[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdrealtor]FWIW, the back gate of Crosby drops you off right near Santaluz and Del Sur. There is another way out than Del Dios.

Absolutely agree with everything you said about Santaluz. I guess its just not my style. I like to be closer to the beach and spend alot of time in the beach cities. I eat dinner in downtown Encinitas every Monday and Tuesday. Even if I could afford it, i just wouldnt want to be that far out but I certainly see the appeal it has to others who feel differently.[/quote]

Hey sdrealtor,

Yeah, definitely I agree with you it won’t be everyone’s style. Really, if I didn’t have any kids then my perspective would be different. But having young kids totally changes my perspective of things that are important.

I agree with you that if I had my druthers, I’d be closer to the beach. We really LOVE La Jolla and Del Mar. And we’re in a gorgeous property this week in Cardiff by the Sea that overlooks the ocean and really great. But we need at least 4 bedrooms (prefer 5 as we will most likely have another child in the future) and like modern style vs. classic and that’s almost impossible to find in other areas closer to the beach.

Carmel Valley no doubt has some beautiful homes and we’ll look there as well. But being super close to the beach isn’t something that ranks super high on our list but I totally agree with you that many people will have that same opinion as what you mentioned.

We’ve been out to Encinitas a few times and it was ok but I guess many parts of it still had a sort of blue collar feel to me in some areas we saw. Which isn’t bad in and of itself but living close to the beach isn’t super important to us.

I know one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we all have different tastes. I’ve seen some posts on this forum where someone posted it was their “dream home” and I was like huh??? Some dream homes are on multi-acre lots, etc. I just don’t see the need to have a huge yard and not really important to me.

My list of importance is quality area in an excellent school district, great lifestyle and quality of life issues, safety, good feeling that the area will stay higher end long-term (15+ years). I got a good feeling from Santaluz from all of those standpoints.

Another thing I noticed is it was MUCH sunnier in Santaluz vs. La Jolla or the coastal area. You hear about this and don’t think it would be that much of a difference but we noticed this quite a bit. It was cloudy in La Jolla part of the day when it was totally sunny in Santaluz.

We also drove over to Poway to check things out over there and you can definitely notice an increase in temperature which is spot on target from what people on the board wrote.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdrealtor]FWIW, the back gate of Crosby drops you off right near Santaluz and Del Sur. There is another way out than Del Dios.

Absolutely agree with everything you said about Santaluz. I guess its just not my style. I like to be closer to the beach and spend alot of time in the beach cities. I eat dinner in downtown Encinitas every Monday and Tuesday. Even if I could afford it, i just wouldnt want to be that far out but I certainly see the appeal it has to others who feel differently.[/quote]

Hey sdrealtor,

Yeah, definitely I agree with you it won’t be everyone’s style. Really, if I didn’t have any kids then my perspective would be different. But having young kids totally changes my perspective of things that are important.

I agree with you that if I had my druthers, I’d be closer to the beach. We really LOVE La Jolla and Del Mar. And we’re in a gorgeous property this week in Cardiff by the Sea that overlooks the ocean and really great. But we need at least 4 bedrooms (prefer 5 as we will most likely have another child in the future) and like modern style vs. classic and that’s almost impossible to find in other areas closer to the beach.

Carmel Valley no doubt has some beautiful homes and we’ll look there as well. But being super close to the beach isn’t something that ranks super high on our list but I totally agree with you that many people will have that same opinion as what you mentioned.

We’ve been out to Encinitas a few times and it was ok but I guess many parts of it still had a sort of blue collar feel to me in some areas we saw. Which isn’t bad in and of itself but living close to the beach isn’t super important to us.

I know one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we all have different tastes. I’ve seen some posts on this forum where someone posted it was their “dream home” and I was like huh??? Some dream homes are on multi-acre lots, etc. I just don’t see the need to have a huge yard and not really important to me.

My list of importance is quality area in an excellent school district, great lifestyle and quality of life issues, safety, good feeling that the area will stay higher end long-term (15+ years). I got a good feeling from Santaluz from all of those standpoints.

Another thing I noticed is it was MUCH sunnier in Santaluz vs. La Jolla or the coastal area. You hear about this and don’t think it would be that much of a difference but we noticed this quite a bit. It was cloudy in La Jolla part of the day when it was totally sunny in Santaluz.

We also drove over to Poway to check things out over there and you can definitely notice an increase in temperature which is spot on target from what people on the board wrote.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdrealtor]FWIW, the back gate of Crosby drops you off right near Santaluz and Del Sur. There is another way out than Del Dios.

Absolutely agree with everything you said about Santaluz. I guess its just not my style. I like to be closer to the beach and spend alot of time in the beach cities. I eat dinner in downtown Encinitas every Monday and Tuesday. Even if I could afford it, i just wouldnt want to be that far out but I certainly see the appeal it has to others who feel differently.[/quote]

Hey sdrealtor,

Yeah, definitely I agree with you it won’t be everyone’s style. Really, if I didn’t have any kids then my perspective would be different. But having young kids totally changes my perspective of things that are important.

I agree with you that if I had my druthers, I’d be closer to the beach. We really LOVE La Jolla and Del Mar. And we’re in a gorgeous property this week in Cardiff by the Sea that overlooks the ocean and really great. But we need at least 4 bedrooms (prefer 5 as we will most likely have another child in the future) and like modern style vs. classic and that’s almost impossible to find in other areas closer to the beach.

Carmel Valley no doubt has some beautiful homes and we’ll look there as well. But being super close to the beach isn’t something that ranks super high on our list but I totally agree with you that many people will have that same opinion as what you mentioned.

We’ve been out to Encinitas a few times and it was ok but I guess many parts of it still had a sort of blue collar feel to me in some areas we saw. Which isn’t bad in and of itself but living close to the beach isn’t super important to us.

I know one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we all have different tastes. I’ve seen some posts on this forum where someone posted it was their “dream home” and I was like huh??? Some dream homes are on multi-acre lots, etc. I just don’t see the need to have a huge yard and not really important to me.

