For many buyers, getting into the neighborhood where the "best" schools are is important. So when you are moving from another part of the state or another part of the country, how do you find out about the schools as part of evaluating where you want to live. Fortunately, much research can be done on-line.

First, I would recommend making a list of the questions you want to have answered (perhaps things like % of kids who graduate; % going on to 4 -year colleges; amount of money spent per student; student/teacher ratio, information about the PTA; test scores; types of programs including after-school, athletic, art, music, gifted/advanced placement, foreign language/bilingual). Some things may be more important you than others, particularly depending on the age of your children. You may also be interested in private, preparatory, boarding, religious, or  Montessori schools.

Second, get on the Internet and do your research. You can look at a directory of school districts around the country as a starting point. You can also choose to look up information on the website for the towns you are interested in or use the school district websites (her are few for Southern California:

Carlsbad Unified School District
San Dieguito Union High School District
Rancho Santa Fe School District
Oceanside Unified School District
Del Mar Union School District
Solana Beach School District
San Marcos Unified School District

Finally, I encourage you to actually talk to the school district itself to ask questions and obtain more information. In particular you want to know what school you children will go to based on where you live - sometimes the boundaries change or may not be clear in the school district website. You can probably also get the names of some parents who are willing to talk to new arrivals. If you have time and schools are in session when you are in town on a house hunting trip, you can also set up an appointment to visit the schools in your prospective area.