Possibly Moving to Carlsbad, CA from Metro Atlanta, GA ~ Seeking Advice! (San Diego: sales, leasing)

[BUCD]

I've read through a couple of threads in this forum, but as everybody's situation/needs vary, I'm starting this thread.

So, I've lived in north Atlanta suburbs (Gwinnett county) for the last 5 years. I work downtown & commute (by bus these days) 45 mins each way everyday. Gwinnett is fairly nice for families w/kids. Also, decent schools. I have a 7 & 4 year old. Best of all, good cost of living, w/nice single family homes (3 bedroom+) for $250K or so.

I'm in the final process for securing a job in the Carlsbad area. No certainty of course, but a real possibility soon. I visited the company last week. The Carlsbad area is beautiful, but costly. I was told homes are around $500-700K. Used cost-of-living calculator to compare ATL-to-SAN & it's about 33% more expensive (mainly due to housing) in metro SAN.

I have little clue about Carlsbad and nearby areas. So, I'd appreciate any guidance. Which are some good family-oriented areas to live (low crime, reasonably diverse)? Good school districts. Conveniences (groceries, malls, etc.). I'm fine commuting up to 45 minutes one-way, but I was told it gets drier as you move more inland (east), so don't want to move too far in. Home pricing will a big factor obviously. I'm sure it'll be sticker shock coming from $300K homes, so I'm open to townhomes (need at least 3-bed though) or even rentals.

Thanks for any and all feedback !

[loveautumn]

Is this company really going to pay you all that much more to make it worth while to move here?

[BUCD]

They may; expect to find out by early December . I expect it'll at least be a lateral move, considering cost-of-living difference and other factors.

Did a search for 'Carlsbad' in this forum, and I see people suggesting Carlsbad itself or Encinitas for best living/schools combo. I also see suggestions for Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Carmel Valley. I'm just unfamiliar with all these places .

[cruitr]

BUCD... I'd rent a place for a year or so. The San Diego housing market is much more complicated than the Atlanta market. Take your time, learn the area, and shop around for a while.

Here's a nice Carlsbad rental: Calavera Hills family home (recently renovated)

[ShelbyGirl1]

Prices are on the rise. You may want to keep that in mind.
California home prices rise 19 percent in October - Businessweek

[NYSD1995]

Practically speaking, it's not a big deal - Rent first, and a townhouse (many are almost brand new) is a good way to start - you should be able to find something decent in the 2300-2500/mo range. Most of Carlsbad is a good schools / neighborhood zone with just a few exceptions. If that rent range seems outrageous to you then I would say San Diego is going to be sticker shock, because that is the basic cost of nice housing within great school districts in this area.

Longer term is the bigger question - can you truly afford to live here when most nice single family homes cost 600k? Where will you work, and can you commute there? Is your job stable enough that you won't lose it in a few years? If you do, is your industry large enough that you can find another job? Are you going to be happy with the schools here? Are you going to be happy with the culture here?

San Diego is really a boutique resort, retirement type city that favors the high-skilled, highly credentialed or alternatively the low-wage, willing to work-for-surf types. Our middle has never been weaker and it's getting worse every year. So before you take the plunge with your whole family, make sure you are going to grow here, because unfortunately it's a bit of an 'up or out' scenario for most middle class families.\

It's a great place to live if you can afford it.

[bounty80]

It's a lateral move even for the same pay IMHO.

I was looking into the San Marcos area for a while before getting a job offer in Orange County. It seemed like a nice area if you can't afford the Carlsbad/Encinitas/Del Mar area.

[Clevelandgal]

So, my advice would be:
If your children can have as good as an education AND you can continue to save for retirement (I hope you are already doing this) then FORGET about the size house and yard you think you may need, and brand of car you think you should have, and how many vacations you need(well you should still see the world and experience different culture). If the first 2 can be met and you think you will be happy, then do it. Many people find the cost of living does not match salaries here, so don't even try and make your decision solely based on that...because the quality of life is terrific. My spouse got a large income hike in the move, but alas, I did not. Both of us have less satisfying jobs, but have come to terms with it and would not return to pre San Diego life if given the choice. In the end we are glad we went for it.

[Snort]

You'll like the area. The traffic won't be any better, but the weather sure will. When you look around North County, what you see is what you get. Different people will have their favorite spots, but I'd live as close to your job as possible because commuting in the area can be a pain in the arse.
Downtown Carlsbad is great. Very laid back beach town with everything you need within a short distance.

[IvanMurat]

My wife and I are considering a move to SD from Rhode Island. To be honest, it's more of a dream than a plan right now. We've been there are couple of times and fell in love with the place. Reading a lot of negativity in this forum about the cost of living, but checking on the cost of renting home or condo (town home as you guys call them), it's really not much different than NYC or Boston or Providence. You get what you pay for. We own a rental property built in 1860 and we get $1600 a month for the lower levels and $800 for the tiny 3rd floor apt. This is in a distressed neighborhood where unfortunately, a lot of sex offenders live and crime is high. I think the ones who claim that it's so expensive are the ones who have never lived outside of SD. In Rhode Island, we are taxed to death. I was leasing a car from honda a couple of years ago and every quarter I'd get a property tax bill where they actually add sales tax on top of the property tax being paid! Between the two modest homes we own, we pay about $15000 annually for property tax and sewer tax. Water bill is about $600 a year per home. We've been to the supermarkets in SD and found the food prices to be lower. Gas prices may be higher, but we are not the type who drive to the convenience store for a pack of cigarettes. We are cyclist and love the outdoors. In RI as in most of the northeast, winter begins in October and ends in April. How can anyone put a price on having a warm climate 12 months out of the year (instead of 6)? If quality of life is crap for 1/2 the time and the cost of renting a decent condo in SD is pretty much the same as here, it's a no-brainer to move. We love the geography there, the climate, the ocean, the desert, the hills. It all reminds us of the middle east- say the south coast of Turkey. It's just unbelievably beautiful- and if you live in SD all your life I can see how it can be taken for granted- that's natural. If you are really tired of San Diego's lifestyle, it's people or it's traffic, come and see Boston or Providence. You will go running back after 30 days! Traffic in Boston is a horror show. Homes are also $600k+ in the nice neighborhoods. Gas may be cheaper but who cares? The weather is crap for 6 months out of the year. We are very sensitive to wintertime. It's an emotional downer and it can't be good for your health to hate the cold and be relatively depressed 1/2 the year. At any rate, we're self employed with an online business selling children's bikes. We import them from Taiwan and would get the benefit of much cheaper ocean freight. So basically we can live anywhere in terms of running our business. I am also in construction but very close to being able to quit that career and focus 100% on our business. I have to believe that selling outdoor products like bikes in SD is as challenging as it is here in the Northeast.
At any rate, sorry for the rambling post- it's my first here actually but these thoughts have been pent up after reading so many people complain about how expensive it is. It's not that big a deal if you are a renter. Seems like buying a home is a poor choice when so many beautiful townhomes are offered for about $2000 a month. What's the difference anyway? between owning and renting? A $4000 monthly mortgage is not necessary. Iam astonished at how many rental properties are offered on Craigslist in SD. The supply obviously exceeds demand. Again, a no-brainer. Thanks for reading.