Summer and I have lived in Chula Vista since 2003!  I first bought a condo in Otay Ranch just off of La Media - at the time that I purchased it, I remember the frenzy of the housing market - sellers getting 12 or more bids on their home - within a WEEK!

In 2005 we sold the condo and purchased our first home together in Rolling Hills Ranch - yes - that is the house which you can see from space because of the Christmas Lights!

But I wanted to chat more about the changes I have seen in the time I have lived down here (some of you know I graduated from Hilltop High School - so I remember when this entire area was dirt fields).

When I first moved in, our only “dining out” option in the Eastlake area was D’Lish and Alejandro’s - nothing against those restaurants - but we burned them out!  Then came Island’s, Johnny Carino’s, and Miguel’s… we wore them out!  So, just a recap - we started with just 2 places to sit down and eat (I don’t include IHOP - just because we rarely go there! however we did run into Kassim Osgood of the San Diego Chargers there!) - so then we can 5 or so… then the Otay Ranch Towne Center opened and BAMN!  we have a ton of restaurants - then more malls gave us Brigantine, Broken Yolk and SO many more - with more slated on the horizon.

The sad thing - that as I write this post - there are 2 homes in foreclosure on my street - on the cross street - 4 more!  One just recently had the occupants uproot and leave in a single day - one day it was someone’s home - today a vacant and empty box.  I am truly concerned about our home, and my neighbor’s homes - the values are getting hammered because of the foreclosures and short sales - these were loans that were basically given to people who knew they couldn’t afford them.

Jim Cramer recently taught me a valuable lesson (Mad Money host) - whenever you purchase a stock you should never consider the upside - you need to be aware of the downside!  This applies to the housing market - everyone was an amateur trader - only thinking of the gains - never thinking of the potential losses.

I am tired of thinking and saying - we are reaping what we all sowed.  But that isn’t the case - my family has suffered a loss in our home value because or irresponsible - and greedy people.  That is sad - we are reaping what they sowed - a giant time bomb - which is causing market explosions everywhere.

In times like this - I pray for everyone that is struggling - everyone that bought too soon - or too late… for everyone duped into bad loans, and rising interest… I pray that my community’s suffering will end soon - so the stress is lessened during these very challenging times.