My husband and I were seriously considering Arbor Ranch. It sounds like we have very similar circumstances. My husband works in the UTC area and we are currently renting in Carlsbad. We can not afford a single family home in the area we are renting. It’s very frustrating having grown up in Encinitas/La Costa and now having my own family we can not afford to own in those areas. That is what led us to San Marcos. It was not the place I would have wanted to be 20 years ago, but things have changed and are continuing to change dramatically for the better. It is a great town and I am very excited to live there and raise my children there.

Arbor Ranch is an amazing deal for all of the reasons you listed, and it is the only new construction that we could consider in regards to price and location. However, we are currently under contract in Discovery Hills. The lake, the playgrounds and the walking trails are great. The home prices are fantastic. Discovery Elementary rates a 9 out of 10. On the flip side, most of the homes are distressed (have to account for unpredictable short sales times and approvals) and most homes need updating due to being 20 years old. I would kill for new construction such as Arbor Ranch to eliminate those unknowns. However, we ended up deciding on Discovery Hills over Arbor Ranch largely based upon not wanting our children to attend Alvin Dunn Elementary. The rating is very poor (as you know) and I do not like the location on the main road. We could have tried to do an inter district transfer to a better school, but if it wasn’t granted we would be stuck in Alvin Dunn. Unfortunately, after the HOAs and MRs we would be maxed out financially and wouldn’t be able to afford private school.

My advice to you would be if you could afford a better school or get a transfer granted, it is a WONDERFUL neighborhood with well built, brand new affordable homes. Best of luck to you and please keep us updated in regards to what you decide to do!