Take Bosa’s Bayside condos for example.  Current list prices at the Bayside condos are about 30% below what Bosa originally offered them at and in some cases, Bosa even took off up to an additional 13%!  A few months ago,  I was able to get my clients an additional 13% off the list price.  However, now that Bosa has sold about 100 of the 232 condos at Bayside.  And now that Nat Bosa has all, or close to all, of his money out of the development, he’s tightening the belts and isn’t willing to give money away.  The 10-13% decreases we were seeing is now closer to 5-10%.

Bosa is also reducing how much they’ll negotiate with buyers on specific floor plans, which are more popular.  For example, there are very few A and C floor plans left and well, it’s demand versus supply(unfortunately for you).  These NW and SW facing 2+Den condos offer great water views at relatively low price and people were quick to pick them up.

Countywide, San Diego’s median home prices have also gone up by 6.9% and up 14% for Southern California, compared to last year.  Clearly it still heavily depends on where in So Cal, or San Diego, you’re looking to buy though.  If you’re looking to buy, or sell, please let me know. And unless you’re a cash buyer, you should seriously start looking at when you can buy.  Don’t wait for interest rates to go up any higher!

The Legend

The 7^th floor deck looks right into Pecto Park and offers owners and guests a great place to relax, BBQ, watch the game, or just get some sun.  Condo number 901 at The Legend, is a 1,234 sqft 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo that has beautiful city and Petco Park views.  This condo is an H2 floorplan and various slightly from the picture provided.  The difference is that the fireplace on the left has been removed, creating a more open and functional living space.  The bedrooms are also larger, with pop-out windows that provide an extra 116 sqft.  Even though it’s only 116 sqft, it makes a HUGE difference, especially in the master bedroom. 

The H2 floorplan allows the master bedroom to triple its closet space.  The left side bedroom wall is pushed over to the right by about 5ft, creating two double door closets(instead of the one) and it also allows the northern most closet to become a true walk-in closet.  The pop-out windows also give you a great view into Petco Park’s outfield and of course, the Park at the Park.  If you’re looking at the H plans, definitely get the H2!

Condo #901 at The Legend is a great buy.  It’s listed at $589K, which is about $100K below the unit directly above it(same exact floorplan) and larger than 1301, which Bosa is selling.  If you want to experience the excitement of downtown living, but still get the luxury of a top quality highrise, give me a call and I’ll show you around.

Click here to see all the condos for sale at The Legend.

Click here to see more great condo deals in downtown San Diego

When I asked him why he liked The Grande, he immediately talked about the incredible E floorplan.  For those of you who are not familiar with The Grande, or the E plan, let me give you a quick rundown.  The Grande condos are twin towers that were built by Bosa Development in 2004 and 2005.  The E floorplan sits on the western corner of the two towers and has incredible, unobstructed(for the most part) water views.  Because of The Grande’s unique triangular shape, the 1,944 sqft E plan has views to the north, south and of course, to the west. 

As you walk into an E plan, you are immediately hit by gorgeous bay views(you need to be at about the 15^th floor to clear the adjacent Holiday Inn).  As you explore a bit more, you notice that this E plan doesn’t really feel like all of the other condos you’ve seen – it feels more like a home.  The Grande’s E plan has 2 bedrooms, a den and two full bathrooms.  This floorplan also offers two different balconies.  For those of you who are looking for a large condo in a great building with great views, I think you’d be crazy not to consider The Grande’s E plan. 

What’s even better, is that these condos are cheap!  Ok, maybe not cheap, but relatively speaking, yes they are cheap.  Moving about 50 yards to the north sits the brand new Bayside at the Embarcadero, which was also built by Bosa.  This new condo highrise has some great views, large penthouses and top of the line finishings.  However, unless you’re prepared to spend a pretty penny, you’re not going to get the panoramic views that The Grande’s E plan has(even then, you still won’t have the expansive views that The Grande does).  Bayside has three condos that share the west side of the highrise, where The Grande only has one – the E plan.

As a result, the west facing condos at Bayside, the B floorplan, only has one balcony and it loses a den and over 100 sqft.  Sure you can buy something larger, but as I’ve already mentioned, you’d better be prepared to spend some money.  I still think you have great views and great condos at Bayside, but they won’t be like those at The Grande.  I think that once Bosa releases their prices at Bayside, we’re going to see a lot more interest at Bosa’s Grande condos.  New is nice, but new also means growing pains – failed plumbing, elevators that need to be fixed, etc.  Every building goes through it and everyone who lives in a highrise has to deal with it. 

