💰 What Happens When San Diego Puts a $5K Price on Bedrooms?

Some signals are loud. Others only show up if you know where to look.

This edition of Coast & Key SD focuses on the second kind.

Two La Jolla properties reveal what buyers are actually prioritizing right now. A North County estate reframes what quiet luxury looks like. And the data shows a market rewarding accuracy over urgency, not guesses.

We’re also looking ahead at a developing policy conversation around second homes, and sharing a simple tool that helps make sense of complex information without the noise.

Here’s what’s inside this month’s edition:

• 🎥 Aumann on Air: Is this the most beautiful home in California?

• 🍴 Coastal Culture: Eat & Do: Restaurant week + February outings

• 🏡 Our Picks: Two La Jolla homes that everyone keeps circling

• 📈 Market Moves: Numbers Shaping 2026

• 🤖 AI Advantage: A better way to see the big picture, fast

• 🏗️ On the Horizon: When cities start rethinking second homes

LET'S DIVE IN ↓

🎥 AUMANN ON AIR

The Most Beautiful Home in California?

Some homes stop you mid-scroll.

Not because they’re loud, but because they’re calm.

This month’s episode takes us inside a single-story estate tucked into the gated Old Coach Collection in Poway, just moments from Maderas Golf Club.

Rob opens the video with a line that sticks: “If Napa Valley and Pebble Beach had a baby, it would live here.”

And once you see it, that comparison makes sense.

This is a home designed for people who value privacy, views, and spaces that breathe. Canyon backdrops. Rolling hills. Light-filled interiors that feel elegant without ever tipping into formal.

A few details that define it:

• A rare single-story layout inside one of North County’s most private gated communities

• Resort-style outdoor living, with a pool, spa, expansive patios, and a built-in BBQ made for long afternoons

• A detached one-bedroom ADU, ideal for guests, family, or a quiet work-from-home setup

• A remodeled interior that balances design-forward finishes with everyday livability

• A serene primary suite that looks straight out over the canyons, not a neighboring roofline

What makes this walkthrough worth watching isn’t just the architecture. It’s the pacing. The way the home unfolds slowly.

If you’re collecting design ideas, exploring what luxury looks like when it’s done quietly, or just want to see one of Poway’s most refined hidden pockets, this one’s worth your time.

📺 Watch the full video here and tell us honestly: is this your idea of California living done right?

🍴 COASTAL CULTURE: EAT & DO

Restaurant week + February outings

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

Perched above the coastline on Prospect Street, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood is one of those places that knows exactly what it is.

Fresh seafood, prime steaks, live jazz in the background, and sunset views that make the table feel well-earned. It’s polished without being formal, lively without tipping into loud.

Think Chilean sea bass, jumbo lump crab cakes, classic sides meant to be shared, and a dessert menu that rewards anyone who saves room.

Yes, we ordered the butter cake!

• 📍 1270 Prospect St, La Jolla

• 📸 Check out our holiday night at Eddie V’s here

San Diego Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week is back, and this year it’s actually worth planning around.

More than 100 restaurants across 30+ neighborhoods are offering prix-fixe menus that make it easy to revisit favorites or try somewhere new without overthinking the bill.

This year’s event also partners with Restaurants Care, a California Restaurant Foundation program that provides crisis and resilience grants to food and beverage workers and independent restaurants across the state.

Eating out this week supports more than great meals. It supports the people behind them.

• 📅 Now through February 1st

• 📍 Countywide

February Finds Worth the Detour

February is one of San Diego’s most underrated months. Fewer crowds, cooler air, and just enough going on to keep weekends feeling intentional.

San Diego Museum Month 

A full month of culture, without the full price tag.

From art and science to gardens and history, Museum Month opens the door to more than 70 museums across San Diego County, all offering 50% off admission for up to four people with a free library pass.

This is the kind of program that rewards curiosity. Pick one neighborhood. Visit one museum. Grab lunch nearby. Repeat next weekend.

• 📅 February 1st to 28th

• 📍 Countywide | La Jolla highlights: 2300 Expedition Way & 700 Prospect St

Family Day at the La Jolla Historical Society

A slow, creative Sunday by the sea.

Hosted at the historic Wisteria Cottage, this free drop-in event invites kids and parents to create art inspired by the Society’s current exhibition. It’s hands-on, welcoming, and perfectly paced for families who want something meaningful without overplanning.

• 📅 February 8th | 12:00–2:00 PM

• 📍 La Jolla Historical Society | 780 Prospect St, La Jolla

🏡 OUR PICKS

Land, Legacy, and Views That Don’t Repeat

🌊 2315 Avenida de la Playa | La Jolla Shores

5 Beds | 4 Baths | 3,814 Sq. Ft. | $7.2M (Pending)

This one is about the land. And the lifestyle that comes with it.

