Alright, so this video is all about making a move to the city of Menifee, California. We're going to go over the pros and the cons and give you some info about what it's like to actually live here in the city of Menifee. Let's go ahead and get into it.

Hey Guys. Hey again, my name is Justin Short. I'm a realtor and team leader for the short real estate team here in the Temecula, California, myriad California area. And this video is all about the city of Menefee, California. So we're going to go over all the pros, all the cons, and tell you what it's like to really live here in the area. I've been here and living in the valley for over 25 years now. I can give you some really good perspective on what it's like to actually live here, and we'll kind of go over the highlights, tell you about the good stuff, tell you about the bad stuff, and hopefully give you some really good perspective. But before I get into all the information, if you are liking videos like this, do me a favor, please hit like please hit subscribe. Obviously it helps me, it helps my channel as we're continuing to grow it.

And then if you guys have any real estate questions, of course I would love to hear from you, man. So you can feel free to reach out anytime. You can call, you can text, you can email me. You're going to see my information either down below this video or at the end of the video. I have people that reach out all the time. Happy to give you some information, point you in the right direction. Or of course if myself and my team can help you out with your actual home search, of course we would love to help you out with that as well. So let's go ahead and we'll get into all the info. So we're going to start with the good stuff. So we're going to go over the pros, the biggest pros and the biggest reasons that people like living in Menifee and decide to make a move to Menifee California.

And we'll start with number one, and really it's definitely the no-brainer, but the reason that so many people decide to make a move to Menifee is because of the affordability and the price point. So right now the average priced home for the city of Menifee is right about $600,000. You can find a really nice home for that. It's probably going to be something right about 2200, 2400 square feet probably on the newer side. It's really going to be a really nice place to live. So when you contrast that to what the average price point in California, it's almost a million dollars. And you compare some of these bigger cities in southern California like San Diego, la, orange County for a million dollars, you're going to get a crummy house in a crummy area that's also probably super old. And so that's what makes Menifee so desirable.

You can get so much more for your money and it's something that so many more people can afford on a living and working wage. And then if you look at a smaller comparison, in this South Riverside County, the biggest city in the area is the city of the average price point. There is now it's about $850,000. The second largest the city of Murrieta, that's now right in the mid seven hundreds, about $750,000. So to go out to Menefee, which is going to be significantly less, probably about a hundred thousand dollars on average for house to house, you can save about a hundred thousand dollars. If you move to Menifee, you can get so much more for your money and that makes it so desirable. So that is a big thing, just is being an affordable area for people to live in Southwest Riverside County. So that's number one.

Number two, it is a really great area to live in if you are a commuter that commutes north. So where it's at, if you look at a map logistically through most of Southern California, you're going to have the 15 freeway that runs pretty north and south. You then have the two 15 freeway that runs pretty northeast and that is where the city of Menifee is. So it's off where that two 15 freeway breaks off going northeast, that's going to take you out to Menifee. So it can be, and we'll talk about cons, but it can be a difficult place to live if you are commuting south. So a lot of people do commute south towards San Diego. If that's the case, it's going to add quite a long time to your commute, probably an extra 20, maybe, probably 30 minutes each way if you are commuting south of San Diego.

So it's not the most ideal situations, but if you are living in Menifee and you're commuting north, so if you're going towards the city of Riverside or anywhere in that area, it's definitely going to be a lot shorter commute for you. So most of my clients that are buying homes, the Menifee area, do commute north, not south. It tends to be a big time saver. And so if you can save the time and then get a lot more for your money, it's going to be a really nice area to be in. So number three, city of Menifee is also, it's one of the fastest growing cities in the state of California. It's been in the top 10 for the last decade now. And the reason for that is just all the construction that's going on. So the size of the city has grown so much infrastructure has come in.

So when you're looking at a map, can you have that two 15 freeway that pretty much cuts the city of Menifee in half. So you have what's on the west side of the freeway and then what's on the east side of the freeway. But the main, the main area, the main street there is that Newport Road. That is a major intersection that is an off ramp right off the two 15 freeway. And that's where the majority of all the construction has been over the last decade. So when we're talking about construction, we're talking about houses, we're talking about infrastructure. So there's tons of new build communities that's in Menifee, that's why it's one of the fastest growing cities. So tons of houses and even over the next 10 years they have thousands of houses that are in plans to be built and are currently under construction. So that's going to continue over the next decade. But in addition to the houses, there's also a lot of infrastructure that have been redone. They're in the middle of adding a new off ramp right off the two 15 freeway in the middle of Menifee right now. So that'll make the area a lot more accessible. There's a lot of shopping centers that have been built over the last decade or so.

