Job relocation to La Jolla area, need help with housing!! (San Diego: appointed, apartment)

[zmeflyby]

Hola,

I might be moving to San Diego from Texas in a couple of months. Job location will be at the VA Hospital. I have a family of 4, one will be in preschool next year. This job will likely be a forever job. I have been renting all my life and am not looking to rent this time around. Income will be around 100K. We have no debts.

Any recommendations? Thank you.

[someguy10]

I'm assuming you mean the VA in La Jolla?

Unless you have an unusually large down payment saved up, I think you'll be disappointed trying to buy. On $100K, you're probably looking at $450K max price (I would suggest a max loan of $300K which probably means a max price of closer to $360-400K). At current prices you'll only get an apartment/condo -- 2 BR if you want a shorter commute or a longer commute if you want 3 or 4 BR. And if good schools are important for the kids then your options are going to be very limited. I suggest you run a search on RedFin or Zillow and see what you get and if it's anywhere near acceptable. Keep in mind, SoCal traffic at normal commute times will make any commute at least 1.5 times longer than it appears.

On a related note, I think if you move to San Diego you should rent for at least 6 months or a year and go from there. You can learn the different areas' vibes in a way that reading forums will never convey.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by someguy10

I'm assuming you mean the VA in La Jolla?

Unless you have an unusually large down payment saved up, I think you'll be disappointed trying to buy. On $100K, you're probably looking at $450K max price (I would suggest a max loan of $300K which probably means a max price of closer to $360-400K). At current prices you'll only get an apartment/condo -- 2 BR if you want a shorter commute or a longer commute if you want 3 or 4 BR. And if good schools are important for the kids then your options are going to be very limited. I suggest you run a search on RedFin or Zillow and see what you get and if it's anywhere near acceptable. Keep in mind, SoCal traffic at normal commute times will make any commute at least 1.5 times longer than it appears.

On a related note, I think if you move to San Diego you should rent for at least 6 months or a year and go from there. You can learn the different areas' vibes in a way that reading forums will never convey.

Yes, the lowest prices will be in or near Oceanside, if you still want a reasonable commute. Renting first is always a good idea if possible, but rent can be higher than a mortgage IF you have a decent down payment. Lived in TX and CA (Native Californian) and would chose SoCal over TX, but bring a lot of money.

Do a through check of not just the schools, but the neighborhoods as well. You need to know them before moving in the area.

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Yes, the lowest prices will be in or near Oceanside, if you still want a reasonable commute.

Yup. Check and see if they have any sort of shuttle from the train stop... live in Oceanside and take the Coaster to Sorrento Valley. Or maybe a vanpool? Maybe even buy a twleve year old Honda and leave it down there to go back and forth?

I would not want to try to support a family on $100K with a mortgage in that area...

[zmeflyby]

Thanks people.

I do have a decent amount of money saved up from previous jobs. Also, 100K salary is the worst case scenario. Family combined salary should be close to 300K annually.

I have heard good things about Carlsbad and was wondering how is Carlsbad vs Oceanside in terms of school district and commute ?

thanks

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by zmeflyby

Hola,

I might be moving to San Diego from Texas in a couple of months. Job location will be at the VA Hospital. I have a family of 4, one will be in preschool next year. This job will likely be a forever job. I have been renting all my life and am not looking to rent this time around. Income will be around 100K. We have no debts.

Any recommendations? Thank you.

Read the thread at the top of the forum called "Get Real About San Diego Home prices."

Then, read through this thread, which describes the pluses and minuses of a wide variety of neighborhoods (although not all of them!) in San Diego County:

What do you like about where you live in SD County?

As suggested above, use Zillow or Redfin to get a sense of the prices of homes in the areas that interest you.

Then, find a good realtor who specializes in the areas that sound interesting that look like they might work for your budget. Oh, and also meet with a good mortgage broker to get pre-qualified for a mortgage, so you'll know how much of a budget you actually have to work with, taking into account your downpayment, credit history, etc.

Welcome to San Diego!

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by jnojr

Yup. Check and see if they have any sort of shuttle from the train stop... live in Oceanside and take the Coaster to Sorrento Valley. Or maybe a vanpool? Maybe even buy a twleve year old Honda and leave it down there to go back and forth?

I would not want to try to support a family on $100K with a mortgage in that area...

There will also be a new Trolley route to La Jolla in a year or so. That will put some other communities into play if you don't want to drive.

Other areas that might be worth checking out that would be a decent commute to the VA hospital might include , Rancho Penasquitos, University City, Scripps Ranch, Clairemont Mesa, and Tierrasanta. Poway would be a longer commute, but also worth a look for the excellent schools and family-friendly community.

I also agree with the suggestion to consider renting for a year. That gives your spouse time to get a job so you have the higher combined salary and know where your spouse needs to commute to.

Good luck!

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by zmeflyby

Thanks people.

I do have a decent amount of money saved up from previous jobs. Also, 100K salary is the worst case scenario. Family combined salary should be close to 300K annually.

I have heard good things about Carlsbad and was wondering how is Carlsbad vs Oceanside in terms of school district and commute ?

thanks

Carlsbad would be better or even Encinitas which I prefer in many ways, except traffic. Both are on the 5 Frwy so commuting is about the same depending on your homes location. With your combined income these may be good cities for you to consider.

[zmeflyby]

Thank you people. A lot of good info in such a short amount of time.

[someguy10]

Carlsbad is a very nice community. Compared to Oceanside, it's a little closer to the VA and its schools overall are definitely better. As a result, home prices are noticeably higher. Starting prices for single family homes in decent to good areas in Oceanside probably start at $500K while in Carlsbad it's probably $700K.

San Diego area is huge and there are lots of cities and areas that each have their own character and pluses and minuses. Even within the cities/areas, there is often distinct variability between neighborhoods and pockets. This is why I (and others) tend to highly recommend spending a fair amount of time in SD before purchasing. For most, that means moving there and renting for a while. If you are a two-earner household where only one of you has a new job lined up in SD, you may HAVE to rent a (less expensive) place at first until the other also finds a job. In your case, you probably won't qualify for more than a $400K mortgage on $100K income whereas obviously using the same ratio on a $300K income gets you a max mortgage $1.2mm. Personally I would never go to a 1:4 ratio anyway, but you get the idea.