For about 8 years I owned an old Spanish style house in Kensington. It was built in 1929, and was typical of the houses built in that era. My personal experience was that maintenance was no worse for this house. I did need to replace the roof on the back of the house. (The front had Spanish tiles but the back had tar which is very common in older houses. The tar needs repair/replacement about every 10-15 years)
The biggest issue I think is what kind of shape is the house in when you buy it. (Or what’s it gonna cost to put it into good shape) Once in good shape, they are as durable as any other house. Perhaps even more so.
One issue that may or may not be an issue is that most of these older houses are not secured to their foundations. As long as there isn’t a big earthquake it’s not a big deal.
Most of these older houses also don’t have much insulation. Not a big deal in San Diego, and you can easily get insulation blown into the attic.
Obviously if the appliances are old you can expect repairs for them, and if the plumbing is not up to date that can be a problem. Likewise, electrical might not be properly grounded. But your home inspector should be able to tell you about most of these. Then decide to either fix or live with it.
One last thing, not related to maintenance but important. Most of these homes have small closets and small baths. It was always okay for me, but you might need to think about where you’re going to store things. If people in your family have lots of clothes or stuff, then you’ll need to think about where you’re going to put it all.
