💰$8,000 a Year to Leave a Home Empty?

Welcome back to Coast & Key SD.

A $47M collaboration, caught mid-showing reveals what precision actually demands at the highest level of this market.

Two ocean-forward estates show us what the top of this market actually looks like. And countywide, San Diego is doing what it always does: building quiet momentum on fundamentals that don't need a headline to hold.

We’re also sharing an AI platform that builds tools, not just content, plus a proposed second-home tax that could quietly influence inventory behavior in coastal neighborhoods.

Here’s what we’re watching right now.

• 🎥 Aumann on Air: What high-level collaboration really looks like

• 🍴 Coastal Culture: Eat & Do: Goofy’s Kitchen + another outing

• 🏡 Our Picks: Two expressions of ocean-forward living

• 📈 Market Moves: Spring momentum built on steady fundamentals

• 🤖 AI Advantage: How to build the tool you wish existed

• 🏗️ On the Horizon: A new incentive for idle coastal properties

LET'S DIVE IN ↓

🎥 AUMANN ON AIR

What High-Level Collaboration Actually Looks Like

Every market has layers.

But the coastal luxury tier in San Diego is its own ecosystem. Relationships matter. Access matters. Alignment matters.

This Reel wasn't filmed inside a listing. It was filmed mid-showing at Fox Canyon, with Ross Clark stepping in unexpectedly to share something that rarely gets said on camera.

We recently closed a $47M transaction together, a deal that required precision, discretion, and execution at a level that doesn't tolerate second guesses.

What stood out in the exchange wasn't the number.

It was the standard.

Ross put it plainly: second place is the first loser. It's a competitive mindset, yes. But in practice, it means this: details matter.

At the highest level of this market, there is no margin for casual effort. And that intensity doesn't stay behind the scenes; it shapes every conversation, every negotiation, every decision made on behalf of the people we represent.

That's what you're actually hiring when you work with someone at this level. Not just access. Not just experience. A standard.

And in markets like La Jolla and Fox Canyon, that standard isn't optional.

It's the baseline.

📺 Watch the moment it was said here.

🍴 COASTAL CULTURE: EAT & DO

Goofy’s Kitchen + March outings

Goofy’s Kitchen

This month, we stepped outside La Jolla for something a little different, our son’s 5th birthday at Goofy’s Kitchen.

It’s a buffet, yes. Eggs and bacon in the morning. Pasta, pizza, soft-serve, and an impressive dessert spread by dinner. But the food isn’t really the headline. The experience is.

Goofy in a chef’s hat. Pluto making his rounds. Chip ‘n’ Dale in vests and bow ties, stopping at each table for photos and conversation. Every few minutes, the room shifts as a small dance parade cuts through the dining area, and kids follow with zero hesitation.

• 📍 Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim

👉 We shared a few moments from the celebration on Instagram. You can check out the photos here.

Also Worth the Calendar Space…

Another way to spend a day out:

La Jolla Tour: Sip, Savor & Sea

A 2.5-hour walking tour through La Jolla Village that blends ocean views, local history, and progressive tastings.

You’ll move from the village streets toward La Jolla Cove, stopping for small savory plates, a drink, and something sweet. It’s part orientation, part lunch, part reminder of why this pocket works so well.

Great if you have guests in town or just want to see your own neighborhood with fresh eyes.

• 📅 Throughout April | 11:00 AM–1:30 PM

• 📍 La Jolla Village

🏡 OUR PICKS

Built Around the Horizon. Two Different Expressions

🔑 1745 Amalfi St, La Jolla

4 Beds | 5 Baths | 5,010 Sq. Ft. | $6,995,000

Positioned to capture sweeping views of the Pacific and Torrey Pines Bluffs, this residence is built around the horizon.

Two distinct living rooms, each oriented toward the coastline. One for slow afternoons with doors open to salt air. The other for evening gatherings where sunset becomes ritual.

The primary suite sits above it all, a private retreat where waking feels like rising with the tide. From bed, the view unfolds uninterrupted. No obstruction. Just ocean.

Life here moves between indoors and out without friction. Shaped by light, salt air, and La Jolla's blend of sophistication and ease.

This isn't a home with a view. It's a home that lives in rhythm with one.

