Santa Clarita - Fair Oaks Ranch (Sacramento: best neighborhoods, HOA fees, buying a home)

[Rachelm1]

My husband and I are interested into a new home in the Fair Oaks Ranch community in Santa Clarita. I've been doing a little bit of research and it sounds like the adjacent Canyon Country isn't necessarily the best part of Santa Clarita, and that the schools there aren't the best in the area either. We're a young couple and we would like to have kids in the next few years. We want to make sure we settle down in a good area with a good school district and would like to be surrounded by other young families. Please let me know if you have any information on this community!

[mommyonthego]

Originally Posted by Rachelm1

My husband and I are interested into a new home in the Fair Oaks Ranch community in Santa Clarita. I've been doing a little bit of research and it sounds like the adjacent Canyon Country isn't necessarily the best part of Santa Clarita, and that the schools there aren't the best in the area either. We're a young couple and we would like to have kids in the next few years. We want to make sure we settle down in a good area with a good school district and would like to be surrounded by other young families. Please let me know if you have any information on this community!

I'd stick with the Valencia or Stevenson Ranch areas and not the area near Canyon Country. Valencia and Stevenson Ranch will be a litter more expensive, but worth it for the neighborhoods, schools, and resale values. Prices have really dropped since a few years ago, so it's easier to get into the best neighborhoods.

[socalmomandwife]

My kids go to Golden Oak, which is the new school for Fair Oaks. I am pulling them out. We have lived in SC for 5 yrs now and let me tell you, you need to move to Valencia. Better schools and people. Canyon Country is a dump!

[NickelDime]

Take a close look at West Hills and West Creek in Valencia.

The homes are similarly priced, the location is preferable and the schools (West Creek Academy, Rio Norte, Valencia High) are top tier (900+ API).

The trails, pools, shopping, neighbors, etc are among the best in Santa Clarita.

West Creek Academy, as West Creek Elementary is now called, will integrate music and foreign language into the curriculum.

It is public and opens this fall. West Creek and West Hills residents get guaranteed admission, all others are selected via lottery.

Here's more info on the elementary school, which cost $35M to build (already complete):
West Creek Academy – “Gateway to the World” | SCVTalk.com (http://scvtalk.com/2010/02/09/wca-gateway/ - broken link)

I've lived in West Hills for over a year and couldn't be happier with the community. The developer, Newhall Land (has close ties to Lennar), built all of Valencia. It shows and it's done right.

[novaj9]

Only problem with West Creek and West Hills is that these house carry the dreaded Mello Roos tax which on those new Lennar homes can be as high as $400 a month and last for 25-30 years! This is something to consider which will significantly add to your monthly mortage payment.

[NickelDime]

Originally Posted by novaj9

Only problem with West Creek and West Hills is that these house carry the dreaded Mello Roos tax which on those new Lennar homes can be as high as $400 a month and last for 25-30 years! This is something to consider which will significantly add to your monthly mortage payment.

It is very, very rare to find a newer community that doesn't have mello-roos taxes. Especially new communities that have their own schools. True for Fair Oaks Ranch too.

West Creek / Hills actually has lower mello-roos than neighboring Tesoro (by about a half percent property tax).

West Creek/Hills is the only community in walking distance (and guaranteed admission) to three of the best K-12 institutions in Santa Clarita - West Creek Academy, Rio Norte Middle and Valencia High.

The other newer communities in Santa Clarita also have mello-roos (Copperstone and Creekside, for example), but their tax rates are lower because they don't have a school. Residents in those communities are forced to drive clear across town to Bridgeport or Helmers.

BTW, this is true for all communities in California. You can thank Prop 13. Convenience and newness come at a cost.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by NickelDime

It is very, very rare to find a newer community that doesn't have mello-roos taxes. Especially new communities that have their own schools. True for Fair Oaks Ranch too.

West Creek / Hills actually has lower mello-roos than neighboring Tesoro (by about a half percent property tax).

West Creek/Hills is the only community in walking distance (and guaranteed admission) to three of the best K-12 institutions in Santa Clarita - West Creek Academy, Rio Norte Middle and Valencia High.

The other newer communities in Santa Clarita also have mello-roos (Copperstone and Creekside, for example), but their tax rates are lower because they don't have a school. Residents in those communities are forced to drive clear across town to Bridgeport or Helmers.

BTW, this is true for all communities in California. You can thank Prop 13. Convenience and newness come at a cost.

Actually you can thank the Serrano Decision... Prop 13 allows voters to approve additional assessments for Schools and only 55% is required for school infrastructure...

Mello-Roos gives potential buyers the opportunity to decide BEFORE buying if the value is there to justify purchase price and future taxes and Mello-Roos lets those willing and able and benefiting the most pay for the services they desire... all in all not a bad thing.

[NickelDime]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Actually you can thank the Serrano Decision... Prop 13 allows voters to approve additional assessments for Schools and only 55% is required for school infrastructure...

Sure. But it's not practical - would an established community vote for a tax increase for a school to accommodate for a new village about to be built in said community? No.

From Wikipedia's entry on the history of Mello Roos:

When California Proposition 13 passed in 1978, it restricted the ability of local governments to raise property taxes by no more than an inflation factor. The budget for services and for the construction of public facilities therefore could not continue unabated. As a result, new ways to fund public improvements in respective locales were considered.

An unintended consequence of Prop 13 is that new areas are subject to increased taxes, despite the fact that surrounding areas generally benefit. Great case in point is Rio Norte Middle School, which was built mostly using local mello roos but serves established communities like Northbridge.

I'm sure the Serrano Decision is relevant, but the whole concept would be moot w/o Prop 13.

All this aside, the fact remains that all new communities have some form of Mello Roos special assessments to fund infrastructure. And those with their own neighborhood school generally have rates adjusted accordingly.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by NickelDime

Sure. But it's not practical - would an established community vote for a tax increase for a school to accommodate for a new village about to be built in said community? No.

From Wikipedia's entry on the history of Mello Roos:


An unintended consequence of Prop 13 is that new areas are subject to increased taxes, despite the fact that surrounding areas generally benefit. Great case in point is Rio Norte Middle School, which was built mostly using local mello roos but serves established communities like Northbridge.

I'm sure the Serrano Decision is relevant, but the whole concept would be moot w/o Prop 13.

All this aside, the fact remains that all new communities have some form of Mello Roos special assessments to fund infrastructure. And those with their own neighborhood school generally have rates adjusted accordingly.

ou

I'm not discounting what you said... Last time I was looking for a home... I did look at two that had Mello and after crunching the numbers I decided on buying a home built in 1957... although, the homeowners association where I bought has changed a lot in the last 5 years and the dues have increased 4 fold after being stable for at least 40 years...

Serrano can not be discounted because it forever changed school funding in California and Prop 13 was in large part a response... limit money going to Sacramento and allow local communities to increase taxes locally if the support is there.

It's good you are doing your homework... fewer surprises down the line

[JoyinCA]

The best part of town is the older section of Valencia! It has the mature trees which provide much-needed shade for the hot summers here. The master-planned older neighborhoods have paseos (miles of connecting walking trails), HOAs with swim teams that are the envy of other communities, no mello-Roos taxes, low HOA fees, and great schools (Hart High is one of the best). Houses are a bit smaller for the money than in outlying areas, but the proximity to everything is worth it.