Looking to buy a house in Temecula - Thoughts? (Poway: foreclosed, good schools)

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by ConsideringLA

I think the assoc fees are $200 or less. But you get a pool...

that is fairly hefty i would say.

[dweej]

Is that $200 per month or per year? I used to pay monthly condo association fees of over $200 per *month*, and just talked to someone in San Antonio who pays only $240 per *year* for pool/tennis courts/park and has a big house on a large lot in a nice neighborhood. Crazy!

[ConsideringLA]

$200 per month. Oh, and non-deductible.... ouch.

One of the issues in the IE is the problem of fewer folks occupying stucco boxes, folks squatting while waiting for foreclosure ('ruthless default') who don't pay HOAs for that 6 month period and beyond while the home goes through the process. The folks left in the neighborhood are holding the bag on HOAs. These are newer neighborhoods, so they are trying to build a reserve at the same time - the burden is compounded that much more.

Older neighborhoods usually have larger reserves in place, earn interest on those reserves, and offer less services (security, common area maintenance, cable TV, etc.). Personally, I think anything that requires constant "explaining" (be it excessive HOA fees, commuting 1+ hours each way, the smell at The Preserve, etc.) is suspect.

I once waged war at an association mtg in Placentia, trying to remove the mandatory $30 fee for cable services.

Board: "But we save 10%."
Me: "What about the homeowner that has a dish?"
Board: (silence)
Random board member: "But we save 10%."

You "pay" for larger HOA fees in a reduced value in the home... it's all about monthly payment for your prospective buyer.

[dweej]

I'm a small-government kind of girl, so no HOA at all is ideal for me, but if there's going to be one, the fewer group services the better. Having cable and trash and this and that all "included" means I can't make my own choices (much like your dish argument!). I'd much rather pay a little more for my older home with mature shade trees (deduct that interest!) and skip all the fees for 'extras' in a masterplanned, box-home community where you have to ask permission to do any little thing. I guess everyone has different priorities. I think that's part of Temecula's appeal though- it does offer every type of neighborhood a person could want.

[bhcompy]

yea, 200/mo is absurd. the two neighborhoods my family is considering buying in in the denver area have monthly dues of 40$ and 55$ respectively. one has 4 rec centers that provide all the benefits of a fully stocked ymca for youths and adults and another is a smaller community more closer to age, price, and style typical IE communities and has a community rec room, pool, a few parks large and small, and a creek running through it.

when i looked at a condo here in los alamitos(built in the 70s, no central a/c, 900sqft, etc) the price was somewhat reasonable(under 300k) but the hoa was FIVE HUNDRED A MONTH! WHY????

granted the actual home communities around me do not have hoa's because of their age, but they're priced out for my young family looking for affordability

[tkdmom]

Originally Posted by ConsideringLA

I think the assoc fees are $200 or less. But you get a pool...

This is true, and it's gated !

[tkdmom]

I have another friend, he's a firefighter, he bought just down the street from GR, in Oak Meadows. His house is near a good school, a couple yrs old, 3,200 sf for $280k, and no assoc. fees.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

yea, 200/mo is absurd. the two neighborhoods my family is considering buying in in the denver area have monthly dues of 40$ and 55$ respectively. one has 4 rec centers that provide all the benefits of a fully stocked ymca for youths and adults and another is a smaller community more closer to age, price, and style typical IE communities and has a community rec room, pool, a few parks large and small, and a creek running through it.

when i looked at a condo here in los alamitos(built in the 70s, no central a/c, 900sqft, etc) the price was somewhat reasonable(under 300k) but the hoa was FIVE HUNDRED A MONTH! WHY????

granted the actual home communities around me do not have hoa's because of their age, but they're priced out for my young family looking for affordability

I know....I'm with you on all that. The condo we lived in when we were paying $240 per month had no amenities at all. They maintained the exterior and the landscaping. You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I think the HOA paid water and trash. Water here is so very expensive (well, not the water itself, but paying to transport it here) that I'm guessing that was a bulk of the bill. They they said we all needed new garage doors and there was no money to pay for them, so we'd all be required to pay for them ourselves, using a company that the Association chose for us. That's when we got irritated and moved out. I just don't like someone telling me how I'm required to spend my money. Mostly it's a psychological thing for me, but still....

[Pamela Jane]

My husband and I are looking at moving to Temecula, however, our concern is the commute to SD and LA. Your thoughts

[tkdmom]

Originally Posted by Pamela Jane

My husband and I are looking at moving to Temecula, however, our concern is the commute to SD and LA. Your thoughts

The commute to LA is brutal. SD is not as bad, but it's still not a commute I would want to do daily.