Nestled in a valley in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains about 30 miles from both San Diego and the nearest Pacific beach, Escondido, Calif., has grown from an agricultural community known for its grapes and avocados into a town that attracts people looking for a more affordable version of the Southern California lifestyle.
It’s hotter than the coastal cities and is known for its traffic, both downsides. But Gina Mancuso, a real estate agent with eXp Realty of California, said government investments in traffic abatement, such as freeway express lanes, have brought the average commute to San Diego or nearby Carlsbad, Calif., to less than 30 minutes.
Location: San Diego County, 30 miles north of San Diego, 100 miles south of Los Angeles
Population: 148,119 (U.S. Census Bureau estimate)
Area: 37 square miles
Housing: 52 percent homeownership rate
The vibe: This diverse town, founded in 1888, has a walkable downtown, parks, lakes, wineries and a center for the arts.
However, Escondido, which translates from Spanish to “hidden,” can’t hide from the high risk of wildfire in the region. To address the problem, the homebuilder KB Home is constructing 64 homes in its new Dixon Trail development that meet high levels of fire preparedness developed by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. A community of single-family homes, one-third of which have already sold, Dixon Trail has houses that range from about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and have base prices from $1.067 million to $1.342 million.
A 2024 demonstration of fire-resilient building inspired the project, said Steve Ruffner, president and regional general manager for KB Home Coastal in San Diego.
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The post Escondido, Calif., a Showcase for Fire-Resilient Building appeared first on New York Times.