My list of importance is quality area in an excellent school district, great lifestyle and quality of life issues, safety, good feeling that the area will stay higher end long-term (15+ years). I got a good feeling from Santaluz from all of those standpoints.

Another thing I noticed is it was MUCH sunnier in Santaluz vs. La Jolla or the coastal area. You hear about this and don’t think it would be that much of a difference but we noticed this quite a bit. It was cloudy in La Jolla part of the day when it was totally sunny in Santaluz.

We also drove over to Poway to check things out over there and you can definitely notice an increase in temperature which is spot on target from what people on the board wrote.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdrealtor]FWIW, the back gate of Crosby drops you off right near Santaluz and Del Sur. There is another way out than Del Dios.

Absolutely agree with everything you said about Santaluz. I guess its just not my style. I like to be closer to the beach and spend alot of time in the beach cities. I eat dinner in downtown Encinitas every Monday and Tuesday. Even if I could afford it, i just wouldnt want to be that far out but I certainly see the appeal it has to others who feel differently.[/quote]

Hey sdrealtor,

Yeah, definitely I agree with you it won’t be everyone’s style. Really, if I didn’t have any kids then my perspective would be different. But having young kids totally changes my perspective of things that are important.

I agree with you that if I had my druthers, I’d be closer to the beach. We really LOVE La Jolla and Del Mar. And we’re in a gorgeous property this week in Cardiff by the Sea that overlooks the ocean and really great. But we need at least 4 bedrooms (prefer 5 as we will most likely have another child in the future) and like modern style vs. classic and that’s almost impossible to find in other areas closer to the beach.

Carmel Valley no doubt has some beautiful homes and we’ll look there as well. But being super close to the beach isn’t something that ranks super high on our list but I totally agree with you that many people will have that same opinion as what you mentioned.

We’ve been out to Encinitas a few times and it was ok but I guess many parts of it still had a sort of blue collar feel to me in some areas we saw. Which isn’t bad in and of itself but living close to the beach isn’t super important to us.

I know one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we all have different tastes. I’ve seen some posts on this forum where someone posted it was their “dream home” and I was like huh??? Some dream homes are on multi-acre lots, etc. I just don’t see the need to have a huge yard and not really important to me.

My list of importance is quality area in an excellent school district, great lifestyle and quality of life issues, safety, good feeling that the area will stay higher end long-term (15+ years). I got a good feeling from Santaluz from all of those standpoints.

Another thing I noticed is it was MUCH sunnier in Santaluz vs. La Jolla or the coastal area. You hear about this and don’t think it would be that much of a difference but we noticed this quite a bit. It was cloudy in La Jolla part of the day when it was totally sunny in Santaluz.

We also drove over to Poway to check things out over there and you can definitely notice an increase in temperature which is spot on target from what people on the board wrote.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdrealtor]FWIW, the back gate of Crosby drops you off right near Santaluz and Del Sur. There is another way out than Del Dios.

Absolutely agree with everything you said about Santaluz. I guess its just not my style. I like to be closer to the beach and spend alot of time in the beach cities. I eat dinner in downtown Encinitas every Monday and Tuesday. Even if I could afford it, i just wouldnt want to be that far out but I certainly see the appeal it has to others who feel differently.[/quote]

Hey sdrealtor,

Yeah, definitely I agree with you it won’t be everyone’s style. Really, if I didn’t have any kids then my perspective would be different. But having young kids totally changes my perspective of things that are important.

I agree with you that if I had my druthers, I’d be closer to the beach. We really LOVE La Jolla and Del Mar. And we’re in a gorgeous property this week in Cardiff by the Sea that overlooks the ocean and really great. But we need at least 4 bedrooms (prefer 5 as we will most likely have another child in the future) and like modern style vs. classic and that’s almost impossible to find in other areas closer to the beach.

Carmel Valley no doubt has some beautiful homes and we’ll look there as well. But being super close to the beach isn’t something that ranks super high on our list but I totally agree with you that many people will have that same opinion as what you mentioned.

We’ve been out to Encinitas a few times and it was ok but I guess many parts of it still had a sort of blue collar feel to me in some areas we saw. Which isn’t bad in and of itself but living close to the beach isn’t super important to us.

I know one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and we all have different tastes. I’ve seen some posts on this forum where someone posted it was their “dream home” and I was like huh??? Some dream homes are on multi-acre lots, etc. I just don’t see the need to have a huge yard and not really important to me.

My list of importance is quality area in an excellent school district, great lifestyle and quality of life issues, safety, good feeling that the area will stay higher end long-term (15+ years). I got a good feeling from Santaluz from all of those standpoints.

Another thing I noticed is it was MUCH sunnier in Santaluz vs. La Jolla or the coastal area. You hear about this and don’t think it would be that much of a difference but we noticed this quite a bit. It was cloudy in La Jolla part of the day when it was totally sunny in Santaluz.

We also drove over to Poway to check things out over there and you can definitely notice an increase in temperature which is spot on target from what people on the board wrote.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=SD Realtor]Nice synopsis early. I think thisis pretty helpful for people looking in the area. One other spot you may wanna try is the Crosby but it is considerably further out and the best access coastwise is Del Dios. I figure if you went all the way out to 4S you may consider it.[/quote]

Thanks SD Realtor.

Yeah, I think it’s great to give back and share information with people. I really found it lacking of information on Santaluz when I was researching so I plan to provide as much information as possible, especially if I end up buying here. Again, I’m surprised this development doesn’t get more press. It’s much nicer than many other areas that I saw.

Yes, we’re going to look at some houses in Crosby as well but most of them are out of our price range. I really didn’t want to go over $1.2 million and it’s tough at Crosby, although I see some short-sales and foreclosures there for under $1.2.

For kicks and due diligence, I googled the names of property owners for the properties that we were considering as well as their surrounding neighbors and most of them I could find information on. Many were doctors and lawyers or CEO’s/executive at local companies. One was a very popular local realtor. That gave me a good feeling that so many of the surrounding neighbors were affluent. I seriously doubt this area will go to sh*t.

