[quote=Oxford]
Aside from the heat factor (or not), what are the other pros and cons?[/quote]

I don’t live in Valley Center, but I’m in that general direction. Some thoughts:

You already know about water. Your summer watering bill can range from $100/month for half an acre of drought-tolerant landscaping to 300+ if you have a lot of thirsty grass.

If you have a lot of land and you want it to look nice, be prepared to spend 100-200 bucks a month on landscaping. (Incidentally, if you’re anti illegal immigration, you’ll change your opinion).

Wildlife. All sorts of. If you have an outdoor cat, he will be eaten. If you leave cat/dog food outside, it will attract raccoons and possums. If you try to plant a vegetable garden, gophers will come and eat your plants. You may have less desirable neighbors, such as tarantulas and rattlesnakes. People buy barn owl boxes and put them in on tall poles to keep rodent population in check. Overall, you’re not getting just a chunk of land, you’re getting an ecosystem that was there before you came and will be there long after you leave.

Neighbors – will be less educated than elsewhere, on average – not trailer trash area, but fewer educated people around than, say, in Rancho Bernardo. Anecdotal reports of Mexican agricultural workers living several families to a house. Different parts of VC could be more or less trashy. Pay attention to the quality of neighbors’ landscaping.