EastLake was planned as a single community, and it was built in chapters. Each chapter has its own age, home types, amenities and charges, so the first question for a buyer is not “EastLake or not” but “which EastLake?” This guide lines the villages up on one timeline and in one table.
Complete Guide
EastLake Villages Compared: Timeline, Table, Checklist
How EastLake grew from 1986 to today, the villages side by side, the HOA and Mello-Roos costs that come with a master plan, and the numbers for EastLake’s ZIP codes.
A timeline of EastLake
- 1986: construction on the EastLake master plan begins, with a vision of a self-contained destination community built around commercial centers, schools and open space.
- Circa 1987 to 1992: the homes of EastLake Hills and EastLake Shores, the villages of EastLake I, are built (the first phase opened in 1986 with a 34-acre village center and a 145-acre business center).
- 1989: the City of Chula Vista annexes the 830 acres of EastLake Greens.
- 1991: the golf course at the heart of EastLake Greens opens, designed by Ted Robinson.
- 1995: the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista (now the Elite Athlete Training Center) opens on 155 acres beside the Lower Otay Reservoir.
- 2001 to 2005: EastLake Trails is built out around a network of trails and parks.
- 2002 to 2003: ground is broken in EastLake Woods, with the first residents moving in the following year, and Salt Creek Elementary opens in 2004.
- 2006: Otay Ranch Town Center opens south of EastLake.
- 2007: the SR-125 toll road opens.
- Around 2012: the gated Bella Lago community is built in Rolling Hills Ranch.
Dates come from the EastLake Educational Foundation’s history and the neighborhood pages on this site; the pages have more detail.
The villages side by side
| Village | Built | Character | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| EastLake Hills | Circa 1987 to 1992 | Detached single-family homes, mostly three to four bedrooms | EastLake I association dues, home age and updates |
| EastLake Shores | Circa 1987 to 1990 | Condominiums, townhomes and some houses, beside the lake and Beach Club | Association dues, building reserves, Beach Club access |
| EastLake Greens | Early 1990s | Established, walkable, golf-course centered | Association rules, home age and updates |
| EastLake Trails | About 2001 to 2005 | Trails and parks, settled feel | Association dues, park access |
| EastLake Woods | From 2002 | Hillside homesites with mountain views, clubhouse and pool | Slope and view, association dues, special taxes |
| The Gates | Within EastLake Woods | Gated enclave of 64 custom homesites | Gate and association rules, lot conditions |
| EastLake Vistas | EastLake III | Townhomes and single-family homes with views toward Otay Lakes | Shared clubhouse dues, view orientation |
| Bella Lago | About 2012 | Gated estates within Rolling Hills Ranch | Its own association, lot size, view |
| Otay Ranch | Decades, from the 1980s | Large master plan with a town center | Which village, special taxes, commute |
See the full neighborhood guide for Bonita, Sunnyside, Telegraph Canyon and others.
By the numbers
EastLake by the numbers
Values, rents and activity in EastLake’s three ZIP codes, from public data.
The numbers today
Zillow data through Aug 2026.
| ZIP code | Typical value | Vs a year ago | Vs five years ago | Typical rent | Homes for sale | Price cuts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91913 Chula Vista (EastLake, Otay Ranch) | $901,942 | +0.4% | +21.2% | $3,168 | 126 | 30% |
| 91914 Chula Vista (EastLake) | $1,170,338 | +1.0% | +29.5% | $3,992 | 35 | 24% |
| 91915 Chula Vista (Otay Ranch) | $848,035 | −0.7% | +18.6% | $3,318 | 73 | 28% |
The housing stock
The housing profile
What the Census Bureau’s survey says about the homes and the housing costs here.
Housing and economic measures by ZIP code
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020-2024. Estimates carry margins of error (shown as ± where the Census publishes one), and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate ZIP codes.
| Measure | ZIP 91913 | ZIP 91914 | ZIP 91915 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,337 (±$10,857) | $190,786 (±$19,239) | $139,503 (±$10,892) |
| Homes that are owner-occupied | 70.2% | 80.3% | 71.4% |
| Median year homes were built | 2005 | 2004 | 2006 |
| Median gross rent | $2,993 (±$132) | $3,500 or more | $2,959 (±$237) |
| Median home value reported by owners | $812,200 | $1,049,600 | $781,500 |
| Single-family detached homes | 54.3% | 82.8% | 54.8% |
| Attached single-unit homes (townhomes, row houses) | 18.3% | 12.6% | 23.1% |
| Small buildings (2 to 4 homes) | 6.7% | 2.6% | 5.2% |
| Larger buildings (5 or more homes) | 19.6% | 2% | 17% |
| Homes used seasonally or occasionally | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
In ZIP 91913, about 70.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, the typical home was built around 2005, and about 54.3% of the housing is single-family detached.
