older la costa area

[sdhomes]

in the square of El Camino Real/La Costa Ave/Ranch Santa Fe Rd/Calle Barcelona, south half is newer development, La Costa Valley, which has nice landscaping, amenities, etc, it’s good, but in the higher price range.

The north half, built around 70s/80s, has no HOA and MR, and price is 100k-200K less compared with same size house in La Costa Valley.

if no hidden cons, i would like to choose the older part since both primary schools, La Costa Heights Elementary, El Camino Creek Elementary are excellent, and share the same middle and high school. and both have the same easy access to I5 and shopping centers.

can anyone give clearer picture ?

[evolusd]

sdrealtor knows this area very well and can definitely provide valuable info. We looked at these areas pretty closely as well, but ended up buying a new home in San Elijo Hills.

Since you have young kids, I’d look more closely at La Costa Valley. I’ve found the newer communities to have more young families and, therefore, a more family friendly atmosphere where kids play together in the afternoons out in the neighborhood.

Just my $0.02.

[CA renter]

There are plenty of kids in the older area, too. Just depends on which streets you choose since some are better than others.

Both are exceptionally good neighborhoods, and I can’t think of any “cons” where either is concerned. It really all depends on whether or not “new” is more important to you, or if you prefer an older neighborhood with no HOAs or Mello-Roos and older, smaller homes (often with larger yards and more privacy).

People tend to have strong preferences one way or the other. Do you have a preference for newer/larger homes on (generally) smaller lots with HOAs and MRs, or do you prefer older, smaller homes without the extra fees (but you might get the very rare neighbor who lets the grass die and has a driveway full of cars)?

[svelte]

Having an HOA doesn’t eliminate a driveway full of cars. As long as it is a valid parking spot, a car can be parked there.

And it’s been my experience that many of the older homes without HOAs also have driveways full of cars. Take a look as you drive through a neighborhood like North Park…whenever you have homes close together, the cars get closer together too.

[CA renter]

svelte,

True, some HOAs allow cars to be parked in the driveway (and some do not allow any cars in the driveway at all, however crazy that is), but most HOAs that I’m aware of do not allow cars that are not running to be parked in the driveway, and many will limit the number of cars and/or set limits for how many days a car can be parked without moving, etc. Some HOAs won’t allow visitors to park their cars in the driveway for more than a certain number of days, etc. Also, no inoperable cars in the driveway in most HOAs that I’m aware of (same is true in many cities, but not generally enforced if nobody complains).

The point is that HOAs restrict what you can do with your house and yard, and some people really, really like that because it keeps the “riff-raff” down. OTOH, some people feel strongly about private property rights and believe that they should be able to do what they want with their own houses and yards. In these non-HOA neighborhoods, you run the risk of having more people who will paint their houses bright turquoise or purple, or who will pave over the front yard and park 6 cars there, or who will let the house fall to pieces and the vegetation get overgrown, etc.

It’s just different strokes for different strokes. There are pros and cons to each, and people have to decide which is more important to them. The poster asked about two particular areas that I’m familiar with, and I’m just trying to give the general pros and cons of each. In these areas, the HOA in the newer community is not as restrictive as some others, and the riff-raff in the older (non-HOA) community is is pretty rare, relative to most non-HOA areas around SD County.

[SD Realtor]

I have several friends who live in Barcelona, the older area and love it. Have a few clients that have purchased around there and also right off of La Costa Blvd to the south a little bit. No complaints from anyone.

[sdhomes]

i drive along Levante again today and do notice some houses with dead lawn, but generally speaking, it’s much better than other areas without HOA i ever visited.

[Author]

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