You get a nice big house on a big RSF-like lot, but without the “bling” of RSF address and zip code (and so, much cheaper). Also, of course, schools are not quite as good as in RSF (but still okay). If you want to enjoy the house and you don’t mind telling other people that you live in Escondido, go for it.
Cons:
– Gets quite hot in summer.
– Very conservative, essentially a chunk of Bible Belt dropped in the middle of San Diego County. I’ve never seen so many “yes on 8” signs anywhere else.
– Most homeowners are between 45 and 65
– The school district and the city are slowly being overrun by hispanics. Simply due to the fact that valley hispanics breed much faster than 50-year old whites in the hills. The percentage of hispanics and english learners in each school keeps shifting year after year. In a few years, pro-Hispanic majority on the city council is a real possibility.