I have a home not terribly far from there in an area called Talmadge that is a rental property. This part of town is known as the college area. I would not advise you to purchase in this area if you are looking for a quality area to send your kids to public school.

If you are not to familiar with San Diego I could not urge you in strong enough terms to rent for awhile after you move down here rather then buying. The county is quite diverse and locking into a home purchase without having a firm grasp of the different selections is taking a substantial risk. Given the price range you are looking at, as well as being recently divorced I would actually recommend a condo. I know HOAs suck but do you really need the overhead associated with taking care of a yard and such? The price differential is substantial and you would potentially be able to live in an area with better public schools.