If you’re willing to go a bit farther north to south Carlsbad (92009), there are a lot of nice homes in the low $1M range with great schools, more space and access to all accommodations/shopping/beaches.
We’ve been in San Elijo Hills for 4 years and really like the community, which has a lower price point than 92009 as it’s a bit farther out and is technically in the City of San Marcos. We do most of our shopping and entertainment in south Carlsbad/Encinitas – really a great place to be. Commute wouldn’t be too bad to REI off 52 – I commuted to UTC everyday the last 4 years and I’m an additional 10 mins from 92009. Your commute would be 35 mins with regular traffic.