Only housing and economic measures are shown. The survey’s home value is what owners report, so it differs from Zillow’s typical value used elsewhere on this page.
The long view
How values have moved since 2000
The peaks, the pullback and the recoveries in ZIP 91913, in plain numbers.
The cycles, one line each
Zillow Home Value Index for ZIP 91913. Dates are month ends; changes are nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
| Phase | Dates | Typical value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2000 to the mid-2000s peak | Jan 2000 to Jan 2006 | $231,163 to $590,145 | +155% |
| Peak to trough | Jan 2006 to Dec 2011 | $590,145 to $319,869 | −46% |
| Trough to a new high | Dec 2011 to Jul 2020 | $319,869 to $590,412 | +85% |
| March 2020 to the record high | Mar 2020 to Feb 2025 | $580,312 to $919,121 | +58% |
| Record high to now | Feb 2025 to Aug 2026 | $919,121 to $901,942 | −1.9% |
From Jan 2000 the typical value climbed +155% to a peak of $590,145 in Jan 2006, slipped −46% to $319,869 by Dec 2011, and did not pass the old peak until Jul 2020, about 14.5 years after it. The record so far is $919,121 in Feb 2025; the latest reading is $901,942 (Aug 2026).
Measured from the same starting point, the ZIP’s values have grown about -9% less than the wider metro area since January 2000.
ZIP 91913San Diego metro
HOAs, Mello-Roos and other charges
A master plan comes with shared amenities and shared costs. Depending on the village, buyers may see association dues, special taxes such as Mello-Roos that funded infrastructure, and open-space or maintenance-district charges on the property tax bill.
- Ask for the association budget, the reserve study and the last two years of minutes.
- Ask the title company for the property tax breakdown, including any special taxes and how long they continue.
- Check what the clubhouse and pool access costs, and whether it is shared with other villages.
California’s Proposition 13 caps the base property tax at 1% of assessed value and limits yearly increases in assessed value to 2% while a home stays with the same owner. When a home sells, the assessor generally reassesses it at the new market value. Voter-approved bonds and special assessments come on top of the 1%, and a Mello-Roos special tax, which exists where a community facilities district financed the roads, parks, schools or other infrastructure of a newer development, is a separate line on the bill. The mortgage calculators here use about 1.1% of the price a year as a round number; the real figure for a specific home is on the county’s tax bill, and a title company can pull it.
Negotiation conditions
Are homes closing above or below asking?
The sale-to-list picture behind offers and pricing, from Zillow’s San Diego metro data.
Conditions this week
Weekly metro figures are Zillow’s latest published (week ending Aug 22, 2026); ZIP figures are monthly. Zillow publishes sale-price data a few weeks behind.
| Measure | Latest | A year ago | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sale price vs list price (metro) | 99.2% | 98.6% | Closing 0.8 points under asking |
| Homes selling above list (metro) | 36.3% | 31.1% | Bidding competition |
| Homes selling below list (metro) | 50.6% | 55.7% | Negotiating room |
| Median sale price (metro) | $941,000 | $892,500 | +5.4% in a year |
| Listings with a price cut (ZIP 91913) | 29.8% | 34.2% | Higher than 86% of months since 2018 |
| Homes for sale (ZIP 91913) | 126 | 153 | −18% in a year |
Sold above listSold below list
For buyers
- Homes in the metro are closing about 0.8% under their list price on average, so there is often room between the asking price and the contract price.
- More homes sold below list (51%) than above it (36%), which points to negotiating room on many listings.
- In ZIP 91913, 30% of listings have had a price cut, higher than 86% of months since 2018.
For sellers
- With 51% of metro sales below list and 36% above, the price a home is first offered at tends to decide which group it lands in.
- Price cuts are more common than usual in this ZIP right now, so a list price that matches recent sales helps a home avoid becoming one of them.
Market conditions describe the past and the wider area. They do not predict what will happen to any one home, and they are not advice. Ask Rudy for the numbers on your own street.
