I don’t see that Sorrento Valley is well under Carmel Valley. Carmel Valley houses are larger on average, but if you compare two identical houses in CV and Sorrento, price difference won’t be very big.

Two recent closings in SV:
6172 Sunset Crest Way (5/3, 2893 sf, no view) – $725,000
10906 Sunny Mesa Rd (5/3, 2893 sf, canyon view) – $855,000

Two recent closings in CV:
3688 Torrey View Ct (4/3, 2781 sf) – $868,000
7631 Mcgonigle Terrace (4/3, 2797 sf) – $775,000

CV does have better schools. In fact some of the strongest schools in the county are located in CV and Del Mar. Kids from Sorrento Valley attend same schools as kids from Mira Mesa.