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The words are rent and multi-family. You think it's bad here try San Fran or New York.
Too true. My grown child & spouse live in the Bay Area, are highly educated & well compensated, but probably priced out of the housing market. Who wants to, or is able, to pay over $1 MILLION for a 50s-60s era tract house in a so-so area, and become involved in bidding wars on top of that? The other option is to pay, on average, $3,200/month for a 70's era apartment. Makes San Diego sound like a bargain.
I grew up in Vista, I'm 28. White, male. I've got lots of experience with people on the top and bottom of the local economy.
--Earthquake damage in Vista: Is this a problem? Large quakes seem to be rare, do the rare occurrences cause major damage to homes in Vista?
No. None. Never. No one thinks about earthquakes. Worry about fires. Thats real. I've seen evacuations. Road closures. School cancellations on account of bad air. Homes burned down. Wildlife destroyed.
--Walkability / Bike-friendliness: How bike and walking friendly is the area? With the weather in Southern California, it seems like a no-brainer to have a bicycle with a trailer for doing all my grocery shopping.
Drivers will hate you and give you no help. I love riding but only do it for leisure. There are some passionate cyclists but most are poor or dont have driver's licenses. Lots of hills and beating sun. It's doable, but not popular. Not yet at least.
--Affordability: I see homes for under $500,000 listed on Zillow, will these be normal neighborhoods, or are these the prices for homes in "bad areas"?
--Utilities: Are the electric companies playing games with consumers who go solar? In Arizona, they are pulling all their political strings to slap us with $50 per month fees for having solar and limiting net metering (either they don't allow it and your excess electricity disappears into the ether or you get wholesale electricity rates such as $0.02 per kWhr and then have to buy electricity at $0.13 per kWhr)
Can't speak to that. South Vista is probably nicer. Some other commenters gave good advice I'd agree with. Downtown is improving nicely, and it will probably help gentrify the seedier areas.
--What are the worst elements I must be prepared to accept in order to have a happy life in Vista?
Mexican culture is a huge consideration. Sometimes it feels like you're in Mexico. That's not for everyone. It is packed here. It just fades from Vista to San Marcos to Rancho Bernardo to San Diego to Chula Vista to Tijuana. Its just one giant concrete slab and it's hard to find any real nature.
Last edited by Vista88; 10-28-2016 at 05:18 PM..
Reason: Posted too soon.
Hi! MarciaMarshaMarcia is correct on a lot of these points... there are some nice areas in Vista but based upon your family details, maybe somewhere else would better suit you? Carlsbad? Oceanside? Shadowridge is a really nice area just keep in mind they have an HOA (some people prefer to stay away from them, others don't mind them at all).
I am new to this forum but have been a North San Diego resident for over 12 years....the market is tough but if it is what you want and you are patient, you can make it happen!
Have a great day....
Since the op is from King County, Washington State, where I also am from, imagine Bellevue, Washington in southern California, without the snobiness. That, is Carlsbad. Beautiful trees, trails, open space, and large lots, similar to Kirkland, too. I'm moving from AZ to CA so areas that remind me of home are desirable.
Maybe Kemper Freeman is Dutch !
Carlsbad, has no skyscrapers, in contrast to Bellevue. Many of the homes and buildings are white in both cities, like the homes in Somerset, in Bellevue.
People are very fashion conscious yuppies in both cities. Carlsbad has more cyclists, triathletes, etc than any other city in the county.
Which is probably also true with Bellevue and Issaquah, as they moved across Lake Washington as the Midwest hipsters took over Seattle proper.
Last edited by Arizona89A; 10-29-2016 at 03:42 AM..
Since the op is from King County, Washington State, where I also am from, imagine Bellevue, Washington in southern California, without the snobiness. That, is Carlsbad. Beautiful trees, trails, open space, and large lots, similar to Kirkland, too. I'm moving from AZ to CA so areas that remind me of home are desirable.
Maybe Kemper Freeman is Dutch !
Carlsbad, has no skyscrapers, in contrast to Bellevue. Many of the homes and buildings are white in both cities, like the homes in Somerset, in Bellevue.
People are very fashion conscious yuppies in both cities. Carlsbad has more cyclists, triathletes, etc than any other city in the county.
Which is probably also true with Bellevue and Issaquah, as they moved across Lake Washington as the Midwest hipsters took over Seattle proper.
Carlsbad is great, but the original poster wants to buy a single family home for under $500K. Not going to find many single family homes in Carlsbad for that budget, unless it's a manufactured/mobile home. They *may* be able to find a condo or townhome in Carlsbad in that price range, but then they'll need to factor in monthl condo fees.
I've been to Bellevue, WA & it bears no resemblance to Carlsbad, CA, except possibly the per capita income.
They're similar in terms of being along water, with expensive homes, fashion conscious yuppies, low crime, lots of trees, nice parks, lots of HOAs, so if the op likes that pattern, then they'll love Carlsbad, Encinitas, and many other master planned areas from Newport Beach and southward.
Move to San Diego and pay increased housing costs, California sky-high taxes, increased energy and water costs -- only to live in Vista, California? What's the point? If you think you'll be trekking to the coast every day, guess again. The 78 is basically your only artery in and out -- for you and for everyone else. Thus, traffic is a nightmare many hours per day. You'll do it a few times. Then you'll be sick of it. And you'll be really sick of looking for parking in Carlsbad, or any of the other coastal communities, and their significant traffic. Pretty soon you will think to yourself, why the hell did we move here?
