Prices in San Diego are high and the communities numerous, and scattered over a very large area. To house hunt efficiently, you really need a good 
San Diego General Overview
San Diego's big appeal is contrast. Containing beaches, mountains, and desert, along with urban and rural areas, San Diego is as diverse as its people. Despite its huge size, you'll still feel that comfortable small-town spirit.
This big sprawling city encompasses 403.60 square miles, stretches 70 miles along the Pacific Ocean, and contains more than 40 defined neighborhoods within its boundaries. City boundaries include Torrey Pines recreational area in the north, Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the coastal foothills to the east.
Since World War II, San Diego has seen a tremendous growth in population as well as economy and housing. It has been traditionally a military city since World War II, supplying many jobs and businesses to its residents. Within the past 25 years San Diego has doubled its population giving rise to many new housing developments.
The city of San Diego, America's sixth largest city, is located in the southern-most county (San Diego County) in California. Home to a culturally diverse population of 2.6 million, the city of San Diego is the largest city in San Diego county.
San Diego Housing
Within San Diego County you'll have a variety of settings from well-established city neighborhoods to gated communities, adult communities, golf communities,sub-divisions or planned communities, offering all price ranges. All of these housing options are available near or around the many townships surrounding San Diego, including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Coronado, Seaport Village, Imperial Beach, Mission Bay, Chula Vista, Otay Mesa, Bonita, National City, Old Town, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside, Kearny Mesa, Soledad Mt., Miramar, Mira Mesa, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Mission Hills.
There is
a variety of condominium and townhouse options, apartments, and real estate developments for inviduals and families seeking either coastal properties or inland homes for sale. For the person preferring acreage and privacy, there is a good selection of estate homes and realestate situated in their own beautiful and secluded grounds inland of the Pacific Ocean coast. Equestrian lovers will find many properties boasting acreage to accomodate luxurious custom built homes situated in some of the inland townships.
The San Diego area is served by a Real Estate Multiple
Listing Service, (MLS) and links to them can be found on this site at: www.housesandhomes.com/real-estate/San Diego/tuc.listings/html.
Influenced greatly by the Spanish, you'll enjoy the charm of its older neighborhoods that have been carefully restored featuring residential and commercial areas. There is plenty of new housing and buildings mixed in with older styles.
Communities Surrounding San Diego
San Diego is a city located on the southern Pacific Ocean coast of California and part of San Diego County. Here you'll find state parks, beaches, foothills and lakes througout the surrounding townships giving you access to all of your favorite activities.
There are many communities situated in the north county coastal area as well as the north county inland area and the East County that offer some of the top rated school districts in the state of California. Just minutes away from the city lights of San Diego are beautiful properties that include homes, townhouses and condos situated north and west of San Diego with starting prices around the $200,000s.
Within the metro San Diego area are townships offering well-planned communities such as Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and Tierrasanta,Del Mar, Point Loma, Poway, Coranado, Clairement, Mission Hills, Pacific Beach, San Diego Downtown,
featuring some of the most sought after realestate in San Diego County.
To the north of San Diego situated on the coast are some of the most prestigious properties within San Diego County. Located in Carlsbad, Cardiff-By-The-Sea, Oceanside, and Del Mar, are architectural styles from the turn-of-the-century and feature charming village atmosphere. There are a number of newly built communities boasting golf courses and resort-like amenities located in the north coastal townships as well as established neighborhoods. Single family homes built by some of the nations premier builders can be found here with starting prices from the $300,000s.
Located East of the city of San Diego are scenic towns that have rural feeling communities offering a relaxed lifestyle while maintaining all of the amenities retirees and families are looking for. Here you can find properties for sale with larger lot sizes, serene valley vistas, rugged hills and mountain views and a large array of well-planned communities to choose from. Many of these communities feature golf courses, horseback riding, walking trails and cultural events as well. You'll find townhomes and single-family homes priced from the mid $200,000's to the $500,000's.
Located south of San Diego are both coastal and inland towns. Chula Vista is known for it's choice communities that feature resort-like living and opportunities to access both San Diego and Mexico just minutes away. Here you'll find the master-planned community of Eastlake Greens. Many homes at Eastlake Greens have golfcourse views and offer choices of style and price. Townhomes and condos are priced from the mid $100,000s to the $300,000s and single-family detached homes range from the $300,000s and up for custom built homes.
Oceanside, Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Coronado, Seaport Village, Imperial Beach, Mission Bay, Chula Vista, Otay Mesa, Bonita, National City, Old Town, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside, Kearny Mesa, Soledad Mt., Miramar, Mira mesa, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Mission Hills.