We went out to 4S Ranch, not because we really were seriously interested but I just wanted to get a feel for comparisons and price ranges and wanted to see why it was so much cheaper out there. I could IMMEDIATELY see why. And to be honest with you (and no offense to those of you that own in 4S Ranch….but that area looks like it could really go downhill in 10+ years). Heck, even driving by homes that were just built and new didn’t look so great and construction looked terribly cheap. So I imagine in 10 years many neighborhoods here will look very “tired”.

I didn’t get that sense at all in Santaluz. I seriously doubt this area will go downhill.

We also toured Santa Monica and I really liked it. The entrance to me is really impressive once you pass the security guard. The only thing that I didn’t like is the power lines at the back of the development. You couldn’t see it from some of the houses towards the front of the development but the homes near the back…it clearly can be seen and very ugly.

I wouldn’t mind however if I was buying for the long-term and I couldn’t see the power lines from my house. But that is a big negative that those thinking about Santa Monica should think about.

The HOA fees at Santa Monica were $305 a month vs. $450 a month at Santaluz. Plus at Santaluz for the $450 a month you can’t use the pool, gym, tennis courts. You have to buy a “Hacienda membership” which was $12,500 one time fee plus $205 per month. At Santa Monica you can use the pool, gym, etc. but it’s nothing to write home about but still would be enjoyable if you have young kids.

Still, a super affluent area. One of the homes we toured, the tenant renting was an ex NFL player that was leasing it. VERY nice guy and took the time to talk to me and I asked him how he liked it and he LOVED the area. He had small kids (like many others in this area).

Again, it seems like everyone I talked to around/in Santaluz really love everything about it and super high quality of life. All except the high HOA/MR.

We drove around Rancho Santa Fe as well. Not because we were interested in this area as the homes are out of our price range but just for comparison but even if we could afford it, I wouldn’t buy here as it felt too rural to me. I guess for those that might have horses or need tons of land it might be desirable but not my cup of tea. But super nice area no doubt.

I guess the biggest wonder I have is why anyone would still spend in the $700’s for 4S Ranch? Those prices still seem high to me and there is a ton of distressed properties it seems like in that area. After driving around in that area I can see why. I can’t imagine anyone paying 7 figures for 4S Ranch. JMHO.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=SD Realtor]Nice synopsis early. I think thisis pretty helpful for people looking in the area. One other spot you may wanna try is the Crosby but it is considerably further out and the best access coastwise is Del Dios. I figure if you went all the way out to 4S you may consider it.[/quote]

Thanks SD Realtor.

Yeah, I think it’s great to give back and share information with people. I really found it lacking of information on Santaluz when I was researching so I plan to provide as much information as possible, especially if I end up buying here. Again, I’m surprised this development doesn’t get more press. It’s much nicer than many other areas that I saw.

Yes, we’re going to look at some houses in Crosby as well but most of them are out of our price range. I really didn’t want to go over $1.2 million and it’s tough at Crosby, although I see some short-sales and foreclosures there for under $1.2.

For kicks and due diligence, I googled the names of property owners for the properties that we were considering as well as their surrounding neighbors and most of them I could find information on. Many were doctors and lawyers or CEO’s/executive at local companies. One was a very popular local realtor. That gave me a good feeling that so many of the surrounding neighbors were affluent. I seriously doubt this area will go to sh*t.

We went out to 4S Ranch, not because we really were seriously interested but I just wanted to get a feel for comparisons and price ranges and wanted to see why it was so much cheaper out there. I could IMMEDIATELY see why. And to be honest with you (and no offense to those of you that own in 4S Ranch….but that area looks like it could really go downhill in 10+ years). Heck, even driving by homes that were just built and new didn’t look so great and construction looked terribly cheap. So I imagine in 10 years many neighborhoods here will look very “tired”.

I didn’t get that sense at all in Santaluz. I seriously doubt this area will go downhill.

We also toured Santa Monica and I really liked it. The entrance to me is really impressive once you pass the security guard. The only thing that I didn’t like is the power lines at the back of the development. You couldn’t see it from some of the houses towards the front of the development but the homes near the back…it clearly can be seen and very ugly.

I wouldn’t mind however if I was buying for the long-term and I couldn’t see the power lines from my house. But that is a big negative that those thinking about Santa Monica should think about.

The HOA fees at Santa Monica were $305 a month vs. $450 a month at Santaluz. Plus at Santaluz for the $450 a month you can’t use the pool, gym, tennis courts. You have to buy a “Hacienda membership” which was $12,500 one time fee plus $205 per month. At Santa Monica you can use the pool, gym, etc. but it’s nothing to write home about but still would be enjoyable if you have young kids.

Still, a super affluent area. One of the homes we toured, the tenant renting was an ex NFL player that was leasing it. VERY nice guy and took the time to talk to me and I asked him how he liked it and he LOVED the area. He had small kids (like many others in this area).

Again, it seems like everyone I talked to around/in Santaluz really love everything about it and super high quality of life. All except the high HOA/MR.

We drove around Rancho Santa Fe as well. Not because we were interested in this area as the homes are out of our price range but just for comparison but even if we could afford it, I wouldn’t buy here as it felt too rural to me. I guess for those that might have horses or need tons of land it might be desirable but not my cup of tea. But super nice area no doubt.

I guess the biggest wonder I have is why anyone would still spend in the $700’s for 4S Ranch? Those prices still seem high to me and there is a ton of distressed properties it seems like in that area. After driving around in that area I can see why. I can’t imagine anyone paying 7 figures for 4S Ranch. JMHO.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=SD Realtor]Nice synopsis early. I think thisis pretty helpful for people looking in the area. One other spot you may wanna try is the Crosby but it is considerably further out and the best access coastwise is Del Dios. I figure if you went all the way out to 4S you may consider it.[/quote]

Thanks SD Realtor.

Yeah, I think it’s great to give back and share information with people. I really found it lacking of information on Santaluz when I was researching so I plan to provide as much information as possible, especially if I end up buying here. Again, I’m surprised this development doesn’t get more press. It’s much nicer than many other areas that I saw.

