Encinitas....is this the place for us? (San Diego, Oceanside: house, high school) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

winterblue · 05-03-2011, 07:53 AM

Hi - I am thinking about moving to the Encinitas area and would love some help from any residents or those who are familiar with the area. Do you think it is the place for us...this is what I am looking for:

Good schools....not necessarily looking for the schools with the best stats but a safe place where an older child moving in would more likely be accepted. Strong in the arts and a more creative environment with a more laid back down to earth vibe. Any particular school recommendations?

A bit of land....have 4 dogs who need some room to run, so maybe 1/2 to an acre of land

Things to do....nearby shops, restaurants, activities for a family

Variety of health food options....food allergies are an issue and we eat mostly organic, so need to have places to shop nearby that cater to that

If you don't think we are looking in the right direction with Encinitas, any suggestions of other places in CA are welcome.
Thanks so much for any help!!!

cruitr · 05-03-2011, 07:59 AM

Encinitas is very popular with families. What's your housing budget?

Encinitan · 05-03-2011, 08:08 AM

It certainly seems like a good fit, given the criteria you listed. For a "bit of land," you might want to focus your search on the Leucadia or Olivenhain sections of town. But as Cruitr pointed out, can you and your family afford it? It ain't cheap.

winterblue · 05-03-2011, 08:19 AM

We have about 900K-1.3K to spend give or take

cruitr · 05-03-2011, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winterblue

We have about 900K-1.3K to spend give or take

Sounds like you're a good fit for Olivenhain. Here's a sample house in Olivenhain on 1/2 acre:
SDLookup.com | 655*Cole*Ranch*Rd - MLS# 110024256

The above house probably would have sold for over $1.5M in 2005.

winterblue · 05-03-2011, 09:49 AM

Thanks cruitr! Could I ask you what a Melo Roos is?

Also, would you or anyone else mind listing some activities in the area, shopping possibilities and school information? It's nice to have some tangibles to go on.

Thanks again!!

loveautumn · 05-03-2011, 10:05 AM

I've lived in Encinitas for over 23 years and we have just about every store and restaurant you could ever want. There is the beach side of Encinitas, west of the 5 and the more suburban side east of the 5. Right next door are Olivenhain, Leucadia and Cardiff as well as Rancho Santa Fe.

Health food/organic foods are readily available in the area...Whole Foods, Jimbo's, Henry's, Trader Joe's. Restaurants range from typical fast food to pricey. One negative, there is always alot of traffic in Encinitas, but you will find that pretty much everywhere. You didn't say where you were moving from so I didn't have a frame of reference on the traffic.

I would second the recommendation to look in Olivenhain, it has many homes and land the type you are looking for and it's a beautiful area. Carlsbad juts up against Olivenhain so some homes would have a Carlsbad address.

cruitr · 05-03-2011, 10:14 AM

Mello-Roos is just another term for additional property taxes. Technically, Mello-Roos fees are not tax deductible but most people treat them just like property taxes. You'll only find Mello-Roos fees on newer homes. That's one of the reasons I live in a 40+ year old home.

Here's more info about Mello-Roos: Mello-Roos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

winterblue · 05-03-2011, 02:22 PM

@loveautumn - moving from NY, so we are used to traffic, but we do have really good public transportation. Sounds like really good options for health food, I practically live at Whole Foods! I noticed on their website that the one in Encinitas is still being built or has it already been completed? Do you have any personal experience with the schools...I was looking at La Costa Canyon High School and San Dieguito High School Academy. Any knowledge of these two? Thanks for taking the time to respond.

@cruitr - thanks for clearing that up....guess that's why the taxes seemed so reasonable!

loveautumn · 05-03-2011, 05:21 PM

Whole Foods should be opening soon (this summer). Sorry, don't have any knowledge about schools in the area. Public transportation really doesn't much exist in North County except for the Coaster train which goes from Oceanside to Downtown San Diego, mainly commuter train.