Thanks Rene and gn. We have looked at a number of homes in the Covenant and will be looking at additional ones there this weekend. I have found prices in the Covenant to be very reasonable and less overpriced than Santaluz and apparently the Bridges or Crosby (plus no Mello Roos). There are very nice homes in our price range in all the areas we are looking at (FBR, Covenant, Cielo, RSF Farms, Rancho Valencia, Santaluz, CV, and now the Bridges and Crosby).
Of the areas we have looked at so far, as I have said before, Fairbanks Ranch is our favorite, but there are things about each area we liked enough to continue to consider buying a home in any of them at the right price.
No matter what we decide, as I have also stated before, it is a step up in size and quality and a step down in price from what we have found up here in the Bay Area, so we just can’t loose.
If we buy in one particular place over another, it will not be because we think that the nicest area. Chances are it will be the house itself and lot that drives the purchase. My worst case commute will be 17 min, best case 5 min. Compared to 30 min with no traffic here and 1.5 hrs in rush hr.
Here are my Pros and Cons for each area so far:
Fairbanks Ranch Pros: Resort like location, amazing homes, beautiful established neighborhoods, Cons: Many older that homes need interior updates
Covenant: Pros: Lot sizes, privacy, rural feeling, some great homes; Cons: some very old homes, not as easy to get in and out of, sometimes too private, variety in quality.
