SAN MARCOS — The city saw the grand opening of Skyhaus, San Marcos’ latest residential neighborhood of 100 two-story homes situated at the summit of the Rancho Tesoro master-planned community, on Feb. 15.
Skyhaus is the sixth and final residential neighborhood to premiere on the 250-acre Rancho Tesoro community, overlooking California State University, San Marcos, with home values starting at $400,000. The neighborhood had seen several prospects from current renters in North County which April Enriquez, Rancho Tesoro’s public relations manager, said was a great avenue to homeownership equaling to current city rental costs.
“It’s a lot cheaper than going a lot more south,” said Angel Murillo, who currently rents a home in San Marcos with his partner Kassondra Cisneroz and their 1-year-old son. “This is definitely one of our favorites so far. The price offers a lot but we’re still open to other homes as well.”
Promoted as an ideal for growing young families, Skyhaus’ value is below the approximate $600,000 median home value in the city and county, according to Zillow’s February 2020 market report. And for the millennial couple like Murillo and Cisneroz, the city’s top-rated schools and growing influx of younger families makes San Marcos an ideal suburb in San Diego to plant roots.
“I grew up here and stayed in town for Cal State San Marcos, he went away and we both had really great experiences. K-12 is our main thing.” Cisneroz said. San Marcos Unified School District is rated in the top five best school districts in San Diego, according to a report by Niche.
Enriquez also noted that beyond those who are looking to make the switch from renting to homeownership, Skyhaus was an option for empty nesters looking to downsize. As Allison Gott’s 6-year-old son Eli surveyed the townhomes offerings, she was analyzing the feasibility of the townhomes for her mother who is looking to relocate from downtown San Diego.
“The cost has been difficult because she’s looking at her budget when she is retired and it is on the more expensive side,” said Gott. “We’re trying to find a home that isn’t manufactured or mobile, where she has to pay the lease on the property, but it is tricky. It’s a little bit of a high budget.”
Even with these setbacks Gott said the townhome’s separation of entertaining and living on two distinct floors was ideal for her mother and checked the list for key necessities such as a two-car garage so that her guests didn’t need to worry about parking.
Susan Savian, who attended the grand opening with her husband and newborn son, said that San Marco’s schools and community was a main factor in purchasing a home in the city. “It’s a younger crowd,” she said. “We’re so close to the ocean and it’s a lot more affordable than living along the coast.”
Skyhaus has floorplans ranging from 752 to 1,745 square feet and is located at 865 Blackstone Drive in San Marcos.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Skyhaus was the fourth residential neighborhood to premier in Rancho Tesoro. It is the sixth. The Coast News regrets the error.
