San Diego, the second-most populous city in California, is known for its beaches, temperate weather, and numerous leisure activities.
Visitors and residents enjoy parks, museums, art galleries, restaurants, hiking and biking trails as well as surfing and other water activities.
San Diego is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Sea World, and Legoland.
Several Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard bases are in the area. San Diego hosts the largest naval fleet in the world with the Navy being the number one employer in the county.
San Diego is the second-largest hub of biotech companies in the United States. Many of these companies have ties to the University of California, San Diego, which is the second-largest employer in the county.
Besides UC San Diego, the county is home to other institutions of higher education such as San Diego State University (SDSU), University of San Diego (a private Catholic university), and Cal State San Marcos as well as many private colleges and universities.
Tourism is one of the major industries in the region. Besides typical attractions, San Diego hosts many conventions, including Comic-Con. Many cruise ships are either homeported in San Diego or stop at the port as part of their cruise. Over a hundred cruise ships make port calls to San Diego each year and some ship lines homeport in San Diego.
Golden Hill
Golden Hill is one of San Diego’s most historic and architecturally electric neighborhoods. Many of the homes and apartments were built before or around the 1900s. The area is located south of Balboa Park, north of Sherman Heights/US Highway 94, and east of downtown. Many residents walk to nearby attractions in downtown, including City College, and parts of Balboa Park. Also located in Golden Hills is the Women’s History Museum and Educational Center, one of the few comprehensive women’s history museums in the United States.
The neighborhood is home to one elementary school, Golden Hill Elementary School.
Mount Hope
Mount Hope is an ethnically diverse neighborhood located in the Southeastern portion of San Diego and is bordered by State Route 94 to the north, Interstate 805 to the East, Interstate 15 to the West and Imperial Avenue to the South. The Mount Hope neighborhood acquired its name after the large municipal Mount Hope Cemetery. The cemetery was built in 1869 and today encompasses approximately 115 acres.
Mount Hope, also known as Mt. Hope, is comprised of residential, industrial, commercial and cemetery use. Also located in the neighborhood is the Greenwood Cemetery, home to the Cathedral Mausoleum built in 1919 and grew to be the world’s largest single building mausoleum.
Mount Hope has one elementary school, Chavez Elementary.
North Park
North Park is a neighborhood bordered by Interstate 8 to the north, Interstate 805 & 15 to the east, Balboa Park and South Park to the south, and Texas Street & Park Boulevard to the west.
North Park is a mix of architectural styles including turn of the century Craftsman Bungalows and California Bungalows located in the area near Morley Field in Balboa Park.
Residents in the neighborhood can easily walk to many of the trendy restaurants, independent shops, small businesses, nightclubs, and art galleries. The neighborhood is also home to many outdoor festivals and events.
North Park is well-known among locals for its craft beers and brewpubs. Many of the breweries in the neighborhood offer award-winning beers.
North Park is home to one elementary school, Garfield Elementary School, and a private Catholic high school for young men, St. Augustine High School.
Oak Park
Oak Park, a neighborhood located in the Southeast of San Diego County, is transforming itself into an urban culture hub due to its diversity and location near San Diego State University. The neighborhood is bounded to the north by Chollas Parkway, Streamview Drive, and College Ave; by Euclid Avenue to the West; and State Route 94 to the South and Southeast.
Oak Park is comprised of single-family homes, condominiums, apartments, and Navy and is considered a stable and well-established community. Its diversity is generally represented by San Diego’s diversity.
The community is home to Chollas Lake Park with a youth fishing lake and several walking trails. The lake was originally created as a reservoir and has developed into a community recreation center.
Oak Park is also home to a large shopping mall, The Marketplace at the Grove with anchor stores like Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, and Kohl’s. SDSU is only 4 miles from Oak Park.
The community has a fire station and library as well as two elementary schools, Oak Park Elementary and Carver Elementary School.
Redwood Village
Redwood Village is a neighborhood located in mid-city San Diego, bordered by University Avenue to the north, College Avenue to the East, Streamview Drive to the South, and 54th Street to the West.
The neighborhood was previously named Darnell but in 2007 residents voted to change the name to Redwood Village.
The area is mainly residential with a few businesses located along University Avenue.
South Park
South Park is a neighborhood located north of Golden Hill, west of Interstate 15, south of North Park, and east of Balboa Park. The neighborhood is truly diverse in ethnicity, age, income, and sexual orientation.
South Park has been considered one of the historically significant neighborhoods in San Diego and is being proposed as a historic region. The neighborhood has a large collection of California Bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival-style homes built between 1905 and 1930.
Residents can easily walk the tree lined streets to cafes, grocery stores, art galleries, churches, breweries, and many other small businesses.