San Diego Climate and Weather
San Diego stretches 70 miles along the Pacific Ocean coast of California and enjoys nearly picture perfect weather year-round. With all of the dry, sunny weather, it's understandable why people enjoy living in San Diego. This moderate climate encourages residents to take advantage of all of the outdoor recreation opportunities San Diego has to offer. That includes over 82 golf courses!
Residents enjoy a local climate, coastal desert that is rarely too hot, never too cold, and rarely rainy. Summer mornings along the coast can be chilly but things start to warm up by mid-afternoon. From December to May you'll expect to see temperatures from the mid 60's to high 60's. The warmer months are from June to July where temperatures reach the high 70's. In November the average high is around 70 degrees.
San Diego Attractions
San Diego's warm, sunny weather is the perfect backdrop for outdoor sports, watersports and water theme parks. White Water Canyon in Chula Vista is San Diego's only water theme park, guaranteed to be tons of fun for the whole family. For watersports enthusiasts there is plenty of windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and swimming. Many local shops rent equipment for the day. Those sunny days are perfect for tennis and golfing in San Diego County. There are over 82 golf courses to choose from and public courts are available throughout the county as well at resorts.
Some of the attractions San Diego is famous for are Legoland in Carlsbad,the San Diego Zoo, the Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum in La Jolla, Sea World in Mission Bay, Wild Animal Park, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center at Balboa Park, San Diego Space Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Children's Museum and Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park.
If you are looking for entertainment sandwiched with some education,
visit the numerous museums in the metro San Diego area. You'll find most of the museums centrally located in the downtown area like the Maritime Museum, Lawerence Welk Museum in Escondido, Museum of Contemporary Art, Palomar Observatory in San Marcos, Firehouse Museum, and the California Surf Museum in Oceanside. This is just a sampling of all the museums in the metro San Diego area. There are just too many to list here.
Spectators will enjoy watching the San Diego Padre's play baseball and the San Diego Chargers play football at Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley and at the San Diego Sports Arena you can see basketball, hockey, soccer wrestling and special events. At the San Diego Sports Arena you can watch the San Diego Gulls play hockey. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar is the place to be for horse racing starting in July through September. Polo fans can see matches held from June through October at the San Diego Polo Club in Rancho Santa Fe.
Rich in the performing arts, San Diego has many live performances featuring dance, theatre, music, opera and comedy. Look in our culture page for local listings.
San Diego Education
With an enormous selection of high quality education, San Diego enjoys the reputation for offering extensive vocational training, special education for the handicapped, remedial studies and programs for children with learning disabilities, special educational resources for gifted and exceptionally talented students, career center and outstanding educational opportunities for adults as well. There are numerous private and parochial schools as well as charter schools as educational alternatives to the public school system. For more indepth information pertaining to schools, visit our school page and links.
San Diego Employment
Since World War II, San Diego has seen a tremendous growth in population as well as economy and housing. It has been traditionally a military city since World War II, supplying many jobs and businesses to its residents. Within the past 25 years San Diego has doubled its population giving rise to many new housing developments.
Although the downsizing of military contracts has affected the employment area in this area, many employment opportunities in tourism, software, utilities, medicine, education, sports and healthcare lead the way. San Diego's top employers are; San Diego Unified School District, University of California, San Diego, Pacific Bell, Rohr Industries, Inc., San Diego Community College District, Sharp Healthcare, Cubic Corporation Kaiser Permanente Medical Care, many Biotech companies, Nokia, Qualcomm, National Steel & Shipbuilding Co., San Diego Gas & Electric, San diego State University, and Science Application International Corp.. For more information concerning employment, click on our employment page.
San Diego is ranked fifth highest nationwide in terms of comparative living costs with New York City being the highest and Washington, D.C. just in front of San Diego. Employee salaries reflect these statistics.
Just a ride on a tour trolley will give you an insightful look at the many facets of San Diego. Of course you can always take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the historic Gaslamp Quarter, along the waterfront and into Downtown San Diego. For those individuals who like to sightsee above ground, there are helicopter tours and hot air balloon rides that will provide you with plenty of high altitude views. Plus, while at the waterfront harbor tours are offered to show you historic ships, Coronado Island, the Naval Air Station and submarine base, and the San Diego skyline. For those who enjoy marine life, whale watching tours are available from the Embarcadero, Dowtown and from Point Loma.
From the University of California to kindergarten, San Diego provides its residents with exceptional educational opportunities that are both internationally and nationally recognized.
Encouraging industry in San Diego County is the expansive interstate freeway system which traverses the county, the San Diego International Airport which is located only three miles from dowtown San Diego city, and San Diego Bay which contains one of the world's largest natural deep-water harbors and serves ocean-going ships.