The calendar
When to shop in EastLake
What the monthly public data shows about choice, price cuts and competition in ZIP 91913.
Compared with the year’s average, month by month
Zillow monthly series for ZIP 91913, averaged over the complete calendar years 2019 to 2025. 0% means an average month.
| Month | Homes for sale | Price cuts | Market temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −12% | −1% | +11% |
| February | −16% | −24% | +11% |
| March | −10% | −25% | +10% |
| April | −7% | −25% | +8% |
| May | −4% | −17% | +1% |
| June | +3% | −8% | −6% |
| July | +12% | +7% | −7% |
| August | +20% | +16% | −8% |
| September | +16% | +21% | −8% |
| October | +11% | +21% | −9% |
| November | −0% | +24% | −5% |
| December | −13% | +12% | +3% |
Homes for sale have typically been lowest in February (−16% against the year’s average) and highest in August (+20%): more to choose from late in summer, fewer options in winter.
Price cuts have typically peaked in November (+24%) and been rarest in March (−25%): sellers who priced high in spring have often adjusted by early fall.
Market temperature (Zillow’s 0 to 100 measure of how competitive the market is) has typically run hottest in January (+11%) and coolest in October (−9%).
Homes for salePrice cutsMarket temperature
These are past averages of Zillow’s smoothed monthly figures, not a forecast. Rate swings and local events make every year different (2020 and 2022 were unlike most), and the pattern in one ZIP code says little about a single home. Use it as a rough guide to when there tends to be more choice and when there tends to be more competition.
The buying steps
- Get pre-approved. It sets your budget and makes an offer credible.
- Shortlist areas and see several homes in each.
- Make an offer on the standard California purchase agreement. Inspection and appraisal contingencies commonly run 17 days and the loan contingency 21, and all of them are negotiable.
- Review disclosures and association documents. Ask for the HOA budget, reserve study and minutes, and the exact Mello-Roos or special-tax figures on the tax bill.
- Inspect the home, and add specialists (roof, drainage, slope, sewer line) where the setting suggests it.
- Close. Escrows commonly last about 30 days from acceptance to recording.
Common questions
Which EastLake villages are the oldest?
EastLake Hills and EastLake Shores, part of EastLake I, with homes built circa 1987 to 1992. EastLake Greens followed in the early 1990s.
Which EastLake village is the newest?
Of the villages above, EastLake Woods and Vistas (EastLake III) and the Rolling Hills Ranch communities are the most recent.
Is The Gates a separate community?
No. It is a gated enclave of 64 custom homesites within EastLake Woods.
Where is the golf course?
In EastLake Greens. It opened in 1991 and was designed by Ted Robinson.
What are the ZIP codes?
EastLake spans 91913, 91914 and 91915, and the ZIP boundaries cross village lines, so check the ZIP for a specific address.
Keep exploring
- EastLake and Chula Vista neighborhoods — Fifteen neighborhood pages.
- Weekly market reports — Price tiers, ZIP comparisons and the gauge.
- EastLake history — How the community grew.
- Home tools — Payment and closing-cost calculators.
- Buyer resources — How Rudy works with buyers.
- Prop 8 Reviews and Property Tax Appeals in EastLake — When an EastLake home’s assessed value can go down.
- EastLake ZIP Codes Compared: 91913, 91914 and 91915 — The ZIP codes side by side.
- EastLake Zoning: SPA Plans, ADUs and Design Review — The local rules and how to start the conversation.
- Moving to EastLake: Where Newcomers Come From and a Checklist — Where people move to and from, what to compare and a checklist.
- EastLake Real Estate Glossary: Terms Every Buyer and Seller Hears — The terms in plain English.
- Printable checklists — Buying, selling and moving checklists as PDFs.
Talk to a lender. Rates, loan programs and approvals come from lenders, not from websites or real estate agents. Talk to your own mortgage broker, or use our preferred lender, Rodrigo Ballon with CrossCountry Mortgage, at 858-735-0255. You are always free to choose any lender you like, and you can verify any lender’s license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.
Sources
- EastLake Educational Foundation: history of EastLake
- City of Chula Vista: history
- San Diego County Assessor: Mello-Roos (how special taxes work)
General information for orientation, not legal, tax, financial or appraisal advice. Details change; confirm anything that matters with the official source, your lender and your agent.