Yes, we’re going to look at some houses in Crosby as well but most of them are out of our price range. I really didn’t want to go over $1.2 million and it’s tough at Crosby, although I see some short-sales and foreclosures there for under $1.2.

For kicks and due diligence, I googled the names of property owners for the properties that we were considering as well as their surrounding neighbors and most of them I could find information on. Many were doctors and lawyers or CEO’s/executive at local companies. One was a very popular local realtor. That gave me a good feeling that so many of the surrounding neighbors were affluent. I seriously doubt this area will go to sh*t.

We went out to 4S Ranch, not because we really were seriously interested but I just wanted to get a feel for comparisons and price ranges and wanted to see why it was so much cheaper out there. I could IMMEDIATELY see why. And to be honest with you (and no offense to those of you that own in 4S Ranch….but that area looks like it could really go downhill in 10+ years). Heck, even driving by homes that were just built and new didn’t look so great and construction looked terribly cheap. So I imagine in 10 years many neighborhoods here will look very “tired”.

I didn’t get that sense at all in Santaluz. I seriously doubt this area will go downhill.

We also toured Santa Monica and I really liked it. The entrance to me is really impressive once you pass the security guard. The only thing that I didn’t like is the power lines at the back of the development. You couldn’t see it from some of the houses towards the front of the development but the homes near the back…it clearly can be seen and very ugly.

I wouldn’t mind however if I was buying for the long-term and I couldn’t see the power lines from my house. But that is a big negative that those thinking about Santa Monica should think about.

The HOA fees at Santa Monica were $305 a month vs. $450 a month at Santaluz. Plus at Santaluz for the $450 a month you can’t use the pool, gym, tennis courts. You have to buy a “Hacienda membership” which was $12,500 one time fee plus $205 per month. At Santa Monica you can use the pool, gym, etc. but it’s nothing to write home about but still would be enjoyable if you have young kids.

Still, a super affluent area. One of the homes we toured, the tenant renting was an ex NFL player that was leasing it. VERY nice guy and took the time to talk to me and I asked him how he liked it and he LOVED the area. He had small kids (like many others in this area).

Again, it seems like everyone I talked to around/in Santaluz really love everything about it and super high quality of life. All except the high HOA/MR.

We drove around Rancho Santa Fe as well. Not because we were interested in this area as the homes are out of our price range but just for comparison but even if we could afford it, I wouldn’t buy here as it felt too rural to me. I guess for those that might have horses or need tons of land it might be desirable but not my cup of tea. But super nice area no doubt.

I guess the biggest wonder I have is why anyone would still spend in the $700’s for 4S Ranch? Those prices still seem high to me and there is a ton of distressed properties it seems like in that area. After driving around in that area I can see why. I can’t imagine anyone paying 7 figures for 4S Ranch. JMHO.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=SD Realtor]Nice synopsis early. I think thisis pretty helpful for people looking in the area. One other spot you may wanna try is the Crosby but it is considerably further out and the best access coastwise is Del Dios. I figure if you went all the way out to 4S you may consider it.[/quote]

Thanks SD Realtor.

Yeah, I think it’s great to give back and share information with people. I really found it lacking of information on Santaluz when I was researching so I plan to provide as much information as possible, especially if I end up buying here. Again, I’m surprised this development doesn’t get more press. It’s much nicer than many other areas that I saw.

Yes, we’re going to look at some houses in Crosby as well but most of them are out of our price range. I really didn’t want to go over $1.2 million and it’s tough at Crosby, although I see some short-sales and foreclosures there for under $1.2.

For kicks and due diligence, I googled the names of property owners for the properties that we were considering as well as their surrounding neighbors and most of them I could find information on. Many were doctors and lawyers or CEO’s/executive at local companies. One was a very popular local realtor. That gave me a good feeling that so many of the surrounding neighbors were affluent. I seriously doubt this area will go to sh*t.

We went out to 4S Ranch, not because we really were seriously interested but I just wanted to get a feel for comparisons and price ranges and wanted to see why it was so much cheaper out there. I could IMMEDIATELY see why. And to be honest with you (and no offense to those of you that own in 4S Ranch….but that area looks like it could really go downhill in 10+ years). Heck, even driving by homes that were just built and new didn’t look so great and construction looked terribly cheap. So I imagine in 10 years many neighborhoods here will look very “tired”.

I didn’t get that sense at all in Santaluz. I seriously doubt this area will go downhill.

We also toured Santa Monica and I really liked it. The entrance to me is really impressive once you pass the security guard. The only thing that I didn’t like is the power lines at the back of the development. You couldn’t see it from some of the houses towards the front of the development but the homes near the back…it clearly can be seen and very ugly.

I wouldn’t mind however if I was buying for the long-term and I couldn’t see the power lines from my house. But that is a big negative that those thinking about Santa Monica should think about.

The HOA fees at Santa Monica were $305 a month vs. $450 a month at Santaluz. Plus at Santaluz for the $450 a month you can’t use the pool, gym, tennis courts. You have to buy a “Hacienda membership” which was $12,500 one time fee plus $205 per month. At Santa Monica you can use the pool, gym, etc. but it’s nothing to write home about but still would be enjoyable if you have young kids.

Still, a super affluent area. One of the homes we toured, the tenant renting was an ex NFL player that was leasing it. VERY nice guy and took the time to talk to me and I asked him how he liked it and he LOVED the area. He had small kids (like many others in this area).

Again, it seems like everyone I talked to around/in Santaluz really love everything about it and super high quality of life. All except the high HOA/MR.

We drove around Rancho Santa Fe as well. Not because we were interested in this area as the homes are out of our price range but just for comparison but even if we could afford it, I wouldn’t buy here as it felt too rural to me. I guess for those that might have horses or need tons of land it might be desirable but not my cup of tea. But super nice area no doubt.

