The best Temecula Neighborhoods (Vista, Murrieta: for sale, real estate, rent)

[seansan]

We have made the decision to move to Temecula, but our next big decision is which community to choose. We've looked at Redhawk, Paloma/Peseo, and Harveston. We like each on for different reason, but would really love to have a local’s perspective on each and which one would be best for an active family.

Thank you

[dweej]

Of those neighborhoods, I would choose Paseo del Sol in a minute. Redhawk is south of 79S so your only option in and out is going to involve that street in some way- the traffic can be a real bugger and you're further from the library than any of the other neighborhoods. Harveston has the tiniest lots you'll ever see for houses that size. I went to a BBQ there last summer and it was really claustrophobic, plus there's a large drainage 'river' of some sort next to it which translated to lots of flies. Paloma is nice, but a step down from Paseo. Paseo is zoned for Abby Reinke elementary school, which to me would be one of the most sought after schools in our district. I have some friends whose kids go there and they absolutely love it. You can get a decent sized yard, and you can get into and out of there without touching the 79S if you want to. Hope this helps!

[xzyan]

I will be going for house hunting in Temecula this coming sat 1/3/09.. I did like Harveston but like you said small sqf lots , there is lot of hype about Harveston , plus do not forget the tax, there is some x-tra tax that you pay in Harveston. I am looking to buy and doing my math. I am not looking for the price of the house, I am more looking for the price per sqfoot. like $90 to $100 a sqf .. I was going to by longtime ago and I am glad I did not. cause I learned more about what I need to know about a house then just getting a house... summer there is very hot but it is manageble if you have a pool , you need to either have a pool in the house or community-pool ... then come the question of Who comes to the communiy pool , kids?adult? and so on.

Hope this helps

[dweej]

Keep in mind though that during the hottest part of the day in the summer, even a pool isn't cool enough. You'll find that it "goes to waste" a lot more than it gets used during those times because you'll be inside somewhere in the A/C....so it generally costs more than it's "worth" especially for how much it costs to run the pumps, have it cleaned, etc. Plus, unless your lot is VERY large, a pool will take up most of your yard. For us, with young kids who have friends who aren't the best swimmers, I'd rather have a yard for them to play in at parties and barbecues than needing to worry about someone falling in the pool, etc. I agree about Harveston being overly hyped....I get claustrophobic in there and the park and community center there are actually city owned, not part of the HOA, so you don't even have to live there to use them.....

[eclipxe]

Originally Posted by xzyan

I will be going for house hunting in Temecula this coming sat 1/3/09.. I did like Harveston but like you said small sqf lots , there is lot of hype about Harveston , plus do not forget the tax, there is some x-tra tax that you pay in Harveston. I am looking to buy and doing my math. I am not looking for the price of the house, I am more looking for the price per sqfoot. like $90 to $100 a sqf .. I was going to by longtime ago and I am glad I did not. cause I learned more about what I need to know about a house then just getting a house... summer there is very hot but it is manageble if you have a pool , you need to either have a pool in the house or community-pool ... then come the question of Who comes to the communiy pool , kids?adult? and so on.

Hope this helps

I currently rent in Harveston. It is a wonderful community and the lake is a lot of fun. I'm glad I rented here first however, as I definitely need a bigger lot. My backyard is much too small and I don't like using the community pool/etc (it is nice btw).

Harvest has a high mello roos (your effective tax rate is 1.9% plus HOA of around $150) but any new neighborhood out here has the same thing. In Morgan Hill (another very nice, new neighborhood) the tax rate is 1.9% + $175 HOA, some larger lots even have a 2.5% tax rate there. The one nice thing about the Harveston HOA (besides the beautiful lake) is it includes Time Warner Cable (Digital cable + Showtime). You can add on additional boxes and channels at a discount (I only pay about $15 for lots of TVs and HDTV, etc).

[dweej]

I have friends in Harveston, Morgan Hill, and Redhawk and to me, most of the lots are either too small or you end up paying too much. I like Paseo del Sol if I'm going to go a little newer, but I really like Vintage Hills or Chardonnay Hills....really anything along Rancho Vista Rd., or along Rancho Cal. Rd east of Margarita are my favorites because they're a little older (no mello roos, lower HOA's), have bigger lots and have decent sized homes. Temecula is so young that even those 'established' neighborhoods were built in the late 70's or early 80's which is not all that old when it comes to homes especially since our weather is so mild (harsher climates in the winter cause more wear and tear on homes...). I guess it depends on your personal preferences, number of kids, your preferred schools, etc.

[xzyan]

Del Sol Neighbors : Community News & Neighborhood Message Board (http://www.paseodelsolneighbors.com/index.php?pageId=410712 - broken link)

if you moving chk this out. I myself is trying to look for the best community in Temecula, I will see if Morgan Hill, and Redhawk have a neibors site or forum

[xzyan]

anyone knows about vail ranch temecula , found 1998 house for sale, can anyone tell me about the prices that should be paid for as far as 4+2 and 3 garages/pool no hoa . .. Thanks

[dweej]

Originally Posted by xzyan

anyone knows about vail ranch temecula , found 1998 house for sale, can anyone tell me about the prices that should be paid for as far as 4+2 and 3 garages/pool no hoa . .. Thanks

If you dm me a link to the listing, I'll let you know what I think....

[SoCalTwinkie]

I suggest everything comtemplating a move to Temecula or Murrieta and wanting to know which neighborhoods to look at consider the TAX RATES in each community. The older neighborhoods have much lower tax rates and/or HOA dues. Thats the first thing I would ask a real estate agent.