Need friendly opinions on Temecula/Murrieta - Please no bashing (house, to live)

[Lienyie]

We are a military family and have lived around the world from Asia to NE America, Midwest America, South, Southwest and Northwest. After 24 years we are ending in Temecula to raise our children even though all our extended family is on the East Coast. Our children range from elementary, middle and high school. Temecula has year round activities e.g. fall ball, winter ball and spring ball, the schools are safe and kids want to be there to learn, and while being responsible I feel safe here. Everyone that lives here wants the best for their kids, and support the community fire and police to keep gang activity out of the area. If you are looking for a safe place to raise a family with many activities, safe schools that excell and currently affordable housing, I would recommend Temecula. If you our single I would not recommend Temecula, unless you are a teacher. We live in Morgan Hill and bought low/ foreclosed. Not alot of turnkey houses available-plan on new carpet and paint. Morgan Hill is nice because the elementary and middle our close and their are no businesses in the area so it is quiet with no through traffic. Ten years from now they might develope Anza road into a service drive off the highway, but that is at the bottom of the hill and will go around Morgan Hill to wineries but not through it.

[bigolwoody]

Originally Posted by dweej

I know all the different neighborhood names can get to be a bit much to keep track of...hopefully I can help . Paloma del Sol and Paseo del Sol are sister neighborhoods built by the same developer, so have a lot of similar qualities (paths, parks, pools...you know the three P's ). Paloma is the more affordable of the two and homes there are zoned for either Paloma Elementary School (decent scores) or Sparkman Elementary (not as good scores, and right on a major street). Paseo is the higher priced of the two (in general) and that entire neighborhood is zoned for Abbey Reinke elementary (super duper test scores, right in the middle of the quiet residential area, involved families, etc.).

There are many, many, many homes available in those areas and almost every single one will be a short sale or a foreclosure as almost every home there changed hands or was purchased for the first time during the sub-prime debacle. Either that, or people received high HELOCs.....well, you know the story. My favorite site for real estate in this area is Find All the Homes for Sale & Experienced Real Estate Agents | Redfin - every listing also shows you the last sale price and sale date. I am always surprised to find a home listed that's not a foreclosure.

Hope this helps!

dweej

dweej,
You seem to know alot about the area.What are the electrical rates for that area based on around 3000 sq. feet?How about natural gas?I know these vary by season.If not Temecula,what in your view is the best area in Murrieta to live?Thanks.

[bigolwoody]

dweej,the redfin site is cool.Thanks again.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by bigolwoody

dweej,
You seem to know alot about the area.What are the electrical rates for that area based on around 3000 sq. feet?How about natural gas?I know these vary by season.If not Temecula,what in your view is the best area in Murrieta to live?Thanks.

Electric rates in SoCal are not cheap, I'm not gonna try and spin it any other way. Not only is the charge per kwh higher than the natl. avg., you also end up using more of it during the summer months than most other places in the country. Your electric bill is based on your usage on an increasing scale- if you don't use much electricity, you pay $0.12 per kwh. If you use more electricity, you not only pay more overall, you also pay more per kwh....all the up to $0.27 per kwh at the highest tier .

This is one of the reasons that I generally encourage people to consider purchasing a smaller home if their family will fit into it (someone with 6 kids will obviously require a larger home, naturally) and making sure that you have mature shade trees to help cool your home in the summer. In the hottest summer months, if you have a house with 3,000 sq. ft. you are looking at $500+ easily for your electric bill. This is assuming you have a gas stove and gas water heater. If you have an electric stove and water heater (very unusual around here) I can't imagine how high your bill could be. In addition to the charge for the actual electricity, there is also a delivery charge for each unit you use. Tread very carefully with a large home in a new development in this area- you may end up paying a lot more than you budgeted for in utility costs!

[pll]

Am I right to assume that most of the homes in Temecula and Murrieta have air conditioning?

[dweej]

Originally Posted by pll

Am I right to assume that most of the homes in Temecula and Murrieta have air conditioning?

Yes, absolutely. No worries there.

[eclipxe]

Originally Posted by pll

Am I right to assume that most of the homes in Temecula and Murrieta have air conditioning?

Some of the newer and larger homes have dual air conditioner units to help manage costs. One for upstairs and one for downstairs (which is great for me - I work at home and spend all of my time in the office upstairs - no need to try to cool the entire bottom floor).

[bigolwoody]

Wow.$500 per month.I guess I won`t complain about 80.00 dollar electric and 200 dollar Gas bills here in the winter time.The advantage of living near a dam.I`m still heading back that way by years end,I feel I could help create jobs in the area with my company.Are electric bills 1/3 that in the winter months?Thanks for your help.

[bigolwoody]

This would also mean getting Hosed by electric rates if you have a pool.When I lived in La Jolla from 97-02 I don`t remember electricity being high except for the SDG&E gouging and rolling blackouts.I also didn`t need an air conditioner by the beach.
Electric= 500
Gas=100 ?
cable=60 ?
internet=60 ?
property taxes=350 ?
garbage,sewer,water=125 ?

Thats adds up to my current House payment.We`ll have a nice home but the kids will be eating PBJ`s and top ramon.Oh well,as long as there is an In & Out there,i`m o.k with it.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by bigolwoody

This would also mean getting Hosed by electric rates if you have a pool.When I lived in La Jolla from 97-02 I don`t remember electricity being high except for the SDG&E gouging and rolling blackouts.I also didn`t need an air conditioner by the beach.
Electric= 500
Gas=100 ?
cable=60 ?
internet=60 ?
property taxes=350 ?
garbage,sewer,water=125 ?

Thats adds up to my current House payment.We`ll have a nice home but the kids will be eating PBJ`s and top ramon.Oh well,as long as there is an In & Out there,i`m o.k with it.

Well, in the winter and spring, your bills will be much lower, but still.....if you can fit into a house that's smaller than 3K sq. ft, do it. And yes, a pool is going to cost you for electricity and water. Better to use the multitude of neighborhood and city managed pools (because when it's 107 degrees you're not going to be outside using your pool anyway!). Go with a smaller house on a shady lot/street, skip the pool, and you'll have a much easier time financially.