Affordable Southern Cali communities? (San Diego, Oceanside: mortgage, budget, condo)

[liquidtrends]

From what I have been reading on this board, the above words don't really go together very well.

My wife, and I along with our 1 month old baby are looking at moving from Northern Alberta, Canada to southern california. I'm hoping someone on this board could point us in the right direction on where we could start looking.

Our wish list:

We want a small town or small community type place. Perhaps 30 - 45 minutes to a beach.. Artsy type communities would suit us well. We also like to be outside, so access to decent hiking trails is important. We don't really need to be near any major city centers, as we both work at home. Just as long as there is a decent farmers market and a mom and pop grocery store. We are in our mid 20's, but we aren't into the bar scene. We prefer a more laid back lifestyle.

As for housing, we have kept our budget low (probably a bad idea in cali?) We are looking around the $250k - $300k range. All we really need is a 2-3 bedroom house or condo/townhouse. The reason for such a low number, is we will be buying something outright.

Hope this is enough info?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Why limit your housing budget so severely? Even carrying a small mortgage like $100-200k will vastly improve your housing options and would be still be affordable with both of you working.

[liquidtrends]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Why limit your housing budget so severely? Even carrying a small mortgage like $100-200k will vastly improve your housing options and would be still be affordable with both of you working.

True, but it's nice to not have to worry about a mortgage We are still considering holding a small mortgage though.

[Lovehound]

Isn't Cali in Colombia? Maybe you have the wrong forum.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by liquidtrends

True, but it's nice to not have to worry about a mortgage We are still considering holding a small mortgage though.

Not having a mortgage is nice. But living in a cramped condo in a not so nice area isn't. With that big of a down payment, you'd get a good mortgage rate and not have to worry about PMI. $100k would only be maybe $600/mo. You could pay the principle down pretty quick.

[Alter]

Originally Posted by liquidtrends

We want a small town or small community type place. Perhaps 30 - 45 minutes to a beach.. Artsy type communities would suit us well. We also like to be outside, so access to decent hiking trails is important. We don't really need to be near any major city centers, as we both work at home. Just as long as there is a decent farmers market and a mom and pop grocery store. We are in our mid 20's, but we aren't into the bar scene. We prefer a more laid back lifestyle.

All that and affordable too? Sounds great, sign me up when you find it.

[the city]

I would give Thousand Oaks or Ventura a shot. Would you consider central california? San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Orcutt, Nipomo, Atascadero, and Salinas are very good in central california.

[Humanoid]

Firstly, purchasing a house now is a pretty bad idea. Prices are crashing in Southern California, most areas have seen at least 20% declines and counting. If you wait 1-2 years you will be able to get something nice in your price range (you could just 5 years ago). Also, renting will give you the ability to get to know the area a bit more before you make a major purchase.

Secondly, anything that is 30 minutes to the beach is going to be a bit pricey. Probably the best city (for the price that is) is Ventura. Its a beach city that is pretty nice and only has modest crime. Unless you plan on going to city centers often then you may want to think more about central California as someone else suggested. Its just as nice, but cheaper as its further from LA etc. But Ventura is pretty neat, the place is big enough to have most things but also close enough to LA for events that may not reach Ventura. Its also close to Santa Barbara.

[Lovehound]

Yeah what Humanoid said. Excellent advice!

[vfrpilot]

Look in San Diego North County. We used to live in San Marcos and have been watching the market there since we left in '04. The home next to our old house sold in '05 for 520k and was listed in Jan '08 for 360k. I think it must've sold. The home was 4bd/2bath/2-car in a nice neighborhood. It was 20-30 minutes to the beach. Also look in Vista and Oceanside. Good Luck with your search.