Best place in SD for a family of 4 from UK (San Diego: for sale, real estate)

[maninthemirror]

Hi All,

I wonder if you could kindly help with this one... We've got 2 kids in elementary school (Grades 2 and 4) and are planning a 2 year stint in SD. Own a home in the Uk but I guess it would make sense to rent a while in US (e.g. a few months before buying). Would probably be happiest in a 4 or 5 bed house in a friendly and comfortable area with other young families etc.

Can anyone advise on:
- best areas for school cathment etc
- likely rental prices
- house purchase prices
- general comments on desirable places to live
- reasnable transport links for amenities and airports etc.
- Anything else you think we should know..

Many thanks for your help in advance.

Man in the Mirror
(What a great song!)

[cruitr]

Yes renting for a while would be best. You'll need time to learn the city. Questions:
1. Where in San Diego will you be working?
2. A nice 5 bedroom house will rent for at least $2500/month. What is your rental budget?

[maninthemirror]

Hi Cruitr,

Sorry for the delay in responding (just had to completely reinstall windows etc over past few days!).

1. We're both home based but wife needs to access biotec clusters around SD, and airports for US and international travel (although we dont really need to live on the door step as its not as though we need to 'commute'.

2. We need to provide budget figures to wife's employers. We were told that $4000 per month was "way too much for SD", yet we're concened to live in a nice safe area with excellent schools for kids (2nd and 4th graders). I've seen lots advertised for $2500 but not sure if that would represent a compromise.

I think our UK housing costs are about $3250.

Many thanks for your help.

Man in the MIrror
(what a great song!)

[cruitr]

Since you're only planning to be in San Diego for 2 years, don't buy a house. A house could make your next career move very difficult.

Good schools, easy commute to biotech employers, and a reasonable drive to the airport puts you in Carmel Valley (zip code = 92130).

A 4-5 bedroom house in Carmel Valley will cost you $3500-$4000 a month. Here are a few example rentals in Carmel Valley:
Location ...Location ...Pacific Highlands Ranch (http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/apa/1553765281.html - broken link)
Nice Single Family House (5-Br 3-ba 2800 sq ft) in Carmel Valley (http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/apa/1553449658.html - broken link)
Four bedroom with many upgrades PLUS additional 5th room/office (http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/apa/1553444435.html - broken link)

[HHollywood]

Mount Helix (just East of La Mesa). Moved there 4 months ago from UK in exact same situation as you, kids of similar ages (although we found that our kids needed to go a year higher than their age suggested as they start a year later here compared to the UK - and the school was great about that). The area's really nice, the schools are excellent, rent is in line with what you want to pay. You'll get a nice big house, maybe with a beautiful view and a pool.

Some people think East County is the middle of nowhere - in fact, we're 15-20 minutes from Gaslamp or the beaches. I commute into Mission Valley each day and it's well under 15 minutes most days.

Many areas more to the west are great too - all the north beach towns, Mission Hills, Del Cerro all had good schools too - but, the closer you get to the beach, the more expensive (and smaller) the houses will be.

Check out Craigslist for some properties.

Personally, the areas with identikit tract housing (Carmel Valley, Rancho Penasquitos, Tierrasanta and many others) make me want to take my own life, but they're actually pretty good in terms of ticking all the boxes you'd want to tick. When I came here to find a house I expected all those places to be ideal, and you might find that they are perfect for you - you'll get a pristine new house with a small garden, you'll just keep driving past it each night when you come home, as they all look the same!

[maninthemirror]

Oh - one other thing. Can anyone suggest what health insurance costs for a family of 4 would be. 2 adults and 2 kids under 10.

May as well budget for this now I guess.

And is there any fleecing - grab your money and run - s.o.b. type - companies to avoid!

Cheers.

Maninthemirror
(What a great song)

[HHollywood]

Originally Posted by maninthemirror

Oh - one other thing. Can anyone suggest what health insurance costs for a family of 4 would be. 2 adults and 2 kids under 10.

