San Elijo or Discovery hills?

[outtamojo]

Which is better for family w/ 2 kids? I plan on driving to Oceanside for work…

[PerryChase]

How about Carlsbad or Oceanside? It’s much cooler along the coast.

[Bugs]

Discovery Hills has much easier access to the freeway and local shopping. I’d rather live there than San Elijo.

[sdrealtor]

Add much lower mello roos and no HOA for DH’s. I like it better too.

[JES]

DH is more down to earth, less pretension, lower home prices, less mello roos, less HOA, less investors. Your neighbors in DH could be teachers, firemen, janitors and even garbage truck drivers. SEH is nicer, newer, cookie cutter and your neighbors are more likely to be investors, middle income people who bought 4-5 years ago, upper income families. You will find quite a few 30 something fake blonde women who drive high end Lexus SUVs paid for with home equity loans in SEH. You will see them around town with the ‘SEH’ bumper stickers, clearly indicating to all that they live in this prestigious, small town community and not in the city of San Marcos. In DH you are more likely to find a few beat up cars in driveways, and even a couple campers parked on the streets. SEH will not allow any of these things, nor will your neighbors who are most concerned about the value of their home than your friendship. Overall, there are nice people in each place, but generalizations are always useful and that is what I am providing you.

[barnaby33]

So do these 30 something fake blonde women with the Lexus SUVs also have breast augmentation. I’m just asking? That would help my decision making process.

Josh

[powayseller]

Josh, I take it you’ll be moving to SEH?

MEW is always used for breast augmentation. In my opinion…

[outtamojo]

Thanks JES, and others for all the good info. DH sounds better- I avoided looking at Carlsbad(even tho it’s a nice area) ’cause I heard the kids there were snobbish and pretentious too. Would be great to find a place with no Mello-Roos to boot.

[sdrealtor]

Good luck outtamojo,
There are some really nice locations in DH. Try to find yourself something on a cul de sac close to the lake. Believe it or not, there really is a lake and it is beautiful with a nice park and walking trails.

[Bugs]

The appraiser I used to share office space with bought in DH and did quite well there before he retired and took his equity to Oregon. His theory (in 1999, when he bought) was that residential neighborhoods near the University would do a little better than those located elsewhere because of the added attraction to the professors and management staff. He always thought SEH was just a big boondoggle.

Another area worth considering are the areas in San Marcos north of Hwy-78. Same builders, same homes, same people. If you like DH you’ll like these areas just as well.

[sdrealtor]

Boondoggle is a pretty accurate description of SEH in my book as well. At one time my wife really wanted to move into a big ocean view home up there. I laughed at her and she thanks me all the time for keeping us where we are.

[outtamojo]

Any high crime areas of San Marcos to avoid?

(coincidently, my wife is also looking for an ocean view home on a hill.)

[barnaby33]

To put it mildly, it will be a cold day in hell before I live in San Marcos. Regardless of which side of the freeway. Oh and for someone considering San Marcos, check the schools out. I know the high school is bad. I had several co-workers move because their kids got to be school aged and didn’t want them in the SM school district at all.

Josh

[Bugs]

I’ve said this before: I don’t think SEH is actually a bad place to live, and for what you get the prices there are lot better than in La Costa Oaks on the other side of the hill. I just happen to think that DH is a better buy for some people.

I wouldn’t say that any part of San Marcos could be called a high crime area, although there are some older neighborhoods that probably won’t appeal to would-be tract home buyers.

[JES]

I moved from San Marcos this past March and know quite a bit about the city, crime and housing. I’ve lived in Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas and Temecula the past 10 years, so I have some perspective.

Housing wise, there are a number of really great planned communities in the city that are just as nice if not more desirable than San Elijo Hills. None are as master planned and cookie cutter as SEH with the downtown and amphitheater etc., but many have an abundance of trails, good grade schools, and even larger yards and wider streets than SEH. Here are some examples:

Rancho Dorado – Very nice homes, great views and located right next to Carlsbad. It borders Rancho Carillo, a Carlsbad community.

Twin Oaks Valley Ranch – North of the 78, very nice homes, golfing etc. I would look here before SEH.

Santa Fe Hills – Large tract home community, schools, parks, trails, near Palomar College. I saw a 2600 sqft. home a block from a good grade school for 559k there yesterday.

Discovery Hills – Low HOA, mello roos, nice community feel, trails, lake, schools, normal neighbors. Near CSUSM which is a growing school (10k enrollment will be 20k + in 15 years). City of San Marcos has committed to build out the area to the west of this neighborhood and it will be a $50-100 million project that will create a sort of downtown San Marcos along the creek area. Commercial, housing etc.

Coronado Hills – Some very nice homes hidden above the college area. Worth driving around just to experience the views and rural feel of the area.

Stone Canyon – Above the college and to the west, above Discovery Hills. It is on the other side of the mountain from SEH. Nice gated community, good views and I like this neighborhood alot.

Others – Silvercrest, Belleza, and more…

San Marcos has rapidly improved its image and is now home to some very nice, safe communities and lots of young families. The city itself is fantastic and has a budget surplus every year unlike most cities around here. The city building is brand new and the most attractive building I have ever seen in the area. Were talking millions left over in surplus becasue they run the place so well. Lots of new shopping areas like Best Buy, Frys, and a new Nordstroms going in off of the new exit from the 78. The city owns the properties and leases to many of the tenants, hence the surplus. There are older areas with crime, but slowly they are disappearing and being renovated.

Gang tagging and small level crime exist, but the city has money and they are tackling the problems. The middle and high schools also may not be the best, but are far from the worst either. IMO, having seen the city master plan, met many people who work at the city and lived there I can say that this is a city to bet in. It will keep getting nicer, and the city government is very active. Go to the Christmas party they throw in December and you will be very impressed. Other cities like Carlsbad and Encinitas are also very nice, better schools etc. but largely built out (Encinitas), prices are sky high and not as many young families around. If you can afford it, move to Carlsbad. If you can’t, San Marcos is a great choice and you can find a nice home for 560k right now.

[Author]

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