While Riverside County may not exude the tech-driven energy of the Bay Area or the coastal creativity of Southern California, its warehouse-powered economy emerged as the state’s top performer during the pandemic era.That accolade comes from my trusty spreadsheet, which found Southern California’s i

Why are so many Californians grumpy about the economy?Ponder a quirky economic statistic called “real wages” – a yardstick comparing the growth in pay vs. the inflation rate. This measurement shows the typical paycheck was battered by a ballooning cost of living during the past four years.My trusty

San Bernardino County had the fewest empty rentals in February in Southern California.My trusty spreadsheet looked at ApartmentList’s monthly rental vacancy report for 165 big U.S. counties, including six in Southern California. The study, which looks at available units at primarily larger complexes

It’s been an ugly few days in the stock market as investors suddenly grew nervous about brewing trade wars, federal job cuts, reheated inflation and overall economic anxieties.As a result, talk about a potential recession is percolating and share prices are tumbling. Could an extended bout of Wall S

A controversial proposed church in Del Cerro was restored Tuesday night after previously being denied.After a three-hour meeting, the San Diego City Council voted 5-4 to approve the 54,476-square-foot All Peoples Church only a year after rejecting it on land-use grounds.Neighbors had fought against

Pasadena is the nation’s second-hardest spot to find a rental, another example of how January’s firestorm is altering the region’s real estate markets.My trusty spreadsheet looked at ApartmentList’s monthly rental vacancy report for 149 big U.S. cities, including six in Southern California. The stud

The Los Angeles wildfires are amplifying many of the usual steep challenges for those who want to build or buy new homes in the region.January’s firestorm destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures around Altadena and Pacific Palisades. To gauge how that changes the real estate game for local

The city of San Diego is ready to negotiate with the nonprofit that has long sought to bring Balboa Park’s nearly 90-year-old Starlight Bowl back to life after more than 14 years of dormancy. But there’s an unexpected caveat that puts in question the group’s ability to actually use the famous-but-de

California homeowners don’t seem to think much about flood risks with few insured against watery storm damage.My trusty spreadsheet examined flood insurance coverage stats compiled by ValuePenguin by LendingTree, tracking the dominant seller of this coverage: the federal government’s National Flood

The seemingly dead All Peoples Church project proposing to build a 54,476-square-foot sanctuary building and parking garage on a vacant, 6-acre lot in Del Cerro will get a second chance at life.On March 11, San Diego City Council members will revisit their January 2024 decision to deny the controver

Developer Nat Bosa has been responsible for some of downtown San Diego’s largest residential towers but looming tariffs have him flabbergasted.His company, Vancouver, Canada-based Bosa Development, is in the middle of construction on a 389-unit condo tower called Andia in downtown San Diego. It also

Yes, California’s housing market is erratic, as only two states have experienced more volatility during the past half-century.My trusty spreadsheet eyeballed price indexes from the Federal Housing Finance Agency dating to 1975 to get a long-running look at real estate swings for the 50 states and th

Once a bedrock of the Port of San Diego’s value system, the agency’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has quietly shifted in recent months to a philosophy that promotes belonging.In October, the port formally renamed its DEI team the Culture of Belonging team, a spokesperson said. Then,

San Diego home prices rose at the end of the year to rank among the top home markets in the nation.In December, the San Diego metropolitan area’s home price increased 5.51% annually, said the S&P Case-Shiller Indices report released Tuesday. The highest gains in the 20-city index were in the New Yor

A 1970s hotel near Liberty Station that fell on hard times has sold for $17.4 million to make way for new housing.The 110-room Consulate Hotel, built in 1971, was purchased by Encinitas-based Ambient Communities, which said it plans to turn it into market-rate and student housing.The hotel, at 2901

Young San Diegans with dreams of homeownership might need to brush up on country music.Nashville had the highest percentage of homeowners under 30 years old at the end of last year, said a new study from mortgage website LendingTree. Compare that to the San Diego metropolitan area, which was close t

Home prices weakened across Southern California as 2025 started, with only one local market – Orange County – showing rising prices in January.My trusty spreadsheet examined intriguing indexes from First American Data & Analytics, which tracks four local housing markets. These yardsticks follow over

San Diego secured a partial victory in the courtroom battle contesting the city’s pending sale of an East Village parking lot known as Tailgate Park to a development team led by the San Diego Padres.Last week, San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal ruled against nonprofit Project for Open Go

Here is a sliver of good news for Southern California house hunters: The typical income required to buy a home dipped modestly in four of the six local counties last year.My trusty spreadsheet reviewed California Association of Realtors affordability stats, comparing fourth-quarter figures with year

Rents at San Diego’s newest luxury apartment building, Folia, rival a mortgage payment.The 342-unit Folia complex at 12520 Camino Del Sur opens this month and already is one of the most expensive apartment buildings in San Diego County. It is located on the edge of  Carmel Valley, northeast of Sorre