What can you tell me about Carlsbad? (Encinitas, Del Mar: for sale, house)

[Vestag]

Hello,

We are in our early 40's with a 2 and 5 year old. My husband will be working in Carlsbad. I am a stay at home mom and would love to live in a community with other young families. Would prefer to be near the ocean, parks, walking distance, but willing to drive to local owned shops, galleries and restaurants vs . strip malls and franchise shops, good schools, but there is flexibility there since my daughter is currently enrolled in an international school in DC and we may try to find something similar. I am wondering about La Jolla or Del Mar? how is the commute to Carlsbad? Also, please feel free to recommend any other city that you think we'd like based on what I've described. Am I wanting too much for what we can afford which is about 750 tops?

Thanks again,
Vesta

[Charles]

Use redfin to to get an idea of what is selling. Tip: instead of looking for what is for sale, configure your search to see what has sold. The price differences are huge.

Here, for example is a map of three month sales under $800K, SFR 5BR:

Redfin

Also check http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?region=San+Diego during the times you expect to commute. Google Maps with the traffic feature is pretty neat too.

Work Greatschools and www.schoolperformancemaps.com

[uptown_urbanist]

I'd check out Encinitas. It has great beaches, lots of independent shops and restaurants, isn't too far from Carlsbad, and has a nice, relaxed feel to it. I've never lived there (have relatives there, though), but it seems excellent for families.

[cruitr]

For $750K you won't get much in Del Mar or La Jolla. And the commute ain't easy. Carlsbad or Encinitas would be better areas to live.

[Snort]

Carlsbad is a fine town. You'll be quite happy there.

[jkoz]

Nice area with beautiful beaches.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by Vestag

Hello,

We are in our early 40's with a 2 and 5 year old. My husband will be working in Carlsbad. I am a stay at home mom and would love to live in a community with other young families. Would prefer to be near the ocean, parks, walking distance, but willing to drive to local owned shops, galleries and restaurants vs . strip malls and franchise shops, good schools, but there is flexibility there since my daughter is currently enrolled in an international school in DC and we may try to find something similar. I am wondering about La Jolla or Del Mar? how is the commute to Carlsbad? Also, please feel free to recommend any other city that you think we'd like based on what I've described. Am I wanting too much for what we can afford which is about 750 tops?

Thanks again,
Vesta

I think you may be asking for too much in La Jolla or Del Mar. Those areas are more expensive than 750K tops. But the good news is, Carlsbad and the surrounding areas are very nice and within your price range. Carlsbad has a very nice little Village area with the locally-owned shopping, non-chain restaurants and charming laid-back vibe that you are looking for. Of course, it's also a good sized city with a fair amount of urban sprawl as you go east away from the beach. But to me, that just means there's something there for everyone. If you want funky little beach cottage, it's there. If you want tract housing, great schools, and convenient shopping, it's there too.
Of course, I'm partial to Encinitas. But the two cities are very similar. You might want to cruise through Encinitas, as it offers a lot of the same amenities as you'll find in Carlsbad. Good luck to you.

[Vestag]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I prefer a little beach cottage over tract housing, but there seems to be a lot of them there so we'll have to explore that option as well. The other factor that is important to us is that we want to live in an educated area -- I don't care about people being rich -- We prefer to live in an area where other educated professional. I'm also willing to have less of a house as long as it's in a better area. What areas would you within Carlsbad/Encinitas/Leucadia would you recommend. Or should we stay away from? We're also interested in the International School in La Jolla -- how would my commute be from these areas to La Jolla? Thanks again.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by Vestag

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I prefer a little beach cottage over tract housing, but there seems to be a lot of them there so we'll have to explore that option as well. The other factor that is important to us is that we want to live in an educated area -- I don't care about people being rich -- We prefer to live in an area where other educated professional. I'm also willing to have less of a house as long as it's in a better area. What areas would you within Carlsbad/Encinitas/Leucadia would you recommend. Or should we stay away from? We're also interested in the International School in La Jolla -- how would my commute be from these areas to La Jolla? Thanks again.

Well, by and large, in Carlsbad and Encinitas (Leucadia is part of Encinitas, not a separate city) you are going to have a higher percentage of adult professionals who have college or advanced degrees. Now, whether or not that makes a person truly "educated" is another thing but at least they have the piece of paper hanging on the wall. So there's that. I don't know of areas in these towns that are more educated than others. I don't find our neighbors to be either particularly scholarly or ignorant, so I guess it just depends on where you settle down and with whom you associate.
As far as areas to recommend, I don't know Carlsbad down to a neighborhood level like I do for Encinitas. I know southeast Carlsbad is more tract, newer homes. Some parts of coastal Carlsbad are large "barrios" that are ok to live in but if you are not Latino, you might feel out of place there. Encinitas has the distinct communities that formed a city 20 years ago and retain their individual characters.
The commute from Encinitas into La Jolla in the morning depends on a lot of factors, such as time of day, where exactly in La Jolla, etc. But I'd plan on 35-40 minutes each way, give or take a few minutes.