Again, I do like Bayside, a lot actually.  At the same time, I think it’s made me like The Grande even more.  I truly think The Grande’s E plan is one of the best layouts in all of downtown San Diego.  For the best views, you’ll probably want to be in The Grande North and at about the 25^th floor or higher.  In my opinion, The Grande is a sleeper…no one realizes how great a building this is and because they’re worried about the future development around it, The Grande is way undervalued.  And if you think it’s just too far away from everything, just wait.  Once that area gets built out, the values are going to go up faster than any other building in downtown San Diego.  If you’re thinking about buying and need to sell, get on it!  If you’d like a free customized market analysis and a real estimate of what you’re home is worth, give me a call.

 Denny Oh 858–243–2092 denny@sandiegoh.com

Click here to see all the condos for sale at The Grande in downtown San Diego.

Click here to see some great downtown San Diego condo deals.

If you’re looking for a great downtown San Diego condo deal, here you go!  Prices at The Legend, downtown San Diego’s only true ballpark highrise, are anywhere from about 20–40% below what they were in the original price release.  To make things even better, The Legend is also offering to pay for 3 years of HOA dues!  That’s about another $33K you’d be saving! 

The Legend is located on Petco Park’s land and the seventh floor lounge has an incredible view into the stadium.  And being a Bosa building, you know it’s a highend, quality highrise.  I don’t think these deals will last, so if you’re interested, give me a call and let me get an even better deal for you!

Denny Oh 858–243–2092 denny@sandiegoh.com

Some of the people who are in contract may try and assign their condos to another buyer, convince Bayside to lower their price, switch to another unit or simply walk away from their deposit.  I still haven’t been able to see too much of Bayside, but I can’t wait to get a full tour.  With the protected views(for the most part), highend appliances and functional amenities, I think people are going to love Bayside.

Bosa’s addition of Bayside to the Columbia District is yet another reason why I think buildings like The Grande and Sapphire Tower will only increase in value.  As more and more land gets developed along the waterfront, homes prices are going to rise.  Here’s a quick list of things to come…

• Lane Field – 2 high end hotel towers
• Irvine Company – 36 story commercial highrise(where do you think all those employees will want to live/rent?)
• Navy Broadway Complex – 4 highrises with hotel, commercial, retail and green space
• Broadway Pier – the pier will be redesigned and expanded, creating a more inviting place to visit
• North Embarcadero Visionary Plan – from the airport to Seaport Village, the Embarcadero will get a face lift, revitalizing downtown’s waterfront.
• Kettner and Ash – Bosa’s next(maybe not next, but probably) highrise condo building…which will be a 287 unit, 35 stories and I can promise you will not be cheaper than Bayside.

With all these factors coming into play, along with the influx of buyers we’re now seeing, I think today’s buyers are going to be very happy with their purchases in the near future.  Yes, prices may still come down a bit and I’d even argue that they will come down some more.  BUT…we’re not going to see decreases like we’ve already seen and another 5–10% in 5–10 years won’t even matter.  What will matter is when you look back 5 years from now, wishing you had purchased a home and taken advantage of this incredible market.

Why wait?  Why not look for that great deal now?  Why not have me tell you about the best deals out there?

Click here to learn more about what’s going on downtown.

Click here to read about more great downtown San Diego condo deals.

Denny Oh 858–243–2092 denny@sandiegoh.com

Bayside at the Embarcadero is downtown San Diego’s newest luxury highrise condo building.  It’s a Bosa development and from the little I’ve seen, I think Bayside will be a hit.  It’s a high end luxury highrise, with great water and city views. 

Since the highrise is just being completed, not everyone who’s in escrow has actually closed escrow, allowing some units to be reassigned.  This way, you would be able to take over someone else’s unit and pay a lower price than what the general public would pay. 

Condo #2206 is a G floorplan and is a 2br+den unit.  It’s measured at 1387 sqft and has north west views(water, city and airport) that are protected.  Priced at $871,000, this is $627/sqft.  If you’re interested in this deal, or others at Bayside, please let me know. 

Click here to search all the condos for sale at Bayside.

Click here to see more great downtown San Diego deals.

