Collected by Ashley Mackin | SDUN Editor

In looking back on the past year, San Diego Uptown News asked professionals in the fields of real estate, theater and politics about what 2011 has taught them and their thoughts on the coming year.

…In real estate…

2011 has been a busy year for the Mary McT Real Estate Group. We usually? sell a lot of traditional sales, but the increase in short sales has made ?this one of our busiest years yet. To facilitate the increase in short sale? activity that we anticipate in the New Year, we have created a dedicated ?Short Sale Department. Our new Short Sale Department will serve those ?sellers who are in distress and can no longer keep up with their mortgage? payments.?? The other area of increased activity is the “flipping” market. Investors? with large cash reserves are stimulating the housing market in North Park? and South Park. They are buying up “fixers” and remodeling them before? putting them back on the market. This activity is improving our? neighborhoods, but buyers looking to spend $300,000 to $450,000 on a home ?are finding it hard to compete with these investors. But with a little? patience and a good real estate agent, buyers will be able to find? fantastic deals on properties in the New Year. It also helps that interest? rates are amazingly low right now. With rates just under four percent,? buyers are able to spend a lot more on a home than they could several years? ago.?? Contact the Mary McT Real Estate Group for help with traditional or short? sales.
– Mary McTernan, Mary McT Real Estate Group

The last couple of years have definitely not been the market for Sellers to test high list prices. Homes priced in line with market indicators and comparables sell more quickly than those that make their debut at an unsubstantiated high price and then follow the market down, with several price reductions. In 2011 our Sellers achieved successful results when heeding our advice to adopt bull’s-eye pricing. Consequently, the average difference between list and sales price of our listings in 2011 was less than 5 percent.
When it comes to forecasting what’s ahead for Mission Hills real estate, it’s helpful to reference the neighborhood’s past performance. Mission Hills sales volume in 2011 mirrored identically that of 2010. While the median home price rose by over 13 percent, the average cost-per-square foot took a slight dip from $435 per square foot to $420 per square foot. This is a great market for buyers. Interest rates continue to drop, and there are still deals to be found. That said, inventory levels are low and that can prove frustrating to those who are patiently waiting for the “perfect” home. Buyers should be prepared to pounce when a quality property hits the market. While it still may be a buyers’ market, given the minimal inventory, there is competition for well-priced, turnkey properties.
Overall, the Mission Hills market is improved from where it was just a year ago, and we don’t anticipate any drastic changes for 2012. Mission Hills real estate will always support the adage “location, location, location” and will remain one of San Diego’s most desirable neighborhoods.
– Matthew Hernholm, Hernholm Group

I am excited for 2012! My buyer’s agent and I are working with numerous buyers but there is a lack of good inventory. It wouldn’t surprise me if that carries well into the New Year. The houses that are going to sell at a good price are remodeled homes that are well done. In addition, homes that need updating as long as they have good floor plans or something special about them will sell. Just because a house is a short sale does not mean it will sell under value. The interest rates are low so it’s a great time to be a buyer and it’s a great time to move up. There is a newer group of buyers for our Metro Area. These are retired people who live in North County, whose kids have grown up, and want to get back into town and enjoy everything that the Metro Area has to offer without having all the transportation hassles. So here’s to a terrific 2012 real estate year!
– Afton Miller, Afton Miller of Coldwell Banker

…In the community…

Like most other areas of San Diego, the Uptown communities had highs and lows in 2011. Last summer’s fire in the heart of Hillcrest’s commercial core was devastating, but the outpouring of support to the victims also reminded us of the strength and camaraderie of our neighborhood. Hillcrest truly continues to thrive, as evidenced by the addition of new businesses like Snooze Eatery and Freebirds and the upcoming openings of D Bar Desserts and Chris Shaw’s newest venture. I look forward to working with the reestablished Uptown Partnership in the New Year to address the parking issues that remain a challenge to the bustling area. I am excited about what else is ahead in 2012 for Uptown, too. Plans for the DMV site will continue to develop, progress will be made on the Community Plan Update, much-needed new park space will be enjoyed when the joint use field at Roosevelt Middle School is complete, and the installation of the Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street will serve as a landmark for our community. I look forward to another year of improvement in continued partnership with my Uptown neighbors.
– District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria

Together we delivered results for Uptown in 2011. We all love our community character, so I was proud to collaborate with neighbors and the City to reopen the 106-year-old Quince Street pedestrian bridge after it was damaged during a spring storm. This bridge not only links Bankers Hill to Balboa Park but also connects San Diegans to our rich history.
Guarding your dollars continues to be my priority. I worked with residents to reform Uptown Partnership, the group that oversees local parking revenue. We created a new organization that is open and accountable to the community it serves. The new Uptown Partnership must focus on creating convenient parking – the lifeblood to local shops. When the regional economy thrives, there are more hiring opportunities for San Diegans.
I want to continue this momentum in 2012 by partnering with local businesses to facilitate job creation by bringing regulatory relief to City Hall. I’m sitting on a new jobs committee that aims to cut red tape so Uptown businesses and residents can spend less time navigating bureaucratic regulations and more time growing San Diego’s economy, creating jobs and enjoying their quality of life. I’m looking forward to another year of making government work for all San Diegans.
– City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer

…In theater…

Theatre is the human-conceived engine for hope. And it’s an industry, yes, but not one that creates a material we can see. Its lasting product is mostly invisible, really, like oxygen or healing or an education. But its value ripples and expands and is far from invisible to a pulsing neighborhood, or a world-conscious community or society as a whole. At ion theatre, a non-descript little button on the heavy coat that is the arts in San Diego, we toiled in 2011. Theatre is a labor, and this past year has tested us in ways we didn’t know we could be tested. Patrons are harder to get into seats despite the quality of producing or desire to attend – donations are down – corporations and foundations are pulling back – the economy, the economy, the economy. But making something magical out of very little is our specialty (and part of the gift we impart to audiences), so somehow we’re thriving in spite of… fill-in-the-blank.
Maybe next year, audiences will begin to venture out a little more. Perhaps in 2012, we’ll pull our collective heads out of the sand and see what is best in San Diegans, in our country, in people in general. We’ll go to the theatre and share our stories – how we’ve struggled, how we’ve survived together and how we’ve grown stronger. Theatre is the primer for the human condition, and now that it’s being tested, it’s more important than ever to face the future and see where we’re going. The trend that matters: investing in our greatest achievement and asset as a global community – our creativity, our imagination, ourselves.
– Claudio Raygoza, ion theatre