La Mesa
La Mesa has a unique character – you feel like you’re close to just about everything, but miles away from the hustle and bustle of city living. The heart of La Mesa is its charming downtown area, with all sorts of amenities and delightful parks.

Poway
You may have heard Poway called “the city in the country,” and that’s a fairly accurate assessment. Located just off I-15, Poway is family-friendly, has a great school district, and plenty of outdoor recreation. You’d love living in Poway.

Chula Vista
This is the second-largest urban area in the county, but still fairly small with just over 165,000 residents. It’s growing quickly, and there’s not a lot of new housing available. Still, it has good neighborhoods, friendly people, and lots of charm.

Escondido
This is the largest of the North County suburbs, and is actually pretty much a city on its own. You’ll find plenty of opportunities for recreation and shopping, but still quite a few agricultural areas. All roads lead to Escondido.

Santee
Here’s another fairly urban location that still has some agricultural areas. It’s growing, so real estate is getting more expensive, but it’s still within reach of a growing family.

Carlsbad
Housing in Carlsbad is a bit pricey, but isn’t it worth it to live near LegoLand? For parents, the nightlife is great. However, the commute to San Diego can be difficult – you’ll have to use the I-5.

Ramona
If you’re looking for a slower pace, Ramona is your kind of town. The downtown district is kind of sleepy, and homes typically occupy large lots. There’s a strip of fast food outlets and retail establishments along the main highway, but Ramona hasn’t quite achieved “urban sprawl” just yet.

Summary
There are plenty of choices for family life in the San Diego area. Choose your pace, and pick a location.

Sources:
http://sandiego.about.com/od/livinginsandiego/tp/tp_suburbs.htm

First off, in San Diego, land values are extremely high. You’ve heard the expression, “Buy land; they’re not making any more of it.” You won’t get cheap land. Often, land in San Diego is worth far more than any buildings might be present. So if you’re thinking of buying a fixer-upper and turning it, you might just be wasting your money on renovations and repairs. Just fixing up a building won’t really increase the value of the property, since a potential buyer may very well just be interested in the land.

If you’re looking at owning your own home, you might be thinking of buying a multi-unit dwelling and renting out part of it to offset your mortgage, and then converting it to a single-family dwelling. Again, this isn’t without its pitfalls. You could end up renovating an undesirable property that you’ll have trouble unloading if you plan on this as your “starter” home. In San Diego, many multiple units are in undesirable areas, like near a freeway. So you buy the property, live in half or a third of it, and then once the mortgage is paid off, you renovate. Sooner or later, you want to move to a more desirable area, but you find that no one wants a single-family dwelling near an airport, freeway, or rail line. You lose.

If you can afford to invest in something a little more upscale, like a property near a national park or close to the ocean, the good news is that property values continue to rise in the San Diego area. Your best real estate investment is something you can hold onto – in the long term, you’ll make money.

By all means, invest in San Diego real estate. But don’t waste your money on fixer-uppers. Go for the best property you can afford, and wait to sell.