An Interview With Local Business Owner Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy knows why people move to Fallbrook- for the
same reasons he did back in 1992.
Murphy was working in the software industry, which required
him to fly a lot. Living in Fallbrook meant he was equidistant to most of the Southern
California airports, making travel a bit easier.
"But it was more than geographic- we actually just liked it
here, the peacefulness," Murphy said.
So much so in fact that Chris and wife Kim chose to stay in
Fallbrook and open their own real estate brokerage: Murphy & Murphy
Southern California Realty.
"Everyone I talk to who wants to move here, it's the same
thing again and again," Murphy said. "They want to escape the fast pace life."
Murphy likens Fallbrook to Hootersville, that fictional
rural village in the retro show "Green Acres."
"Just like them, it is people coming from the big city to
the small agricultural town with all the entails," he said.
Housing in Fallbrook is anything but Hootersville's
ramshackle residences, however. Because houses are nearly all custom-built in
Fallbrook, the architecture is diverse and lots are large. Murphy said he
recently sold a two-story log cabin and currently has an adobe house with five
fireplaces on the market. Another of his buildings is a Spanish Mediterranean
with cathedral ceilings, and a California craftsman with abundant wood details
adds to the mix.
"We have large chunks of land available so people buy an
acre or two and build their dream home," he said.
Also unlike Hootersville, Fallbrook has culture. Author John
Villani named it one of the "100 Best Art Towns in America" in his book by the
same name and "Where to Retire" magazine named Fallbrook one of the best places
in the country to retire.
"Fallbrook isn't a retirement community in the traditional
sense. It's more like people who retired at age 40 and wanted to live in a
relaxing place," Murphy said. "People here don't commute anywhere."
Weather is another of Fallbrook's benefits. Previously known
as the avocado capital of the world-- a crop that requires mild temperatures--
Fallbrook was originally established on olive groves. Then citrus became
popular, followed by avocadoes. But with the water shortage and Fallbrook's low
rainfall average, many growers have turned to grapes that they then sell to Dan
Diego County's largest winery just up the road: Fallbrook Winery.
Murphy said Fallbrook's home sales have been brisk as the
town continues to evolve.
"To get the quality of lifestyle Fallbrook offers is a
bargain right now. You can buy a modest home or a beautiful 3,000- square foot
estate for $750,000- that's unheard of," he said.
Pricing has increased slightly year-to-year and sales have
remained steady. In October 2012, 67 homes were sold in Fallbrook at a median
sale price of $368,500 according to DataQuick statistics. In October 2013, 68
homes sold at a median of $414,500, a 12.5 percent increase.
"Fallbrook's like Laguna Beach, only inland and without the
price tag," Murphy said. "It's an under-valued gem."