime. This is pointless brickering, right?

Unless you guys wear your "Patrick" name badge, running into each other or not does not matter, no? ;)

Good thing you mention. I've just made that "brightc" badge. Gotta hide it the moment I step inside the building (or going to the bathrooms with the waterless urinals)...

I think I'm going overboard again. Everyone, please ignore my last remark :-)

I’m actually an owner, just want things to chill…

Waiting for sane investment properties? ;)

My accountant is one such person. He actually told us to keep renting because of the housing bubble, although he owns quite some properties.

Good thing you mention. I’ve just made that “brightc” badge.

With Photoshop you can have whatever design you want, I guess.

BTW, how does the waterless urinal work? Does it use subspace technology to teleport urine to a deep space location?

>How do waterless urinals work?

I was thinking of saying something along the line "Geez, we've just discovered an expert about waterless urinals in this thread. Why don't you go ask him?", but that's probably too harsh for "Phoung".

At Adobe, we treat one another nicely. Therefore, I think I should bury the hachet. Starting...now! :-)

All kidding aside, you can read more about it here:

http://tinyurl.com/c5p5v

I believe Al Gore, a fervent environmentalist and "lockbox" expert, is in the board of this urinal company (besides Apple). Good for you, Al!

The 23 year old should bare NO BLAME. According to your theory, society owes you nothing and everything that happens to you is your own fault.

Oops. Gen Y.