Yeah there has been a pretty fair amount of activity this spring. In my opinion moreso then last spring. How long this will last is questionable but for the moment it is a fact.
If you are indeed looking for larger lots and newer homes then definitely browse the areas that Raptor has mentioned in his posts. Many if not all of them though will come with Mello Roos and HOA. That is the price of admission for newer stock though. Also some places like Santa Luz, Crosby, Santa Fe Valley will fit your bill but are still north of the 1M mark. Slowly they will get to your asking price if you have patience. There is another huge area of inventory where you can get large homes and lots out in Blossom Valley but that is east county and is a different world altogether. You will get more for you money out there but it is not as prestigous as the areas you have mentioned in this thread. I also like older areas such as Fairbanks Ranch etc but those as well are not near the 1M mark. Some with Solana Beach. The only thing under 1M there are homes that sit on the north slope of the hills and those are small places and are not in the gendre of what you are looking for.
There are nice homes in Elfin Forest that may suit you with respect to the size of the home and the lot size however alot of stuff there was built as far back as the 80s. I would say that many of the homes are custom built and not tract homes so they bring more quality to the table.
There has been a ton of development of large (3000 sf+) homes out in northeast county on large lots as well. Again though you are talking out in the foothills of Escondido. Lots and lots of new stuff out there… These homes have taken a beating and continue to do so. Personally it is not my cup of tea out there but nonetheless there is alot to choose from.
Finally even parts of Carmel Valley (up on Del Mar Mesa) may suit ya but to get what you are wanting for 1M will be tough if not impossible here.
