moving to temecula vs san diego county (Riverside, Carlsbad: best city, for sale)

[junglecruiser]

We're excited to move to one of our favorite vacation destinations and get away from this weather. We would ideally love to move close to the coast in sd county, but within our $600-800,000 range. We're looking for a house in a safe, not-too-busy, pretty, walkable/bikeable community with a great high school. We really like temecula, but wish to be closer to the coast (also concerned about riverside air quality). would really appreciate any advice.

[calimom5]

Hi there!
You sound like someone who will do really well in Temecula or Murrieta. Murrieta is just north of Temecula (about 15 mins on the freeway). The air quality is GREAT. Esp where I am in Murrieta. What age are your kids? The schools in Temecula and Murrieta are really good.

As for the beach, we are about 40 mins from the beach. Is that too far? For your price range you could get a big house in Temec/Murrieta...3000 square feet...pool, etc. Our house is 3300 square feet, pool, view, exc schools and we are going to list it in the high 600's.

Where are you right now?

The traffic is bad in both cities...but there are new roads and lots of back roads to get to places. I really like it here, but my hubby wants to move to Texas...there are good churches here and really nice people. Hope that helps.

[jbear182]

If you want to move closer to the coast, check out Encinitas. You could get a nice house in your price range (probably closer to 750K) in this area. The schools are great and you are on the coast. All this and you will be in San Diego County!

[jbear182]

Check on homes in the Encintas area through the San Diego Union-Tribue (signonsandiego.com)

[4roses]

Temecula is very hot in the summer months (from July through Oct.). The heat is pretty intense. My friend who lives there hates it and is trying so hard to sell her house. She says there is a huge "rough" element there, in terms of people. I won't repeat the words she used exactly, so not to offend anyone.

Temecula is also very crowded, as is Murrietta -- as is most of So Cal. Other nice areas are Bonsall and Fallbrook. You can get a little land there, schools are good, not that far from the coast, etc. Check them out.

4roses

[BENZBOY15]

I would try to get a older home in Encinitas. Village Park isn't brand new, but it has big trees which is a plus. It also has community tennis courts, pools, grass fields, exactly what you want. Around 2600 sqft for around 700K in todays market.

You won't get the bang for the buck like out in Temecula, but we're not out in Temecula....you'll be happy you're in Encinitas in July, where it's 73 instead of 103.

92024 is the zip code for Encinitas. You might also look at a large townhome.

You can't beat Encinitas: The best SoCal weather, great beaches at your fingertips, the best schools, it's one of the most sought after communities to raise a family in San Diego county.

It's more expensive than Temecula, but in my honest opinion, it's worth it. I've felt the drastic difference in the weather during the summer.

I would rather live in a 2000 sqft beach cottage in Encinitas than a 9000 sqft mansion in Temecula, but that's just me.

If you love Temecula, than I'm all for it. Give Encinitas a try first!

[brandyann]

I live in Menifee (which is 10 minutes from Temecula) and work in Murrieta. This is a great place to live and yes the schools are great (slightly better in Murrieta and Temecula than in Menifee). Its a great place to raise a family, plenty of Churches, low crime and yes you get more house for your money than in SD. Sure, its a little warmer and yes Temecula and Murrieta are pretty crowded (they decided to build a million houses out here and haven't quite got around to expanding the freeways) but honestly, SD is pretty crowded too. Especially in the summer when all of us inlanders head to the beach to cool off! I am a Realtor out here and I love this area, however San Diego (especially Encinitas and Carlsbad areas) are pretty hard to beat!

[Tool Shed]

Hello, I have lived here(Temecula Valley) since 1990, I am a former RE agent, went to HS here, and feel qualified to advise you on this area. Here are some pros and cons to living here. Good luck on your move!