I got to see a C floorplan on the 26^th floor, which is a 2 bedroom+den, 2 bath condo with 1400 sqft.  The C floorplan is located on the south west corner of the highrise and gets some great water views and some city views as well.  The finishes through out the condos in Bayside are all very nice.  No more GE Profile, no more Bosch…Bayside offers appliances by Viking, Snaidero and Miele.  The kitchen islands also come with a wine cooler(at least the few that I got to see did), walkin closets

and self closing drawers(no more worrying about them slamming shut).  The drawers also had some pull out shelves, making it much easier to access whatever you have in there – again, I’m not sure if this is standard, or an upgrade.

The kitchens were probably the most noticeable upgrade that I noticed at Bayside(compared to their previous highrises).  They offer top of the line names and very sleek and stylish finished.  The lobby and common amenities were also surprisingly nice.  They don’t compare to Electra’s conservatory, but then again, what can?  I think that Bayside’s lobby fits the building and isn’t boring, but not over the top.  The community room/lounge area is also one of the more functional, inviting ones I’ve seen.  It has multiple TVs and all the typical things(pool table, full kitchen), but seems more inviting and usable. 

The Bayside condos also offer a theater room with a popcorn maker, Enoteca – their wine tasting room, which connects to a conference room…all of which were fairly impressive.  My one question though, is why did Bosa put in such a large wine refrigerator in the wine room?  Are people actually going to leave their wine in the common room?  Is Bayside going to stock it for the residents?  And on a lesser note, the whiteboard in the conference room is way too far back from the counter and not very functional.  Bayside also has what appears to be an informal library – or maybe it’s just another sitting area?

Bayside’s pool and outdoor lounge area are very nice.  It’s on the 3^rd floor, along with all the other amenities, but it doesn’t seem to get the crazy wind coming through like other non-ground floor pools.  It’s on the north side of the highrise, but it gets a lot of sun(then again, it is June).  The gym is also a little larger than most others I’ve seen and of course, there’s a dry and wet sauna with his and her’s dressing/shower rooms. 

I’m still skeptical on some of the other floorplans, particularly the larger penthouses with the pony walls in the master bedrooms, but I’m way more impressed with Bayside than I am with Electra.  I still wish Bosa would hire a new architect – someone who would allow for 9–10 foot ceilings, true floor-to-ceiling windows and larger bedrooms.  With that said, I’ve only seen a few condos…I’ll hold out until I see some more and make my final decision.  But so far, Bayside isn’t too shabby…

Click here to search the condos for sale at Bayside – but keep in mind that not all of the condos are listed here.  For a full list of available condos, please contact Denny Oh at 858–243–2092 or denny@sandiegoh.com.

Bosa is downtown San Diego’s largest condo developer – and while they are cutting prices at The Legend and Electra, they aren’t hurting.  My guess is that Bayside will hold it’s prices(maybe some small reductions) for quite some time.  This will make buildings like The Grande even more appealing, as Bayside’s price per square foot is way higher than most resales, which brings us to the reason for this post…

I know of a condo at Bayside that will be put on the market for WAY less than what it was purchased for.  This 23rd floor, A plan is on the north west corner of Bayside and has, well should have(I haven’t been in it yet), great views.  From this level and position, this condo will have an unobstructed bay view, as well as some great views of the airport and city.

Purchased(it hasn’t closed yet, but it’s in contract) for $1.7 million, this 1,474 square foot 2br/2ba + den condo will soon be available at a huge discount.  The seller no longer wants to purchase it and is going to sell it for about $1.2 million. That’s a 30% discount!  With a balcony to the west and another to the north, you’ll get to make the most of the incredible San Diego views.

This deal isn’t in the MLS yet, but if you’re interested, let me know.  I’m pretty sure this will move fast as soon as it starts getting advertised.  If you’re looking to be a part of Bayside, this might be your chance.  For more information, please contact me at 858–243–2092 or denny@sandiegoh.com.

Bosa’s Bayside at the Embarcadero is getting closer and closer to being completed.  I’ve been told that the first condos will be closing this summer and with approximately 50% of the 232 homes sold, I’d imagine deals are going to be made.  This is Bosa’s first attempt(at least in San Diego) to capture the buyers who want to live downtown, but also want some space to live in.

Sure, Bosa’s previous highrises(Horizons, Park Place, Discovery, The Grande, The Legend and Electra) have larger condos, but Bayside claims to have “large suites for larger-than-life living.”  Bayside is a 36 story highrise with 219 condos in the tower and an additional 13 townhomes surrounding it – another classic platform style Bosa building.

