Semi-retired, looking for a place to settle and garden in San Diego (Los Angeles: crime)

[decogecko]

Hi. My wife and I have an opportunity to move to San Diego and we are looking for an area to settle in as we move into retirement. My wife no longer works but I would work from home for the next four or five years and still need to fly three times a month on business.

Safety is a major concern. We would like a home of around 2,000 sq ft and, most importantly, a large lot since gardening is a passion for both of us; we are looking forward to designing a nice garden and planting a lot of tropical plants. Our price for a house is about $500K. We have no children so are not concerned about the school district. Easy access to shopping and a decent distance to the airport are factors of importance.

I had spent some time gathering information and reading postings about San Diego. Suggested areas look like Tierrasanta, Rancho Penasquitos, Poway and Mission Hills but we are not sure if they fall in our price range or distance to the airport. We also saw suggestions about La Mesa north of the 8, and some areas there have nice homes and large lots. However we are concerned about rising crime in the area as some postings state that crime is occurring there, especially robberies.

I am hoping that forum members can help me with suggestions as to neighborhoods for me to consider. Many thanks.

[kettlepot]

Even though prices have come down, your given parameters make getting everything you want difficult.

Mission Hills is out of your price range. A 2000 square foot house would push the cost towards 800k or more. Plus the lot sizes are mostly in the 5000 square foot range.

Rancho Penasquitos and Poway are about 30-35 minutes away from the airport. I'm not sure how far is "too far" from the airport. Some specifics on that, and your minimum lot size would be useful.

The other question I have is 2000 square feet really necessary? Are you from outside of Southern California? Often, people from elsewhere in the country want large houses because for so much of the year the outdoors aren't comfortable. In San Diego, your yard is usable most everyday, and really becomes an extension of your house. Otherwise, to get a large lot, (land is expensive here), with a big house means you could end up way out in foothills with a 60 minute airport drive, and a lot more extremes of temperature.

[cruitr]

A canyon home in Clairemont is perfect for you: easy drive to the airport, so-so school district, lots of land for gardening, short drive to shopping etc.

Here's an example:
SDLookup.com | 3078*Jutland*Ct - MLS# 090043697

The price of the above house is a little north of your target but I've seen lots of canyon homes sell in the $500K range.

[decogecko]

Thank you very much for the information. We presently live in New Jersey originally from NYC. But I did live in Los Angeles for about 10 years. I always missed the warmer weather and this is a great opportunity to return to it. I am checking into the Clairemont area and appreciate that reference. We are flexible with the square footage of the house as long as we have a large lot to plant ( 10k sq feet or more). Thanks again.

[NYSD1995]

10k sf lot and 500k price point rules out a massive part of San Diego county. SoCal, unlike say, suburban NJ or NY, generally has very small (think 5k sf) lots. The other issue here is that lot sizes like that are usually well inland, and as a result water cost can be a big issue for a gardener. Tropical plants often need lots of water and shade and the parts of the county where you will be looking have neither.

The list you gave - Tierrasanta, Rancho Penasquitos, Poway and Mission Hills - very little will meet your requirements in those areas. The first two are mostly tract home areas, Poway has large ranches that run into millions, and Mission Hills is the gilded-era mansion district of the inner city.

Some portions of La Mesa, El Cajon, and the eastern parts of San Diego can have lots of 10k or more, but the areas have a distinctly urban feel and might not meet your safety requirement. Barring truly rural areas, there are a a few areas on the suburban / rural interface you can look at, they all have significant pros and cons, including but not limited to desert-like conditions which include scorching summer temperatures.

- Lakeside, Winter Gardens or Eucalyptus Hills
- Areas of unincorporated San Diego county in El Cajon and Spring Valley near the Helix foothills
- Areas to the east and northeast of Escondido
- Sections of Vista northeast of 78
- Ramona
- Fallbrook

[cruitr]

decogecko...
Clairemont has a garden tour ever year: Garden Tours (http://www.clairemontonline.com/garden_tours.htm - broken link)
Many of the homes on the garden tour are canyon homes with very extensive gardens.

My wife and I are mid-50s. We live in an area of Clairemont known as Bay Ho. The house with the link I provided on Jutland Ct is in Bay Ho. Most of the homes in Bay Ho were built in the 60s and 70s.

[Frankly Speaking]

Have you considered Oceanside? It may be too far from the airport, but I believe all the other criteria will fit. South Oceanside especially with the Western Garden growing zone of 24. As a transplanted New Yorker, I recently lived their and began a wonderful English garden which I presume is still thriving. As a realtor I will gladly give detailed neighborhood and housing information at www.fcrowley.com.