J Crand. I think you will find the further you go inland the cheaper it is.. Probably rents in places like Escondido or San Marcos will be -at the very cheapest 800 dollars.. I think there is lots of construction jobs to go around- as of right now.. Houses are going up like weeds in many areas.. The "San Diego Union" has an on- line job service and also ads for rentals- I believe..
In terms of Cycling you will not regret it. San Diegans are very athletic minded you will see.
I very much despise the heat. I would not live in East County( San Diego) let alone anywhere east of California. But that is me.Coastal California is rarely hot..
But then compared to east coast heat, i think in the West, you will find the hotter states do not have hot spells as long as the south-east states. Maybe 3 months?
ps- at one time- there were employment projections that San Diego County would have the greatest percentage employment growth rate of any major metropolitian area. not sure now..?