In the past few years, El Cajon’s population has grown to 95,000, due to affordable El Cajon homes and the convenient location. Many that have moved here enjoy the warmer climate compared to the mildler climate of the beach cities.

  You will find both older and new single family housing, condos, and townhouses, and apartments all at very affordable prices. A typical El Cajon neighborhood is nicely set with well established housing and streets that are well taken care of. Swimming pools are popular here because of the nice weather all year.

El Cajon has Sycuan Casino and Resort plus it is very close to all of the tourist attractions of the area. The climate makes it possible to enjoy out-door events all year such as Golf, hiking and house-back-riding.  
All this is a far cry for the Original use of this part of San Diego which was cattle grazing and agricultural endeavors. The pioneers were correct, this was a great place for cattle ranches.After years of cattle ranching, lemon groves were planted in a new area called LA Mesa Springs, which later became La Mesa . Another town close is Lakeside which boasts The Barona Valley Ranch, which is another opportunity for adult fun and excitement. The Barona Valley Resort has all expected out of a high end destination-resort. The mountain community of Alpine is a few minutes down the road. Past Alpine is the cutoff for the Viejas Casino and the Viejas Outlet mall.

So whatever your individual interests are and whatever taste and style you and your loved ones have, you will be able to find just what you want in the real estate market here in the El Cajon area of East San Diego County.

When you are purchasing a new home for the first time, you must make a list of the different features and factors that you, in particular, want in a home, and by putting all of these in a list will indicate, at some point, what kind of home or structure you will be able to buy like size, amenities, location, appliances, and other modern conveniences needed in the general area of the home, like schools, medical facilities, any recreational needs, parks, tennis courts, shopping centers, drug stores, auto mechanics, etc..So when Purchasing a new Home for the first time be sure you take into consideration the following:

You must ask yourself:  Is the area I am looking at going to be safe for my children and is it in a safe neighborhood and is the floor plan expandable, is the garage big enough and is there room for a pool in the back yard eventually, and what kind of sewer system does the house have, and what about fireplaces, and am I close enough to be able to walk to the beach or go fishing on a spur of the minute or is the master bedroom really big enough or what about the master bath, is there only a shower in the master bath or is there both a shower and tub or can I add a tub later and what about traffic in the morning and evening  and what about traffic noise, or is the house big enough for entertaining and do I have a yard that I will have to maintain, and if I don’t want to maintain it myself, what is the cost for a gardener each month?.

There may be some important types of questions that you need to think about way before you start shopping for a new home, because even the most modern and up to date home communities today do not offer all of the conveniences or the amenities that many people think they are getting when buying a new home and this is true even in some of the most upper end gated custom home communities, where there are problems that many people do not anticipate before they make a decision to buy a home there.
You have to be aware of warranties on the building itself, and consider the warranties on the appliances, and what if you knock out a wall next year, how will that affect your building warranty.

What about all of the insurance policies that must be in place, by law, when buying a new home, and what if something happens to you, who will make the payments and do the needed upkeep on the property, and do you really want a single family house, or will a condo, or town home fit your lifestyle better, because today’s modern condo complexes are quiet, secure, full of amenities, and there is no yard work required, or other maintenance costs like with a single family house.

Today, the housing options in most cities are many, but making the right decision on which place to buy can be very time consuming and complicated, as modern America has housing opportunities like no other country in the world and it can be easy getting into a place and then after a short time, realizing that this wasn’t the right home for you to begin with, and this will create many problems in your life.

When problems start popping up like poor drainage, poor building construction, or cheap appliances that crash in a few months, or when it rains all the water runs into the garage, etc., what do you do then.

Buying a new home is a very big step and the best way of ‘buying a new home for the first time’ is being prepared and the best way of being prepared is to start writing down things that are important that you are looking for, and what you are not looking for.

The friendly community of Westchester is a Los Angeles suburb located between the South Bay and West Los Angeles. It is situated east of Pershing Drive, west of Sepulveda Boulevard, South of Jefferson Avenue, and north of Lax. El Segundo, Dockweiler and Playa Del Rey are the three beaches closest to Westchester, where residents can swim, sunbathe, play beach volleyball or jog or bike along the paths. And the Santa Monica beaches are a stone’s throw..

The community is comprised of mostly single family homes and a few condo and apartment complexes which creates a more homogeneous environment Westchester real estate also includes an area on the edge of this community  called the “The Bluff’s . There are impressive multimillion dollars homes overlooking Playa  Vista, Marina Del Rey and the West side in the distance The existing zoning laws protect its residential feel. Westchester boosts of long term residents who take pride in their community.

Because of a strong Chamber of Commerce, Westchester has a continually growing central business district with medical professionals, department stores, food establishments and other service oriented businesses Westchester is home to prestigious Loyola Marymount University located on the hills overlooking the new community of Playa Vista.

Westchester provides numerous children recreational activities along with other amenities There are two public libraries, a 15-hole public golf course, a YMCA(with pool), a nice large park with numerous playing fields, that host youth sports and activites.. Some children participate in scouting or attend Loyola Marymount University’s summer camps You will also discover Westchester Golf Course, a unique 15 hole executive golf course. This well maintained golf course is well lighted at night and is open daily until 10pm.   

Westchester has several private K-8 schools and two high schools, including:
Kentwood Elementary School,Westport Heights Elementary School,Cowan Avenue Elementary School, Paseo Del Rey Elementary School, Loyola Village Elementary School, Westchester Lutheran School (also has a preschool called Westchester Lutheran Preschool), St. Anastasia School (K-8),St. Jerome School Visitation School (K-8) and Westside Neighborhood School, One middle schools,Orville Wright Middle School , a magnet school, Open Magnet Charter School, two high Schools Westchester High School and Bernard High School along with Loyola Marymount University and Otis College of Art and Design. This making the community of Westchester a very well balanced community.