Flying In or AirBnB

Hey everybody I am moving to North County San Diego in the middle of September from Chicago. I know apartments tend to go fast down there and was debating what would be better. Would flying down within the next week for 5 days hoping to find a place and sign a lease or rent an Airbnb for a week or two once moved then find a place. My job is pretty flexible so commute is not an issue and a budget of 4k but willing to be flexible. Hoping to be West of the 5 but don’t mind being a mile east from the 5 as well. My fiancee is hoping to find a place down there before the move but how realistic is that?

Any advice would be really appreciated and how did you guys end up doing it whether from the area or out of state. I know I post here a lot but kind of in a rush and stuck between the two options