Schools keep Poway homes in high demand

[powayseller]

Earlier this year, I thought Poway sales were at 0, but I am surprised at how many Sold signs I see. Bugs posted sales by city recently, and Poway sales are higher last month than the month before.

This month’s San Diego magazine cover story, top high schools, featured 3 Poway high schools as the best in the County. Teacher qualifications and credentials was a big reason for Poway High’s inclusion. That is where my kids go. Torrey Pines was in the list, and a few others.

This affirmation of Poway schools will keep families wanting to move to Poway. The housing sales show that families are still seeking out Poway, presumably for the schools.

Which leads to the question: will Poway homes retain their value better than homes in Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, east Mira Mesa,Oceanside, Chula Vista, El Cajon, etc.? Or will Poway remain too expensive for the entry level buyer and they are forced into the less expensive areas?

I know we’ve bantered this question around before, but seeing the San Diego magazine ranking of local schools made me realize that Poway will stay in high demand, no matter what the other areas do. Add low crime, the most open space, a city government that is flush with cash, and you almost have paradise. If you ignore the inland heat that is…

[JJGittes]

I cashed out a while ago and am renting, looking and waiting now. My wife however does not want to rent much longer. We have looked extensively in coastal N. County. Lots of relatively nice houses in 92078 that are begging for lowball offers, but San Marcos High is just not where I want to send my little girl. The San Deguito (sp?) school district however is very good, and I guess that explains all those very very average (and aging) houses in 92024 in the $700ks (perhaps this is soon to change though). So, yes, I agree, schools are a very big factor.

[LookoutBelow]

The “Better schools system in Poway” is suspect of hype and sensationalism. I doubt it has much to do with high housing prices, after all, if you put your kid into private schooling, it would be a LOT cheaper than paying 400K too much for a tract home in Poway.

[JJGittes]

The API scores of Poway schools support the view that it is a generally superior public school district. You can debate the usefulness of the API, but it is still an even, across the board measurement. Its results district by district are also consistent with everything I have seen and heard over the last 20 years about the various school districts (and particular schools) in SD county. As far as the public school v. private school v. cost of housing v. quality of neighborhoods and neighbors equation, that can be debated forever.

[Bugs]

In my opinion, next to the heat index, proximity to employment is one of the biggest factors, followed by neighborhood homogenity and (hate to say it) physical isolation from the lower class and crime. We prefer to be close to work, but not so close that we’re shopping with our workers. The quality of all public services, including schools, is also a factor, but it’s not as dominant as the others. Lots of homebuyers have no kids.

My use of the term “neighborhood homogeneity” refers to how similar the homes in the neighborhood are to each other – you get this in residential subdivisions. Obviously, Poway has residential subdivisions with a high degree of conformity, but so do its neighboring suburbs.

I ran the sales statistics in the MLS for the last 12 months. Coming down the I-15 corridor from north to south, here are the average prices for sales of homes built between 1970-1996 and between 2,000 – 3,000 SqFt (of which Poway has lots), on subdivision-sized lots:

92025…$661,612
92029…$667,739
92064…$733,665
92128…$738,122
92131…$776,213
92124…$770,396
92120…$729,689
92126…$613,661

As you can see, Poway does better than Escondido (92025,92029), but neighboring Sabre Springs/Rancho Penasquitos (92128) does slightly better, Tierrasanta (92124) does a a fair bit better, and Scripps does a LOT better – and those zip areas are located in our dreaded San Diego school system. It’s not until you get into Mira Mesa and the mid-cities areas of San Diego that (apparently) the ills of urbanization start making up for proximity to employment.

[CardiffBaseball]

Well I decided to avoid Poway because I work near UCSD. Some cheap rentals though. I am glad because my commute up the 5 to Cardiff is still probably better than the 56/Poway Road commute. Plus I don’t have the heat to worry about. My thought was that San Dieguito schools were close enough such that the difference is practically meaningless.

[an]

If you compare school to school instead of district to district, which means alot more, you’ll notice Mira Mesa High School is 90-95% as good as the best school in poway district. I’d rather pay 100k-200k less and put that into private tutoring.

