To the original poster you absolutely should go ahead and check out the commute on a weekday. This is absolutely a non trivial issue. Either way, commuting via the 56 corridor or the 5 corridor is something you should prepare for so definitely I would advise you to come down during a weekday to experience the commute in both directions.
I like Del Mar Mesa as well. I will say I already have seen some pretty substantial depreciation there and I expect it to continue on par or possibly even exceeding the Covenant. There is a nice foreclosure on Mesa Norte. It sold originally for 2.275M in 2005 and is now owned by the Bank of New York but they have not put it back on the market yet that I know of. Commute wise Del Mar Mesa will blow away anything in FB, the Covenent, etc…
Also regarding North vs South FB, I have no real basis for my preference nor do I have hard stats showing exceptional value/appreciation of either side over the other. My basis was only on some of the friends I have that live there that they prefer north to south. So take it with a small grain of salt.
