Fletcher Hills

Scenic hillside suburb with parks and easy interstate access

Nestled among the low-lying mountains in East County, Fletcher Hills is a delightful family neighborhood situated on the border between La Mesa and El Cajon. Its unique location on the hills offers stunning views to both the east and west. Developed by California Senator Ed Fletcher in the 1930s and ’40s, Fletcher Hills features sprawling suburban streets lined with mid-century ranch-style homes, along with public parks and schools. “It still has that mid-century ‘Happy Days’ vibe.” Fletcher Hills continues to attract homebuyers from San Diego and beyond due to its family-friendly green spaces, highly rated schools, and more affordable housing options. Neil encourages those feeling priced out of San Diego to consider the area, stating, “You can get a 7,000-square-foot home for less here in Fletcher Hills.”

Well-maintained midcentury ranch-styles with some townhouses

Well-paved, curvy streets climb the hills for which the neighborhood is named and are lined with broad sidewalks, single-family homes and mature oak, cypress and palm trees. “There are two-story homes here and there, but Fletcher Hills is largely midcentury ranch-style houses with larger floorplans than you’d find by the coast,” DeMoss says. Exteriors range from earth-tone stuccos with red-tile roofs to brightly colored farm-styles with cottage-style mullions; all homes feature manicured lawns, either with grass and shade-providing trees or brown river rocks, cacti and other desert plantings. Prices start at $585,000 for two-bedroom ranch-style homes and go up to $1.5 million for four-bedroom properties with in-ground pools. A handful of two-story homes from the 1980s and ‘90s is scattered around Fletcher Hills, and they come in Spanish Revival and Craftsman styles; these range from $1 million to $1.2 million and come with four- and five-bedroom layouts. There are also a few pockets of two-story townhouses. Those in the Patridge Village community are Spanish-Revival and have a shared pool, while those in Valley View feature modern architecture and an in-ground jacuzzi. Prices start at $550,000 for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit and go up to $675,000 for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit.