Is there such a thing as affordable beach properties in San Diego? Yup 

Our family vacationed in Maui sometime in the late 1990s. During our stay, we moseyed on over to Lahaina, and I fell in love with the charming seaside town (I still can’t bear to look at post-fire photos). 

In Lahaina, a tiny house was for sale near the shops and restaurants of Front Street. It sat directly on the sand, steps from the ocean. A hammock tied between two curved palm trees completed the picturesque beach shack.

We were in a financial position to buy a vacation house and called the real estate agent. Zillow didn’t exist back then, so we had no idea the asking price.

It was small and needed TLC. We figured $350,000, maybe $400,000, and we were ready to sign on the dotted line.

The agent met us at the property, and when we asked the price, we nearly fainted with shock: $1.7M. To his credit, he didn’t laugh at us or display annoyance that we wasted his time. 

He must’ve seen what we were: two clueless idiots with no idea of the value of oceanfront properties. When I asked him why the astronomical price, he said something that really stayed with me, “They’re not making any more beaches.”

Years later, I, myself, became a Realtor and have now been selling real estate for 23 years. I have learned the value of properties on a beach, near a beach, that can see a beach, has Beach in its name, or feels a beach breeze.

I’ve also learned that different beaches possess different values. San Diego beach properties sell for a premium. Coronado and Del Mar are the county’s two most expensive beach zips, and La Jolla is a close third. 

The most expensive home sold in Del Mar last year was $18.5M, and the most expensive home sold in Coronado last year was an eye-popping $28M.

Is there any place left in Southern California where a non-multimillionaire can afford to buy beach real estate? The answer is yes.

For those of us harboring a fantasy of owning beachfront or near-beach property in Southern California, look south—very south. 

Look south when trying to finding beachfront or near-beach property 

Imperial Beach is the most southwesterly city in America, and it is surprisingly affordable. Of the 103 homes sold in IB last year, 73 sold for under $1M! Their most expensive sale from 2024 was $2.5M, which is the floor for Del Mar.

IB, as it is affectionately called, borders Tijuana, Mexico. It has been revitalizing for years. A beautiful hotel, Pier South Resort, opened about 10 years ago near the pier. 

Two years later, the famous and very successful Brigantine opened across the street from the pier. Their venue scouts are experts in selecting excellent, revenue-generating locations.

Two years after the Brig opened, the popular Mike Hess Brewery opened its doors in IB, also by the pier. The Seacoast Marketplace just finished construction and will house multiple eateries with ocean-view decks. 

Imperial Beach’s flat topography, sandy beaches, and numerous shops and restaurants lining the sidewalks of Seacoast Drive are a walker’s and bicyclist’s paradise. 

Bayshore Bikeway, the famous bike trail, connects Imperial Beach to Coronado. For nature hikes, it’s difficult to beat Imperial Beach’s famous Tijuana River Estuary, encompassing nearly 2,500 acres of beautiful coastal wetland, salt marshes, dunes, mudflats, and wildlife.

Imperial Beach is a surfing destination; many consider it the birthplace of surfing. During north swells, the Pacific turns a stunning jade. Views from IB include the Coronado Islands piercing the Pacific, delivering San Diego’s own “Bali Hai.”

With all these terrific assets, why aren’t prices in IB sky high? One word: Sewage. For the last three years, Imperial Beach’s beach has been closed due to sewage flowing from Tijuana.

There is no swimming or surfing, tourism is literally in the toilet, and the real estate market struggles. Locals started the Stop the Stink Initiative to bring attention to this ecological and fiscal calamity, and it’s working. The United States and Mexican governments are no longer ignoring this disaster. 

Deborah Vance, one of Imperial Beach’s most successful Realtors, confidently predicts when the sewage problem is rectified – and it will be – home property prices will surge. They’re not making any more beaches.

“Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffett

(Photo courtesy of Laura Lothian/La Mesa Courier)