La Mesa or Eastlake (San Diego, Chula Vista: fit in, short sale, HOA)

[Recycledlettuce]

We have an opportunity to move to San Diego and have visited several areas over the years. We have narrowed the search down to La Mesa (Saranac Ave) or Chula Vista (Otay Ranch) with budget of approx 450k for housing. We are both medical professionals in mid 30's and love the outdoors (cycling, running, ocean). We don't have kids yet, but may in future. Commute not a concern at the moment. We want to avoid the areas containing more humidity. We are also considering property value appreciation. We don't necessarily mind HOA and Mello Roos wi reason.

Anyone have thoughts as to which area may be a better fit? We are looking to stay long term and want to be involved in community.

I appreciate any insights!

[lrmsd]

Well, Eastlake has access to trails and outdoors space; the neighborhoods are often set up to access this, in fact. La Mesa has plenty of options nearby, just not the new suburban design [the newer areas have buildt in design with trails and walking paths, etc]. La Mesa has older neighborhoods and some 'hit or miss areas'. Speaking of hit or miss the schools in LM are not particularly strong-though there are a few good options.

Eastlake, along with San Marcos in north county, is often recommended to families and those who cannot afford the 'top' districts. [EL is the 'very good alternative']. Eastlake has great schools, is safe and clean. It's very suburban. La Mesa has a little downtown village area; I personally don't think it's all that great or quaint, but they have tried to give it more character in recent years.

Basically, La Mesa is a decent option, but for your long term goals, I think Eastlake is preferable. My impression is that Eastlake will hold its value due to the desirable schools/family factor, as well. I think it's a more stable/predictable investment than LM which varies considerably depending on the area. Mt Helix is really nice, though. [I don't know Saranac ave so hopefully someone who knows/loves LM can chime in. I actually have family there and am somewhat familiar with the layout, but not an expert].

I'm not sure they are supremely different in terms of your desire to be involved in the community. SD is kind of tough in terms of 'feeling like you live in a community'. Encinitas (north county coastal) in my experience, is probably the best bet for that. But, people anywhere in SD definitely can and do develop a sense of community within their particular residential block-depending on the area, personal interests, etc.

Eastlake has the Olympic training center, btw, and sometimes they offer programs for the general public. My child took an archery class there, for example, and the athletes and coach taught the course.

As far as humidity, coastal will have more moisture usually, but then the coast tempers the weather. Humidity is not really a big factor in SD/so cal as a whole. It doesn't impact quality of life at all. It's more 'Hey, it seems humid today, is it?' LOL You're not really sure so you look the weather up online to confirm....

You can check out school reviews and ratings on great schools dot org .
Good luck!

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Hrm I havent looked in Otay Ranch in a while at the MLS, but 450k does seem on the lower side. Saranac is really specific. Curious why that street vs other parts of La Mesa or even Rolando which is right nearby.

Both areas each have their own charms. But it also seems you are aware that they are very different in terms of characteristics.

Humidity and dew points as lrmsd mentions is not really a concern unless you are much closer to the water. Even then its not like Everywhere else USA in the summer months where its swampy.

I think generally speaking on the appreciation tip, just about anywhere in SD does pretty well. We own a home in a not so great part of San Diego and prices have had no problems going up since we bought in 2010.
But in terms of desirability, I would say that Otay Ranch will have likely always have the good schools appeal and draw and CV on the whole is exploding with growth.
La Mesa is great and the location itself is a win as its more centrally located. So in that sense I dont necessarily see that being to far off from in terms of appreciation %s.

[Recycledlettuce]

Thank you all so much!!

I did see a property on Saranac I love and has great potential-- 7624 saranac ave. I know it needs some work but has a great view, no HOA, and space in yard for improvement.

[iwaboy]

On Redfin, there appear to be several homes for $450K, that offer 1800-1900 sq ft in the Otay Ranch/Eastlake area. Once you get to 2000 sq ft and above, the prices start to push $500K and higher.

It appears that you can get quite a bit for your money in this area and the schools are highly rated on great schools dot net.

[AADAD]

As far as appreciation La Mesa would be better. More stable and Eastlake got hit very hard in the last downturn.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by iwaboy

On Redfin, there appear to be several homes for $450K, that offer 1800-1900 sq ft in the Otay Ranch/Eastlake area. Once you get to 2000 sq ft and above, the prices start to push $500K and higher.

It appears that you can get quite a bit for your money in this area and the schools are highly rated on great schools dot net.

Ah thats great. I did briefly look and there are quite a few homes there that are in that price range, but it looked like many of them are in short sale status with DOM well over 200. I am sure there are more traditional sales mixed in that are in the 450k range under 2k sq ft, but that area was several underwater during the credit bubble.
I didnt even know they really had homes that small that werent attached SFHs. They built some real monsters pads out there.

Definitely though in terms of PPSF, you can get a real bang for your buck

Originally Posted by AADAD

As far as appreciation La Mesa would be better. More stable and Eastlake got hit very hard in the last downturn.

This is very true. It could leave more room for upside potential, but of course that is all crystal ball stuff, in that many of these communities are HOA types. I am generally not a fan of HOA communities, but they most certainly have their benefit in the long run in terms of keeping the grounds nice.

In an ideal world, living on a tree lined street with everyone keeping their properties up would be great. Just about any older neighborhood in SD, even in affluent areas, has that 'one' house everyone gives the dim eye to for lack of upkeep.


OP, is this your first home together?

[Recycledlettuce]

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

OP, is this your first home together?

Yes, first house for either of us. Definitely willing to put in time/money to maintain a property, but the age of La Mesa home (1944) is a little concerning since we are new to this. I know that new houses were sometimes built quickly though, so any house is a risk in that way.

I am ok with a home or two on street not looking perfect. I like the walkability of la mesa home, but realize the otay ranch home is close to planned trails, lots of sidewalks, etc.

Hard decision.

[SD2TN]

Personally, I love La Mesa. I grew up near there and lived there as an adult until moving out of San Diego. The homes will be older, but it is a great place to live and raise a family. It's safe, lots of family friendly things to do and it is easy driving distance from downtown, beaches, etc. Not sure about Saranac, but check out neighborhoods around the Lake Murray Blvd area, on the edge of San Carlos. Most of the homes are well maintained, they just might need some cosmetic upgrades inside depending how long the current homeowners have been there.