Your first visit might be to one of the novel information centers springing up known as Housing Consumer Libraries or Home Buying Centers. A center brings together information on all the builders, San Diego real estate companies, condos, co-ops and single-family developments in the community under one roof. Typically, the center has a series of maps, buying brochures, videotapes and slides of houses in various districts. These centers are run by local entrepreneurs, in many cases the same ones who publish free "houses for sale" magazines or newspapers that you can pick up in almost any San Diego real estate office.

Browsing through such a library gives you a handle on the status of your market. You can get a quick, accurate overview, learning what kind of homes are moving and what kind of lifestyles are available. Theoretically you can walk into a Home Buying Center, pick the geographic area you like the best, and locate the schools, shopping and other details. You can then look in the brochures for a particular type of house, compare prices, and even get mortgage information.