(La Mesa Courier, La Mesa, CA) – Leonard Smith has been in the real estate business for 65 years. In fact, the real estate office of Leonard M. Smith & Associates is one of only a handful of La Mesa companies doing business continuously since the early 1950s. During that time many real estate companies have come and gone and the industry itself has made remarkable changes. But their firm remains a fixture in the community, with son David Smith now at the helm as Manager/Broker.
Leonard first visited La Mesa as a naval officer in 1945, when his ship had a layover in San Diego. He found the peaceful setting of La Mesa and the rolling hills of East County appealing.
Having been raised in Kansas, he recognized that others would find the climate attractive and that the region had an opportunity for growth and expansion. In 1946, Leonard obtained his real estate license and began selling homes and vacant lots. He met Col. Ed Fletcher and sold much of his Grossmont and Mt. Helix property.
Leonard had an architectural background and began designing plans for single level ranch-style homes that were so popular in the Mt. Helix area. His brothers-in-law, George and Wayne Eckel, had recently joined him from Kansas and were experienced builders.
During the early 1950's Leonard drew plans for as many as 70-80 homes that the Eckels built, and Leonard subsequently sold them. (David Smith currently has a listing for one of these distinctive homes on Mt. Helix.) The firm worked closely with many local developers who specialized in East County, including John Mortenson and Jackson & Scott among others.
While new development has long been a driving force in the economy of Southern California, the La Mesa and Mt. Helix region was mostly built out by the 1970s. Location is, and always has been, the primary factor in assigning value to real property. The Smiths don’t find it surprising that this area was selected early on as a desirable location to live and raise a family.
They see the diversity of homes available in the area as one of its greatest attractions.
The charm of local meandering streets and varying size properties cannot be duplicated by the typical modern development.
“There’s just more elbow room, and not as much congestion as some other areas in the county. It’s a more peaceful, pleasant area for raising a family,” says David.
Leonard thinks easy access has also been important. “It’s neat how the freeways work, making it really simple to get anywhere you need to go.” With nary a complaint from him about the fact they’ve had to relocate their offices twice due to construction of freeways.
”The climate here is also very attractive. It’s not as damp,” adds Leonard. “I have friends who moved to Pt. Loma and later moved back because they missed the sunshine.” David mentions a couple from Ocean Beach he sold a house to 15 years ago. He says they still thank him every time they see him for helping them move to “God’s Country.”
Since Leonard established his brokerage, he has seen six or seven significant downturns in the real estate market. The Smiths point out that just as with any commodity, there are always fluctuations in market conditions that lead to changes in value. This latest—and perhaps most severe—downturn was in part created by the runaway escalation of prices between 1998 and 2006. The median price of homes in La Mesa/Mt. Helix during those years nearly tripled, jumping from $186,000 to $532,500.
But speaking with the wisdom of someone who has been in the business over six decades, Leonard Smith sees the proverbial glass as half full. “Home prices have dropped sufficiently during the last several years that there are now excellent opportunities for the home buyer,” the “Dean” of La Mesa real estate opines.
“With interest rates at historic lows, there has never been a better time to enter the local real estate market,” agrees David. “La Mesa will always be a neat residential area, a great place to live.”
And what would Col. Fletcher think if he saw La Mesa today? “This is just what he envisioned,” says Leonard. “He would love it. He had his spot on top of Grossmont where he enjoyed meditating and looking out over the community.”
David mentions he sold that historic property just last year. There’s something poetic about that.
