Well, we are biased here since we did buy in San Marcos and I’ll tell you our reasoning:
– Access to SD, LA and Riverside county job markets (as The-Shoveler points out)
– Shorter drive from up north (before we moved to SM and lived further south, we would drive home from LA or other areas further north and invariably say “you know if we lived along the 78, we’d be home now!!”)
– Closeness to the coast (I think because 78 bends northward, most ppl don’t realize SM is only 10 miles from the coast…which is perfect for us! Not too close, not too far)
– Bang for the buck (yes, we enjoy living in a bigger house)
– Great school district (debated infinitum on this site)
– Suburban feel (we hate feeling boxed in, and we definitely feel relaxed in the SM area)
Yes, future gas prices and commute distance are a concern for sure, but if push ever comes to shove we can both easily get to our jobs using public transportation. The Sprinter followed by The Coaster or Express bus will get you to a wide variety of job sites.
On top of that, more and more jobs are becoming work-from-home (thank you internet!) and ours are about to turn that way too. So our commute could be going to zero anyway, no matter where we live.
And the 15 express lanes? Heaven on earth! We can now get to anywhere north of 8 – during rush hour – in about 1.5 minutes per mile. You can do the math for your situation.
Finally, after many years of driving I can tell you our threshold is about a 1 hour commute one way. That’s where it gets painful. But 30 minutes? I can do that easy and actually enjoy it if traffic is moving. It gives me a buffer zone to think about my upcoming day (going in) or family things coming home.