It's a full functioning city. There's a full array of different shopping options. So from Target and grocery stores and Lowe's and restaurants now mostly chain restaurants, but there are a couple smaller mom and owned restaurants out there as well. But just so much development. Most of that has been right there off of Newport Road. But as that is closer to being built out, a lot of that has overfilled to the southern area, which is more off of Scott Road. So a lot of new construction that's still going on there. And then more north as you go up a little bit up the freeway towards the north end of Menifee, you're seeing a lot more new construction there as well. So a lot of new master plan communities and if you are looking for that development of a fast growing city, which also is probably going to be a good area for appreciation, long-term men, Menifee can be really nice.

So the fourth pro about Menefee is really just going to be about the value. So we talked about the price point compared to the rest of Southern California. Yeah, it's way less expensive, much more affordable. But just when you look at the value compared to the other parts of South Riverside County compared to Marietta, compared to Temecula, it's a hundred to 200,000 less expensive. You can get so much more for your money, it's going to be a newer home in a newer area. So definitely the value is going to be there as opposed to the other surrounding cities. So the next big plus about Menefee is just how close you are to all the other cool stuff that Southern California has to offer. Where we're at City of Menifee, it definitely is more of a suburb community. There's new tract homes that have been built. There are some custom built homes and larger properties and things like that, but it's not like a full-blown city life.

But we are still located in Southern California and you're about an hour away from all the other cool stuff that Southern California has. So you're about an hour or so away from the beach, you're about an hour or so away from the desert out to that Palm Springs area. You're about an hour or so away out to most parts of Orange County, you're probably an hour, hour and a half away from la. You're probably an hour and a half or so away from the mountains, but you're still really centrally located about an hour away from downtown San Diego. So you can still easily take a day trip with yourself or your family to be able to access all the other cool stuff that Southern California has, but of course add a fraction of the price point that the people that live there are going to be paying.

Alright, so number six is just the fact that it's a well-kept and newer suburb, right? So we talked about how much the area has grown, how much new construction is still going on, but really it's a squeaky clean area. And if you like the idea of being in a new area that's continuing to develop, that's well taken care of, well maintained, that wasn't built 50 years ago and probably feels a little bit rundown, Menefee is going to be a really nice place for you. Alright, so the next pro for Menifee is if you are looking for new construction homes, really the city of Menefee is probably going to give you the most options here locally. So with how much new construction has been built over the last decade with how many new construction communities that are popping up, it seems like every three or four months there's another master plan community that's popping up and they're built for years and years.

New releases that are coming for years and years. Menifee is really going to give you the most options and especially nowadays when so many people want a home that's move-in ready and has all these fancy finishes that you see on HGTV and quartz counters and open concept and all those types of things. That's what you're looking for. New construction can be a really good option for you and Menefee is going to give you the most choices there and of course the most affordable as well. Alright, so the eighth and last pro that I want to go over for Menefee is just how great of a market it is for a first time home buyer. It really is probably the best city for a first time home buyer to buy a home in. And really it's just because of affordability. So right now home prices have gone up and up and up over the last 12 to 13 years.

Interest rates have gone up over the last couple of years. Affordability is at all time lows as far as what your mortgage is going to be versus how much you make per month. And the people that are most affected by that are going to be first time home buyers, right? When you buy your first home, the hardest thing in the world is to save up the down payment to be able to buy your first home. Whether that's 10,000, 15,000, $20,000 that can take people years and years to be able to save up. And if you're fortunate, if you have more money you could put down, that's great, but not everyone's going to be in that situation, especially when you're going out to buy your first home. So because of that, when you go to buy your first home, and if you're looking at an area like Temecula or Murrieta where prices are 700, 800, $900,000, it can just be so unattainable.

So because of that, a lot of first time home buyers do choose to take a look in menefee because the value is so much better because it's such a lower cost and so much easier to get in for $600,000. You can get a really nice home and maybe it's a place that you're going to live for a long time, maybe it's an area as your first home you're going to live in for 2, 3, 4, 5 years, build up some equity and then you can move up into something bigger, in a little bit more expensive area. So it tends to be a great market for first time home buyers to break into and just because of the overall value it's going to be there. Alright, so we talked about all the good stuff. We talked about the pros. Now we're going to talk about the cons, right? Again, I think Menifee is a great area to live really.