May as well budget for this now I guess.

And is there any fleecing - grab your money and run - s.o.b. type - companies to avoid!

Cheers.

Maninthemirror
(What a great song)

Heathcare is the one thing I don't like about living here. I (theoretically) have great insurance by my employer - but every time you go to a doctor, you'll pay. The doctors (scared of being sued) will send you for all kinds of tests you may or may not need. And you'll pay a percentage of that too. And then (as has happened in my case) your insurance company will then try not to pay those bills (currently arguing about 4 grand's worth of tests for a cough which needed antibiotics).

If you're not under an existing company scheme, you won't be covered for any pre-existing medical conditions - at all. As far as I know, there's no way around that. If you _are_ in a company scheme, get a letter from your GP before you leave, saying you've been covered by the NHS forever. Then, you _should_ be covered for pre-existing - but be ready for a tiresome fight (ongoing in my case) to actually get things paid for.

The whole healthcare system here is set up to make as many people as much profit as possible - and it's kind of scary. A simple example - just before I left the UK my doctor gave me Beconase, a nasal spray, for said cough. You can actually get it in Boots over the counter for £5 or so. I tried to buy some here, but needed a prescription (which I got). Then, the pharmacy wouldn't give it to me as my insurance company refused to pay for it. I assumed I could just pay for it myself (cheap, after all). I could have done - it was $189! In the end I had to get a different prescription for a similar product the insurance company would pay for.

When you're used to UK/European healthcare it's quite an eye opener - the example above shows just how each item has vast amounts of profit built in for the various parties involved. I actually find it pretty scary just how fundamentally broken the system here is - and just how many people think it's the finest in the world (until, presumably, someone in their family needs treatment and the insurance company won't pay and they lose their house).

So, I can't give you a quote for how much insurance would cost (google Anthem Blue Cross which is the company my company uses, I guess they're as good as anyone else) but reckon on paying some hundreds/thousands per person on top of that if you actually need treatment (even if the insurance company pays up).

One thing I would advise - and I wish someone had told me this - when your doctor says you should have a test for something - YOU need to make the decision as to whether or not you really want/need it. Going for that test is basically a purchasing decision by you. Ask the doctor how much it will cost, and make sure you're comfortable you need and can afford it. Completely different mindset, and it takes some adjusting to.

[maninthemirror]

Gulp... that sounds like a right carry on! I'll try and get some quotes.

Re housing. the houses linked by Cruitr above look amazing and about how much we spend in the UK anyway (although they do look a little over the top so we could probably make do with something smaller). Could you recommend an estate agency or something in Mt Helix so we can get an idea of house/rents etc.

Many thx.

Maninthemirror
(What a great song!) :-)

[HHollywood]

No idea about realtors - best to look on realtor.com or Craigslist. Keep looking as the ads change frequently.

san diego apts/housing for rent classifieds "helix" - craigslist

[cruitr]

Originally Posted by maninthemirror

Gulp... that sounds like a right carry on! I'll try and get some quotes.

Re housing. the houses linked by Cruitr above look amazing and about how much we spend in the UK anyway (although they do look a little over the top so we could probably make do with something smaller). Could you recommend an estate agency or something in Mt Helix so we can get an idea of house/rents etc.

Many thx.

Maninthemirror
(What a great song!) :-)

Most house rentals are arranged directly with the property owner. Craigslist is a good place to find rentals with owners.

However, some owners do turn their rental homes over to Property Managment companies. Here are two reputable Property Managment companies:
San Diego Property Management
SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO Homes and Real Estate For Sale - ,

Call both of these companies and explain to them what you're looking for. They will be able to you help you.

A word of caution... renting a house can require lots of paperwork. A form for this and a form for that. If you don't feel comfortable completing any form or releasing certain information, get some local help.

If you prefer to have a lawyer review your paperwork or help you with the rental process, here's the lawyer I've used in the past: TENANTS LEGAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO