Planning move to North County, questions about lifestyle and where to settle (San Diego: real estate market, foreclosures)

[jennyloup]

I just returned from a 5 day trip to San Diego to scope out areas to live in North County. After I got over my shock at the housing prices and small yards and number of people , I was able to start looking around for a suitable place for us to settle in.

My husband is self employed, so we have a lot of choices. Too many choices! His business partner is in Carlsbad, so we started our search there. We also looked at San Marcos, Encinitas, Solana Beach. We are coming from the Midwest, where we live in a tiny town, know everyone, and have over an acre in our yard. It is like night and day between here and there.

We have lost all equity in our current house due to the crappy real estate market here, so we will be renting out there for a few years. We could afford about $3500 per month for a 4 or 5 bedroom, maybe a little more if we had enough room for my husband to put his office in the house. I'm looking for good schools, safe neighborhood, yard to play in, parks, etc. etc. I'd prefer a small community where there is a sense that you know your neighbors, and run into people you know in the grocery store. Don't really care about the beach, just don't want it to be too hot b/c hubby hates the heat.

I felt Carlsbad was expensive and the housing was tight. I was more encouraged when we looked in San Marco, specifically San Elijo Hills area. The yards seem a bit bigger for the price. And maybe less cloudy? After I got home, I looked on some more of the forums here and now I am mentally kicking myself for not looking at someplace like Poway

So, I am thinking either San Marcos, La Costa, or maybe Poway area, although I'm not really sure where that is or what areas would be affordable, relatively speaking.

My questions:

Whats the story with Poway? Its a large area, when you look at the map. What areas/schools would be a good place to look? What neighborhoods or areas have lots of kids? Mine are 5 and 9 and although we have lots of space, there aren't many younger kids to play with.

How safe is it out there? Currently, I let my 9 year old ride her bike around our neighborhood alone or with friends. I was talking to someone who lives in La Costa Valley and she was astonished that I let my kids out of my sight. She doesn't let her 12 year old walk to the bus stop alone! But another friend lives at the top of a mountain in a gated community in San Marcos and they don't let their kids play by themselves in the cul-de-saq. Is everyone worried about their kids getting snatched off the street? Is there anyplace in North County where kids can run around alone? (I don't mean alone and unsupervised, for those of you that are getting ready to scold me, I mean, do I have to keep eyes on the kids at the park at all times or can I read my book?)

The rankings and scores of the schools in all the areas we looked seem comparable. My daughter scored in the 99% on all 3 parts of the NWEA tests (do you have those out there? I was told they are nationwide) and would most probably be in the gifted and talented program, if we had one here... Is that the GATE program everyone is talking about? Do they have that program in all the schools I'm thinking of?

I currently stay home with the kids, and would like to continue doing that for a few more years. Since the housing is so expensive, do most moms return to work, or are there a lot of stay at home moms? I know this is hard to answer, just let me know if you have experience with this.

Which of the places I mentioned, or if you have another idea, please throw it in, have more of a sense of community? It looks to me like all the towns kind of run together, but I was just looking at it from an outsider's perspective. One thing I liked about San Elijo Hills is that it does seem a little bit separate.

Any and all advice is appreciated - I'm excited to move to such a spectacularly beautiful area! And NO MORE WINTER!!! Yay!!!

[scratchNsniff]

There are a lot of creepers out there and SoCal seems to have its own fair share of them, so yes people do tend to be helicopter mothers. This isn't a small town, there's just too many weirdos out there with too much time on their hands. Google the Amber Dubois & Chelsea King stories for examples.

[skeke]

I was a homemaker for 13 years and spent some of that time living in Poway. It felt very safe for the kids. I was a stay at home mom and had plenty of friends who were doing the same.

[vahnessuh]

If your husband hates the heat, I'm afraid Poway wouldn't be good for him then. Carlsbad and San Elijo Hills are much cooler because they get the ocean breeze (San Elijo has views of the ocean... well, not all houses do but generally the ones on top of the hill does). Double Peak park is a nice hiking area... you get 360 degrees views of the Pacific Ocean, Carlsbad lagoons, mountains and the city of San Marcos.

However, the huge upside for Poway is its school district. It's the best in the county.

I don't know about Carlsbad... but I used to live in San Marcos and there was a lot of stay at home moms there. I went on meetup.com and joined a group called Mothers Inc. There are more moms group in the area but I didn't join them. I suggest going to that website to find and meet stay at home moms in the area.