I think Southwest Riverside County is a great place to be, right? But it's not going to be great for everybody. There's going to be good, there's going to be bad. So I want to go over some of the negatives on what it's like to actually live in the area and hopefully it'll be some good feedback and these are things you're okay with and maybe you can decide that Menifee would be a good place for you and your family. So number one, without doubt, the biggest thing and the worst part about living in Manees, it's hot, right? It's the heat. It is a hot area to live in. The average temperature in the middle of summer. So in September, in August and September it is about 94, 95 degrees. So you're going to have heat waves over a hundred for sure. You'll have 'em up to a hundred, 300, 400, 600.

It got up to 107 a couple days ago. That doesn't happen very often, but there's going to be probably about 20 days a year that are over a hundred degrees. So it's going to be hot. And then also even just comparing locally to Temecula and Marietta, it's going to be hotter too. It's usually probably between three to four degrees hotter than Temecula and Marietta. There's a little bit less of a breeze, you're a little bit further north. So just those are some things you got to be okay with. But of course everyone's going to have ac, right? You just crank it, it still cools down quite a bit at night, still going to be nice out there, but during the day it can be hot, especially during summer the rest of the year, the other eight, nine months of the year, when it's not summertime, it's going to be real comfortable.

We don't get a ton of rain. It doesn't get too cold. It's pretty nice, pretty springy most of the time, but summer's just going to be hot and you got to know that just something to prepare for as the weather can be a little bit tough. Number two, the second biggest con, and this is when we talk about first time home buyers. This is probably the biggest resistance that I get from first time home buyers when they're looking to buy their first home and they do start to consider the city of Menifee is, yeah, it's newer, yes, you're going to get more for your money, but you're near a lot of things, but you're really not next to quite anything. So we talked, you're about an hour away from the big areas, San Diego, la, orange County, that type of stuff. But that's not easy to do every day.

You can do a weekend trip out on a Saturday or a Sunday. If you live in Menifee, you make that hour drive and you can enjoy all that cool stuff. But if you want to do it on a daily basis, it can be tough. So I've had a lot of clients come up from San Diego that decided, hey, I'm just really not ready for suburb life here in Menifee, right? Yeah. Hey, this is my price point. I can afford something at $600,000, but at the end of the day it's really just not going to be the right area for me and my family. So you got to decide that you are used to living in a city, it's going to be a little bit of a change for me. I lived in the suburbs out here for a long time. I'm used to the way of life.

I think it's nice, I think it's quiet, I think it's a good area to raise a family, all that good stuff, but it's not going to be perfect for everybody. So you just got to be okay with that. And then even restaurant wise and shopping wise and mall and entertainment, there are some options in Menifee. There's just not a ton. There are a lot more in Myta and Temecula, which are going to be anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes away. So you might have to drive a little bit more often if you do decide to purchase in Menefee. So the second biggest con about living in Menifee, and this is something that I hear a lot, we talked about first time buyers earlier, how it's a great option for first time buyers to buy in Menifee. This is a lot of the resistance that I get from them.

And some of the negative feedback does tend to be this, and it's just the fact that Menifee is near a lot of the other stuff that Southern California has to offer, but you're really, you are not right next to anything. So we said you're about an hour or so away to be able to take those day trips and whatnot, but on a daily basis, you probably can't go down to San Diego five, six days a week, right? It's probably not going to be realistic. It is going to be a different lifestyle living up here, living in the suburbia of Menifee as opposed to the city life that's going to be in the city of San Diego. So you are near a lot, but you are not right next to a lot of those big things that those cities are going to be able to offer.

Number three, the next thing is kind of in that same trend line. So there are not a ton of restaurants in the city of Menefee, so if that is important to you, there are a handful, there's a bunch of big chains. Yes, there are a handful of smaller mom and pop owned, privately owned restaurants. But for the most part, when you live in Menefee, most people do end up driving to Marietta or Temecula for more restaurant options. So depending on how much you eat out, that might be important to you or it might not. And the next 0.4 kind of ties into that same thing as well. Just like there's not a ton of restaurant options, there's also not a ton of shopping options. So there are plenty of grocery stores, there are definitely a bunch of big box retail outlets and Lowe's and Home Depot and all that type of stuff.