Set on nearly 0.6 acres of flat, fully usable property in one of La Jolla Shores’ most coveted pockets, this single-level home offers something increasingly rare this close to the beach: space that actually works.

The existing residence feels open and livable, with generous living areas and seamless indoor–outdoor flow that suits everyday life just as well as entertaining.

What sets it apart:

• A private backyard anchored by a pool and sauna

• A true single-story layout

• Walkability to the beach, cafés, surf shops, and kayak launches

This is a foundation property in the truest sense.

Live comfortably now, personalize over time, or simply hold one of the last remaining flat parcels in La Jolla Shores and let its rarity speak for itself.

🌅 5811 Box Canyon Rd | La Jolla

5 Beds | 4 Baths | 4,000 Sq. Ft. | $7.15M

This one is built around the view. And the fact that it can’t be recreated.

Recently remodeled into a striking contemporary retreat, this home captures sweeping ocean, bay, and city views that define La Jolla at its most dramatic.

Inside, high ceilings and refined finishes balance scale with intimacy, while living spaces are deliberately oriented toward the horizon. Natural light moves through the home all day, subtly changing its tone from morning calm to evening glow.

Outside, it’s designed for gathering:

• A resort-style pool and spa

• Three fire pits, creating distinct zones for conversation and connection

• Expansive terraces built for long dinners and slow nights

A flexible guest house provides space for extended stays, creative work, or a private retreat without disrupting the flow of the main home.

This is a property for people who value privacy, perspective, and moments that unfold at their own pace.

🎥 Watch the reel walkthrough here to see the views in motion

📈 MARKET MOVES

San Diego’s Market, Settled Into Its Stride

San Diego isn’t racing right now. It’s balancing.

As we close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026, the data shows a market that’s found its footing.

Inventory has opened up, pricing has held, and buyers and sellers finally have room to make clear decisions instead of rushed ones.

Here’s what stands out:

• 4,683 active listings countywide, giving buyers real choice again

• Single-family median: $1.05M, up a steady 3.0% year over year

• Condos: $660K, slightly softer but stable

• Days on market: 43-49, signaling a genuinely balanced pace

• Months of supply: ~2.5, enough inventory without tipping the scales

What’s driving resilience isn’t hype. It’s fundamentals.

Top school districts like Poway Unified and San Dieguito Union continue to command meaningful premiums, in some cases 30–50% above the county average.

Coastal neighborhoods like La Jolla remain steady, with demand supported by lifestyle, limited supply, and long-term desirability rather than short-term speculation.

Zooming out, San Diego continues to outperform many California markets. More stable than the Bay Area. Less volatile than Los Angeles. And still offering a rare mix of economic diversity, weather, and quality of life that supports values over time.

The takeaway: This market rewards patience, preparation, and precision. Homes priced to the moment are moving. Those who miss it are sitting. And buyers who know where to look have more leverage than they’ve had in years.

🤖 AI ADVANTAGE

Turn Information Into a Map, Not a Mess

If your notes, ideas, or research tend to live in five different tabs at once, this is a good one to know.

Mapify takes long articles, PDFs, videos, or even a single prompt and turns them into a clean, visual mind map you can actually think through.

Instead of scrolling, you see the whole picture.

What it’s great for:

• Breaking down a dense article or policy update

• Mapping out a project, trip, or home search priorities

• Turning a long video or podcast into a clear visual outline

Drop in a link or document, and Mapify organizes the key ideas into branches that make sense. You can zoom out to see the big picture, or zoom in where you want more detail.

It’s especially helpful if you like to understand things, not just read them.

🏗️ ON THE HORIZON

The Shift in How San Diego Thinks About Second Homes

A proposed ballot measure could soon reshape how San Diego treats vacation homes and second residences.

Backed by City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, the Vacation Home Operation Tax may go before voters in June 2026.

The proposal would apply a $5,000 annual tax per bedroom to certain short-term rentals and vacant second homes that are not primary residences.

What’s actually being discussed:

• Applies to full-time vacation rentals and vacant second homes

• Primary residences, hosted rentals, and long-term leases are exempt

• Estimated to affect about 2% of San Diego homes

• Framed as a way to encourage long-term housing and neighborhood stability

Why this matters isn’t just the policy; it’s the signal.

Cities across California are testing new limits on second homes and short-term rentals as affordability pressure grows. San Diego’s version lands in a market where coastal inventory is tight, and lifestyle-driven ownership is under a brighter spotlight.

There’s also uncertainty. Similar measures in other cities, including San Francisco, have faced legal challenges, meaning approval wouldn’t necessarily mean immediate enforcement.

For most San Diegans, nothing changes.

For second-home and vacation rental owners, it’s something to keep an eye on, not panic about.

This isn’t about tomorrow. It’s about where policy conversations are heading and how ownership may be defined in the years ahead.

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.

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