Pros:
-great weather, I mean GREAT weather(sunny, slightly seasonal, cool evenings in summer)
-one of least smoggy cities in socal(afternoon breeze common)
-general topography is attractive(natural rolling hills/trees)
-relatively close to mountains, beaches, deserts, big cities(LA/SD)
-nice wineries(kind of)and old town(kind of)
-pretty clean and safe, but getting worse(home invasions,rapes,and shootings have been more common recently)
-seems to be great for families and kids(tons of
schools/activities/sports, good schools)
-many churches
-mainly really good schools, some exceptions
-decent amount of parks
-best city planning of all local cities(clearly not perfect)
-some nice dinning options(this community prides itself on dinning out)
-still some ranches/equestrian left
-Pechanga Casino?(mostly a big CON for me)
-busy mall with common dept stores
-nearly every retailer and store is here, if not all of them!
-distant areas of can still feel like a small town.
-there are a lot of gyms here


Cons:
-growing way too fast
-city traffic is horrible, drivers are crazy, rude, and dangerous!
-freeway traffic horrible at times(215 is the worst)
-expensive homes, not nearly worth the $500k an average home costs here (by nature this may end soon)
-limited singles activity/nightlife
-most careers in retail/education/Abbott Labs/real estate (this is a bedroom community, and most people who make a decent living commute to SD,LA, OC, or Riverside)
-most people with real jobs commute to SD/OC/LA/Riverside and with BAD
traffic getting worse and pricey gas getting pricier this is a BIG Con
-even though many, many dinning options, waits can still be over an hour
-Pechanga Casino(brings substance abuse, greed, and sin in general)
-rat race is here to stay(people in New York City appear to be more mellow)
-rude/materialistic/overly vain/fake/snobby population growing at an
alarming rate
-keeping up w/ Jones' is priority 1 here (my home and truck is bigger than yours and my trophy wife's boobs are bigger too!)
-not the quiet ranch like town it once was
-mass transit hasn't really arrived yet?
-very inconsiderate drivers and many times dangerous
-busy mall
-culturally not that diverse yet
-no museums
-medical facilities are sub-par
-no local rivers and the few local lakes we have are filthy/crowded or
not suitable for recreation
-closest 4 year college over 35 min away
-closest community college is 20 min away and is mediocre
-DMV, Costco, IN'n'OUT are BERSERK almost all the time (going here may test patience)
-even though the city is growing fast and many people live here, it
seems that your business still becomes everyone's business
-still missing some specialty stores

[Cali girl]

Originally Posted by junglecruiser

We're excited to move to one of our favorite vacation destinations and get away from this weather. We would ideally love to move close to the coast in sd county, but within our $600-800,000 range. We're looking for a house in a safe, not-too-busy, pretty, walkable/bikeable community with a great high school. We really like temecula, but wish to be closer to the coast (also concerned about riverside air quality). would really appreciate any advice.

I have lived in Temecula 6 years and LOVE IT!!! Everything is new, safe, clean, great schools and reasonably priced homes ($500,000-800,000) depending on the size and area. Temecula does get into the 100's in the summer but everyone has air conditioning and most people have a pool. The closer you move to the ocean the more you will spend for a smaller/older home. (In Encinitis you will spend 800,000 for a home built in the 50's with no garage, plus the closer you get to the beach the bigger the mix of people... homeless and rich) Temecula is booming. If you look in Temecula I recommend living in the south area (92592 zip code). Look near the Red Hawk gulf course it is beautiful and safe. For 800,000 you could buy a 4,000 square foot home on the gulf course with a pool. Check it out you will love it.

[Buddhagirl]

Encinitas for sure! I've only lived here 4 1/2 years, but I used to spend my summers here as a child. It's super close to the beach, the people are fantastic, and very quaint. No offense for anyone who lives in the Temecula area, but you might as well move to Arizona being that far in. As for homes, the person above who quoted all you can get in Encinitas (for the price range) is a small home built in the 50's without a garage...Obviously is not familiar with our market. I know of two properties for sale off the top of my head that are in the 3,000 square foot range 4 bedroom/3 bath with a pool, two car garage and a great back yard for around $750,000 to $798,000. Plus, you're close to San Diego where there are tons of things to do. The schools are great and the crime rate is almost non-existant. Plus the market's taking a down turn right now, so you're apt to get a better deal than you would have a couple of years ago.

For that matter, check out Carlsbad and Solana Beach too. Also great beach towns you might be interested in.