Helpful San Diego Links & Resources
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Put simply, Brad is the best. I was referred to him by a coworker when I finally started to get serious about buying a home, and after our first conversation... read more I knew he'd be great to work with. I had a somewhat unconventional house hunting process... I viewed a lot of places for a few months but was forced to move into another rental since timing didn't work out for me to buy before my former lease ended. I took a break for a few months to regroup and I never felt like Brad was pestering me to start looking again... just checking in every month or so to see if I needed anything.
Once I did start searching again, Brad was right there ready to dive back in with me. He always found time to go look at listings, and when I was ready to make an offer I knew I could trust his expertise on the market and the area to put me in the best position to get it accepted. Once I finally did get an offer accepted, Brad was already two steps ahead of me in coordinating my home inspection and navigating any possible delays we could face during escrow with my mortgage broker. The whole escrow process was far less stressful than I was expecting thanks to Brad's insight and availability to answer all of my dumb questions :)
When I was looking ahead to what changes I wanted to make in my condo as soon as I was handed the keys, Brad was there for that too. I joke with him that "Brad's got a guy for everything" and that is undoubtedly true... and something he prides himself in, I think :) I have already used two of his referrals for projects at my condo and been so pleased that I plan to use whoever else he refers me to.
The only negative thing about my home buying process is that it's now over!! I will seriously miss hanging out with Brad and going to look at homes. He truly is the type of honest, genuine, and positive person you hope to put your trust into when doing something as important as buying a home, and I feel lucky that I had him to assist me in that process. Thanks for everything!!
12/16/2022Thanks to Brad we have found our dream home in this crazy market of 2022. Its all due to his expertise and commitment to his clients. He is more than... read more a realtor, he is family. He walked us through the entire process in the exact way we needed to make sure we found exactly what we wanted and needed for us and our family. He listened to all our wants, our needs, and our fears. He made sure we were always super comfortable with any and every decision that needed to be made. His attention to detail and constant communication throughout the entire time of looking for a home, getting financed, putting in an offer, getting all the necessary inspections done and closing was beyond what we would have ever expected. It made the entire experience an amazing and unforgettable one. So thank you Brad once again for everything you did, everything you do, and your continuous checking in just to see how we are doing long after we've closed and have been in our dream home! To everyone reading this do yourself a favor and hire Brad and The Michels Group for all your home needs.
11/03/2022We had such a great buying experience with Brad. We were moving cross-country from NYC and buying at the height of the market in early 2022, with record-low inventories and... read more surging demand. But from beginning to end, Brad's mix of market knowledge, real estate savvy, friendliness and warmth made us feel comfortable and confident. He took time to get to know us and really understand what we were looking for and our priorities. Although we got outbid a number of times, we stuck with it, and Brad stuck with us -- he and his team eagerly attended a whole bunch of open houses to give us FaceTime tours.
Finally, when a house we had initially lost out on came back on the market, Brad struck up a relationship with the selling agent and positioned us as dedicated buyers who would close. The rapport that Brad built with the selling agent paved the way for us to succeed, and we did. Although the market was crazy, we got the house we really wanted, we got it at a price we were comfortable with, and that is in large part thanks to Brad. But there's more...
Moving across the country brings all sorts of challenges in terms of finding and organizing vendors for things like inspection, quotes for repairs, etc. Not only did Brad have great recommendations for everyone we needed -- inspection, foundation repair, electrician, roof repair, plumbing, painting, locksmith and more -- Brad went above and beyond in helping us coordinate all of them from 3,000 miles away. He met them at the house, helped get us quotes, coordinated access for them, etc.
At every step of the buying and moving process, Brad was so happy and eager to do whatever he could to help, and it's hard to overstate how helpful he was. We wouldn't consider using another real estate agent in San Diego, and you shouldn't either!
10/24/2022 -
Brad makes the typically stressful event of buying and selling homes a smooth and actually enjoyable process! He is excellent at listening to your needs/ desires, communicating with all parties... read more and is truly always available for his clients. We found Brad's honest and optimistic way refreshing and just what we needed to feel comfortable during a sometimes unnerving process. Brad goes above and beyond on all fronts and provides dedicated, personalized service to his clients- we'd HIGHLY recommend him!
8/19/2022I have worked with Brad on several transactions, and find him to be super professional. It is so refreshing to work with a communicative Realtor that sets accurate expectations, is... read more friendly, experienced, and creative. I have also recommended Brad to several of my clients that need Real Estate Services, and he has always served them well. Thanks Brad!
6/22/2022This review is long overdue but.....
