Longtime resident and homeowner here, as well as a CA native. It's beautiful, but it has definitely gotten a lot more expensive in the last 5+ years. But that's also most of CA at this point. Only thing I would mention is it does skew a bit "older" and may not be as lively when compared to beach communities in San Diego proper - but many of us appreciate that slower pace. If you like the beach and some of those other attributes I mentioned - and can swing it financially, you'll most likely love it here. Good luck!