[quote=CA-dreamin]. . . Would you mind telling me as a local what are some of the cons for PL? It looks like you can some good sqft and slices of ocean view for under a million.[/quote]
CA-dreamin, I would also suggest renting in a coastal area you like before you decide to buy. Coastal areas (west of I-5) in SD County are well-established. This means the neighborhood trees are often large and the electricity and phone cables are not yet buried, but above ground on wood and metal poles. You previously mentioned you may have an issue with non-updated interiors (was this you?). Older homes prevail west of I-5. A completely updated older home the size you need WITH a substantial view in these coastal strips would most likely be above your price range.
I can’t speak for Solana Beach but the Pt Loma (92106) and Sunset Cliffs/OB (92107) areas are 50-85 years old. I don’t know how old your current area of residence is but if you are seeking to buy west of I-5 with a budget of $750K to $850K, you CAN get a substantial ocean view (NOT whitewater) for this price IF you are willing and able to do some work on the property to make it more liveable to your needs and desires. Many properties in Pt Loma 92106 have unrivaled southeasterly views of the SD harbor, the SD dtn skyline and NAS North Island. There are no views exactly like this anywhere in the world. Again, if you wish a substantial southeasterly view in your price range here, you must be willing to buy a non-updated or partially updated property and make the remaining repairs/updates yourself. The only “newer construction” in this area are the few scattered infill complete remodels or “spec homes” in which the original home was knocked down to the studs. Most of these are situated in 92107 and most would be priced above your range if they were listed. Some have views and some do not. Liberty Station (built on former Navy land) is also fairly new but is all flat and adjacent to Lindbergh Field. The jet take-off noise from Lindbergh Field is very loud over the western part of it and the SFR lots on Liberty Station are small compared to the rest of Pt. Loma.
You read other Piggs discussing jet noise. The Lindbergh Field jet take-off corridors over Pt Loma are just west of the Nimitz Cyn corridor and over Canon St, give or take a block east or west of it. The City of SD Quiet Home Program has used Port District funds over the last 15 years to retrofit many affected SFR’s with double and triple-paned windows along these corridors.
There is no Mello Roos in 92106 and 92107. There are no HOA dues in 92106 SFR areas except in one Pt Loma Woods subdivision (annual dues) and possibly various subdivisions at Liberty Station. (Piggs, correct me if I missed anything here.) There may still be some unpaved alleys in 92107, but they will be low and flat, within 3 blocks of the beach.
High Tech High is situated on Liberty Station. It is a renowned science magnet throughout the county. I have known several students who reside in the Sweetwater Union HS District whose parents obtained interdistrict transfers for them and drive them the 18-20 miles to High Tech High every day. Two of these students have already been admitted to UC Santa Barbara from High Tech High (UCSB), a very prestigious public university. Pt Loma is a safe place to raise children. The commercial areas that were previously posted about here are situated in the 92110 zip code, which is a separate area from the single-family homes on Pt Loma, except for those on Liberty Station. The only commercial strip in 92106 is on Rosecrans and surrounding Shelter Island. These are neighborhood markets, small businesses and restaurants. There is also a large grocery market on Catalina. Pt Loma is safe for older children to play and ride their bikes w/o supervision, as is most of 92107, IMO.
The API scores for public secondary schools serving Pt Loma are as follows:
Dana Middle (5-6) 869
Correia Middle (7-8) 841
Pt Loma High (9-12) 758
High Tech High (9-12) 795
Enter the school name and see the 2010 Growth API score.
Of course, school scores, whether higher, medium or lower don’t tell the whole story about a school. You, as a buyer, have to find a property you will be happy with and may even want to stay in when your children leave home if you stay in the area long-term. Pt Loma and Sunset Cliffs in SD have unmatched locations and views which are impossible to replicate anywhere in the country.
A successful purchase in Pt Loma will involve tradeoffs in your price range, that is, updating a property yourself for a superior view or perhaps finding a “turnkey” property which has no substantial views. You will have to be flexible on interior square footage may find a property with a larger lot (5000 sf is a “standard-size” lot in the City of SD). Good deals exist in 92106 and 92107 on one-story WWII-era single-story homes which have second-story view possibilities.
If you find you MUST have an updated home (upon move in) WITH a view in your price range, Pt Loma may not be the area for you and perhaps another suburban or exurban coastal area might be a better choice. However, in some of those areas, you face paying HOA dues and/or Mello Roos and/or having to buy EAST of I-5 to find newer construction in your price range. That money spent every month for HOA dues/MR could be used to update a Pt Loma property in a vastly superior location, IMO.
Realizing you are out of state, I’m just offering you some realistic “food for thought” here.
(Qualifications: 36-year resident of SD County with intimate knowledge of SD metro areas.)