Sifting Through Year’s Opinions

D uring 1988, various Orange County residents wrote about their feelings and thoughts in articles submitted to our Sunday commentary columns. As we look back, some of those thoughts are recalled:

Jeff Fister on high-priced housing:

I recently made my first trip back to Southern California after moving from Orange County. I opened up the newspaper and read, among other things, that the average Orange County home price is $175,000, highest in the nation. It is no wonder that the middle-class dream of owning a home is now out of reach for most young Orange County families. I’m a case in point. Before moving we lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Westminster for $610 a month. I accepted a job in Denver. We moved into a brand new three-bedroom, two-story home. It includes a yard, a full basement and a view of the mountains. We bought the house for $110,000 at a 7.8% fixed, 30-year mortgage rate. A staffing manager who recruits professional workers for my new company told me that the richest pool of engineers is in Southern California--it’s easy to lure them away because of the high cost of housing.