I really can't find an area for my family to relocate to (San Diego: rentals, condos)

[Cagirl767]

It looks like DH will get a job offer in the next couple of weeks, around Mira Mesa.

I've been looking online for months for housing rentals up to $3400 a month in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos and all of the rentals seem so rundown, outdated, neighbors' cars in disrepair, the front yards look unkempt, etc. The interiors, especially the kitchens, are very out of date. Is this just how it is there even in owner occupied homes: 70's and 80's cabinetry,*paneling!* (remember that from the 70's?), carpeting, overgrown half dead grass, indoor furniture outdoors? I really am perplexed that this is in $700,000+ neighborhoods. And the funny thing is that the worse the house, the less likely they are to accept a pet (We have a Chocolate Lab).

Or could some kind person please redirect me to another area or specific area that might suit us better? I don't know that I can be too "picky" though since there are only a few rentals available at one time.

Here in Phoenix, everyone's houses have granite, laminate flooring, HOAs for yard maintenance and aesthetics, even in the $200,000 neighborhoods.

This all seems really odd to me...

[shmoov_groovzsd]

There are other school districts besides Poway Unified. You are correct, many of the neighborhoods that go to Poway Unified are from the 70s so I am not too surprised you found that.

Property owners know that they can charge a premium because of the school district. I think its ridiculous but the methodology is tried and true. There are not too many new homes or new communities that I am aware of in that school district that have rentals for what you are looking for. Have you looked in Carmel Valley? I would imagine $4000 is the minimum for a 4 bedroom house rental for that school district.

[oddstray]

There are newer neighborhoods west of Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo which are still in the Poway Unified school district. You can use this map to see which neighborhoods there are: PUSD Boundary Maps. It looks like 4S Ranch, Del Sur, Santa Luz, and Torrey Highlands. On the same PUSD site there's a page where you can enter a specific address to verify that it's within district boundaries.

[Cagirl767]

Thank you both. I'd be fine with Torrey High School also, it just seemed to me that most of the rentals west, were short term beach condos.

I checked 4S Ranch and there is one home there for $3200. It looks better than most so far. It does however have canary yellow walls and one room is green and to me it's just paint and I'd be fine and glad to repaint. They're calling it "custom" paint though. That leads me to believe we wouldn't get permission to paint. At least that's a new area to search. I had previously thought it would be a far commute, but it looks do-able.

[eastcoastbias]

Originally Posted by Cagirl767

It looks like DH will get a job offer in the next couple of weeks, around Mira Mesa.

I've been looking online for months for housing rentals up to $3400 a month in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos and all of the rentals seem so rundown, outdated, neighbors' cars in disrepair, the front yards look unkempt, etc. The interiors, especially the kitchens, are very out of date. Is this just how it is there even in owner occupied homes: 70's and 80's cabinetry,*paneling!* (remember that from the 70's?), carpeting, overgrown half dead grass, indoor furniture outdoors? I really am perplexed that this is in $700,000+ neighborhoods. And the funny thing is that the worse the house, the less likely they are to accept a pet (We have a Chocolate Lab).

Or could some kind person please redirect me to another area or specific area that might suit us better? I don't know that I can be too "picky" though since there are only a few rentals available at one time.

Here in Phoenix, everyone's houses have granite, laminate flooring, HOAs for yard maintenance and aesthetics, even in the $200,000 neighborhoods.

This all seems really odd to me...

I thought you were describing Mira Mesa at first. There are parts of Poway that are just like you describe as well that you are essentially paying for the name.


The last poster was right on- 4S Ranch, Del Sur, Santa Luz, and Torrey Highlands are all well maintained, modern, nice landscaping, tough HOAs-although you will be looking at low end properties in those areas. May want to give South Escondido a crack as well-there are some hidden gems in that area. You can get more bang for your buck.

[NYSD1995]

Rent a new(er) house. Rental houses in San Diego are notoriously scarred. Torrey Hills, 4S ranch, Stonebridge in Scripps Ranch come to mind. RP, cheaper parts of Poway, will be dumpy old homes as you have noticed.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by Cagirl767

... I checked 4S Ranch ... I had previously thought it would be a far commute, but it looks do-able.

There's Penasquitos Canyon between 4S Ranch and Mira Mesa. There are very few roads that cross it. As far as I can tell, Black Mountain Road at the east end, and I-5 (or maybe frontage roads near to it) at the west end. So depending where in Mira Mesa he'll be working, that might be a significant commute if he has to go a long way around to cross Penasquitos Canyon.

[Cagirl767]

Thanks oddstray for the boundary maps! I think my eyes are going googlie looking at the similar colors, lol. I'm trying to figure out what elementary schools are in Scripps if anyone knows?

I'm worried now, is a <$3400 a month rental going to be in a bad or marginal area?????

[mlarsen23]

How big of a place are you looking for, in terms of SF and bedrooms?

[Cagirl767]

Actually at this point, I'm more concerned about a safe family friendly neighborhood and schools.

I'd prefer over 2,000 square feet with 3 or 4 bedrooms.