I guess the biggest wonder I have is why anyone would still spend in the $700’s for 4S Ranch? Those prices still seem high to me and there is a ton of distressed properties it seems like in that area. After driving around in that area I can see why. I can’t imagine anyone paying 7 figures for 4S Ranch. JMHO.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=SD Realtor]Nice synopsis early. I think thisis pretty helpful for people looking in the area. One other spot you may wanna try is the Crosby but it is considerably further out and the best access coastwise is Del Dios. I figure if you went all the way out to 4S you may consider it.[/quote]

Thanks SD Realtor.

Yeah, I think it’s great to give back and share information with people. I really found it lacking of information on Santaluz when I was researching so I plan to provide as much information as possible, especially if I end up buying here. Again, I’m surprised this development doesn’t get more press. It’s much nicer than many other areas that I saw.

Yes, we’re going to look at some houses in Crosby as well but most of them are out of our price range. I really didn’t want to go over $1.2 million and it’s tough at Crosby, although I see some short-sales and foreclosures there for under $1.2.

For kicks and due diligence, I googled the names of property owners for the properties that we were considering as well as their surrounding neighbors and most of them I could find information on. Many were doctors and lawyers or CEO’s/executive at local companies. One was a very popular local realtor. That gave me a good feeling that so many of the surrounding neighbors were affluent. I seriously doubt this area will go to sh*t.

We went out to 4S Ranch, not because we really were seriously interested but I just wanted to get a feel for comparisons and price ranges and wanted to see why it was so much cheaper out there. I could IMMEDIATELY see why. And to be honest with you (and no offense to those of you that own in 4S Ranch….but that area looks like it could really go downhill in 10+ years). Heck, even driving by homes that were just built and new didn’t look so great and construction looked terribly cheap. So I imagine in 10 years many neighborhoods here will look very “tired”.

I didn’t get that sense at all in Santaluz. I seriously doubt this area will go downhill.

We also toured Santa Monica and I really liked it. The entrance to me is really impressive once you pass the security guard. The only thing that I didn’t like is the power lines at the back of the development. You couldn’t see it from some of the houses towards the front of the development but the homes near the back…it clearly can be seen and very ugly.

I wouldn’t mind however if I was buying for the long-term and I couldn’t see the power lines from my house. But that is a big negative that those thinking about Santa Monica should think about.

The HOA fees at Santa Monica were $305 a month vs. $450 a month at Santaluz. Plus at Santaluz for the $450 a month you can’t use the pool, gym, tennis courts. You have to buy a “Hacienda membership” which was $12,500 one time fee plus $205 per month. At Santa Monica you can use the pool, gym, etc. but it’s nothing to write home about but still would be enjoyable if you have young kids.

Still, a super affluent area. One of the homes we toured, the tenant renting was an ex NFL player that was leasing it. VERY nice guy and took the time to talk to me and I asked him how he liked it and he LOVED the area. He had small kids (like many others in this area).

Again, it seems like everyone I talked to around/in Santaluz really love everything about it and super high quality of life. All except the high HOA/MR.

We drove around Rancho Santa Fe as well. Not because we were interested in this area as the homes are out of our price range but just for comparison but even if we could afford it, I wouldn’t buy here as it felt too rural to me. I guess for those that might have horses or need tons of land it might be desirable but not my cup of tea. But super nice area no doubt.

I guess the biggest wonder I have is why anyone would still spend in the $700’s for 4S Ranch? Those prices still seem high to me and there is a ton of distressed properties it seems like in that area. After driving around in that area I can see why. I can’t imagine anyone paying 7 figures for 4S Ranch. JMHO.

[earlyretirement]

I thought I’d comment to this thread as there is so very little information on Santaluz out there. We’ve spent the past 2 days looking at houses out there and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with the area! Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more out there on the internet about this development.

It’s a gorgeous gorgeous development and the houses are really beautiful and of quality construction. We looked at several houses and are seriously interested in making an offer on some of the properties we’ve seen.

Today we toured the facilities with Kelly, the Membership Director of the Santaluz Club and it’s a really high end. All of the homes we toured, the owners ALL had young kids. Most of them are selling as they are upgrading to larger homes and what impressed us is almost all of them loved Santaluz and looking for upgrade properties as well. One owner was looking in Rancho Santa Fe (which we also toured).

Many of the homes we saw, they had the original owners from 2004 so they were original owners. Those houses the owners took really good care of them and they were pristine. Another that we saw in Santa Monica was nice but it was an investment “flip” and it wasn’t nearly as well cared after as the properties in Santaluz (within the gates).

Some of the homes we saw had up to $250,000 in upgrades in them. It seems like the houses with original owners will still make some money as long as they didn’t pull equity out. But not so much. Obviously the owners here are more affluent. One house we saw, the owners actually bought another house in Santaluz and already closed on it. They had a sale fall through the cracks at the 11th hour so now they own 2 houses in Santaluz!

My feeling is that it’s a really great area, great schools, beautiful development and the entire thing feels high end.

Am I saying that property prices won’t fall more here? No. Certainly not. In fact, I think property prices could fall here another year or 2. But I think if you’re buying truly for long-term (10+ years) you can’t go wrong here if you’re buying to live in, have young kids and need to have good school district, etc. The views and scenery are really beautiful and picturesque.

After our last showing, we drove to La Jolla Shores beach and I was really surprised it only took 23 minutes. I read some posts online of people that said they can make it to the beaches in only 15 minutes and I thought it had to be an exaggeration but I timed it. Fortunately we didn’t have much traffic at all and weren’t going against traffic.

One thing I’ll say is it didn’t seem like the “Clubhouse and Spa Membership” package were worth it. It was $20,000 plus monthly dues of $405 per month. The Hacienda Club was $12,500 plus monthly dues of $205 per month. The Spa package allows you to go to the spa but they still charge you to use it and the prices aren’t cheap. (for example, a deep tissue massage is 50/80 minutes = $105/$125). They have a restaurant as well but I doubt that we’d eat much there and for the $200 a month difference it doesn’t seem like good value for the money.

But I’d definitely get a Hacienda Club membership to use their pool, gym, tennis courts which all were really high end.

