Moving to San Diego in 3 weeks.. help! (Vista, Encinitas: house, find a job) - California (CA) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

Rose74 · 07-10-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zango

Poway and RB. are nice. But the schools are not as amazing as the locals like to think. But they are good by Ca. standards. Just make sure to clear your brush if you live in those areas. Fire season is coming.

Thank you Zango. We are currently renting in Encinitas but we are still trying to decide on where to buy.
Poway doesn't seem to decrease much my current communte (35-45 mins), but that's where the affordable houses are ($ 450K is our range).
If there would be houses priced in that range in Solana Beach that would be ideal for both mine and my husband's daily commutes, but I don't see that being a reality now or in the future. Sorrento Valley and Sabre Springs also seem pretty expensive. Not sure what to do!

loveautumn · 07-10-2009, 04:32 PM

really Poway is very very family oriented so if you don't have kids you might reconsider that area.

Rose74 · 07-10-2009, 04:38 PM

True... I was looking into Rancho Bernardo area.. Closer to Vista (so hubby won't complain..

) and still an "ok" commute for me (Mira Mesa).
Houses there seem to be more on the range of what we can afford.
Any thoughts on this?

I also heard of 4S Ranch.. but I can't seem to find it on the map?

NYSD1995 · 07-10-2009, 05:54 PM

If schools are not an issue I would look at Mira Mesa (as far west as you can, towards 805). People move to Poway, RP, RB, et al, for schools, primarily.

Rose74 · 07-10-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sassberto

If schools are not an issue I would look at Mira Mesa (as far west as you can, towards 805). People move to Poway, RP, RB, et al, for schools, primarily.

No, schools are not an issue, and Mira Mesa would definitely be perfect for my commute to work, but I'm afraid the commute Mira Mesa-Vista might not be the best for my husband..

NYSD1995 · 07-10-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose74

No, schools are not an issue, and Mira Mesa would definitely be perfect for my commute to work, but I'm afraid the commute Mira Mesa-Vista might not be the best for my husband..

Mira Mesa - Vista is a reverse commute, I don't think traffic is a problem. Commuting into Sorrento Valley can be horrendous (I have done it for 10 years) and if you can live nearby, I would strongly advise you to do so.

Apartments in Poway, are going to be undesirable generally. Poway is not a place where apartment-dwellers live. RB has large apartment complexes but they tend to be more popular with families and retirees.

You might want to look at Sabre Springs.

Rose74 · 07-10-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sassberto

Mira Mesa - Vista is a reverse commute, I don't think traffic is a problem. Commuting into Sorrento Valley can be horrendous (I have done it for 10 years) and if you can live nearby, I would strongly advise you to do so.

Apartments in Poway, are going to be undesirable generally. Poway is not a place where apartment-dwellers live. RB has large apartment complexes but they tend to be more popular with families and retirees.

You might want to look at Sabre Springs.

Thank you Sassberto! We're looking into buying a single family house though, not an apartment or a condo.

NYSD1995 · 07-10-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose74

Thank you Sassberto! We're looking into buying a single family house though, not an apartment or a condo.

Maybe you could be more specific about what you are looking for. Do you want a basic suburban house or something more special? Much of RB / RP / Poway is just tract homes on top of each other, some old, some new. People basically just live there for schools, there is not much else to distinguish those areas.

400k and below you are probably going to be looking at smaller, unrenovated homes in the areas with good schools. In somewhere like Escondido or Mira Mesa, where schools are not so great, you might be able to get into a nicer house with some interesting feature like an updated interior or a view or large lot. Newer communities like 4S ranch have a much higher price tag and are also much more family-focused areas.

SDrelocate · 07-10-2009, 09:24 PM

Good luck with your move. I would strongly suggest renting in the area you might consider buying.

Also never quite understood why anyone would buy in an area with poor schools, even if they don't or ever plan to have kids. A big component of Real Estate value is the quality of schools. Areas with poor schools will not attract a significant % of potential buyers. Property values in areas with poor schools never hold up relative to areas with great schools.

NYSD1995 · 07-11-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDrelocate

Property values in areas with poor schools never hold up relative to areas with great schools.

Logic would support that but 30 years of real estate valuations in SoCal and NYC would unfortunately refute it. Perfect example is Los Angeles. One of the scariest school systems in the world, with some of the highest real estate prices.

The reality is that many would have to make a lot of concessions to location and home to live in an area with good schools given housing costs in San Diego. It's not really worth it if you don't have kids.