San Diego

Section: Money, Pg. 04b

Today is the debut of Close to Home, which will run in USA TODAY's Money section every Tuesday. Each week, reporter Noelle Knox will profile one metro area's real estate sales and price performance and compare them with the state and national figures. We'll also show you the kind of home you would get if you bought the median-priced house in that area. And for the real estate voyeur in all of us, we'll show you one of the most expensive homes for sale in that market.

San Diego is famous for its zoo and its beaches -- and for having had one of the USA's most overheated real estate markets last year. The median home price is still nearly three times the national average, and fewer than 10% of local residents can afford the median-priced home if they had to put 20% down, according to the California Association of Realtors. But now the market is seeing double-digit drops in monthly sales compared with last year. And while prices are still inching up, this area now has the nation's highest risk of price declines within the next two years, according to PMI Mortgage Insurance. Here's a snapshot of single-family homes for sale in the San Diego market in March, the most recent month for which figures are available:

The most expensive Art Nicholas, a former local money manager, listed his beachfront home in Del Mar in July. Price: $50 million Neighborhood: Del Mar Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 9.5 Size: 10,700 square feet Features: Health spa, fireplace in the master bedroom, theater, pool, tennis court, greenhouse and two guest houses

Median-price home Price: $599,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Size: 1,312 square feet Features: Wood laminate flooring, remodeled kitchen and baths, fireplace.

--- Find prices for your area Look up recent home sale prices in your neighboorhood, or anywhere else, at realestate.usatoday.com.

(c) USA TODAY, 2006