The entire place is high end and classy. I tried to tip the valet car drivers at the Spa as they parked my car and they told me they have a “no cash policy” on their facility. Just super classy.

I’m not a golfer but for those that golf it looked really great. The golf membership was $43,000 with monthly dues of $1,100 per month.

They said the Golf Membership includes green fees, lockers, bag storage, range access, handicap fee, Spa and Clubhouse privileges and Hacienda privileges.

Definitely this place is really great and quality of life seems very high here if you have kids or even empty nesters.

Before I toured it I did a ton of due diligence and the only negative I could see was the high HOA and Mello Roos. After touring the area and facilities extensively, I’d say that is about right.

I toured 4S Ranch just to see why it’s so much cheaper and I have to say the area is like night and day. It’s like comparing apples to bananas. 4S Ranch felt extremely cheap to me. The quality of construction looked horrible and definitely inferior.

One positive was there was lots of families but it doesn’t look like a high end area at all. It just looks like cheap homes which I’m sure appeals to some people.

We’re looking at homes this week in Carmel Valley but I’m not sure after seeing Santaluz they will stand up. And I know some of you on the board push places like La Jolla and that area which no doubt are really high end but you can’t get too much for the same money. Even with $1.2 million in Santaluz you can get a pretty great property where as in La Jolla it’s almost impossible to get any sizable property 4/5 bedrooms, all renovated, etc.

One thing that really appeals to us is newer construction vs. older homes. So Santaluz was ideal for us.

I just thought I’d give my 2 cents on this for those interested in Santaluz like I was as there is so little information on the area.

Good luck.

[earlyretirement]

I thought I’d comment to this thread as there is so very little information on Santaluz out there. We’ve spent the past 2 days looking at houses out there and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with the area! Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more out there on the internet about this development.

It’s a gorgeous gorgeous development and the houses are really beautiful and of quality construction. We looked at several houses and are seriously interested in making an offer on some of the properties we’ve seen.

Today we toured the facilities with Kelly, the Membership Director of the Santaluz Club and it’s a really high end. All of the homes we toured, the owners ALL had young kids. Most of them are selling as they are upgrading to larger homes and what impressed us is almost all of them loved Santaluz and looking for upgrade properties as well. One owner was looking in Rancho Santa Fe (which we also toured).

Many of the homes we saw, they had the original owners from 2004 so they were original owners. Those houses the owners took really good care of them and they were pristine. Another that we saw in Santa Monica was nice but it was an investment “flip” and it wasn’t nearly as well cared after as the properties in Santaluz (within the gates).

Some of the homes we saw had up to $250,000 in upgrades in them. It seems like the houses with original owners will still make some money as long as they didn’t pull equity out. But not so much. Obviously the owners here are more affluent. One house we saw, the owners actually bought another house in Santaluz and already closed on it. They had a sale fall through the cracks at the 11th hour so now they own 2 houses in Santaluz!

My feeling is that it’s a really great area, great schools, beautiful development and the entire thing feels high end.

Am I saying that property prices won’t fall more here? No. Certainly not. In fact, I think property prices could fall here another year or 2. But I think if you’re buying truly for long-term (10+ years) you can’t go wrong here if you’re buying to live in, have young kids and need to have good school district, etc. The views and scenery are really beautiful and picturesque.

After our last showing, we drove to La Jolla Shores beach and I was really surprised it only took 23 minutes. I read some posts online of people that said they can make it to the beaches in only 15 minutes and I thought it had to be an exaggeration but I timed it. Fortunately we didn’t have much traffic at all and weren’t going against traffic.

One thing I’ll say is it didn’t seem like the “Clubhouse and Spa Membership” package were worth it. It was $20,000 plus monthly dues of $405 per month. The Hacienda Club was $12,500 plus monthly dues of $205 per month. The Spa package allows you to go to the spa but they still charge you to use it and the prices aren’t cheap. (for example, a deep tissue massage is 50/80 minutes = $105/$125). They have a restaurant as well but I doubt that we’d eat much there and for the $200 a month difference it doesn’t seem like good value for the money.

But I’d definitely get a Hacienda Club membership to use their pool, gym, tennis courts which all were really high end.

The entire place is high end and classy. I tried to tip the valet car drivers at the Spa as they parked my car and they told me they have a “no cash policy” on their facility. Just super classy.

I’m not a golfer but for those that golf it looked really great. The golf membership was $43,000 with monthly dues of $1,100 per month.

They said the Golf Membership includes green fees, lockers, bag storage, range access, handicap fee, Spa and Clubhouse privileges and Hacienda privileges.

Definitely this place is really great and quality of life seems very high here if you have kids or even empty nesters.

Before I toured it I did a ton of due diligence and the only negative I could see was the high HOA and Mello Roos. After touring the area and facilities extensively, I’d say that is about right.

I toured 4S Ranch just to see why it’s so much cheaper and I have to say the area is like night and day. It’s like comparing apples to bananas. 4S Ranch felt extremely cheap to me. The quality of construction looked horrible and definitely inferior.

One positive was there was lots of families but it doesn’t look like a high end area at all. It just looks like cheap homes which I’m sure appeals to some people.

We’re looking at homes this week in Carmel Valley but I’m not sure after seeing Santaluz they will stand up. And I know some of you on the board push places like La Jolla and that area which no doubt are really high end but you can’t get too much for the same money. Even with $1.2 million in Santaluz you can get a pretty great property where as in La Jolla it’s almost impossible to get any sizable property 4/5 bedrooms, all renovated, etc.

One thing that really appeals to us is newer construction vs. older homes. So Santaluz was ideal for us.

I just thought I’d give my 2 cents on this for those interested in Santaluz like I was as there is so little information on the area.

Good luck.

[earlyretirement]

I thought I’d comment to this thread as there is so very little information on Santaluz out there. We’ve spent the past 2 days looking at houses out there and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with the area! Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more out there on the internet about this development.

It’s a gorgeous gorgeous development and the houses are really beautiful and of quality construction. We looked at several houses and are seriously interested in making an offer on some of the properties we’ve seen.

