Yes, having a big new home in a new area is nice (we had one in 1995) but don’t forget those Mello-Roos and CFD taxes not to mention HOA’s…some new homes have more than one HOA. Ask the builder to give you an estimate of those costs before you even look at the houses. You are looking at sometimes $700-1,000 per month extra. Kinda makes that older house with a huge backyard in Rancho Penasquitos look better and better. Most homes there have little or no Mello-Roos, and no HOA. I, however, am a fan of a small HOA, don’t particularly like a neighbor with a crappy lawn. Until they suspend those taxes, though, I am staying in an older well-established neighborhood and pocket that extra $700+…