Leaving Seattle 4 San Diego????? (San Francisco: sales, real estate, townhome)

[kcda]

Originally Posted by luauelvis

These 2 cities seem to have some houses right at 400K or a little below. Are these areas safe for families. Some of the houses have bars on the windows. I really want to be close to the beach (20 minutes) are these areas even legit. Thanks

Western Chula Vista (old Chula Vista) is very different from eastern Chula Vista. I would look at homes in the 91915, 91914, 91913 area code if you are looking at Chula Vista. Eastern Chula Vista is newer, cleaner and very safe. No bars on windows either! We are 25-30 minutes from the beach.

Encinitas is also very nice. I don't know if there is a "bad part" of Encinitas or not. The parts I've seen have been nice (near La Costa).

[mewzikguy]

East Chula Vista is new, nice, family oriented.(where the 2nd Cheesecake Factory is) Western areas of Mira Mesa are fine, (around Sandburg/ Hickman/ Ericcson elementary schools). Encinitas is mostly nice too. Not sure if Seattle has areas like what I'm going to describe, but SD has many lovely neighborhoods, then a block or two away, more shabby ethnic areas, if that makes sense. . . . not usually a problem at all. Also, you might want to check out condos/ townhomes in Mission Valley. . . lots of them are really nice, and the other Cheesecake Factory is in Fashion Valley Mall.

[luauelvis]

Thanks so much for the help. I am assuming it is imposible for a house within walking distance to the beach (even a really small house) is San Diego.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by luauelvis

Thanks so much for the help. I am assuming it is imposible for a house within walking distance to the beach (even a really small house) is San Diego.

Oceanside and Imperial Beach would be the only places I think that would be possible. They are just the cheapest beach communities in the county but for good reason. They aren't that bad, just working to lower middle class overall. IB is heavily hispanic and during winter can have water quality issues b/c the Tijuana River lets out south of there. I just did a quick search out of curiosity and there seems to be several properties in IB for $400k or less within walking or at least a short bike ride to the beach, so research that area. Oceanside is pricier and it seems harder to find anything close to the beach for $400k, at least with 3 bedrooms or more.

[luauelvis]

Thank you so much for the info, I am going to check it out right now.

[Americanpainter]

Originally Posted by luauelvis

These 2 cities seem to have some houses right at 400K or a little below. Are these areas safe for families. Some of the houses have bars on the windows. I really want to be close to the beach (20 minutes) are these areas even legit. Thanks

i've been checking other posts and it seems like Mira Mesa is dense with higher crime and appears frequently on residents lists of iffy neighborhoods. Northwest Chula Vista has a bad reputation. That is funny you mention the bars on the windows, it isn't for style exactly, but some of the neighborhoods have been revitalized and the bars are from a past era. correct me if i am wrong somebody, because i am basing my opinions on internet research and a few visits a year.
I would check redfin.com for houses in your range and watch the prices continue to drop at HousingTracker: Median Home Price & Inventory Data for San Diego, California

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by Americanpainter

That is funny you mention the bars on the windows, it isn't for style exactly, but some of the neighborhoods have been revitalized and the bars are from a past era. correct me if i am wrong somebody, because i am basing my opinions on internet research and a few visits a year.

Look inside a house with Burglar bars and you will almost always find a senior Citizen. Most of the bars went on in the late 80's and early 90' and haven't come off despite the fact that most of these neighborhoods have improved dramatically. In general, the trend in the city is gates and walls as opposed to burglar bars. It's becoming more common and I am even starting to see it in my neighborhood.

[blondmom]

college area has homes in that range

[Nick682]

I lived in Federal Way for a few months, when I first got there, I thought it was a pretty nice town compared with many spots in SD. I liked the trees and the open land it seemed like a nice suburb for the money. My girlfriend in Seattle used to make fun of Fed Wy for being kinda rednecky, but I never thought that.

I know it was much cheaper than SD, when I was there back in 99. Surfing and volleyball are some of the best things to do in SD. If you've been in WA for a long time, the sun here would probably be a nice change for you. It is definitely more difficult financially though, I wouldn't expect to find places like Fed wy that are close to your price range and near the beach.

I would ask yourself if you think you could make it in a place like Redmond or Bothell, maybe Bellvue? If so, then those areas would probably be fairly comparable in cost to some decent areas of SD. Nothing by the beach though. Also the other poster said it right about the teaching jobs here, it's probably the worst time to try for a teaching job. We have so many unemployed teachers from budget cuts that other states are recruiting them. On the flip side, it is a good time to buy here, if your selling there, because we have been hit much harder by the subprime mess than the Seattle areas. So the differential gap in home values have closed allot compared with a few years back. SD home values are now on a decline and are not expected to rebound till the end of 08 at best.

"Life is short" so if you really wanna move, make it happen, nothing is impossible.

[f_m]

I would have to believe nurses make more here, at least from what I could tell some of them make a bit. Your best bet would be to rent along the beach and watch the housing prices as they are falling.