Face it, just about everyone thinks El Cajon is a dump, and yet I bought a house there and continue to live happily ever after. I could never afford my house in La Jolla or Coronado, so I have a nice house in El Cajon and I would have had a condo. in La Jolla. In fact, one of the neighbors sold their condo to buy one of these houses. You cannot convince those who do not like Santee to like it so you should just enjoy living there. It works for me.