Family of 5 thinking of moving to San Diego (Chula Vista, Corona: renters, house)

[MarylandFamily]

[SIZE=2]We are an African American family thinking of relocating to the San Diego area from the Washington, DC metro area and was wondering if anyone could let us know about the vibe in San Diego. We are a middle class family with three children; ages 9, 6, and 4. My wife works in healthcare (as a provider or administration) and I work in IT (software testing or CMMI Quality Assurance). As we are getting older, we want to live somewhere with nice weather all year round, great schools for the kids, and natural beauty. We also want to live somewhere where the people are friendly and nice... I grew up in the South and I don't wish to re-live those years.

Does San Diego sound like a good choice for us? According to some of the calculators I've looked at, San Diego's cost of living is 10% lower than the DC area so for me that's an even wash.

I've heard great things about Poway, but from the searches we have done, the price of homes are too expensive...$1 million and higher. We did see a few homes in La Mesa and Chula Vista that seened interesting. I really love my basement and it seems most home don't have basements.

I'm a runner and have run in several marathons and half-marathons. I also enjoy biking. I recently learned to ride a motorcycle so I'm looking to enjoy that. My wife enjoys being places where she can read a book and enjoy the view at the same time.

We are also looking at the Houston area.
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[cruitr]

San Diego sounds like a good fit for your family. However, finding good jobs right now could be a problem. Your work skills may be 'hot' in DC but you could get a 'cool' reception in San Diego.

[MarylandFamily]

Thanks for responding. The job market is a major concern. My current company does have an office in San Diego and my hope would be to transfer there with them...when we decide to move. My wife also hopes to stay with her current employer. But as we all know, nothing is certain, so we are keeping our eyes on the job market in San Diego also.

[My6Cents]

My husband and I moved out here (Downtown SD) just recently from Northern California. The re-location was quite smooth except for the job market. My career interest is in social services and it took me about three months to get a job. My husband was able to keep his job (Marketing with Telecommunications company) and just work from home. I got a job as a Job Developer for a non-profit so I know a little bit about the market out here. In essence, the job opportunities out there are obviously better. Example: in DC there is approximately 1 Job Posting for 1 Unemployed Person while SD has 1 Job Posting for 6 Unemployed Persons.

I say the transition is smooth because it was so easy to adjust to the easy going ambiance of SD. To say the least, the weather is perfect. I can't complain about not having to wear a jacket during winter. I'm also a runner. There are many trails in the area as well as opportunities to run in perfect weather. I see a lot of young families; though, I do not see too many African-Americans in the areas I frequent such as Downtown, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Mid-City, National City, Coronado, and etc. But don't be discouraged because diversity is always welcome - at least in my book.

Basements are not too common in California. We are renters and don't plan to purchase any time soon so I don't have too much input with the housing market.

My husband and I are interested in moving out there to DC eventually. The area compliments our career interest in Public Service. We are newlyweds and don't plan to have kids any time soon, but we do have big dogs. Any input?

[MarylandFamily]

Although the DC area has a little of traffic, I would say live where you want, not where you work. Traffic is a part of life here. I know people who live in WV and PA but travel into the DC metro area everyday for work. I have a co-worker who lives 5 miles from our office and it takes her 35 minutes to get to work. I live 25 miles away in the opposite direction and it takes me 45 minutes to an hour.

I would suggest looking at Northwest, DC; Fairfax County, VA; or Montgomery County, MD. Even though you don't have kids, Fairfax and Montgomery Counties are two of the best school systems in the country. These areas (including NW) offer great parks, restaurants, and entertainment.

I live in Northern Montgomery County.

[soymabelen]

Originally Posted by MarylandFamily

Although the DC area has a little of traffic, I would say live where you want, not where you work. Traffic is a part of life here. I know people who live in WV and PA but travel into the DC metro area everyday for work. I have a co-worker who lives 5 miles from our office and it takes her 35 minutes to get to work. I live 25 miles away in the opposite direction and it takes me 45 minutes to an hour.

I would suggest looking at Northwest, DC; Fairfax County, VA; or Montgomery County, MD. Even though you don't have kids, Fairfax and Montgomery Counties are two of the best school systems in the country. These areas (including NW) offer great parks, restaurants, and entertainment.