I don't live in San Marcos anymore since we moved up to Temecula... and we are much happier up here. Housing prices are way way cheaper (you probably can get your acreage for the same price you get a newer home in Carlsbad) and the school district is almost as good as Poway (few points difference). I like to say that the place grew because of families... there's pretty much families everywhere! People are much nicer and much more patient with kids too... I guess because people have them so they know how it is. It's also safe... you'll see lots of kids walking, biking, skateboarding around with their friends. We live close to the elementary school and kids just walk home by themselves. It does get really hot up here though... but it is breezy and it starts to cool down at 4pm onwards. The population has grown here... but it still has that sense of community. Not small town everyone knows everyone.... but maybe big small town? If that makes sense.

If your husband doesn't have to commute, this might be a good option for you to get the family feel for your environment. It is 30-45 minutes to Carlsbad though.

It's not in San Diego county though... but that's why it's cheap up here. You pay premium to be within the San Diego county line. Anyway, just decided to throw Temecula out there for possibility. By the way, if you're willing to pay $3500 for a 4 or 5 bedroom house... might as well buy one. Our house is 5 bedrooms and we don't pay near that amount every month (mortgage, taxes and fees). Of course, we don't have an acreage (6,000 sq ft lot) but for $3,500/month, I'm sure you can get a decent sized lot.

[jennyloup]

Thanks vahnessuh, I was initially very interested in Temecula, for all the reasons you mentioned, schools, less expensive, etc. However, I kind of rejected it because I read in some of the forums that the heat can be extreme - over 100 degrees in the summer? Let me know if that is an exaggeration. Also, I heard that there are a lot of foreclosures there, the town has been hit hard in the past few years. And that the traffic is rough, too much growth without proper planning/zoning. Let me know what you think of those concerns...
We won't be able to buy a house right away because we are probably going to lose our equity (and therefore our potential downpayment) when we sell our current house. We will need to save up for a while to afford to buy. Also, I want to make sure we are in the right place before we commit.

[djxpress]

Originally Posted by jennyloup

How safe is it out there? Currently, I let my 9 year old ride her bike around our neighborhood alone or with friends. I was talking to someone who lives in La Costa Valley and she was astonished that I let my kids out of my sight. She doesn't let her 12 year old walk to the bus stop alone! But another friend lives at the top of a mountain in a gated community in San Marcos and they don't let their kids play by themselves in the cul-de-saq. Is everyone worried about their kids getting snatched off the street? Is there anyplace in North County where kids can run around alone? (I don't mean alone and unsupervised, for those of you that are getting ready to scold me, I mean, do I have to keep eyes on the kids at the park at all times or can I read my book?)

The mothers that you mentioned are the same mothers that are gonna have their 30 year old "kid" living with them when they get older, complaining and wondering how to get rid of them.

Paranoid parents seem to multiplying like the plague around San Diego...but then again, so do the undesireables.

[sdhkshdcny09]

that is a lot of questions!

From what I read, you desire a small-town kind of community with larger lots/homes for decent prices, good schools, and lots of families.

Well, San Elijo basically meets all of your conditions, but I'll provide you with an overview of the community so you can get a better idea. Just so you know, I have worked at the kids camp in San Elijo so I interact a lot with the SEH families and my younger sisters and I have all attended San Elijo schools (youngest currently attends). Plus, most of my high school friends lived there and I frequently attend the community events. Anyways....these are the pros and cons. Some aspects, such as the relative isolation of the community, have both pros and cons.

