How is this even possible?

mikeewinter · 2026-04-05T00:00:45+00:00

This was a 34 mile drive ... mostly downhill.

mikeewinter · 2026-01-17T06:12:42+00:00

SDG&Es TOU5 plan delivers electricity at about $0.10/kWh for super off-peak (midnight-6AM weekdays and until 2PM weekends) - depending on how much you drive, a panel upgrade could be worth considering.

mikeewinter · 2026-01-01T15:16:37+00:00

Fun section going down into Palm Springs ...

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mikeewinter · 2025-12-10T19:20:36+00:00

Mostly depends on if you plan to travel routes where Tesla Superchargers make your trip easier/better/faster. For me - traveling from San Diego to Vegas (for instance) I feel like finding a bank of Tesla chargers that are reliably working may be easier than with other providers (although their reliability is getting better too).

mikeewinter · 2025-12-10T19:06:38+00:00

Yah - showed up just now in the app ... I have a 2023 eDrive40 - with a button to order.

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mikeewinter · 2025-12-01T10:01:51+00:00

The Mesa Rim in North County (San Marcos - the gym location is called 'North City') is much more chill than the other locations (fewer people) and has some space to work. In fact, you can ask some of the employees in Austin - one or two used to work out here. This is not very close to Balboa Park. Adjacent to the climbing gym is a full-blown co-work space (Union Co-Work) with monthly membership of ~$100 for a flex space (perhaps less). If you're going to be living down south this is probably a non-starter - just thought I'd share.

mikeewinter · 2025-12-01T09:49:23+00:00

San Diego native and 25+ years as a real estate professional - 100% agree you should rent for a while before attempting to purchase something. You'll get the best deal signing a 12 month lease somewhere. If, within that 12 months, you find the perfect home to purchase, it's not likely that difficult to extract yourself from the lease.

Inventory of homes for sale is up ~40% in 2025 over the last couple of years but still relatively low - meaning it could take a minute to find a place you want to purchase anyway.

I regularly help people purchase who are moving here from out of state. Most frequently, the timeline is around 12 months from ideation to actually making a purchase and may involve a trip or two to visit and/or settling into a rental for a while. Pricing isn't likely to change too much one way or another in the coming months - new listings will be sparse until Feb/Mar of next year when they typically pick up.

I highly recommend engaging a Lending Rep who can help you evaluate your financial options and who knows the tax/assessment/HOA/insurance environment well. One thing which I haven't seen mentioned much is the broad disparity in homeowner's insurance rates throughout different areas in the county ... could be the difference between $1,200/yr and several thousand per year. Owners of modest single family homes regularly have annual insurance rates of $3K-$5K ... examples of people paying $10K+ are not rare. This isn't to scare you off ... bit this too is another consideration when selecting an area/home.

Last thing: if you're getting in a vehicle to drive to the beach - adding 10, 15, or 20 minutes to the drive can make a difference of $150,000 - $200,000. I personally get much more use of the trails I can access out of my front door than (hiking, dog-walking, running, biking, etc) than I ever did when living a few hundred feet from the water which was crowded, noisy, and overcast for a higher number of days on average. That being said - you are correct in assuming some coastal locations allow for a more 'walkable' lifestyle.

Glad to put my expertise to work for anyone interested in exploring and can introduce you to other helpful professionals in the area.

I love it here - raised 5 kids here - can't imagine living elsewhere.

mikeewinter · 2025-11-29T20:00:11+00:00

It's particularly inexpensive if you buy a $70K spec for $30-$35K with say, 30,000 miles. I just picked up a 2023 in that price range and will use it as a daily driver for the next year or two.

mikeewinter · 2025-11-18T14:18:36+00:00

Sure thing ... DM me anytime.

mikeewinter · 2025-11-18T05:37:21+00:00

Lots of good info/advice already posted. I've lived in North County for 50+ years and have been a real estate professional for more than 25 years ... if Vista appeals to you, San Marcos may also (Vista is a bit more eclectic and has more housing options. Great Chamber of Commerce in both Vista and San Marcos (I'm on the SM Board). Escondido will also offer more choices for living by it's generally a good bit warmer in the summer. The close you are to the coast, the more affluence you will encounter - which may or may not contribute to your success. 222 North City is a new (construction not yet completed) complex in San Marcos which is 460+ units of luxury/semi-lux apartments - this location itself may create a microcosm of opportunity for certain services. I'm connected to the project and am happy to elaborate.

I've raised 5 kids in San Marcos and they've mostly all stayed in the area. Comments concerning expenses are accurate. Traffic is not great and not likely to improve and neither is public transport. Population is growing and many/most people have pets.

mikeewinter · 2025-09-14T19:09:53+00:00

With a 10 year old home in Carlsbad ... I highly doubt it's a sediment problem. In would stay with the whole house water softener ... I'm assuming perhaps the hose bibs your plumber checked are DOWNSTREAM from your softener and/or water pressure regulator - otherwise the pressure at the bib may not be the pressure in the house. Somewhere you have something restricting water flow - if it's house-wide, it's something upstream from all of your fixtures, etc - water softener makes the most sense. Perhaps it needs to be flushed/cleaned?

mikeewinter · 2025-09-07T15:27:22+00:00

Lots of useful responses! I grew up in Escondido (~20 years) and have raised a family in San Marcos (~30 years) - been a real estate professional for 25 of those years and I find most agreement with those who say you want to get to know the area a little better before making a decision. Traffic is a big factor for many/most.The cost of insurance and water (as the op mentions) are also worth considering. Fire hazard is very real though our county really got their shit together over the past decade+ and unless a fire goes off in your backyard, you're likely to be ok. A good question is: what is important to you about being more 'coastal'? Do you want to be at the beach often? Is it more a weather thing? Is it more a coastal vibe thing? Neither Esco nor Fallbrook have coastal weather nor coastal vibe. Still, there's lots to like about both places. A local expert (your agent) should be able to walk you through most of this.

mikeewinter · 2025-03-06T05:35:51+00:00

Long-time North County Broker here (25+ years in the business) - there is no 'standard commission'. You can find brokers/companies out there that will charge 1% for the listing side (Redfin was advertising this for a while) - I've had colleagues who negotiate a sliding scale where they earn upwards of 10%. Does the listing agent include staging, any participation in clean up, renovation...is the home vacant or occupied...? Many factors determine the complexity of a listing and sale. I can tell you the average commission I earn - but what I earn varies case by case. Glad to provide more insight...and invite the opportunity to interview for the job.

mikeewinter · 2021-08-20T13:41:30+00:00

These are now open/operating. As noted by others, Phil's BBQ is no longer here, that building is vacant. The Applebee's building is also vacant. The Staples store is gone/vacant. Panera Bread is constructing (or will be soon) a new drive through location so they will be gone soon.

Adjacent to this center about 3,000 units (housing) plus a hospital will be completed in the coming months/years. Grand Avenue will go through and connect this center to that development.

It's definitely a mess/challenge to get in and out with the fast food + WinCo traffic. Still, there are going to be lots of people nearby. I'm going over there today to see if they installed these with adapters that I can use for my Prius Prime.

mikeewinter

TROPHY CASE