Today we toured the facilities with Kelly, the Membership Director of the Santaluz Club and it’s a really high end. All of the homes we toured, the owners ALL had young kids. Most of them are selling as they are upgrading to larger homes and what impressed us is almost all of them loved Santaluz and looking for upgrade properties as well. One owner was looking in Rancho Santa Fe (which we also toured).

Many of the homes we saw, they had the original owners from 2004 so they were original owners. Those houses the owners took really good care of them and they were pristine. Another that we saw in Santa Monica was nice but it was an investment “flip” and it wasn’t nearly as well cared after as the properties in Santaluz (within the gates).

Some of the homes we saw had up to $250,000 in upgrades in them. It seems like the houses with original owners will still make some money as long as they didn’t pull equity out. But not so much. Obviously the owners here are more affluent. One house we saw, the owners actually bought another house in Santaluz and already closed on it. They had a sale fall through the cracks at the 11th hour so now they own 2 houses in Santaluz!

My feeling is that it’s a really great area, great schools, beautiful development and the entire thing feels high end.

Am I saying that property prices won’t fall more here? No. Certainly not. In fact, I think property prices could fall here another year or 2. But I think if you’re buying truly for long-term (10+ years) you can’t go wrong here if you’re buying to live in, have young kids and need to have good school district, etc. The views and scenery are really beautiful and picturesque.

After our last showing, we drove to La Jolla Shores beach and I was really surprised it only took 23 minutes. I read some posts online of people that said they can make it to the beaches in only 15 minutes and I thought it had to be an exaggeration but I timed it. Fortunately we didn’t have much traffic at all and weren’t going against traffic.

One thing I’ll say is it didn’t seem like the “Clubhouse and Spa Membership” package were worth it. It was $20,000 plus monthly dues of $405 per month. The Hacienda Club was $12,500 plus monthly dues of $205 per month. The Spa package allows you to go to the spa but they still charge you to use it and the prices aren’t cheap. (for example, a deep tissue massage is 50/80 minutes = $105/$125). They have a restaurant as well but I doubt that we’d eat much there and for the $200 a month difference it doesn’t seem like good value for the money.

But I’d definitely get a Hacienda Club membership to use their pool, gym, tennis courts which all were really high end.

The entire place is high end and classy. I tried to tip the valet car drivers at the Spa as they parked my car and they told me they have a “no cash policy” on their facility. Just super classy.

I’m not a golfer but for those that golf it looked really great. The golf membership was $43,000 with monthly dues of $1,100 per month.

They said the Golf Membership includes green fees, lockers, bag storage, range access, handicap fee, Spa and Clubhouse privileges and Hacienda privileges.

Definitely this place is really great and quality of life seems very high here if you have kids or even empty nesters.

Before I toured it I did a ton of due diligence and the only negative I could see was the high HOA and Mello Roos. After touring the area and facilities extensively, I’d say that is about right.

I toured 4S Ranch just to see why it’s so much cheaper and I have to say the area is like night and day. It’s like comparing apples to bananas. 4S Ranch felt extremely cheap to me. The quality of construction looked horrible and definitely inferior.

One positive was there was lots of families but it doesn’t look like a high end area at all. It just looks like cheap homes which I’m sure appeals to some people.

We’re looking at homes this week in Carmel Valley but I’m not sure after seeing Santaluz they will stand up. And I know some of you on the board push places like La Jolla and that area which no doubt are really high end but you can’t get too much for the same money. Even with $1.2 million in Santaluz you can get a pretty great property where as in La Jolla it’s almost impossible to get any sizable property 4/5 bedrooms, all renovated, etc.

One thing that really appeals to us is newer construction vs. older homes. So Santaluz was ideal for us.

I just thought I’d give my 2 cents on this for those interested in Santaluz like I was as there is so little information on the area.

Good luck.

[earlyretirement]

I thought I’d comment to this thread as there is so very little information on Santaluz out there. We’ve spent the past 2 days looking at houses out there and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with the area! Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more out there on the internet about this development.

It’s a gorgeous gorgeous development and the houses are really beautiful and of quality construction. We looked at several houses and are seriously interested in making an offer on some of the properties we’ve seen.

Today we toured the facilities with Kelly, the Membership Director of the Santaluz Club and it’s a really high end. All of the homes we toured, the owners ALL had young kids. Most of them are selling as they are upgrading to larger homes and what impressed us is almost all of them loved Santaluz and looking for upgrade properties as well. One owner was looking in Rancho Santa Fe (which we also toured).

Many of the homes we saw, they had the original owners from 2004 so they were original owners. Those houses the owners took really good care of them and they were pristine. Another that we saw in Santa Monica was nice but it was an investment “flip” and it wasn’t nearly as well cared after as the properties in Santaluz (within the gates).

Some of the homes we saw had up to $250,000 in upgrades in them. It seems like the houses with original owners will still make some money as long as they didn’t pull equity out. But not so much. Obviously the owners here are more affluent. One house we saw, the owners actually bought another house in Santaluz and already closed on it. They had a sale fall through the cracks at the 11th hour so now they own 2 houses in Santaluz!

My feeling is that it’s a really great area, great schools, beautiful development and the entire thing feels high end.

Am I saying that property prices won’t fall more here? No. Certainly not. In fact, I think property prices could fall here another year or 2. But I think if you’re buying truly for long-term (10+ years) you can’t go wrong here if you’re buying to live in, have young kids and need to have good school district, etc. The views and scenery are really beautiful and picturesque.

After our last showing, we drove to La Jolla Shores beach and I was really surprised it only took 23 minutes. I read some posts online of people that said they can make it to the beaches in only 15 minutes and I thought it had to be an exaggeration but I timed it. Fortunately we didn’t have much traffic at all and weren’t going against traffic.

One thing I’ll say is it didn’t seem like the “Clubhouse and Spa Membership” package were worth it. It was $20,000 plus monthly dues of $405 per month. The Hacienda Club was $12,500 plus monthly dues of $205 per month. The Spa package allows you to go to the spa but they still charge you to use it and the prices aren’t cheap. (for example, a deep tissue massage is 50/80 minutes = $105/$125). They have a restaurant as well but I doubt that we’d eat much there and for the $200 a month difference it doesn’t seem like good value for the money.

