Vees, I think Scripps Ranch is one of the best communities for families! Very strong sense of community and the schools are good all the way through high school. It’s like living in a small town. My husband does the commute from SR to SV and it takes about 10-20 minutes via MM Blvd. It’s a very manageable commute. It will take longer depending on house far east you are in SR. Carmel Valley is also nice and I agree the location is better — shorter commute and closer to the ocean. There is a different vibe though, and in the lower price ranges the yards are often quite small. I guess you should check out both communities and see where you feel more comfortable.