According to Bosa, the condos will range from 1,031 to 3,226 square feet with the average floor plan having about 1,600 square feet.  The highrise is broken down into three different levels:

Floors 5–28

These floors will have seven condos per floor, consisting of two 2Br/2Ba condos and five 2Br/2Ba plus Den condos.  And just like the E Plans at The Grande, the largest unit(on floors 5–28) will face west, allowing for the most water views.  Unlike The Grande however, it doesn’t look like every unit will get water views.  The Grande has a pyramidesque layout, whereas Bayside has a rectangular one, going lengthwise from east to west.  Based Bosa’s floorplans, it looks like the front(west facing) three condos on these floors will get great water views, but the others will only get water views from the balconies, or none at all(the smaller 2 bedrooms on the east end of the tower).  I’m sure there will be some ocean views from these other units, but nothing spectacular.

Also similar to The Grande, Bayside has two of each floorplan (minus the B and J floor plans that face due west), only varying slightly in size.  This would be like the A1 and A2 floorplans at The Grande that are 1,625 and 1,684 square feet respectively, or the B plans that are 1,325 and 1,336 square feet.  I’ve been in all of these condos hundreds of times and I can’t tell where the space is lost, or gained.

There are three condos on the north side of Bayside, three on the south and one facing due west.  The west corners are the A and C floor plans – 2br/2ba+den – 1,474 and 1,404 square feet.  In the middle of the rectangle on the north and south sides are the G and D floor plans – 2br/2ba+ den – 1,387 and 1,460 square feet.  At the end on the east side, there are the two smaller 2 bedroom F and E floor plans – 1,190 and 1,462 square feet.  On these last two floor plans, there’s a significant difference and layout.

The largest floor plan on these levels is the B floor plan, which has 1,820 square feet.  Again, this condo faces due west, but it not a corner unit.

Floors 29–32

In Bayside, once you get to level 29, there are only five condos per floor.  Similar to The Grande, the building changes shape(35^th floor at The Grande) and the condos get larger.  Instead of three condos per side, these floors only have two, but keep the J floor plan which faces west(very similar to the B floor plan on the lower floors).  The J plan is 1,870 square feet and has a large balcony facing west.

The H and K floor plans are on the northwest and southwest corners of Bayside and have 1,886 and 1,892 square feet.  These 2br/2ba+dens are essentially mirror images, slightly varying in size.  The east end of the tower has the M and L floor plans that are 1,183 and 1,485 square feet.  The L floor plan, which is on the southeast corner has a den, opposed to the 2 bedroom M plan.

Floors 33 and 34

As you go higher in the Bayside, the condos on levels 33 and 34 get even larger and fewer in number.  With only four condos per floor, these Bayside condos each take up one side of the highrise.  The west facing J plan remains unchanged, but you’re introduced to three new floor plans.

The N and P are almost identical, each boasting 2,450 square feet of space in a two bedroom, two bath, plus den floor plan.  These two condos occupy the north and south sides of the tower, with their balconies facing west.  The biggest(possibly only) difference I’ve seen in these two floor plans, is that the north facing N plan has a larger laundry room(not closet, but an actual room) and the condo has a pantry.  The south facing P floor plan also has a laundry room, but it looks slightly smaller and has no pantry at all.

The fourth condo on these floors at Bayside are on the east side of the highrise.  They are predominantly east facing, but also look to the north and south, with balconies on both ends.  This 1,595 square foot condo is the Q floor plan and has two bedrooms, but no den.  The Q floor plan lacks a laundry room, going back to the more familiar laundry closet. What I do like about this floor plan however, is that the bedrooms are on the opposite side of the living and dining area.  Then again, the Q plan looks like it has a TINY guest bedroom.

Bayside Penthouses – Floors 35–36

Here’s where things really start to get exciting.  If you want some large condos in downtown San Diego, here’s your chance.  At 3,151 and 3,226 square feet, the R and S floor plans at Bosa’s Bayside are much larger than most condos in downtown San Diego. In fact, they’re larger than many of the penthouses that are in other highrises.

The larger S floor plan is on the south side of Bayside and is very similar to it’s counterpart on the north side.  Both of these penthouses have balconies at both the west and east ends of the highrise.  Bosa describes these penthouses are “2 BR + Den + Nook” floor plans.  Again, the J floor plan sits at the west end, unchanged at 1,870 square feet.

The R and S plans are LONG and have the living rooms on the west end and the bedrooms on the east side of the condo.  There are some significant features in these Bayside floor plans that stand out from most other penthouses I’ve seen in downtown San Diego.

