Chula Vista is a large city that occupies South San Diego county. On its west edge, you’ll find the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Rescue. On its east edge, you’ll hit Lower Otay Lake and Otay Open Space Preserve. It’s the second-largest city in the San Diego area and has roughly 250,000 inhabitants. It's also one of the fastest growing cities, with the population having increased over 11% in the last ten years.
There are plenty of things to do in Chula Vista for the whole family. In the summer, visit Aquatica waterpark. In addition to fun water slides and attractions, you can get up close with dolphins and penguins! Just down the street from the waterpark is North Island Credit Union Amphitheater, formerly known as Mattress Firm Amphitheater. Large-scale acts typically play here, such as Lana Del Rey and Blink-182. Chula Vista is also home to the Elite Athlete Training Center, where athletes train for both the Olympics and Para-Olympics. Occasionally, adult and youth sports competitions will be held here.
In the summer, Chula Vista hosts its annual Lemon Festival. Multiple streets are shut down to make way for beer gardens, lemon-themed contests, and plenty of vendors offering food, drink, and crafts. Harborfest also takes place in the summer. Enjoy live music and check out the tastes of Chula Vista.
The different neighborhoods within Chula Vista are vastly different and vary greatly in terms of purchase price. These are the year to date stats as of December 2022. For monthly stats, visit the San Diego Association of Realtors website.
Chula Vista primarily has single family homes, which can be great for property owners that choose to rent. Because there are more 2-4 bedroom homes than there are condos, you can charge more. The average single family home in Chula Vista rents for about $2,860. Condos typically rent for around $2,330. One bedroom apartments rent for $1,500 and higher. These rates are the averages for the entirety of the city. Individual neighborhoods may vary.
The great thing about Chula Vista is that rental rates tend to be in line with purchase price, meaning you can easily pay you monthly mortgage with the rental income.
Chula Vista has a large, reliable renter pool. The combined growing population and available single family homes make for tenants that like to stay where they are, at least for a few years. There's also a naval base nearby, resulting in many military families seeking housing.
When properties are priced right, tenants tend to stay for long periods of time. There is a large variety of homes ranging from A class area to C class areas, making it a great city for first time investors who aren't sure what type of property they want.
There's a lot of construction going on throughout the city. This is something to be aware of when choosing a property to buy. You might find a great deal in a good neighborhood and then discover the ongoing construction nearby is driving away renters.
Because there are more available units in Chula Vista, the market is at risk of over saturation. This can make it more difficult to rent your home due to increased competition.
The map above shows the variation in home price across Chula Vista neighborhoods. The lighter yellow areas are the cheapest and as they get darker, prices increase. Generally, North, Northeast, and East Chula Vista are the more upscale neighborhoods. Downtown Chula Vista and other areas to the west skew cheaper and would be considered B and C class zones.
The darker blue sections are the areas with the most crime. As you venture further away from the downtown area, the amount of crime decreases. This data is in line with the home pricing; as the home prices and rental rates increase, the crime decreases.
185 E Naples Street - Full Deal Report
Located in Chula Vista proper on the west side of I-5 in a B- neighborhood. 4B/2BA detached home that likely needs work to get rent ready. At a rental rate of $2,500 and with all expenses factored in (maintenance, vacancy, cap ex, management fees, etc.), you are looking at being about -$800/month in cash flow.
2071 Barbados Cv Unit 2 - Full Deal Report 
Located in Eastlake. Part of newer construction in an A neighborhood. 2B/2.5BA condo in HOA with reasonable fees ($200/month) that would likely rent for $2,100. Only -$360/month in cash flow and $85k needed to acquire.
**Disclaimer: Keep in mind that when we analyze potential rental properties, we are very conservative in our numbers. We use an average market rent and account for all property expenses like maintenance, capital expenditures, vacancy, and management fees. Expenses are also estimated on the higher end. In reality you should see the rental properties performing slightly better than analyzed. We prefer to be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed with property performance!**
When choosing where to buy your investment property, you should be on the lookout for a few things. These things can be a red flag for the kind of area you want to avoid.
Beginning in 2019, the City of Chula Vista began work on the Bayfront Project. This project includes an RV Park (complete with a pool, spa, gym, and more), a recreational park and bike path, and eventually a hotel. The RV park is expected to be completed in summer 2020 while the hotel will begin construction around the same time.
You can expect the RV park to encourage more tourism to the area. The park will also have park model stalls, which can provide temporary housing for recreational and seasonal use. Sweetwater and Harbor Parks will likely attract more renters to the area.
Good Life Property Management has become experts in Chula Vista property management over the last 7 years. As a result, we know how to effectively market and manage your Chula Vista home. We find that days on market are average when compared to other areas and vacancy is about average as well. Chula Vista property management can be challenging, but doesn’t have to be with Good Life.
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