Some family friends are moving to SD....help me give them suggestions! I think they're a little misguided too! (San Diego: fit in, apartment)

[SanDiegoTeen]

Some really close family friends of ours are making the move from Manhattan to San Diego. They are a family of four, with two sons (ages 5 & 8).

The husband is a corporate lawyer and the wife is cardiovascular surgeon, so they are quite the high powered couple. They are moving to SD because, even for them (believe it or not), it's too expensive. They wife was telling me that they want some actual land for their kids to roam around on, especially when they get to their teen years...which aren't too far away. Plus, they're just sick of Manhattan, the people & the weather.

They have a very nice apartment that they are selling, so they are coming in with a good amount of equity. Add that to their very successful careers and they can pretty much afford whatever, but they are not looking to max out or for some huge mansion. Her guidelines were 4,000-6,000 SQFT, 2-3+ acres in a quiet area that is reasonably close to the beach.

But she keeps on mentioning gated communities as a plus, if not requirement. I don't think they really should live in a gated community as 1) you pay more for a smaller piece of land 2) it limits what you can get and 3) it's somewhat pretentious. Basically her concerns boil down to wanting a quiet & safe street for her kids to play on. I think she has a misconception that every SoCal street is jammed with speeding cars. I told her this and she is willing to look at non-gated communities and you can always put a gate in your driveway.

Keep in mind that she only told me about 4,000,000 times that she and her husband are SICK of the noise in the city & the quieter the better.

There is obviously Rancho Santa Fe, pretty much hits all of her families' needs. There are some downsides. She mentioned that she would like to have some sort of neighborhood and a lot of times, RSF is isolating. We know quite a few people that live there and a lot of them don't really interact with their neighbors and a couple don't really have neighbors within a short walk. In addition, RSF is the most expensive and she sounded like she didn't want to spend a complete fortune.

I'm from Encinitas, so I'm biased towards Olivenhain. I have friend that live there also and they just love it. To me, Olivenhain strikes that right balance between neighborhood & spacious lots. It is also very quiet. I was driving around there today and there is a lot on the market, including some empty lots (as they willing to build new also). In addition, it's cheaper than RSF & closer to the coast....although not by much. There are some gated communities, like Wildflower Estates, CopperCrest, Double LL Ranch etc. that are gated, but not to the extent of Cielo, Santaluz, Fairbanks....etc. These are just a couple of streets that have one automatic gate off of Lone Jack road. Maybe there was something wrong with the lot, but I grabbed her a flyer of this 5 acre or so lot in one of those gated neighborhoods in Olivenhain that was $1.2 million. A ton of trees, views, QUIET & my subjective impression was that it was a kid friendly street given the quite active bike & water ballon scene going on

I was also thinking of the area off between San Dieguito Park & the polo fields off of Lomas Santa Fe. I know it seems like Rancho Santa Fe, but its actually not....it's Del Mar technically. One of the main roads is named Sun Valley. My godparents live in this area and I love it. The lots are large, it's quiet and beautiful....but its close to the beach, shops and the rest. Plus, based on my experience, there seems to be more neighborhood interaction....which is a great for any new family trying to fit in.

She is coming to visit in about 3 weeks or so with her older son. I was also thinking that her and her husband might have a change of heart when they see North SD, so I'll show her coastal Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach & Del Mar. La Jolla is too far south, as she'll be working at Scripps Encinitas...but I'm not sure where the husband is working.

Wow, that's a lot. Anyway, I'm sure they'll find something....but is there anything I'm missing? I would like for the posters from Olivenhain to throw in their .02!

[loveautumn]

alot of attorneys have been let go in SD due to downsizing...does he have a job lined up?

[Sassberto]

OP was specific with his questions. Unless you can answer the OP, don't reply. The thread is not about whether or not someone should live in one area vs another.

OP, you're asking the wrong people. You are either once again trying to display your faux-nouveau-riche credentials or are just very naive about the type of people who post on internet message boards.

Personally I think you are trolling.

[SanDiegoTeen]

Sassberto just hates me.

You know what I gain? I gain the orgasmic feeling of knowing that some FAMILY FRIENDS of ours can afford a house in Olivenhain or even, hold your breath, Rancho! I don't live on a 20 acre horse farm 5 minutes from the beach in Olivenhain. I started this thread for that very reason: I don't LIVE in Olivenhain, so maybe the people who actually do can share their experiences! Or if you don't live in these places, I would appreciate your opinion or maybe you could share the, positive or negative, story of someone you know who lives in such an area.

But....please Paul Maul, get your post back on topic, or I might have to delete it. You know how I just wanted to start a 7 way flame war....you know that there is NO MORE of a controversial subject in San Diego than another, classic Olivenhain vs. Rancho smackdown!

[moved]

Since your family friends are the ones that want to move, maybe they should do the posting for information instead of you.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by moved

Since your family friends are the ones that want to move, maybe they should do the posting for information instead of you.

great comeback, I pretty much thought the same thing.

Nita

[moved]

Originally Posted by nmnita

great comeback, I pretty much thought the same thing.

Nita

Yes, I would think if they're interested in moving here, that they would be posting, not someone else.

[SanDiegoTeen]

I wanted to do it for them and help them out when they get here to visit.

[thepinksquid]

Not really sure what stuck so many people to be nasty to the OP... am I missing something?

OP - I wish I knew North County better, but I would have to say that with what I know I'd have to agree with you on the somewhat isolated feel of RSF. I would probably suggest that, since they can afford it there, they also look at coastal Del Mar or Carlsbad as well.

[SanDiegoTeen]

Originally Posted by thepinksquid

Not really sure what stuck so many people to be nasty to the OP... am I missing something?

OP - I wish I knew North County better, but I would have to say that with what I know I'd have to agree with you on the somewhat isolated feel of RSF. I would probably suggest that, since they can afford it there, they also look at coastal Del Mar or Carlsbad as well.

Thanks for your suggestions!

They will be looking at all the nice areas (Encinitas, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Del Mar etc)