Small Town Feel w/ in 45 mins. of Rady Children's Hospital? (San Diego: middle-class, rent)

[marchesefam]

Hi all!

Hoping you can help... We currently live in the greater Phoenix,
Arizona area and we are looking to relocate.

A little about us:
We are in our early 30's, the parents of a special needs (heart
defect) daughter who is adopted. We are looking for the idyllic
"quaint" area. I grew up outside of San Francisco but went to high
school in Sheboygan, WI and my husband grew up in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. We like the smaller communities and we're looking for a small
town feel with some amenities. I'd like a community where one can get
involved, one with good schools, a middle-class cost of living, and
very safe. My daughter will require numerous heart surgeries over the
course of her life, so we're looking at the top 25 pediatric
cardiology facilities and searching a 45 mile radius around the area.

In Arizona, kids can't do sports in the summer because of the heat. No
kids play outside, and after 5 years in my current home, I still don't
know most of my neighbors. I'd like a town where kids play outside,
the neighbors know one another, the town goes to the high school
football games.

My husband is a claims adjuster for a large insurance company and
works from home, so we're very flexible. I am a stay-at-home mother,
so being able to do things with my child is important.

I enjoy a milder climate, but I'm flexible.

I appreciate your help!

[cruitr]

Are you looking to buy or rent? What is your budget?

[jksouthbay88]

Well the whole "know your neighbors" thing is kind of a thing here(and most of the Desert SW as a whole).The football game thing too is kind of a big thing in San Diego county but it's no Texas or American south tradition type of event.Plus when you say "small town" do you mean in population,lifestyle,or community?

Plus answering the question regarding budget and rent will help.

[marchesefam]

Small town in lifestyle, I guess. I thought Temecula (?) was charming when I drove through. We'd like to stay around 300k for purchase price, and we don't need to be on the ocean. I REFUSE to live in Santee, though.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by marchesefam

I REFUSE to live in Santee, though.

If you tell us what you don't like about Santee, we'll have a better idea of what you do like.

[cruitr]

$300K is a small budget for San Diego. Have you looked at Ramona? Here's a sample house:
SDLookup.com | 24903*Bareta*Star*Ranch*Rd - MLS# 090059335

Here's your commute from Ramona to Rady's:
from: 92103 to: 24903 Bareta Star Ranch Rd, 92065 - Google Maps

[Sassberto]

San Diego is not really set up with "towns". It's more a blanket of roads and stripmalls and housing development in all directions.

45 minutes, 300k, and you don't like Santee? Temecula perhaps.