The small city of Oceanside near the north end of the San Diego metro area might be San Diego's most popular senior relocation market. This community caters to those in search of a simple, elegant lifestyle, with a wide variety of small homes and condos starting at less than $300K. Many condos here are listed as low as $100K, making them easily accessible for buyers on a limited budget, or investors looking for an affordable property to add to their portfolio.

Carlsbad, just south of Oceanside along the coast, is the area's largest and most diverse city after San Diego. Condos and homes are often just as affordable here as in Oceanside, but in a more urban setting. The city also includes a wide variety of luxury areas with homes listed well into the millions, although typically not as expensive as other parts of the county. Carlsbad is also well-known for its schools, making it a popular city for families.

Further down the coast buyers will encounter Solana Beach, one of the most sought-after waterfront communities on the southwest coast. Condos and homes here are typically more expensive than in other parts of San Diego County, with listings starting at about $325K for condos, and extending to about $2 million. Solana Beach is known for its wide selection of semi-luxury homes, with hundreds of listings here at any time in the 750K range

. The community's location on San Diego county's central coast parallels other coastal markets where the most sought after communities are near the center of the region, as opposed to its outskirts.

Del Mar is perhaps San Diego County's best known small city market, thanks to its renowned Del Mar racetrack. Horse racing enthusiasts from all over the world visit here to watch races at the track between July and September. Although it's a high-demand market, Del Mar also includes many affordable listings and communities accessible to first time buyers.

La Jolla is perhaps San Diego County's best-known older market, thanks to its famous surfing beaches and well-established seaside resorts. Like other old-money urban communities, La Jolla is built around a country club, and irregularly patterned streets, which help curb over development and traffic from other parts of the city.

The San Diego real estate area is worth watching no matter what part of the country you're in, and buyers thinking of moving here will find no shortage of communities meeting their needs.

Learn more about the San Diego real estate market at AllJonesHomes.com. There you'll find extensive information on local markets like the Lemon Grove real estate area, buyer and seller service information, and a free home search.