Buying a Starter Home in San Diego is Easier and Less Painful Than Pulling Out Your Own Teeth, but not by Much.
Since last June, we've viewed at least 22 houses. Countless hours have been spent on Zillow zooming in and out on homes in great neighborhoods with beautiful landscaping. I've wasted away dozens of precious sleep hours (we have a nine-month-old who still won't sleep through the night), googling terms like escalation clause, agonizing over whether our current offer would be accepted. During waking hours, I find myself daydreaming of our daughter having her own room, so that my husband and I can finally resume our marital relations without an audience. Our finances are in order, our loan has been pre-approved, and we have an agent who is professional and experienced. We've made four separate offers on four different homes. We've waived all contingencies. Offered above asking price. And still nothing. Why can't we get a house?!? Because we live in San Diego, and my husband, a high school math teacher, might as well be working at Burger King because his yearl...