Valley Center Area (San Diego, Escondido, Carlsbad: real estate, to rent, houses)

[Liza54]

Any info on Valley Center area. We were looking at Carlsbad, but for I believe just a bit further inland you get a whole lot more for your money. Is there nothing out there?

[j760]

Originally Posted by Liza54

Any info on Valley Center area. We were looking at Carlsbad, but for I believe just a bit further inland you get a whole lot more for your money. Is there nothing out there?

Yes there's stuff out there, but you will find that a lot of Valley Center residents travel into Escondido for most of their business. They are neighboring cities so it's not a far distance.

I'm an Escondido resident and I'm a big fan of inland San Diego living so I would agree that you will get more for your money in Valley Center, but just know that your going to experience warmer temperatures during the spring & summer months than you would in Carlsbad, and your not going to be that close to the beach anymore. Also I don't know if you have children or not, but if you do the Valley Center School District is not that great compared to some of the schools Carlsbad offers. If your OK with those things then by all means look into Valley Center further.

If you just want to live inland for a somewhat lower cost of living then there are better cities to check out if your open to other choices.

[Liza54]

Thanks..no, I"ve got 2 young kids that will be entering school in a couple years, so it is important. Carlsbad is probably a better choice to set our sites on, even if it means smaller place for more $. At least I"m back in Socal!

[j760]

Originally Posted by Liza54

Thanks..no, I"ve got 2 young kids that will be entering school in a couple years, so it is important. Carlsbad is probably a better choice to set our sites on, even if it means smaller place for more $. At least I"m back in Socal!

If schools are very important to you and you like Carlsbad and can afford it then yes it's probably a better option for you. Just research the school itself because not every school in Carlsbad is a good one.

[Liza54]

Well I'm a nurse so my salary is definitely on the lower end Im sure to afford the area. However we're trying to get back to SD from Raleigh, NC and I'm searching Craigslist for places to rent. Not only are schools important, but I miss being able to at least drive to the beach to walk around. Plus the thought of lots of sunny days again...yippee!
I'd love to be in Encintas, but that really is $$$.

[j760]

Originally Posted by Liza54

Well I'm a nurse so my salary is definitely on the lower end Im sure to afford the area. However we're trying to get back to SD from Raleigh, NC and I'm searching Craigslist for places to rent. Not only are schools important, but I miss being able to at least drive to the beach to walk around. Plus the thought of lots of sunny days again...yippee!
I'd love to be in Encintas, but that really is $$$.

Whatever you decide welcome back to San Diego, I'm sure you will find a way to return. And the sunshine definitely hasn't gone anywhere, we've had quite a bit of sunshine so far this fall.

[esmith143]

Valley Center always reminds me of rural Texas. As much a Texan experience as it gets in the vicinity of San Diego. Main difference is that Texas is greener (more rain).

[VC mom]

Originally Posted by Liza54

Thanks..no, I"ve got 2 young kids that will be entering school in a couple years, so it is important. Carlsbad is probably a better choice to set our sites on, even if it means smaller place for more $. At least I"m back in Socal!

I have two kids who are currently in 8th and 9th grade in Valley Center schools. I can tell you that the test scores do NOT indicate the quality of the schools. I have sold real estate for 22 years, 20 of those in Rancho Santa Fe - a VERY expen$ive area with arguably the BEST school scores in the state.........and I could have raised my kids there, and chose not to. The schools in VC have an immersion bilingual program that is academically based, and is currently being copied by the Del Mar school district. My kids could pass a college entrance exam in Spanish in the 4th grade. They're both CSF (California Scholarship Federation) scholars, academic award winners, Honor roll since day one, and in the California Scholarship Who's who.

More than that, though, I wanted my kids to experience the small town life, where the teachers are from the town, are vested in it, know the kids, and in some cases the parents, and where the town is really behind it's inhabitants. I can tell you that when a mom of one of my daughter's friends was in the hospital, there was an immediate meeting of other families, the kids were picked up for sports, meals were made for the family, the kids were taken to friends' houses and school, and just immediately jumped in to help fill the gap. When we had a wildfire leave so many homeless, the people of the town set up a relief fund, and with grassrooots support, this little town raised and distributed over $400,000 (with NO overhead) in a little over 6 months..........directly to those affected.

There is a LOT more to a community and where you raise your kids than just the school scores on a piece of paper. And believe me, I'd MUCH rather live here than in some parts of Escondido, where yes, I sometimes go to shop.