Best Area to Retire in San Diego

[scaredyclassic]

Boomer as a word makes me cringe. Checked wikipedia. Turns out I’m barely a boomer my wife is barely generation x two of my kids are millenial gen yand the last is generation z which I hadn’t head of. They have names starting 100 years ago including hardtimers and warbabies. Funny.

[ocrenter]

[quote=spdrun]

given avoidance of children, we pretty much rule out the entire 56 corridor from the ocean to route 67.

Why would one want to actively avoid areas with kids? It’s not like kids eat geezers for lunch.[/quote]

went back to original post, I guess it wasn’t a mandatory requirement.

that does open up a lot of locations.

cabal, what about old scripps? most of the kids would be concentrated in the newer Miramar North and Stonebridge developments. homes would be a little older, in the 70-80’s range. here’s an example built in 1985:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Diego/10610-Oakbend-Dr-92131/home/4815238

[flyer]

Agree these “nametags” we’ve been given to identify our various age groups are cringe-worthy, but, then again, they are just words. . .

Apparently sociologists and demographers have categorized us for many reasons in an effort to help us find out “who we really are,” and have, consequently, given marketers targeted ammunition to sell to us more effectively . Per usual, this sociological expertise is many times more about the buck than the brain.

Although I know this information gives us the opportunity to examine our past, and, perhaps, create a better future, I don’t think most of us give much thought to these stereotypes, and, instead, concentrate on living the lives we want to live.

[CA renter]

[quote=cabal]I will respond to as many posts as I can.

SW Escondido west of NC fair is an appealing option. Any downside to this area? @CAR – nice to see you are still here on Piggington fighting the good fight. Are you still CA Renter or now CA Owner?

[/quote]

Hi cabal,

I can’t think of too many downsides to the SW Escondido area, especially the part that is west of NCF. There are some truly magnificent homes and lots there, and not too many kids that we’ve ever seen (one of the reasons we *didn’t* buy there). We’ve made multiple offers on homes in the SW Escondido area over the years (usually lowballing), but would have had to commute more than we’d like, so we ended up closer to the coast, both because of the commute and the lack of kids there — we’re the kind of family you wouldn’t want to live next to if you’re not fond of “kid noises.” 😉

The homes are often a bit older than you’d probably like, but they tend to be well-built and well-maintained. If not for the lack of kids and the longer commute, we would have bought there. Some of the homes have amazing views of the lake and surrounding hills. It’s a truly beautiful area, IMHO.

As far as downsides go, there is the traffic on Via Rancho Pkwy. We always tried to pick houses that had a light to turn onto VRP. Cars travel fast and there are many curves, so it feels like you’re risking your life every time you want to pull out onto that road. There is also the potential for brush fires, especially the homes to the west of Via Rancho Pkwy that border the lake area.

Also, be careful about the fenced-off area around Hamilton and Bernardo Ave. From what I understand it is a highly toxic site, and the chemicals have been found as far as the park. They’ve been working on cleaning it up for years, so not sure where it stands now, but I think it should be taken into consideration (might not want to buy a property adjacent to the site). That’s pretty much all I can think of.

Regarding the toxic site:

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/article_fb65fc88-e405-53dc-af07-849a05cf7f5a.html

Some nice listings, though I would wait until fall/winter and hope that more listings pop up.

Here’s a fun one with a two-tiered pool:

http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-120016630-1950_Hamilton_Ln_Escondido_CA_92029

A less expensive home that you could update in your own taste, though it’s on a busier street:

http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-120033262-2257_Eucalyptus_Ave_Escondido_CA_92029

This one’s more tucked-away and very private:

http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-110063847-3196_Sage_Escondido_CA_92029

If you’re interested in La Costa, this one has recently popped up. It’s older than you’d like, and the neighborhood is more active (there are some kids), but it’s a *very nice* neighborhood with mostly middle-aged folks.

http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-120033004-3015_Quebrada_Cir_Carlsbad_CA_92009

——-

As for us, we bought our house last year…but I will always be CA “renter”.
😉

[svelte]

Escondido: The SW Escondido toxic site has an underground plume that heads south towards Lake Hodges. I’ve kept my ears perked for a few years on this topic and know some people who live in the area…they seem to be okay with it and suffer no ill effects. You should just be aware of it is you’re considering purchase…not sure how much weight it should be given – that’s up to you.

Vista: My two favorite streets in Vista:
Sugarbush Drive – http://tinyurl.com/745x6gr
Salem Drive – http://tinyurl.com/899lapf

I think they meet all of your criteria – private, some 1 story, distance from neighbors, no HOA/MR. You may have to be patient to hit your $700K goal though, and not many of the homes pop up for sale.

San Marcos:
Corte Raquel: http://tinyurl.com/77rhc9z
(no HOA, small MR, single stories are well under your price point, some privacy depending on lot)
Duckwalk Road: http://tinyurl.com/87y6tb3
(nice private homes, sometimes under your price pt)
Lavender Ct: http://tinyurl.com/7te9kms
(HOA and MR, but not high compared to Del Mar and CV…nice floor plans too)
La Granada Drive: http://tinyurl.com/6w5gzwk
(no HOA/MR that I know of, nice reasonably priced private single stories)

I know there are other pockets I’ve stumbled across in these areas that are nice and fit the bill, just can’t remember them at the moment…

[svelte]

[quote=harvey][quote=spdrun]But I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would want to spend their final years surrounded by a bunch of f**kin’ geezers.[/quote]

No kidding. We have a lot of young kids on our street and an elderly woman across the street from us. She comes out all the time when the kids are playing and chats with them, gives them treats, etc. They are all very fond of her.

If I am fortunate enough to make it to that point, I want my last years to be surrounded by life, not a bunch of old folks passing time and waiting for death.[/quote]

Agree with you both. In the last few neighborhoods we have lived in, the younger families sort of ‘adopt’ the retirees in the neighborhood. They are sort of honorary grandparents to the kids in front of their house. Makes for a very nice atmosphere to have all ages on one street. We look out for each other.

[CA renter]

[quote=svelte][quote=harvey][quote=spdrun]But I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would want to spend their final years surrounded by a bunch of f**kin’ geezers.[/quote]

No kidding. We have a lot of young kids on our street and an elderly woman across the street from us. She comes out all the time when the kids are playing and chats with them, gives them treats, etc. They are all very fond of her.

If I am fortunate enough to make it to that point, I want my last years to be surrounded by life, not a bunch of old folks passing time and waiting for death.[/quote]

Agree with you both. In the last few neighborhoods we have lived in, the younger families sort of ‘adopt’ the retirees in the neighborhood. They are sort of honorary grandparents to the kids in front of their house. Makes for a very nice atmosphere to have all ages on one street. We look out for each other.[/quote]

Yep. We have people in our neighborhood who clearly dislike kids, but there are others who are very much like grandparents, and we think of them like family. Also, their grandkids get to play with the neighborhood kids when they visit, which is nice for everyone. We are fortunate to have a few incredibly nice older couples around us, and we absolutely love them.

[Author]

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