js6866, if you only want a home with a big yard at decent price, yes, you can get that in Temecula.
The city is also very kids-friendly. The biggest population block is people under 18. So you will find lots of activity for kids.
People are generally friendly, but the big part of that is because they feel identified with the culture/atomosphere around here. So you may or may not enjoy living in Rednecula (a phrase invented by paramont).
Whether it is really good as an investment is hard to say. There are poeple who are very bullish about it but mostly because they bought recently and the price does look good. However, the long term potential depends on the trajectory that the city will be on. The city did degrade over years (as paramont can tell you), but at the same time, it is still not bad after all these years (in term of school and the community spirit).
But on the other hand, there have always been a lot of hypes about Temecula, from the hospital that has never been built to the high-speed rails that we may never see in our lifetime. On one hand, it shows that the city is young and hopeful. But on the other hand, it shows that it is still a big bet about the future.
The city has generally well-educated population and the median family income is pretty good. The former may attract corporate America to open offices here (which can eventually solve the commute problem). The latter (and the mall) puts a floor on the economy deteriation in the near-term.
