Considering a Move from the Bay Area to San Diego and Need Advice (Santa Rosa: sales)

[MaireM]

I currently share a home with my mother in the North Bay area (Santa Rosa). We have been here for 2 years and it's time to move on. The weather is too chilly for my Mom and way too rainy for me (60 inches so far this year and over 40 last year- a "normal" year), the beach areas are absolutely freezing (and desolate) and the people are not very friendly. I moved here after a bad divorce with the intention of using it as a base to explore CA., which I have done extensively. San Diego is by far my favorite and my mother's. The weather is exactly what we want, people are friendlier, I can swim and surf in the water at least part of the year (any water over 60 degrees is fine with me), and the overall vibe is just what we are looking for.
I recently landed my dream job in outside sales (wine and spirits), and have the option of moving to the San Diego area. The problem is I am in charge of the move and have little idea where to start looking.

About us:

- I am in my early 40's and my Mom is 70... She is retired but does some work from home.
- Our after-tax income is around 100k (could be higher as I get established).
- We would be renting and perhaps buying in 5 years or so if my income goes up or if I re-marry but buying is not important to either of us at this time.
- No kids. My son is grown and self-supporting and I won't be having more children.
- We have 2 dogs, a medium-size Aussie Shepherd (who is a registered emotional support dog for PTSD) and a small Sheltie.
- We are looking for a 2 bedroom, 1.5 or 2 bath condo, townhouse, apartment, duplex or in-law cottage and would PREFER not to spend over $2,000 a month in rent. The place can be small (900 to 1,000 Sq. Ft. is fine), as we both want to spend most of our time outdoors but it must allow pets up to 50 pounds (unless they will waive that because my Aussie is a genuine emotional support dog). I currently have given a $1,000 pet security deposit where we live now and I am willing to pay up to a $3,000 deposit as there is zero chance of them causing damage - they are well trained
- We are very, very, very frugal by nature and (somewhat) by necessity. Zero debt. No car payments. I drive an older paid-off Prius that never lets me down and my Mom does not drive. "Vacations" are visits to family on the east coast using credit card frequent flier miles. Going out for me is a cheap local happy hour, a book reading or going to the beach. My Mom does not go out socially. You get the picture....
- My dog is a serious watch-dog and I have a lot of self-defense training so safety is not as important as it is to some people BUT we would like to avoid neighborhoods with a lot of gang activity and would like to be in a complex that is well kept up and does not have the cops there every night.

We understand $2,000 will not get us very close to the beach but what communities will get us as close as possible within our budget? I see tons of nice-looking places on Craig's List within the budget with decent amenities (a pool would be fabulous as swimming is my main outdoor activity), but have no idea what the surrounding areas are like.

Also, here is the kicker - my Mom does not drive and does not like using Uber or buses. We really need a place where she can walk to the basics like a grocery store and pharmacy. Basically the more things she could potentially walk to and the nicer that walk would be the better....I will drive her if need be but that will diminish her quality of life.

Another option for us (which I have done in the past), is for me to become the master tenant of a larger house and rent out room or 2 if this would get us a better neighborhood or closer to the beach or walking distance to stores. My credit score is 801 and up-front money is no issue. However, this can be a real pain for obvious reasons and I would prefer a small place for just my Mom and myself.

Could some locals kindly point us in the right direction? Neighborhoods, complexes, towns and so forth...
I will be coming to have a look for 10 days in July and want to move in early Fall.
Thank you in advance.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Found one

Pacific Sands - Balboa Arms Dr | San Diego, CA Apartments for Rent | Rent.com®

[RosieSD]

This thread will give you a good overview of different neighborhoods in San Diego County, from the perspectives of people who actually live in them:

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...out-where.html

"Close to the beach" is relative. You can get to a beach in under 30 minutes from many, many parts of the county.

However, given your Mom's need to be able to walk to the supermarket, and your budget, you may want to start with areas like North Park, Normal Heights, Point Loma, and maybe Hillcrest (pricier). These areas may be more "urban" than you are looking for though.

I also have another suggestion for a specific pet friendly complex in a nice area that I will send you via personal message.