Comparing Murrieta’s 55+ Communities: Four Seasons, The Colony & The Knolls

If you are considering a move to a 55+ community in Murrieta, you have more choices than you might expect. Some neighborhoods offer single-story detached homes with resort-style clubhouses. Others are gated with 24-hour access control or built around an active golf course, and one of them is made up of three separate homeowners associations. No two feel the same, and the right fit depends on how you want to spend your days.

Laura Holbert and Cheryl Shadden of Team Integrity Realty work with downsizing and rightsizing clients every week, including many military and senior buyers. Their advice to anyone exploring these communities is to look beyond the brochures: HOA dues, age requirements, property taxes, and even the mailing address vary from one neighborhood to the next.

Why Murrieta Is a Popular Place for 55+ Living

Murrieta sits in the southwestern corner of Riverside County, roughly halfway between Orange County and San Diego County, with pleasant weather most of the year and everyday services spread throughout the city and nearby Temecula. A 55+ community adds one more layer: most residents are in the same season of life, homes are often single-story, and clubs and amenities support an active adult lifestyle. For the moving side of the change, our downsizing in Murrieta guide is a helpful read; this article is about the communities themselves.

Four Seasons at Murrieta: Resort Amenities, Single-Story Homes

Four Seasons at Murrieta is an age-qualified 55+ active-adult community developed by K. Hovnanian beginning around 2000 and contains approximately 524 single-family homes, best known for primarily single-story residences that appeal to buyers who want to avoid interior stairs and simplify maintenance.

The centerpiece is The Lodge, an approximately 13,000-square-foot recreation center surrounded by about 10 acres of association grounds. According to the official association, residents can choose from more than 50 clubs and activities, plus a swimming pool and spa, fitness facilities, pickleball, tennis, bocce ball, walking paths, a library, billiards, card rooms, craft space, and a ballroom. For the full picture, our Four Seasons at Murrieta community guide covers floor plans, taxes, and what to verify before buying.

One detail that surprises many buyers: Four Seasons is not gated, and the properties, despite Murrieta mailing addresses, sit in unincorporated Riverside County rather than inside the City of Murrieta. That distinction can influence which agency services the neighborhood and how certain records are handled, so it is worth noting when you compare communities.

The Colony at California Oaks: Gated Living With a Golf Course

The Colony at California Oaks is the largest of the three, with 1,586 homes developed in phases from approximately 1989 through 2005. It is a 55+ age-qualified community with more than 60 floor plans, most of them single-story, though two-story models exist. Homes generally run from about 947 to 2,100 square feet with two to three bedrooms.

What sets The Colony apart is the golf course. The California Oaks Golf Club winds through portions of the community, so course views are a big part of the neighborhood’s character, and the community provides access control with a gate attendant and patrol services. Details on the HOA, the golf course, and the floor plans live in our The Colony community guide.

Two cautions for buyers here: golf is a separate business from the HOA, with dues and memberships set by the course operator rather than included in the association assessment, and because The Colony was built in phases across many years, individual homes vary considerably in age, condition, and features. Review the HOA assessment and included services for the specific property before making an offer.

The Knolls: Three 55+ Neighborhoods Near One Another

The Knolls is different from the other two: in Murrieta, it is the name commonly used for three separate 55+ homeowners associations near one another: Spring Knolls, Golf Knolls, and Warm Spring Knolls, with roughly 1,100 homeowner lots combined (about 380, 520, and 216 each). Most homes are manufactured housing on lots the homeowner owns, and the official community information states that homeowners own both their home and the land beneath it. Each HOA maintains its own clubhouse and recreation facilities, and the neighborhood sits near Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Via Princesa.

Manufactured home ownership differs from a conventional site-built purchase in ways that matter: financing options are more limited, and eligibility for standard mortgage products depends on the specific home’s age, foundation, and title status. The three-HOA structure, lot ownership, and the questions to ask before buying are covered in our The Knolls community guide.

Age Requirements and Taxes: Two Things Buyers Often Overlook

Every community featured here is age-qualified, which means the buyer usually must meet the qualifying age at the time of purchase, and the association will ask for proof. Age rules are not identical across HOAs: how many occupants must be at the qualifying age, and the rules for family members or caregivers joining the household, can vary, so review the governing documents for the exact property.

Taxes are the second subject people tend to skip until late. If you are 55 or older and moving within California, you may be able to transfer a portion of your current property-tax base to a replacement residence under Proposition 19. The savings can be substantial, but the rules, deadlines, and paperwork are specific, so it deserves a conversation before the move, not after. Our senior clients page describes how we help older adults through these transitions, and our home valuation page is a good first stop if you are wondering what your current home might bring in this market.

Questions to Ask Before You Choose a 55+ Community

Ask these questions before you settle on a price range and floor plan:

• What does the HOA cover and how much does it cost? Assessments vary widely between HOAs, and special reassessments can change the budget later.
• Is the community actually age qualified? Verify the age and occupancy requirements in the governing documents, not the sales brochure.
• What ownership comes with the home? Single-family homes include the land, while manufactured homes may or may not be attached to land the buyer controls.
• How far is the drive to medical care and family? The Murrieta neighborhoods are not all the same distance from the freeways.

If you have never shopped a 55+ community before, tour more than one and visit the common areas twice: once during the day and once in the early evening. That tells you whether the lifestyle is active, quiet, or somewhere in between, and that feeling matters as much as the square footage.

How Laura and Cheryl Can Help You Find the Right Fit

Choosing between Four Seasons, The Colony, and The Knolls is about more than price. Long-term satisfaction comes from how well the neighborhood matches your daily life: the HOA, the neighbors, the clubhouse, the maintenance, and the honest cost of living on the street. That is why our approach is education first, with no rush and no judgment on anyone’s timeline. A conversation now costs nothing and answers the questions that matter before the moving truck arrives.