Playa Del Sol

If you’re considering moving into Playa Del Sol, here’s what you should know: Quality of the Home: 4/5 I’ve had the home for over a year, and for the most part the home itself has been great. Each issue I did have was attempted to be fixed by Pardee very quickly. You just email an order request and a Pardee tech will come by to fix the problem. I’ve had a faulty cabinet and window repaired very quickly. I rarely hear my neighbors through the walls. All the technology (Alexa-enabled lights and thermostat, electric water heater) have made living here more enjoyable. The main issue I’ve had was that I have come across several nails with their tips just pointing up through the carpet, so check for those. Cost: 3/5 Currently, the HOA fee is $355. It will go higher every few months until it reaches $417. That is comparable to communities in Otay Ranch. However, the mello roos are $100+ a month here, which is a lot less compared to Otay Ranch. If you purchase a new property, your HOA fees are waived for the first year. However, keep in mind that a new property comes with a one-time supplemental tax which is about 1% of the home value. You may save money by buying a pre-owned property in the community. Also keep in mind that new homes do not come with flooring or window settings. You will pay more for those. Parking: 1/5 Parking may be the biggest issue in the community. There are more cars than parking parking spaces. Because of that, there are many rules to follow. Your first two cars HAVE to be in the garage. They can not be parked in the outside parking. If you have a 3rd or 4th car, they can be parked in the outside parking, but they need to be moved once a day. If you have more than 4 cars, they need to be parked outside Playa del Sol. Keep in mind that the streets surrounding Playa del Sol do not allow parking. There is a Park N Ride nearby, and it is close to the newest homes being built, so that could be useful. You get 100 hours of guest parking. Guests log in a code to register their car. If your guests arrive in the evening, there’s a good chance they won’t find parking. The parking rules are enforced and residents have gotten $50 tickets and/or their car towed. Safety / “Security”: 3/5 There is a “security” team on-site, but their job is to report problems, not prevent them. They do a lot of parking enforcement during the day. Most homes have a Ring doorbell, but this doesn’t seem to be preventing people from stealing packages left outside doors. As for the neighborhood itself, I’ve felt very safe at all times. The Neighborhood: 4/5 Playa del Sol has a very diverse community. It’s in Ocean View Hills which is a very nice area that is surrounded by some not-so-nice areas. The community is next to the 805 and 905 freeways; that makes the drive home very easy. There is an airport nearby and military jets can be heard almost every weekend. Amenities: 2/5 There is a gym, pool, playground, bbqs, and community centers. The gym is currently closed. Before Covid, it was open 24-hours. Sometimes, it got crowded, and this was when less than half of the community was developed. The pool is still open. There are areas just for kids. There are two lanes to do laps. Those lanes can be hard to use when the pool is crowded. The community centers are currently closed because of Covid. When they do re-open, the centers can be reserved for large gatherings as long as you hire valet parking. There have been talks of a dog park, but there has been no progress. There is a park close by, about a 10-minute walk away. There are several fields, a skatepark, and a nice view. There aren’t any basketball courts open to the public. The closest basketball court is at another park about a 20 minute-walk away. There’s only one court, the floor isn’t even, and it does get crowded. Landscaping: 3/5 Certain parts of the community are taken care of a lot more than other parts. I’d advise to walk through the community (not just the main road) and take a look for yourself. Some residents have reported an ant problem. When the HOA’s contractor couldn’t fix the problem, the residents had to hire their own contractor.