Moving to San Diego

[Molly1024]

We''re moving to San Diego in the fall- we will be stationed at MCAS Miramar. We''re thinking about buying a home there, since prices keep dropping & we have the VA loan available to us. Where are some good areas to look? We will be contacting a realtor in the late spring to help us, but I know there are quite a few Pscopers who know the SD area & may be able to help. Is there any good halfway point, so to speak, between Miramar and the city of San Diego? Hopefully that''s where I will be working, so I don''t want a long (hour+) commute. And are there any areas we should steer clear from? Thanks in advance!

 

[zhuzhu]

Hi Molly!

So good to hear about your move, I promise you will love it here! I moved here last June and my husband-to-be will be here this June. We are in an escrow for a house on the border of north Mira Mesa and Sorento Valley. The house search is exhausting as there are tons of junk out there, but it is a lot of fun too once you find the ones you like! Please let me know what you are looking for and maybe I can share my experience with you!

 

[zhuzhu]

> Is there any good halfway point, so to speak, between Miramar and the city of San Diego?>

Clairmont is right in between and it has reasonable house price. You need to be careful though as parts of it are nice versus others are not so.

 

[KimberlyH]

Hi Molly,

Serra Mesa, Pacific Beach and Clairmont would be good options for you. Serra Mesa and Clairmont are both middle class, 50s style tract home communities with central access to downtown and the air station. Pacific Beach is an eclectic, mostly upper middle class community. Downtown PB tends to be busy, and attractive to tourists and college-aged students. I think living there would be fun.

~K

 

[surfgirl]

Kimberly, I have to disagree with you on PB...dont you ever wonder why every time there''s a rapist on the loose, it''s in PB? It''s crazy there, partying 24/7. If you like that lifestyle then its great, but unless you can afford to live in nice parts of PB, which are nearly as pricey as LJ, I wouldn''t recommend it simply because of the safety issues.

Molly, do you know what range you could afford, pricewise? That would help us be able to steer you towards a community that you might be able to afford and that would be nice.

 

[Molly1024]

We''re looking in the $250-300k range, but we''re willing to go up a little if we need to. I realize the cost of living of a lot higher in SD than where we live now (NC) but that''s what we can afford. We''re definitely exploring foreclosed homes (we''re willing to put some work into them) but we need it to be functional for the time being, until we could remove/replace things like cabinets, floors, etc.

You all have been a big help so far- thank you!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/27/2008 10:55:38 PM
Author: surfgirl
Kimberly, I have to disagree with you on PB...dont you ever wonder why every time there''s a rapist on the loose, it''s in PB? It''s crazy there, partying 24/7. If you like that lifestyle then its great, but unless you can afford to live in nice parts of PB, which are nearly as pricey as LJ, I wouldn''t recommend it simply because of the safety issues.

Molly, do you know what range you could afford, pricewise? That would help us be able to steer you towards a community that you might be able to afford and that would be nice.

No, actually, I don''t wonder. I know it''s because the downtown is a high traffic area filled with college age students and tourists, as I mentioned in my original post.

There are some beautiful neighborhoods in the residential are of PB, which aren''t an option for Molly and her husband now that I know their price range. But the majority of people I know who live their are middle and upper middle couples, some with children, who are employed as teachers, real estate agents, property managers, etc.

It''s certainly not the right place for everyone to live, but it is centrally located and has a lot of positive attributes. And I''m certainly not a person who likes to "party" I just happen to enjoy how eclectic the community is.

 

[surfgirl]

Molly, why dont you search for the MLS listings in your price range for the San Diego area and if you see something you like in your range, post the area here and we can let you know what we know of that area.

 

[Molly1024]

We''ve been doing that (searching the MLS)- it''s just difficult because I don''t know the names of the different areas & how close/far away they are from the base & the city. We''ve found homes we like, then once we look at them on a map we''ll see they are too far away to be practical. I know our budget is considerably less than most people, but I don''t think we''re being unrealistic in hoping to purchase a home. Thank you to everyone- I will look around in those areas suggested.

 

[KimberlyH]

Are condos/townhomes an option for you guys? And is working somewhere besides downtown SD an option for you? I ask because The condo community got hit first and hard in the housing crisis and North County Inland SD (towards Escondido) had a building boom right before the crisis, which means there''s a glut in the market. The area has some great condos in nice neighborhoods that have been sitting on the market for quite some time. I lived in a condo in that area about 3 minutes from the 15 when I moved here and it was a great location, but I worked in Mission Valley at the time and the commute did get old after a while. My complex was beautiful, had multiple swimming pools, a mini-gym, etc. I really enjoyed living there.

I don''t know what kind of work you do, but there are also some large companies in the area, such as Northrop Grumman (www.northropgrumman.com), Geico, etc. and there is a business park (www.powaybusinesspark.org) that houses 480 businesses, I think Geico is part of the business park. It also has easy access to La Jolla (about a 20 minute drive, but lots of traffic during rush hour).

Perhaps worth you and your husband checking out.

 

[Molly1024]

We definitely haven''t ruled condos & townhomes out- we''ve just had bad experiences living in communities. Right now we''re looking at at single family homes, because we haven''t made the decision to rent or buy yet. A house is our ideal, but we know we may only be able to afford a condo with the amenities we''re looking for. And no I''m not set on working IN San Diego- again, I don''t know the area at all so that''s just where I''m figuring there would be the most jobs. My degree is in human ecology (non profit, public policy, etc) but I was a graphic designer at my last job.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/28/2008 9:43:03 AM
Author: Molly1024
We definitely haven't ruled condos & townhomes out- we've just had bad experiences living in communities. Right now we're looking at at single family homes, because we haven't made the decision to rent or buy yet. A house is our ideal, but we know we may only be able to afford a condo with the amenities we're looking for. And no I'm not set on working IN San Diego- again, I don't know the area at all so that's just where I'm figuring there would be the most jobs. My degree is in human ecology (non profit, public policy, etc) but I was a graphic designer at my last job.

There are certainly downfalls to living in a condo (I had an annoying upstairs neighbor who liked to stomp around at 5 am, not pleasant), but lots of positives too. I totally understand why a house would be ideal, I was just trying to throw out other options that would still be central to Miramar. North County Inland has grown in alot in recent years (the Rancho Bernardo/Carmel Mountain area is about 15-20 minutes from Mirimar) and might be a good option for you guys. Twho of the zip codes are 92127/92128 if that helps at all.

 

[Molly1024]

Kimberly you have been so helpful! Zip codes are a big help! This is the first time for us moving to a big city so all the different areas are a little confusing- I''m hoping to get out there sometime this summer so I can get a feel for the area.

 

[KimberlyH]

My husband is a native San Diegan, a rare bird indeed, and works in real estate (not an agent) so I''ve gotten to know the area pretty well. Clairmont is 92117. Sera Mesa is 92123, I think. If you need anything, and/or want to meet up and get a feel for the area when you get here I''d be happy to help. I moved here from Sacramento about 3 years ago and remember how daunting it was.

 

[Molly1024]

Wow, that''s very nice of you! We have a few friends who live in SD but they just moved there so they''re no help! lol.

 

[KimberlyH]

I was just coming back to mention Tierrasanta (92124) and Santee (92071/92072) but I see SDL has already done so. And my offer to show you around doesn''t expire!