🌊 5811 Box Canyon Road

5 Beds | 4 Baths | 4,000 Sq. Ft. | $7,150,000

Recently remodeled and positioned to capture sweeping panoramas of the ocean, bay, and city, this property is anchored by its perspective.

Living spaces are oriented toward the horizon. High ceilings amplify the light. Glass lines pull the outdoors inward. The result feels expansive, but not impersonal.

Outside, the entertaining terrace carries the weight. A pool and spa framed by three firepits. Layered gathering zones. A detached guest house that flexes as a private studio, office, or extended residence.

Here, the view isn’t décor. It’s the asset.

🎥 Click here to watch the full Selling San Diego episode, a conversation with La Jolla's most iconic jeweler, plus a walkthrough of the home.

📈 MARKET MOVES

The Calendar Is Turning. The Fundamentals Haven’t.

If you zoom out, the signal for March isn’t new. It’s historical. 

Last year’s peak sales month? 

March. 

1,829 closings countywide.

San Diego consistently finds its seasonal rhythm in early spring, not mid-summer.  And the early indicators this year are tracking in that direction again.

Countywide inventory is sitting near 4,683 active listings. Single-family median remains around $1.05M, up 3% year over year. Months of supply: roughly 2.5. Mortgage rates hovering in the mid-6% range.

That’s not a surge environment. It’s controlled momentum.

What matters more in 2026 is the foundation under the market:

• 3.8% unemployment

• 2.3% job growth

• Biotech, military, and healthcare anchoring employment

• Population growth still positive

• School districts commanding 25–57% premiums

This is not a speculative market. It’s a structurally supported one.

For coastal communities like La Jolla, that backdrop matters. La Jolla cap rates sit near 3.5%. Inventory remains tight. And view-driven properties continue to operate independently of broader county fluctuations.

The takeaway for March: We’re not entering a boom cycle.  We’re entering a reinforced one.

Spring historically brings increased activity, but pricing in San Diego tends to move in measured increments, not spikes.

The calendar is changing. The fundamentals are steady. And that combination usually favors prepared sellers and decisive buyers.

🤖 AI ADVANTAGE

From Idea to App (Without a Developer)

Most AI tools help you write faster.

Emergent.sh helps you build.

It's a browser-based platform where you describe what you want, a vacation rental ROI calculator, a neighborhood cost-of-living comparison, a home renovation budget tracker, and it generates a working web app. Frontend, backend, database, payments, deployment. No developer. No waiting.

The tools that used to require a budget and a build team are now a description away.

AI is moving from assistant to operator. 

Worth exploring if you've ever thought, “there should be a tool for this”.

🏗️ ON THE HORIZON

When Leaving a Coastal Home Empty Starts Carrying a Price

San Diego is advancing a more targeted proposal this time.

If it reaches the June ballot and passes, homes left vacant more than 183 days per year could face an $8,000 annual tax, with an additional surcharge for corporate ownership.

This version zeroes in on inactivity. Not renting. Not occupying. Simply holding a property dark for most of the year.

The stated goal is straightforward: bring existing housing back into circulation without adding new construction.

Why This Matters:

In markets like La Jolla, second homes are part of the ownership mix. Some are seasonal. Some are long-term holds. Some sit unused between visits. This proposal doesn’t change pricing mechanics overnight. But it does introduce friction.

For some owners, $8,000 annually is immaterial. For others, it’s a nudge to reconsider strategy, lease long-term, adjust usage, or re-evaluate holding costs.

And in supply-constrained coastal neighborhoods, even modest shifts in behavior can influence rental availability and resale timing.

This isn’t about panic. It’s about incentives. 

We’ll know more after the full council vote. Until then, it’s a variable worth tracking.

Thanks for reading this month’s Coast & Key SD.

As always, if you’ve got questions about the market, need a trusted referral, or want the inside scoop on a pocket listing, we’re just a reply away.

Best,

P.S.: Looking beyond San Diego? We’re proud members of The Private Client Network, the leading collective of top luxury brokers in the U.S. In fact, our network was recently featured on the back cover of The Wall Street Journal.

From Aspen to Austin, Palm Beach to Park City, we offer insider access and white-glove service across 80 of the most desirable luxury markets in the country.

If you or someone you know needs trusted guidance in any of these areas, we’re your first call.

👉 Learn more about The Private Client Network