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I'm continuing to try to learn more about San Diego, have been looking to relocate out of WI recently. I know houses are expensive anywhere in CA, that traffic around SD can be bad, and that public schools are not good in most places.
I am a software architect, there seems to be a lot of jobs in San Diego I could go for. I have 3 children (10/7/3 months) and am looking for areas that are 500k or less for a 3 bedroom (if that's even possible) though I would rent first coming out here I'm sure.
Can anyone tell me about Santee, Poway, or other areas I've heard have good schools with the following criteria: I would like either an area that I can drive into SD in 40 mins or less during typical transit hours or possibly an area that has some tech jobs that is outside of SD but somewhat near it. Basically my family wants occasional (weekend) access to the beach, I would like a city job if possible, and we don't want to live in a dangerous area with crappy schools.
Any feedback is great. I apologize if what I'm asking for is rediculous, I know cost of living is nuts out there right now I'm just having a hard time with research.
Hello,
I am a software architect, there seems to be a lot of jobs in San Diego I could go for. I have 3 children (10/7/3 months) and am looking for areas that are 500k or less for a 3 bedroom (if that's even possible) though I would rent first coming out here I'm sure.
Can anyone tell me about Santee, Poway, or other areas I've heard have good schools with the following criteria: I would like either an area that I can drive into SD in 40 mins or less during typical transit hours or possibly an area that has some tech jobs that is outside of SD but somewhat near it. Basically my family wants occasional (weekend) access to the beach, I would like a city job if possible, and we don't want to live in a dangerous area with crappy schools.
Well it's a tall order. If you were looking at 600k+ you would have a lot more options.
I am in the software biz too and I currently work in Poway, live near SDSU. My commute is 15 minutes without traffic (I work 6AM-3PM). You may be able to get a small 50's fixer 3/2 in Poway in the mid 500k's. Think 1200-1500 square foot classic california ranch homes, totally unrenovated. Poway, Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, San Dieguito are generally regarded as your best schools. These areas are also very expensive, and tend to be tract home areas which is not necessarily desirable to everyone.
There are a lot more options than people realize for schools in SD, provided you can accomodate transportation. All of my family and friends live in urban areas with bad schools - North Park, Normal Heights, College Area, South Park, etc. Most send their kids to schools elsewhere in SD Unified - La Jolla Point Loma, Del Cerro, Clairemont. There are lotteries and waiting lists for the most desirable schools. The best plan is to focus on a group of schools that are attractive to you and make a real effort to get your kid enrolled.
Be realistic about what you can get for under 500k. I paid ~450k for a 1000sf 1946 ranch house in Rolando Village which is a nice, diverse urban area with bad schools - a so-called up-and-comer. If you are afraid of blacks and mexicans, you would hate my neighborhood, even though it is 85% white homeowners :-)
At your price point your best bet is probably Temecula, which is realistically a one hour commute to the tech job center in Sorrento Valley. Large tract homes in that community sell in the 400-500k range. Otherwise you are most likely looking at condos in massive complexes in north county. Santee may be an option but you are again looking at fixers in the sub-500k price range, and Santee is a hot, conservative place with not a lot for young people to do or be involved in.
The thing to realize about SD is that there are different reasons for home values in different areas. For example, Poway has high values because of it's good schools and suburban atmosphere. However values in South Park or Mission Hills are higher for smaller houses with bad schools, because the area has historical homes, central access to all of San Diego, and is close to all amenities.
Strange as it may seem, as a rule of thumb, the better core SD neighborhoods have and hold higher values than the more distant tract home areas in inland North County. My area, which some on this board would call "ghetto", has higher PPSF values than Temecula or Escondido, again because of it's central location, historic homes, and mild climate. My neighborhood, like North Park, has seen a big influx of young families and gay couples in the last few years.
Personally we chose our area because we knew we could send our kids to Del Cerro, Tierrasanta, or even La Mesa Schools. My wife works for SD Unified and knows how the system works. With some perseverance and a flexible attitude it can be done. If you are unwilling to work the system you will most likely have to bite the bullet and pay well upwards of 500k to be in the best school districts.
Take a look at an area called 'Westwood' within the 92127 zip. This area is an older part of Rancho Bernardo (some homes built in late 70s) but is VERY safe and has some of the best schools within the Poway Unified District - which is the best district in San Diego in my opinion.
I see alot of 3Bdr 1500 sq/ftish homes in this area now being listed under 500k.
Again, nice area, decent commute to anywhere in SD, great schools, almost no crime and lots of ammenities like shopping.
Here's an example of one that just listed: removed
I think the Eastlake area of Chula Vista is pretty nice, too, although I'm speaking on behalf of the elementary schools. I am a teacher in San Diego and am currently subbing in both the Chula Vista and the San Diego City Schools districts. The Eastlake area (Chula Vista Elementary School District) seems to have nice, new elementary schools...Eastlake is just what it sounds, east of Chula Vista and near a lake. I've been pretty impressed with the teachers and facilities in that district overall. I taught in San Diego City Schools and the teachers are trained well, but there are many English Language Learners, so some students don't know English well at all. (Of course, some schools in Chula Vista would be comparable in regard to language development, as Chula Vista is closer to the border.) It can have an effect on test scores, etc., not to mention possibly the lack of a Parent Teacher Association, etc. Some great kids in those schools, too, though.
