I rent in Harveston. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are happy here, and if we stay in Temecula, would likely consider buying here as well. I believe the property taxes are 1.9% total. Ouch. HOA, on average, is around $116 a month. One of my favorite things about the location is that it is slightly walkable and I can head to the library/Trader Joe’s/drugstore etc. on foot or on bike.
I agree with the previous poster that said that the larger houses are more likely to creep closer to 100 per sf. I think the smaller houses will continue to drop, but let’s face it, you can build a bigger 2 story house more cheaply than a smaller single story house. The smaller homes have dropped a lot in the last twelve months, and I would expect them to continue to drop, even if NOT to the 100 psf point.
As for an elitist attitude. . . I don’t know that I’ve really experienced that. When I’m out trotting around the lake, there seems to be a wide variety of people out walking with their families. Neighborhoods are made up of people, and people come in all flavors if ya know what I mean! Some are down to earth, some are elitist, but most are somewhere in between. I think in general that southern Temecula seems to be slightly more elitist (not necessarily in a bad way) than the north end. IMHO.
As for the garage thing. . . well, once again, people are people. Nobody’s perfect. Just cause I’m a a neat freak doesn’t mean my neighbor will be. (Although if I ruled the world. . .!)At least there is a strong HOA that stays on top of the exterior issues. The pool, lake activities, etc. are great for families in the summer.
