AVERAGE LIST PRICE: 4 BEDROOM $ 298,000 - 3 BEDROOM $ 207,000

Bedroom community located inland off of Interstate 15. Escondido translates to "Hidden Valley." Much of the city is built on flat land but there are hills and not too far off, within view, mountains. 

Escondido has a wide variety in home prices and ages. A small section of central Escondido features an area dubbed "Old Escondido" with many homes built before 1900 that have been historically preserved. Many homes in the southern zip codes have fantastic views from Lake Hodges to the San Pasqual Valley.

If you drive Escondido on a Saturday summer morning, you'll see many residents washing cars, mowing lawns, trimming hedges or touching up this or that. At the playgrounds the bats will be swinging. Nice middle-class town with some new upscale housing.

The city recently opened a Center for the Arts (1500 seats), 400 seat theater at a cost of $75 million. So far it has attracted such luminaries as Itzhak Perlman, Bobby Ferrin and Cecilia Bartoli. The center also includes a museum and a conference center. Besides the new civic center, the city also has five golf courses, library, farmer's market, roller rink, ice rink, six playgrounds and nine parks. The local lakes are stocked with trout, catfish, crappie and Florida bass.

The schools are served by Escondido Union Elementary District and Escondido Union High School. Palomar Community College runs a satellite campus in Escondido. California State University recently opened in neighboring San Marcos.