[JJGittes]

Mira Mesa high scores 758 on the API, RB High in the Poway district scores 832. But to say that mira mesa high is 91% as good ar RB high based on dividing 758 by 832 would be really misleading. Something I’d expect to hear from a realtor selling houses in MM. The api scores are not (in practicality) zero based. In any event, different strokes for different folks I guess, but I’d rather put an extra $100-200k into my home, live in RB (or scripps, or poway, or carlsbad or encinitas), and have those schools and neighbors, than spend a couple of decades in MM hauling my kids to private school so they don’t have to share a classroom with the neighbors’ kids. Sorry, but since Piggington is about reality, mira mesa is no garden spot and I would not want to raise my family or invest a half a mill in real estate there.

[sdrealtor]

Been very busy but saw this which is one of my pet peeves. A big factor in API scores is the demographics. The API scores are available by ethnicity and what you frequently find is the middle class caucasian/asian kids scores are very similar from school to school. When you have hispanic kids growing up in homes that english is the second language you will naturally see lower API scores for them that will pull down the schools average. Thus High API scores is often as much a factor of a lack of diversity as anything else. A school like Olivenhain Pioneer in Encinitas has traditionally scored highest because there are no apartments and no attached housing feeding into that school. Now you have a school like El Camino Creek (about 5 years old in South Carlsbad)which enjoys similar demographics and as high or higher API scores. You also have Capri in Encinitas that has 50% of the kids growing up in non-English speaking households. However, the other kids live in some of the most expensive homes in the area at Encinitas Ranch. When these non-english speaking kids get to La Costa Canyon high they pull down the averages. The truth is the bright kids from good familes at LCC are just as smart as those at TP or Poway, the school just has a bit more diversity. MIra Mesa High is probably another example of this where half the kids are from homes where education is valued and half are not. Good kids from good families will excell whereever they are. As long as there arent disciplinary or gang problems, I say live where you want. When comparing API scores you really need to adjust for ethnicity because it frequently explains much of the difference.

[ocrenter]

When you have hispanic kids growing up in homes that english is the second language you will naturally see lower API scores for them that will pull down the schools average.

hmmm… that’s right. the first language of Asian kids are English. Right…

Asian kids’ first languages generally are languages completely foreign to English. Hispanics should have an advantage over Asian kids given they come from a language based on very similar alphabets and a lot of overlaping vocabs.

[sdrealtor]

Stop trying to make this a racial discussion a**h** when it isnt. It is an economic point not a racial point. The hispanic kids in the areas I mentioned grow up in good families with loving parents. I know many of them and have all the respect in the world for them. English is not the primary language spoken at home and education is not as highly valued. As for the asian kids, they grow up in families where education is valued above all else as it is in my household (BTW, I am not of asian decent though many of my clients are). The children and their parents typically speak english at home as a first language.

Looking at the data by ethnicity largely serves as a surrogate for household income in most areas around here. If the data was available by HH income you would see the same thing.

[carlislematthew]

Sorry, but since Piggington is about reality, mira mesa is no garden spot and I would not want to raise my family or invest a half a mill in real estate there.

I agree. I’m currently renting a house in Mira Mesa due to the proximity to work and general conveniences. Apart from that, it’s pretty cheap and if you can find a decent road it’s not too bad. However, I am thankful that I have enough money and income that I don’t *have* to buy a house here. It’s not horrible, or dangerous, but I wouldn’t buy a house here.

[ocrenter]

This is the comment I was responding to:
“When you have hispanic kids growing up in homes that english is the second language you will naturally see lower API scores for them that will pull down the schools average.”

you’re the one making the racial comment first. What is really the point is socioeconomic status and emphasis in education are the main reason for the difference in API scores. Not whether the children grew up in a home that speaks English or not. That is what you said. Go read your own quote!!

As an Asian American, I’m really sick of guys like you using the “they grew up in a non-English speaking household” argument to defend the Hispanics that have been here for 20 years and still speak no English. When at the same time most Asians grew up also in non-English speaking homes and end up being high income professionals.

It has always been a socioeconomic difference. You obviously made a completely stupid and idiotic statement. Instead of admitting your mistake, you then call people names when they call you out on it? who’s the real @$$ho!e here?

[anxvariety]

So damned hot outside the kids have nothign else to do but study!

I determine how good a school is, by how little homework they require!!! 😉

[an]

I grew up in Mira Mesa, went to Mira Mesa High, went to UCSD, and now work in Sorrento Valley and living in Sorrento Valley. Several people who went to MMHS with me end up going to Ivey League schools, and other high ranking schools like UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, etc. So, with my personal experience, MMHS is just fine if you raise your children right.

[Author]

Posts