For starters, they’re large.  At The Grande, the largest floor plan (minus the slightly larger townhouse) is the E plan, which only has 1,944 square feet – these penthouses have well over 3,000 square feet! This is also one of the few San Diego Bosa buildings that have more than two bathrooms in a condo on a single level(some townhouses and some of the two levels at Horizons).

Additionally, the master bedrooms are huge!  For all the women out there who can’t find enough space to store their shoes, Bayside’s penthouses have one LARGE walkin closet and a separate second walkin closet next to the en suite bathroom.  The master bedroom also comes with a private retreat, which can be used as an office, or workout area.

In terms of storage, I honestly haven’t seen anything else like Bayside.  These condos have pantries, walkin laundry rooms, multiple walkin closets…this is perfect for all your North County folk who have always wanted to live downtown, without sacrificing the space.  The penthouses also have three different HVAC/AC units.  Previously, Boas would often provide two different thermostats in each condo, so one could control the living area and another for the bedrooms.  At Bayside, some condos have three separate heating and cooling zones.  These top two floors also have higher ceilings at about 10’, opposed to the traditional 9’ ceilings you see in all the other Bosa developments.

Amenities

As expected, Bayside will have all the usual trimmings – heated swimming pool, spa, fitness center, concierge, security, etc.  New to downtown San Diego’s highrise living however, is Bayside’s Enoteca – your own private wine tasting room.  According to their website, Enoteca will allow Bayside’s residents and their guests to “experience the ambiance of Tuscany without ever leaving home.” There is also an adjoining conference room that can be used to entertain guests for meetings, or dining.

Bayside also has a theater room, steam and sauna rooms, pool side cabanas and a two story lobby.  This luxury highrise also offers six electric car charging stations(five of which are still available).  While these are not free, those who want them can purchase them and charge their hybrids right at home.

Availability

As of today, March 31^st, 2009, Bayside has 85 of the 232 condos in escrow and the first condos are scheduled to close in June.  With less than 37% sold, this is the worst Bosa has ever done in San Diego.  Granted, this is the worst market downtown San Diego has seen in quite some time, it will be interesting to see how Bayside performs.  After having been through Electra, I can only pray that Bosa learned from their mistakes.

For those of you looking to get a good deal, prices at Electra and The Legend are getting lower and lower.  Bosa isn’t hurting by any means, but they do want to get rid of the last 20 or so condos at these two developments.  And if you’re thinking of going in alone to get “a better deal,” you may want to think twice.  Do you really want the seller to represent you as the buyer?

Other Stuff

Bayside moves up from the GE appliances that Bosa has historically used in it’s San Diego buildings.  Now they have names like Viking, Snaidero and Miele to add to the “luxury” building.  Every single floorplan at Bayside has an island in the kitchen.  Also, the majority of the floorplans have walkin closets in the master bedroom, as well as two parking spaces (the smaller ones might not).  I’m a little concerned about these curved walls though.  Just like at Electra, I’m worried that these curved walls might make it hard to place furniture, but who knows.  The gold and blue colored walls are also a little disturbing, but I guess we’ll see how it looks when it’s all done.

Overall

All in all, I’m excited to see what Bayside brings to the table.  Despite the market conditions, I think Bayside will be a welcomed change to downtown living.  The larger square footage in a new highrise will surely be welcomed.  Bayside is also contributing to the development of the Columbia District, which is currently undervalued, due to the uncertainty of future development.

And with no other condo buildings coming online for several years, those who want new will definitely want to look at Bayside.

If you have any questions please contact Denny Oh at 858–243–2092 or denny@sandiegoh.com

Click here to see all the Bayside condo floor plans.

Click here to see what’s available at the Bayside condos in downtown San Diego.

Click here to see Bayside at the Embarcadero being built.

Choose from either the 16th or 24thfloors and own what most people think is by far, the best floor plan in the building.  I’ve seen almost every floorplan in Electra and love the F plan.  This 1548 square foot unit faces south east and has incredible views.  Originally, the unit comes as a 2 bedroom plus den condo, but most people take out the den to improve the views and usable space.

These ‘06 units are incredible.  Not only do they have incredible bay and city views, they’re completely protected!  Everything around it has already been built out and all the buildings are low rises.  You also have Pantoja park across the street.

If you’re interested and want to have the best floorplan in the building, give me a call.  These won’t last very long.

*Click here to see all the units for sale at Electra.*