Quote:
hiking in the wilderness, light camping, beach excursions, snorkeling, unique dining, Asian food.
None of this is happening in Vista. And you will quickly tire of trekking to the coast. This is why people spend quite a bit to be on or near the coast -- their time and the quality of life they desire is far more valuable than money.
And if you think you'll be sprinting down to the city of San Diego, or doing quick trips to the San Diego airport, then you are really making a mistake. The north/south traffic is a nightmare. You will hate the commute on the 15, especially in the morning and evening rush hour commutes. Think in terms of hours, not minutes -- and if you question whether this is an exaggeration, drive it for a week before you buy a house. You will witness an ocean of bright-red taillights from downtown all the way to Vista. I did everything I could to avoid north/south highway driving for long stretches of the morning and evening commutes. And both the 15 and the 78 are the worst -- those are your freeways in Vista.
If you like arid or desert living, you'd be much better off in Arizona, parts of Texas, or lots of other places in the South. Much cheaper housing, much lower cost of living, less taxes, and your lifestyle will be similar to Vista. And if you want California or San Diego, I suggest you seriously investigate some of the above suggestions, including Carlsbad, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, La Mesa -- anything that gets you closer to the coast and to some of the more desirable areas, which have much better food and healthcare. Never made sense to me to pay the high price California extracts, only to be stuck in the interior, which is no different from lots of other places in the U.S.
Move to San Diego and pay increased housing costs, California sky-high taxes, increased energy and water costs -- only to live in Vista, California? What's the point? If you think you'll be trekking to the coast every day, guess again. The 78 is basically your only artery in and out -- for you and for everyone else. Thus, traffic is a nightmare many hours per day. You'll do it a few times. Then you'll be sick of it. And you'll be really sick of looking for parking in Carlsbad, or any of the other coastal communities, and their significant traffic. Pretty soon you will think to yourself, why the hell did we move here?
None of this is happening in Vista. And you will quickly tire of trekking to the coast. This is why people spend quite a bit to be on or near the coast -- their time and the quality of life they desire is far more valuable than money.
And if you think you'll be sprinting down to the city of San Diego, or doing quick trips to the San Diego airport, then you are really making a mistake. The north/south traffic is a nightmare. You will hate the commute on the 15, especially in the morning and evening rush hour commutes. Think in terms of hours, not minutes -- and if you question whether this is an exaggeration, drive it for a week before you buy a house. You will witness an ocean of bright-red taillights from downtown all the way to Vista. I did everything I could to avoid north/south highway driving for long stretches of the morning and evening commutes. And both the 15 and the 78 are the worst -- those are your freeways in Vista.
If you like arid or desert living, you'd be much better off in Arizona, parts of Texas, or lots of other places in the South. Much cheaper housing, much lower cost of living, less taxes, and your lifestyle will be similar to Vista. And if you want California or San Diego, I suggest you seriously investigate some of the above suggestions, including Carlsbad, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, La Mesa -- anything that gets you closer to the coast and to some of the more desirable areas, which have much better food and healthcare. Never made sense to me to pay the high price California extracts, only to be stuck in the interior, which is no different from lots of other places in the U.S.
That's a great post, the original poster is from Seattle as am I. Seattle had the worst traffic of all major US cities tied with LA. San Diego ranks very good for traffic, relatively speaking. I don't recommend Arizona to people from WA and OR due to the culture clash with the Midwesterners and Texans who have destroyed the state. They also destroyed Seattle.
That's a great post, the original poster is from Seattle as am I. Seattle had the worst traffic of all major US cities tied with LA. San Diego ranks very good for traffic, relatively speaking. I don't recommend Arizona to people from WA and OR due to the culture clash with the Midwesterners and Texans who have destroyed the state. They also destroyed Seattle.
It's interesting, I've been in Seattle traffic and thought it equal to the evening commute north on the I-15. I think Seattle is great. Oceanfront city, overlooking the beautiful Puget Sound, the juxtaposition of older areas and architecture with new buildings going up at a rapid clip, lots of tech industry all around, it's a great mix. Superior food (especially seafood and steaks) in Seattle compared with southern California.
If your choice was either Vista or Seattle, it's simply no contest, Seattle is superior on every single metric except winter weather. But if you're talking about San Diego's coastal cities, or even downtown itself, that's a tougher comparison. Every San Diego town west of the I-5 has a lot to offer, if you can scale the Mt. Everest of the fourth-most expensive real estate in the lower 48. If you can afford to buy into Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, La Jolla, Solana Beach, Pacific or Ocean Beach, location-wise you are living very well.
It's mind boggling how people from outside of California imagine they found a hidden gem that has every amenity they've ever dreamed of, all at bargain prices. Cheaper prices should alert the buyer to the possibility of less desirable characteristics.
I was thinking something very similar. I grew up in So.Cal and lived there 40 years. It has a lot of offer. Vista is one of my favorite smaller cities, but when people come on the forum and say they have always wanted to live in California but want the best of all worlds I just want to tell them: stay where you are or be prepared to pay the price.
OP: as for earthquakes, no matter where you live there is a possibility of a natural disaster. We had a minor earthquake here in AR a couple of months ago. No damage to speak of but people who were not accustom to them were scared. Those us from places like CA thought it was pretty cool.
Bugs; same thing: you are going to get some type of creatures no matter where you live. I think in AZ you have some don't you? Vista would not have as many as some places.
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