Santee

Tucked in the southeast corner of Santee, near the foothills of the Cuyamaca Mountains, sits the master-planned community of Sky Ranch. Thanks to the 337 acres of preserved natural space that surrounds the neighborhood, Sky Ranch residents enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the hills and wide-open sky while residing in spacious homes with lots of privacy. “Sky Ranch is a newer community that sits up on top of a mountain, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” says Nita Baranowski, Realtor with Allison James Estates & Homes, who has been selling properties in the area for 17 years. “It’s pretty quiet and kind of off by itself, but very easy to get to the freeway. Both the single-family homes and condos are upscale – just overall a very nice place with nice homes.” The quiet, curving streets within the Sky Ranch community are lined with paved sidewalks and large Mediterranean-style homes. There are over 200 single-family homes and nearly 150 townhouses in the area on lots that range from a quarter-acre to several acres. These homes often boast small manicured front lawns with tidy, lush landscaping and short driveways that lead to two-car garages. Prices for single-family homes range from $775,000 to $1.6 million. Sky Ranch's townhomes, clustered in the northwest corner of the neighborhood, have prices ranging from $440,000 to $715,000, depending on size. “The single-family homes are upscale, and there are a lot of one-stories, which is harder to find with upscale homes, but people really like that,” says Baranowski. “They are also nice-sized lots -- they're not huge lots but not little bitty lots.” Students in Sky Ranch attend Pepper Drive Elementary School and Santana High School, which are both situated within a few miles of the neighborhood. Pepper Drive Elementary earns an overall grade of B-plus from Niche and serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Santana High School earns an overall grade of B-plus and serves approximately 1,600 students from ninth to twelfth grade. Residents can take advantage of Sky Ranch Park for fresh air and exercise. This petite park is perched in the heart of the community, surrounded by residential streets and tall trees. There is a small, grassy field perfect for exercise or a pickup soccer game. Kids can burn off some energy on the playground, and picnic tables are scattered throughout the area, perfect for lunch alfresco. Those seeking a little more adventure will appreciate Rattlesnake Mountain Preserve, spanning 368 acres and within walking distance from residences. Here, miles of rocky dirt hiking trails surrounded by coastal sage scrub offer stunning views of East County. For shopping, residents can head to the large retail hub along Mission Gorge Road. Here, there is a range of grocery stores, from Vons to Costco to Walmart. Locals can do more shopping at familiar retailers like Target and Home Depot. You'll find many restaurants there, too, from familiar chains to local favorites, like Phil’s BBQ, which has been serving their signature baby back rib dinners to Santee and the surrounding San Diego area since 1998. The nearest bus stop is located 2 miles west on Graves Avenue, and most Sky Ranch residents get around town by car. Locals can travel with ease thanks to the nearby CA-52 thoroughfare, which connects to the 5 and 805 freeways. 22 miles west is Coronado Island, offering a relaxed day trip to the ocean. But with so much beauty right in their backyard, Sky Ranch residents may not want to leave.

Lying 18 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, Carlton Hills is a residential enclave of Santee, California, that offers just as many outdoor adventures as modern conveniences. However, residents love the neighborhood most because of its family appeal. “It has a good high school and low crime rates. It’s conveniently located close to Town Center,” says Ronald Burner, licensed realtor and team lead for Home Base Real Estate with eight years of experience selling homes in Santee. “Then you’re right next to Santee Lakes.” Homes in Carlton Hills can come in one-story, two-story and split-level styles, but their common theme is a distinctly Southern California style shaped by Mediterranean influence. With gently sloping, shingled rooflines and darker color palettes, some of the neighborhood’s modern homes feature sharp lines and multi-layered exteriors. Other homes have arched windows, natural color tones and terra cotta roofing. Lot sizes are typically under a quarter acre, though many homes have spacious garages and wide driveways. Prices can range from $455,000 for a two-bedroom townhome to $1.2 million for a five-bedroom, modern Mediterranean ranch-style home. The median selling price is $775,000, up 4% from the previous year. As part of the Santee School District, Carlton Hills students can attend kindergarten through 8th grade at Carlton Hills Elementary School. Carlton Hills offers extracurricular activities like Girls Flag Rugby or Summer Coding Lessons and earns a B-plus on Niche. For grades 9 through 12, students can attend West Hills High School, which earns an A and offers the Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, program to prepare students for college. Sidewalks are standard along most of the streets in Carlton Hills, so walking the neighborhood is easy. Bus stops along Mast Boulevard connect residents to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System with routes that reach downtown San Diego. State Route 52 runs along the neighborhood’s southern edge, and nearby State Route 125 connects drivers to Interstate 8 just six miles away. Shopping and dining options are almost exclusively located in the neighborhood’s southeast corner. National chain restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Chili’s are available, but the area is also home to locally-owned restaurants like Jimmy’s of Santee and Mary’s Donuts and Coffee. Carlton Hills residents have a few choices for groceries, with Walmart and Costco on Town Center Parkway and Vons on Mission Gorge Road. “One of the hidden gems,” Burner says, “is Carlton Oaks Country Club.” The club’s golf course, Carlton Oaks, has hosted several tournaments like the San Diego Junior Masters and the NCAA National Championship. Another defining characteristic of Carlton Hills is Santee Lakes, a set of artificial lakes built around 1960. Covering more than 190 acres, the lakes are less a tourist destination and more a place for Carlton Hills residents to spend a day by the water. “They have paddle boats and tons of places for picnics,” Burner says. “A lot of people from Santee go there to hang out for the day.” Town Center Community Park East is home to one of Santee’s biggest events: the Santee Brews & Bites Festival Fundraiser. This annual event brings local food vendors and businesses to the park in a day-long celebration to raise money for community programs. Streets nearest the Santee Lakes and the San Diego River face a heightened risk of flood impact within the next 30 years. Heatmap data from Risk Factor shows more areas at risk in the northern section of Carlton Hills, but many of the neighborhood’s residential streets do not appear to be at risk. Risk Factor data also show that the neighborhood has an increased risk of wildfires.