Living in Encinitas: What San Diego's Most Desirable Beach Town Is Really Like

"What is it actually like to live in Encinitas?" That's the question I set out to answer in my video tour of the town, and it's the question so many of the people who call me are really asking. Encinitas is one of San Diego's most desirable beach towns, and it gets a lot of hype. My job in the video, and in this post, is to give you the picture beyond the hype, the one you only get from somebody who spends their days in the market.

What the tour covers

The video is a tour of what it's like to live there, not a list of listings. I walk you through the town the way I would on a drive together: what the coastal character of the place feels like day to day, the beach-town rhythm that makes it such a draw for North County buyers, and the things people notice when they actually start looking at homes here rather than just visiting.

It comes from my series on living in, moving to, and relocating around San Diego County. North County is home turf for me, and Encinitas is one of the first towns people name when they picture moving to San Diego. I want you to come away from the tour with a clear sense of the town's personality and whether it matches the life you're trying to build, before you ever make an offer.

The honest parts matter most

Any town has two stories: the one in the brochures and the one you live with every day. In the video I get into both. The attractions that make people fall in love with the beach town lifestyle are real, and so are the practical things worth thinking through before you commit to the move. I'll always tell you the why behind my advice, and that starts here, with the full honest tour, not a highlight reel.

The best way to take the whole tour is to watch it. The video is right below, and it's the closest thing to riding along with me through the town. When you're done, give me a call or send a message and we'll talk through whether Encinitas, or any of the North County coastal towns I cover, is the right fit for you.