I live in Northern Montgomery County.

We relocated from the same area you currently live in about 6 months ago. We live in San Diego but only a few yards from the Poway line. I don't know what size or kind of house you are looking for, but our budget was way way under one million and we got a house (not big but wonderful) in a cul de sack, with a view, in a great neighborhood. Bear in mind you don't need as much house here as back in DC, you will want to spend your time outdoors; as long as you have a decent sized backyard I don't think you will really miss your basement. As far as schools, we are in the Poway school district, we have one kid in elementary and one in middle school and we are very happy with the schools. While it is true that there aren't as many African Americans here as in the Wash metro area, it is a very diverse area. We are a South Asian/white Hispanic family and we feel right at home here.

[MarylandFamily]

Originally Posted by soymabelen

We relocated from the same area you currently live in about 6 months ago. We live in San Diego but only a few yards from the Poway line. I don't know what size or kind of house you are looking for, but our budget was way way under one million and we got a house (not big but wonderful) in a cul de sack, with a view, in a great neighborhood. Bear in mind you don't need as much house here as back in DC, you will want to spend your time outdoors; as long as you have a decent sized backyard I don't think you will really miss your basement. As far as schools, we are in the Poway school district, we have one kid in elementary and one in middle school and we are very happy with the schools. While it is true that there aren't as many African Americans here as in the Wash metro area, it is a very diverse area. We are a South Asian/white Hispanic family and we feel right at home here.

That is very promising to hear. How do you find the cost of living to be compared to the DC area? Everything I've read says that DC is 10% higher but most people that I talk to from San Diego seem to think it's higher in San Diego.

In regards to housing in Poway, it may be our search critieria. We are looking for single family home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5+ baths, 2 car garage, min 2000 sq feet, and less than 10 years old (ideally no older than 5 years old). Maybe the homes are there but aren't currently on the market. We do understand that as we learn more about the area, we may need to change our criteria.

[cruitr]

If you're looking for a large home in the Poway school district, there's a newer development in Scripps Ranch (zip 92131) called Stonebridge. Stonebridge is the Poway school district and has some large homes currently priced well below $1M. Here are two examples:
SDLookup.com | 13198*Downing - MLS# 090057809
SDLookup.com | 14532*Boulder*Ridge*Ct - MLS# 100001694

[soymabelen]

Originally Posted by MarylandFamily

That is very promising to hear. How do you find the cost of living to be compared to the DC area? Everything I've read says that DC is 10% higher but most people that I talk to from San Diego seem to think it's higher in San Diego.

In regards to housing in Poway, it may be our search critieria. We are looking for single family home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5+ baths, 2 car garage, min 2000 sq feet, and less than 10 years old (ideally no older than 5 years old). Maybe the homes are there but aren't currently on the market. We do understand that as we learn more about the area, we may need to change our criteria.

Cost of living I would say is approximately the same. One thing that I still have to get used to is water cost. Everytime I get our water bill here I get a shock. You have to bear in mind two things: you will need to irrigate your lawn on a regular basis, even in the dead of winter, so your water consumption will go up; and rates are higher because they don't have much rain, so... On the other hand it is really nice not to have to run the AC or the heating constantly.

As far as the house, have you searched in areas outside the city of Poway but within the Poway school district? The Poway school district covers part of the northern San Diego area, not just the city of Poway itself. I would definitely look in Stonebridge and 4S Ranch if the age of the house is very important to you, otherwise I would also look into Sabre Springs.

[f_m]

Originally Posted by MarylandFamily

In regards to housing in Poway, it may be our search critieria. We are looking for single family home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5+ baths, 2 car garage, min 2000 sq feet, and less than 10 years old (ideally no older than 5 years old). Maybe the homes are there but aren't currently on the market. We do understand that as we learn more about the area, we may need to change our criteria.

You might do a little research on the Chula Vista Eastlake area. I'm not too sure of the schools (supposedly not bad), though the homes are fairly new ~10 years and $400-600k for a 4-5 bedroom. Although most of the newer home developments have little land.