Pros-
1. Home prices are significantly more affordable than surrounding communities of La Costa, Aviara, etc.
2. Lots are typically larger, as well as homes, and for cheaper prices. Plus, many of these lots have ocean views and are no where near as expensive as comparable homes with ocean views in the coastal communities
3. San Elijo is in a perfect weather zone, much like Shadowridge in Vista or eastern La Costa, in that these communities (for the most part) avoid the excessive marine layer, but are also coastal enough to avoid the inland heat. Also, since San Elijo is in the foothills, you get a nice breeze.
4. Schools are good- San Elijo Elementary (4 years old) has the 2nd highest test scores amongst cities bordering the 78 freeway, San Elijo Middle has the highest (5 years old), and San Marcos High has the 2nd highest (being completely rebuilt next 2 years). San Elijo parents (especially those typical soccer moms) are VERY involved in the local schools. VERY
5. The area is also more socioeconomically & culturally diverse (well it's mainly just caucasian & hispanic, but the asian population has tripled in the last 3 years and the black population is growing as well)
6. Great trails and park system in southern San Marcos. SM prides itself on its parks, which are mostly either newly built or refurbished. They just added Double Peak 2 years ago (in San Elijo), which offers views all the way to the Mexico border or to the San Bernardino mountains. They are also adding another park this year (54 acre south lake park), which is right next to san elijo, and will feature boat rentals, trails, playgrounds, water features, etc.
7. People in San Elijo are really active! Jogging, biking, and walking are fairly popular because of the great trails that provide access to the town center.
8. Due to its relative isolation, SEH has an amazing sense of community. Probably greater than most communities in SD county. Although it is within the boundaries of San Marcos, locals have really made it feel like its own small town. They formed their own recreational soccer league, sports academy, dance studio, cheer team, website (including social media), and host numerous family oriented events throughout the year. It is more likely to run into your neighbors or fellow parents from the schools because there is only one grocery store, one dry cleaners, one pizza place, etc. It's basically the perfect distance away from other communities to create the small town feeling, while being in the middle of north county. However, remember- there are 8,500+ residents so it's not that small of a town.
9. There are TONS of kids in San Elijo. I would say that a large portion of residents are young families.
10. A lot of stay at home moms & dads. Many families also have nannies. This may be better for you, in terms of socializing..
11. Homes are new. The oldest communities are not even 10 years old...

Cons-
1. The community has a sort of sterile feeling, but that is just my opinion about most master-planned communities. I compare most of these communities to Agrestic from the TV show Weeds, if you are familiar with it.
2. The City of San Marcos actually has the lowest tax rate in SD county besides Del Mar I believe. However, they have gotten around Prop 13 and installed a "community facilities tax", which is used to maintain the immediate facilities. I'm actually not sure how much the taxes are, but I've heard people complain about HOA/mello roos on this board, so check in to it. The one good thing about this tax is that a portion of it is designated as extra money towards the local SEH elementary & middle schools. Also, taxes recently increased with the passage of Prop K, which will pump about $300 million into rebuilding older schools in San Marcos...
3. All homes more or less look the same= bleh
4. Lots may be larger than similarly sized homes in coastal communities, but they still are not that big (at least, compared to Poway)
5. There is basically one road in and out= traffic. It's actually not that bad...except for around 8am, when school starts. A lot of kids bike or walk though.
6. Because everyone has so many kids, the schools are bursting with students! San Elijo elementary has a 5th grade class of about 150 students, while the kindergarten class has around 210! Can you imagine the elementary with nearly 1200 students! And that's not even taking into consideration the fact that 600+ lots remain undeveloped. The school district and city did not plan for the community to be THAT popular with families. There is a very high generation rate of students/household. The elementary originally included all the students from Old Creek Ranch, just outside SEH, but the school has grown so much that they were all sent to Carrillo (which is now extremely overcrowded as well)
7. Not really the small midwestern town sense of community. People in CA are not as down to earth and San Elijo is definitely not an exception. It's going to be more materialistic and flashy. Welcome to california!



parents are paranoid out here because there have been so many high-profile cases in San Diego. They have occurred in very nice communities near Poway & Rancho Bernardo, so most parents are scared to let their kids play freely. In the case of a 10 year old girl a few years back, the murderer was actually their next door neighbor- in an affluent community.

[SoundsGood2]

Wow, excellent post!

I noticed that SEH does not have a community pool. True? If so, where do families that don't have their own pool go swimming?

Thanks.

[sdhkshdcny09]

Originally Posted by SoundsGood2

Wow, excellent post!

I noticed that SEH does not have a community pool. True? If so, where do families that don't have their own pool go swimming?

Thanks.

SEH does not have a community pool, yet. The nearest public pools are Las Posas (in Santa Fe Hills) or Woodland Park, which are affordable options. There were actually plans before the recession to build a San Elijo sports club, featuring tennis courts, gyms, and a pool. The club was proposed by a former pro tennis player, who is also a partner with the Briggs tennis school in Encinitas. However, that plan has been put on hold indefinitely. It may take some time, but a facility will be built eventually because the land is zoned for a sports facility. It was somewhat pricey for larger families anyways...

Sports club gets go-ahead from Planning Commission | The San Diego Union-Tribune

Oh and to respond to your question on the other thread.....San Elijo is NOT built on a dump. It is built next to a former dump. I know what you are thinking....but visit the community....it's barely visible. Check google maps for the aerial view...

[SoundsGood2]

It's a shame that a community pool was not part of the original plans. Kind of hard to believe, actually, for a modern master planned community in So Cal.