On second thought (I haven’t actually looked), I think you might be able to do Allied Gardens for $450K or less if you keep submitting offers and remain patient, Kris, but it will likely be a smallish house (1500 sf). Also, unless you’re going to leave that original knotty pine (LOL) in the kitchen and room divider, those houses are lacking in character (a good portion don’t even have FP’s). Of course, a lot of people today would be turned off by knotty pine. I haven’t looked to see what the flippers are doing over there but I think its a great location!
As far as LM, maybe you can get an offer accepted on a 75+ yo smallish house in 91941 near the village but I would be prepared for hidden termite damage that the seller’s pest control company doesn’t find. It’s possible that what you buy there would turn out to need far more time, skill and money for rehab than you originally envisioned. It’s a charming, walkable area with the trolley running through but you will need to budget at least $150 extra per month to run A/C at least 6 mos year. As far as 91942 goes, most of those homes are too big for your price range so I don’t think you would be able to find anything for <=$450K unless it's really beat up. And most of those homes are picked up by cash investors. I can’t comment on San Marcos, Oceanside or Vista.
