Our Dictionary Hill Spring Valley real estate spotlight features a midsize homes community near San Diego.
Dictionary Hill Spring Valley Real Estate Location
Dictionary Hill consists of a 1,060-foot mountain in Bancroft Creek Canyon which lies in the heart of Spring Valley.
Its boundaries include Eucalyptus Street on the north, Jamacha Road on the south, Sangamon Avenue on the east, and Grand Avenue on the west.
Dictionary Hill offers a wealth of birds, native plants, wildflowers, butterflies, and small animals. Trails take hikers from the canyon to the mountain top with magnificent 360-degree panoramic views.
Check out this Google map showing the beginning of the trailhead. Total ascent of 600 feet reached along 2 miles of trails rated as a “moderate” hike. Bikes and leashed dogs allowed. No facilities, but free access.
Dictionary Hill Spring Valley Real Estate History
In the 1800s, this hill, called Lookout Mountain, served its purpose as a lookout point to observe ships coming to the nearby port.
This Dictionary Hill community originated in 1972 and continues to develop.
According to the San Diego Reader, Dictionary Hill in Spring Valley got its name from an encyclopedia salesman.
The story goes that in 1911 an enterprising encyclopedia publisher couldn’t sell any books in San Diego. So, he purchased a 480-acre land tract for $25 from the federal government. He then sub-divided the land and gave away lots to encyclopedia purchasers who paid $109 for a 25 volume set.
Originally called “East San Diego Villa Heights” became “Encyclopedia Hill”. Then, he later included dictionaries which led to the land becoming known as “Dictionary Hill”.
Another interesting event occurred when a Los Angeles engineer company laid out the subdivision in a street grid suitable for flatland because no one told them it was on a hill. Instead of a subdivision map showing streets curving around knobby terrains, it appeared like a flat city map.
Dictionary Hill Preservation
In 1957, a California Court of Appeals case called Chapman v. Division of Real Estate allowed the preservation of Dictionary Hill. It reversed a California Superior Court ruling opening the doors for the full development of Dictionary Hill with 2,000 residential lots.
The Court of Appeals allowed the State of California Real Estate Commissioner jurisdiction over any sales and developments in Dictionary Hill.
In 2017, the County Board of Supervisors voted to preserve Dictionary Hill. They paid $5.4 million for 175 acres adding the land to the county’s Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP). Partnering with the County Parks and Recreation Department to preserve and maintain the land.
The Dictionary Hill Open Space Advocates organization played an active part in this preservation.
In 2019, the San Diego Reader published a news story about the “hill with a funny name” preservation. The story pointed out the many rare, sensitive, and endangered plants on Dictionary Hill. Also, protects endangered San Diego horned lizards, rare California gnatcatchers, gray foxes, butterflies, and bobcats.
It also contains met volcanic rocks dating back 125 million years.
Check out the “Events and News” page for all San Diego parks including Dictionary Hill.
Dictionary Hill Real Estate Market 2019
Dictionary Hill’s Zip Code = 91977 which several local real estate brokerages use instead of the name of this neighborhood.
Redfin describes Dictionary Hill’s real estate market in 2019 as:
- Median List Price = $499,000;
- Average Sale/List Price = 100.2%; and
- Median List Price per Square Foot = $316.
Redfin also points out that most Dictionary Hills Homes sell within 33 days from listing and get at least 2 offers.
Zillow offers these facts about Dictionary Hill’s real estate market in 2019 as:
- Median Home Value Estimate = $447,100; and
- Home Value Forecast Increase of 4.2%.
Sotheby’s provides the following data about Dictionary Hill real estate market for 2019:
- The Average Sales Price = $600,000;
- Average Home Square Footage = 2,200; and
- Average Sales Price per Square Feet = $273.
Neighborhoods website offers these facts about Dictionary Hill real estate market for 2019:
A perfect neighborhood for single-family homes with a wide range of styles and periods. Most homes sit on quarter-acre lots with two baths and four bedrooms. Homes include either a driveway or garage. Along with:
- Most Dictionary Hill homes sell near the asking price.
- Median Sales Price = $499,945; and
- Average Sales Price per Square Foot = $294.
Notice a large difference in the four Dictionary Hill real estate median sales prices above?
Got Questions?
[idx-listings city=”Spring valley” minprice=”100000″ maxprice=”5000000″ statuses=”1″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” count=”5″ showlargerphotos=”true” listtabalignment=”Left”]
What Dictionary Hill Residents Say
The Dictionary Hill Forum contains comments from its residents claiming:
“I don’t worry about crime here.”
“During the night you’ll hear more noises from coyotes than cars or partiers.”
“I left stuff outside our house for months and no one bothered them.”
“Some very nice houses on Dictionary Hill.”
Thus, Dictionary Hill residents feel “safe” in a “quiet” community with “nice” homes.
Dictionary Hill Restaurants
Yelp recommends these Dictionary Hill restaurants:
Crafted Greens got 5 Stars from 504 reviews for their traditional American food.
Cali Comfort BBQ rated 4.5 Stars (out of 5 Stars) by 2,137 reviews for their breakfasts, brunch, and barbeque food.
Belinda’s Familia Mexican Restaurant earned 4.5 Stars from 136 reviews for their Mexican food.
Tambayan Filipino Bbq & Grill earning 4.5 Stars from 130 reviews for their Filipino food.
The Hills received 4.5 Stars from 1,009 reviews for their breakfast and New American pub food.
Ranas Mexico City Cuisine earning 4.5 Stars from 620 reviews for their Mexican food.
Sunrise Deli got 4 Stars from 309 reviews for their traditional deli food.
Bankhead Mississippi Style Cooking got 4 Stars from 240 reviews for their Southern-style barbecue and soul food.
Farmer’s Table La Mesa rated 4 Stars from 1,989 reviews for their New American food.
La Sinaloense Restaurant earning 4 Stars from 189 reviews for their Mexican food.
Dictionary Hill Schools
The Great Schools Organization rated the following schools in or near Dictionary Hill:
Elementary
School Name Rating Parents Rating
Sweetwater Springs Elementary School 6 4 Stars (out of 5)
Casa de Oro Elementary School 5 4 Stars
Rancho Elementary School 5 3 Stars
High Schools
Conclusion
This Dictionary Hill Spring Valley real estate spotlight features 360-degree panoramic views. Plenty of hiking trails and unusual plants and wildlife in this hill.
Preservation of Dictionary Hill began with a landmark California Court of Appeals ruling in 1957. In 2017, the county government bought 175 acres to add to its preservation.
The current real estate market shows a mid-sized house’s neighborhood with homes selling faster than nearby neighborhoods. Also, most homes sell at or near the listing price.
Dictionary Hill restaurants boast one 5 Star and five 4.5 Stars ranging from traditional American foods including great breakfasts and brunch. Also, Mexican and Filipino cuisine and BBQ foods for exotic tastes.
The schools in this neighborhood feature a highly rated high school and several schools highly rated by the parents.
Want to Find Out What Available Homes in Dictionary Hill Appeal to Your Family?
Contact Us so one of our Realtors guides you around this beautiful mountain, or “hill” to view the natural preservation and available homes to buy.
Steven Rich, MBA – Guest Blogger
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Steven Rich, MBA has been involved in the real estate industry for over 30 years. As an investor, real estate agent, associate editor of a real estate magazine, a real estate marketing expert, a Wikipedia real estate article author, and as a writer.