But if you wanted to do more of a mall shopping or clothes or things like that, there can be limited, right? There is a target, stuff like that. But there are many more options in Murrieta and Temecula. So you might be driving if you want to do more of that. And it's probably a 10 to 20 minute drive on average, maybe 30 minutes depending where you're going. So it is attainable. I don't think it'd be a deal breaker for most people, but it can be a minor inconvenience. You got to know you might be out on the road a little bit more than if you were to live in Myriad or Temecula. Alright, so con number five is the average price point. So we talked how the city of Menifee is relatively affordable compared to the rest of Southern California. It is more affordable in some of the local cities like Temecula and Murrieta.

Yes, but when you are looking at comparing to the national average, it is still quite a bit more expensive than what the average home is. So the average home in the US, you can buy for right about $390,000 was the last A that I saw. So if you compare that to now home in Menifee, the average priced home is right about $600,000. It's still 150% of the average priced home nationwide. I mean you are of course in Southern California, you are paying the sunshine tax to be here. So I think most people would understand that. But at the same time, if you were thinking about making a move here and you live somewhere in the Midwest, it can be a big price jump coming out to California. Even a relatively affordable area like Menefee really, that it tends to be just what you're used to.

If you are used to living in a $600,000 home or you are selling a $600,000 home, it can be very much easier to buy a $600,000 home. If you are selling a $250,000 home, it can be much more difficult to buy a $600,000 home because that price point, the way it jumps up, it's going to hit you a lot more, right? Just lifestyle is going to change. You have to make sure you're able to afford it. So EE is still affordable compared to the rest of Southern California. It is still quite a bit more expensive than your average price point nationwide. Alright, and then con number six is all about the commute. So most people that live in Menefee do not work in Menefee. So it is definitely more of a bedroom community and really this surrounding area is very similar in that way. But in Menefee especially, most people that work there commute and they go to San Diego, they go to la, they go to Orange County or they go to Riverside.

When you commute, you're in Southern California, the freeways have a lot of traffic. It's going to take you quite a while to get there, especially if you're in Menifee because it's located a little bit more north. If you're commuting south, it can be really, really tough. You can easily add average and hour, hour and 15 minutes each way on your commute or even up to an hour and a half. Fact. If you're an hour and a half, that's three hours each day you're going to be in the car. If you're doing that five days a week, that can be really tough on your quality of life. We mentioned if you are going north towards Riverside, Menifee can be pretty nice on the commute, not as much traffic, you're a lot closer out that way, so that won't be quite as bad. But most people that live in the area do make a commute.

So it depends where you are commuting to, but the roads have a lot of traffic. As they continue to build more and more homes, the traffic's getting worse and worse. And that's just something you got to think about. If you are lucky enough to be able to work from home, that makes Menifee a lot more desirable because you don't have to worry about the commute. You got to know it's not such, it takes away one of those biggest pain points there, right? Number seven, as far as negatives, it's going to be the cookie cutter tract homes. So we talked about all this new developments going on, how much the city is growing, how much it's going to grow over the next decade or so. But with that, it tends to be these big developers that come in, buy up a hundred acres, subdivide it, put a bunch of tract homes in.

And when that happens, those tract homes tend to kind of look like one another. So that is a complaint that I get from people is there are just a lot of cookie cutter tract homes where all the homes look the same or very similar. Different shades of brown, different colors of stucco, that type of thing. So not a lot of variety. That's going to be common for new construction in the area for sure. Alright, and so the last con that I want to go over is about the school district. So Menifee actually has a couple different school districts that are a part of the city. So depending where you live, depends where you're zoned, et cetera. But on average, the public school district in the city of Menifee is not rated as highly as the school district for the city of Marietta and the city of Temecula.

So there definitely are some good schools that are mixed in. It's just across the board. They don't tend to have the same test scores, they don't tend to have the same ratings. So if school districts are super important for people, they tend to try to skew towards Temecula and Murrieta because they are rated a little bit higher. EE of course you're going to get a little bit better value. And if your children are younger, the elementary schools in the Menifee area tend to be the highest rated. So a lot of people do move there, buy your first home, have your kids be a part of the elementary school system, and then as they get older, maybe decide to move to another area depending on what it's going to be the right option for you and your family. So hopefully that's a good perspective. Like I said, I try to give you some good, try to give you some bad, like I said, lived here in the Valley for a long time. Hopefully can give you some info what it's like to actually live here. If you guys have any questions, feel free to reach out. You can call, you can text, you can email, and hopefully I will talk to you soon. Thanks.