I’ve sort of homesteaded here in SD for 8 years bouncing between flying at NKX and ground tours at CAMPEN (wife chooses to handle the deployments rather than picking up and leaving her career)
Currently rent a townhome in Solana Beach, no kids yet, and it is a great mid point for the two bases. When we have kids we intend to rent/buy in the Black Mountain, Rancho P area.
(Rent til I see a true bottom, which as a Marine and potential mover means I can rent it at near PITI – then buy)
The enhancements to the 56 have eased traffic north of Miramar and are make the areas north and south of the 56 more accesable. The old merge traffic at the 805/5 has eased greatly, though the 5 north still turns into a parking lot at rush hour further north at the race track. The 15 is still bad north of Miramar – both direction during rush hour.
From Solana beach – easy traffic going north on the 5 in the morning all the way to CAMPEN (20 mins to camp del mar), generally some slowing coming south in the PM (about 40 mins). Going south to Miramar, again easy traffic in the morning, (10 mins to Miramar rd) but traffic past the merge going north in the PM causes the return trip to take about 40 mins.
The guys who live up the 15 generally come in before 0600 and PT on base to aviod traffic, and endure it going home.
There’s the traffic report. On housing, there are several guys in my unit that are losing sleep trying to sell properties, some of them underwater. You appear to have a pretty good nut to put down on a place (I am in the same boat). I personally will not buy until the rent vs own numbers get down to the 1 to 1 range.