Brad and his team were nothing but amazing. When we started looking for a home, Brad was highly recommended to us and we decided to... read more give him a call and see if we would like him. During that phone call, his energy, his excitement, his professionalism, and most importantly his knowledge and game plan he describe to us were extremely impressive. So we decided to go with him and we feel lucky that we chose Brad as our agent and he had us basically describe our must haves in a home and what we are willing to compromise on which was extremely helpful for us first time buyers. He showed us multiple houses, gave us his honest opinion in all of them, he did not rush us at all, he was very patient and extremely helpful until we found our perfect home. He negotiated hard for us and we honestly were very impressed and appreciated his level of dedication to getting the home we set our hearts on.
Fast forward to now..... Brad continues to keep in touch with us, bringing us gifts during holidays and just wanting to check to see how we are doing. Today he dropped off a Fathers Day gift and before that he brought our daughter some sweets for Easter. I mean he has gone from our Real State Agent, to now our friend and even good financial advisor. Brad you are awesome, we will forever be thankful for coming into our lives, helping us find the perfect home, and continuing to ensure we are doing good.
I highly recommend Brad, he will give you his all at all times and will help you through everything in order to ensure you get your perfect home.
6/09/2022 -
I can't recommend Brad enough. As a first time homebuyer I wasn't sure what my expectations should be and I was really nervous about it, but I never felt pressured.... read more It's a tough market, but Brad remained positive, confident I'd find a home and communicated every step of the process. I can be a little impatient but Brad works swiftly and is always one step ahead. He's also incredibly knowledgeable and has an answer to every question and that helped quickly ease my fears. Even after I closed on this home he stays in touch and is always willing provide recommendations for any help I need (plumbers, handy man, etc.).
4/27/2021Brad was recommended to us(my wife and I) through our Mortgage Broker. We had looked at a few places with a few other realtors and really landed on him because... read more he was easy to talk to. He felt trust worthy and it was easy for us to speak our minds, positive or negative, while looking at places. My wife mostly looked at places with him and he was very patient with us. We were looking for something in our budget range and though some of our offers were well below market, he encouraged us nonetheless. We didn't feel as though we had to speak up extra loud for his time, and he was consistent in checking with us to make sure we had all our questions answered and were comfortable.
The process itself was very smooth, we asked him loads of questions and he had answers for all of them. I leave the experience understanding a lot more. Finding people to educate you through these processes is important and Brad was good at that.
10/01/2019Brad Michels is one of the best. It was such a pleasure to meet and work with such an amazing person. Not only did Brad become my realtor, but he... read more also became a friend.
He is always there to help and answer questions no matter where he is and if he can't answer he knows someone who can.
Brad did what others said could not be done and he always call with an update.
Thanks for everything Brad and I pray continuous blessings for you and your family.
6/04/2019 -
Brad was awesome. This was my first time buying a condo and he made the whole process very easy! He took me to as many places as I wanted, told... read more me if they were fair market value or what we should go in on for an offer, and walked me through everything after the offer was accepted. He knew everyone that I would need to be in contact with-lender, home inspector, and anything else. It made the whole process easier especially for someone who is new and doesn't know anything about home buying. He communicated well and was always there when I had questions or needed him.
Brad is a genuinely good person with great intentions and you can feel that from the first time you meet him. I am very fortunate and will be recommending him to anyone else I know to buy a home.
3/12/2019I can't speak highly enough for THE MICHELS GROUP. Brad is amazing, which is hard to say about a lot of realtors. He met with me 5 yrs ago when... read more I first moved to San Diego from the East Coast, not knowing where to rent property. He didn't even deal with rentals but was nice enough to meet with me at a local Starbucks and gave me the best advice on the different areas of San Diego. He was a godsend, not knowing the area, he gave great advice, with nothing in return, accept to remember him when it comes time to buy. Well... 5 years later, I called him ready to buy. He was wonderful, knowledgeable, and always reachable! He connected me to the best people to make it all happen. All questions or concerns were answered in timely manner. My closing ending-up happening while I was away, and he handled everything including doing a realtime walk through after inspection corrections. He made it so easy! I have already referred Brad to friends, who had great success with THE MICHELS GROUP finding the perfect place. He makes things happen and goes above and beyond for all his clients. And it doesn't stop at the closing. He keeps in touch with his past clients on a regular basis. He means it when he says, he's never to busy for his clients or referrals.
Heather O
9/17/2018I am writing this brief note to offer my enthusiastic recommendation for Brad Michels of the Michels Group Realty. Brad assisted my family in the purchase of our new home... read more in Del Cerro. We moved from out of state, which can make purchasing a home difficult. Further, we had a specific area that we were interested in, which had very few houses for sale. And, those houses that did become available sold very quickly. This was a difficult move in the sense that we had to sell out of state and then find a place to purchase with in a specific time frame so that we would not be homeless! To further complicate things, being new to San Diego, we were not well versed in the real estate market. Brad walked us through everything and met us twice to look at houses. He offered very good advice and helped us to avoid some potential problems. The first time we came to look at houses, Brad had already planned a vacation with his family. He was very generous (as was his family) about coming back for a day to help us with our search. For our second visit, Brad had less than 24 hours notice, and still made our search a priority. We successfully found a home in the area we wanted, with the requirements we were looking for and absolutely could not have done all of this without Brad's assistance. Not only that, Brad was present for inspections and available for closing. I would also comment that Brad is a blast to be around. He is upbeat, positive and really knows real estate! If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, give Brad a call. He will make the process fun (as fun as it can be) and will definitely protect your interests!