But I’d definitely get a Hacienda Club membership to use their pool, gym, tennis courts which all were really high end.

The entire place is high end and classy. I tried to tip the valet car drivers at the Spa as they parked my car and they told me they have a “no cash policy” on their facility. Just super classy.

I’m not a golfer but for those that golf it looked really great. The golf membership was $43,000 with monthly dues of $1,100 per month.

They said the Golf Membership includes green fees, lockers, bag storage, range access, handicap fee, Spa and Clubhouse privileges and Hacienda privileges.

Definitely this place is really great and quality of life seems very high here if you have kids or even empty nesters.

Before I toured it I did a ton of due diligence and the only negative I could see was the high HOA and Mello Roos. After touring the area and facilities extensively, I’d say that is about right.

I toured 4S Ranch just to see why it’s so much cheaper and I have to say the area is like night and day. It’s like comparing apples to bananas. 4S Ranch felt extremely cheap to me. The quality of construction looked horrible and definitely inferior.

One positive was there was lots of families but it doesn’t look like a high end area at all. It just looks like cheap homes which I’m sure appeals to some people.

We’re looking at homes this week in Carmel Valley but I’m not sure after seeing Santaluz they will stand up. And I know some of you on the board push places like La Jolla and that area which no doubt are really high end but you can’t get too much for the same money. Even with $1.2 million in Santaluz you can get a pretty great property where as in La Jolla it’s almost impossible to get any sizable property 4/5 bedrooms, all renovated, etc.

One thing that really appeals to us is newer construction vs. older homes. So Santaluz was ideal for us.

I just thought I’d give my 2 cents on this for those interested in Santaluz like I was as there is so little information on the area.

Good luck.

[earlyretirement]

I thought I’d comment to this thread as there is so very little information on Santaluz out there. We’ve spent the past 2 days looking at houses out there and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with the area! Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more out there on the internet about this development.

It’s a gorgeous gorgeous development and the houses are really beautiful and of quality construction. We looked at several houses and are seriously interested in making an offer on some of the properties we’ve seen.

Today we toured the facilities with Kelly, the Membership Director of the Santaluz Club and it’s a really high end. All of the homes we toured, the owners ALL had young kids. Most of them are selling as they are upgrading to larger homes and what impressed us is almost all of them loved Santaluz and looking for upgrade properties as well. One owner was looking in Rancho Santa Fe (which we also toured).

Many of the homes we saw, they had the original owners from 2004 so they were original owners. Those houses the owners took really good care of them and they were pristine. Another that we saw in Santa Monica was nice but it was an investment “flip” and it wasn’t nearly as well cared after as the properties in Santaluz (within the gates).

Some of the homes we saw had up to $250,000 in upgrades in them. It seems like the houses with original owners will still make some money as long as they didn’t pull equity out. But not so much. Obviously the owners here are more affluent. One house we saw, the owners actually bought another house in Santaluz and already closed on it. They had a sale fall through the cracks at the 11th hour so now they own 2 houses in Santaluz!

My feeling is that it’s a really great area, great schools, beautiful development and the entire thing feels high end.

Am I saying that property prices won’t fall more here? No. Certainly not. In fact, I think property prices could fall here another year or 2. But I think if you’re buying truly for long-term (10+ years) you can’t go wrong here if you’re buying to live in, have young kids and need to have good school district, etc. The views and scenery are really beautiful and picturesque.

After our last showing, we drove to La Jolla Shores beach and I was really surprised it only took 23 minutes. I read some posts online of people that said they can make it to the beaches in only 15 minutes and I thought it had to be an exaggeration but I timed it. Fortunately we didn’t have much traffic at all and weren’t going against traffic.

One thing I’ll say is it didn’t seem like the “Clubhouse and Spa Membership” package were worth it. It was $20,000 plus monthly dues of $405 per month. The Hacienda Club was $12,500 plus monthly dues of $205 per month. The Spa package allows you to go to the spa but they still charge you to use it and the prices aren’t cheap. (for example, a deep tissue massage is 50/80 minutes = $105/$125). They have a restaurant as well but I doubt that we’d eat much there and for the $200 a month difference it doesn’t seem like good value for the money.

But I’d definitely get a Hacienda Club membership to use their pool, gym, tennis courts which all were really high end.

The entire place is high end and classy. I tried to tip the valet car drivers at the Spa as they parked my car and they told me they have a “no cash policy” on their facility. Just super classy.

I’m not a golfer but for those that golf it looked really great. The golf membership was $43,000 with monthly dues of $1,100 per month.

They said the Golf Membership includes green fees, lockers, bag storage, range access, handicap fee, Spa and Clubhouse privileges and Hacienda privileges.

Definitely this place is really great and quality of life seems very high here if you have kids or even empty nesters.

Before I toured it I did a ton of due diligence and the only negative I could see was the high HOA and Mello Roos. After touring the area and facilities extensively, I’d say that is about right.

I toured 4S Ranch just to see why it’s so much cheaper and I have to say the area is like night and day. It’s like comparing apples to bananas. 4S Ranch felt extremely cheap to me. The quality of construction looked horrible and definitely inferior.

One positive was there was lots of families but it doesn’t look like a high end area at all. It just looks like cheap homes which I’m sure appeals to some people.

We’re looking at homes this week in Carmel Valley but I’m not sure after seeing Santaluz they will stand up. And I know some of you on the board push places like La Jolla and that area which no doubt are really high end but you can’t get too much for the same money. Even with $1.2 million in Santaluz you can get a pretty great property where as in La Jolla it’s almost impossible to get any sizable property 4/5 bedrooms, all renovated, etc.

One thing that really appeals to us is newer construction vs. older homes. So Santaluz was ideal for us.

I just thought I’d give my 2 cents on this for those interested in Santaluz like I was as there is so little information on the area.

Good luck.

[Author]

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