Well it's a tall order. If you were looking at 600k+ you would have a lot more options.
I am in the software biz too and I currently work in Poway, live near SDSU. My commute is 15 minutes without traffic (I work 6AM-3PM). You may be able to get a small 50's fixer 3/2 in Poway in the mid 500k's. Think 1200-1500 square foot classic california ranch homes, totally unrenovated. Poway, Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, San Dieguito are generally regarded as your best schools. These areas are also very expensive, and tend to be tract home areas which is not necessarily desirable to everyone.
There are a lot more options than people realize for schools in SD, provided you can accomodate transportation. All of my family and friends live in urban areas with bad schools - North Park, Normal Heights, College Area, South Park, etc. Most send their kids to schools elsewhere in SD Unified - La Jolla Point Loma, Del Cerro, Clairemont. There are lotteries and waiting lists for the most desirable schools. The best plan is to focus on a group of schools that are attractive to you and make a real effort to get your kid enrolled.
Be realistic about what you can get for under 500k. I paid ~450k for a 1000sf 1946 ranch house in Rolando Village which is a nice, diverse urban area with bad schools - a so-called up-and-comer. If you are afraid of blacks and mexicans, you would hate my neighborhood, even though it is 85% white homeowners :-)
At your price point your best bet is probably Temecula, which is realistically a one hour commute to the tech job center in Sorrento Valley. Large tract homes in that community sell in the 400-500k range. Otherwise you are most likely looking at condos in massive complexes in north county. Santee may be an option but you are again looking at fixers in the sub-500k price range, and Santee is a hot, conservative place with not a lot for young people to do or be involved in.
The thing to realize about SD is that there are different reasons for home values in different areas. For example, Poway has high values because of it's good schools and suburban atmosphere. However values in South Park or Mission Hills are higher for smaller houses with bad schools, because the area has historical homes, central access to all of San Diego, and is close to all amenities.
Strange as it may seem, as a rule of thumb, the better core SD neighborhoods have and hold higher values than the more distant tract home areas in inland North County. My area, which some on this board would call "ghetto", has higher PPSF values than Temecula or Escondido, again because of it's central location, historic homes, and mild climate. My neighborhood, like North Park, has seen a big influx of young families and gay couples in the last few years.
Personally we chose our area because we knew we could send our kids to Del Cerro, Tierrasanta, or even La Mesa Schools. My wife works for SD Unified and knows how the system works. With some perseverance and a flexible attitude it can be done. If you are unwilling to work the system you will most likely have to bite the bullet and pay well upwards of 500k to be in the best school districts.
Best of luck, and welcome to San Diego.
Hi,
You seem to know a lot about the San Diego Unified School District Schools. Can you tell me anything about the schools in UTC/near UCSD. We'll be at UCSD for two years and will likely live in that area, meaning that we'd have kids at Doyle Elementary and Standley Middle in UTC. How are these schools? Negotiating the lottery and applying for schools outside our area seems a bit daunting and impractical from afar...
Thanks.... Susan
Hi,
You seem to know a lot about the San Diego Unified School District Schools. Can you tell me anything about the schools in UTC/near UCSD. We'll be at UCSD for two years and will likely live in that area, meaning that we'd have kids at Doyle Elementary and Standley Middle in UTC. How are these schools? Negotiating the lottery and applying for schools outside our area seems a bit daunting and impractical from afar...
Thanks.... Susan
I don't know the area too well but I would expect good schools ... University City high is generally well-regarded. School quality tends to trend along with income... and the UTC area is pretty much high-income.
Thanks! I was wondering, because I saw on the middle school website that they were implementing uniforms in 2007. To me uniforms in a public school is usually a sign that the school is having problems with behavior or violence...
Thanks! I was wondering, because I saw on the middle school website that they were implementing uniforms in 2007. To me uniforms in a public school is usually a sign that the school is having problems with behavior or violence...
ALL the schools in SD have behavior problems...even the good ones. The uniform policies are a response to the cootchie cutters, belly shirts, mini-skirts, sagging pants, sideways ballcaps, and hooded goon sweaters that are prevalent in the best and worst schools all over SoCal.
ALL the schools in SD have behavior problems...even the good ones. The uniform policies are a response to the cootchie cutters, belly shirts, mini-skirts, sagging pants, sideways ballcaps, and hooded goon sweaters that are prevalent in the best and worst schools all over SoCal.
I like to think of myself as someone who is open-minded, hip, etc...but even I am shocked by what I see HS students wearing.
I was driving on Camino del Sur when school was letting out at the HS there. That area is very high-income (mostly homes 700k-2 mil) and probably is not viewed as a school fraught with violence or behavioral problems.
I could not believe the shorts some of the girls were wearing! They may as well have been wearing crotchless panties! Really, it was a disgrace. And the sagging pants were pretty bad, too.
Between the cell phones and the inappropriate clothing, I don't know how teachers can accomplish what they are trained to do.
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I've been pretty impressed with the teachers and facilities in that district overall. I taught in San Diego City Schools and the teachers are trained well, but there are many English Language Learners, so some students don't know English well at all. (Of course, some schools in Chula Vista would be comparable in regard to language development, as Chula Vista is closer to the border.) It can have an effect on test scores, etc., not to mention possibly the lack of a Parent Teacher Association, etc. Some great kids in those schools, too, though.
Really, it was a disgrace. And the sagging pants were pretty bad, too.