9/11/2018 -
Last year, at the age of 24 I decided I was going to buy a house. Problem was, no one in my family had ever bought or owned a home.... read more The entire process to me was foreign; I even recall googling, "What is Escrow?" With virtually no one there to guide me, in steps Brad and his wonderful team. He was recommended to me by a family friend and I am beyond ecstatic and blessed that I had the opportunity to work with him. What made Brad heaven sent was that on the first day of meeting him he took the time to really get to know me. We did not jump straight into "how many bedrooms? What location? You want a fireplace?" he took the time to understand my personality, my home life, my career and why I was choosing to buy a home. I've heard horror stories of realtors handing their clientele the short end of the stick and being pushy to ensure a sale goes down. Brad is none of those and while I was teetering back and forth between I want to buy no wait I don't, he said "If you decide you don't want to buy now we can pick up later when you are ready." Guarantee you're more likely to find a realtor who will say "the market is good, buy now, why wait?" Every little question, no matter how minuscule it may have been was answered and I always walked away from our conversations feeling more and more confident about being a home owner. Brad always gave me his honest opinion and truly had my best interest at heart. Regardless if you're dead set on buying a home or like me, often indecisive be sure to get in contact with Brad, you will not regret it!
1/05/2018We recently sold a rental condo with Brad. This was an easy, stress free process thanks to the expertise and skill of Brad. Brad was able to sell our condo... read more for $10,000 more than we ever expected. Brad helped our decision making process to put the condo on the market. He is very knowledgeable of our current market and trends. Over the last several years, he created market analysis for us so that we had an idea of what our condo was worth. Brad was very patient with my endless questions and he was great at returning my phone calls and emails. He helped us when purchasing our primary residence in 2011 and when selling our old primary residence in 2011. I could not be happier with the level of service provided by Brad. I would highly recommend his service to anyone in need.
5/27/2017This was our first time selling a home and Brad couldn't have made the process any easier! We decided to pack up our family and move across the country, and... read more sell our house in the process. He helped us work it out so that way it would be closed right when we leave. We hit a few snags (not because of him) re: buyers and Brad helped guide us towards the best decision for our family. We ended up closing the house while we were already in North Carolina. And that process was even easy, all the way from the other side of the country. When we first started, he gave us an estimated net profit and told us he would make it his goal to make us more, and he did that ten-fold! He also offered to find us someone in North Carolina to help us in the buying process when we are ready to buy again! I would recommed Brad to anyone!
8/19/2016 -
Just got done buying a house with Brad. He spent so much time with us. Our process took about 4 months. Each experience with Brad made it del like we... read more were the only clients he had. He only works by referral, so it speaks volumes to see his reviews on here. He was able to easily navigate the real estate process, and excellently negotiated the deal for our house. Could not be any more satisfied, and I will definitely be recommending him to anyone interested in buying a house in the San Diego area. He is an expert and very knowledgable asset to have.
7/01/2016Buying a house is very stressful, but this man makes it an easy process. Still to the day I am very thankful and happy for everything Brad has done for... read more me and my wife. Once you meet him you'll have someone there for you for the rest of your life. Not only is he an expert in real-estate but he knows so many people that can help you out with any problem in and around your house. Brad had a great attitude and was always there to answer any questions we ever had no matter the time. His team is very professional and helpful too, any issue we had they would always take care of it. Over all I am very happy with my house and with their service, Brad has set the bar really high for all other agents out there. Thanks for everything and I will make sure to call you once I am ready for my next house.
6/04/2016Brad is the absolute best in the business. He has exceptional professionalism, kindness and patience. As first time home buyers, we substantially relied on his expertise and vast knowledge of... read more San Diego and its surrounding areas--despite us living in San Diego for various years. Brad provided tremendous insight on neighborhoods, while meticulously guiding us through the home buying process. Did I mention his "patience" and "kindness"? My wife and I had a barrage of questions--borderline harassment and indignant, if you ask me--yet he always took the time to explain everything to us in laymen terms and always found a way to calm our frenzied nerves. He always returned our phone calls, texts and emails in a timely manner, even though his schedule may have been busy that day. We cannot recommend and thank Brad enough for his extraordinary work.
6/02/2015