Work in Newport Beach; where to live <$1.5M? (Los Angeles: fit in, rent)
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Hi, all! We are may be moving to the L.A. area, with my husband working in Newport Beach and me driving when/as necessary to Los Angeles. I need to understand where we can expect the most bang for our buck and the best public schools, so any detailed advice you're able to give would be most appreciated!!!!
Background:
--coming from Chicago
--cannot spend more than $1.5M on a house (and if we do that, we absolutely have to do public schools)
--commute to Newport would hopefully be no more than 30-45 minutes (husband drives in early, but comes home at normal times)
--two kids (ages 3 and 6), at least one gifted
--I doubt my husband could do tract housing very well--needs to at least have a sense of privacy, and a sense of residential space (as opposed to tight urban living)
--we want a SAFE neighborhood
--we could rent for the first year or two (best guess: <$2,500/month)
--need 3+ BR, 2+ BA
--I need to be able to drive to L.A. to develop relationships (entertainment industry) and be available for work assignments, but MOST LIKELY on an "as needed" basis only (one exception would be if I got staffed on a TV show, which would be a regular 5-days-a-week job)
I'd be extremely grateful for any advice!!!! Thanks in advance!
Here are links to some homes that look great in the Newport area. In a 1.5 million dollar home in Newport you will feel awkward as most of the homes in the area are upwards of 2 million and 10 million isn't uncommon. I would recommend the more normal neighboring communities that are safer and better for raising a family.
Mission Viejo- about 100,000 residents. The fourth safest city in the USA according to the FBI. Set in rolling hills and prettier than Irvine. Farther (45 minutes) from Newport Beach. Has a lake, Lake Mission Viejo, in the center of the city that can be swam in and boated on (great for recreation and kids). Excellent schools, probably second to Irvine. Mission Viejo's schools are more well rounded since they are excellent performing academically, but also good at sports. Also has expensive homes, especially around Lake Mission Viejo, but a comparable home in Mission Viejo vs. Irvine is usually 5 thousand dollars less.
Great pool REALTOR.com: Find a Home - Listing Detail
Pacific Hills home REALTOR.com: Find a Home - Listing Detail
Golf course view and central location (with pool) REALTOR.com: Find a Home - Listing Detail
Located in Ladera Ranch. This neighborhood is very close to each other. REALTOR.com: Find a Home - Listing Detail
Those are my picks of good homes. Good luck and feel free to ask me anything else.
Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, or Naples are all very nice, safe, with great public schools. You won't get much for 1.5M in Naples but could get a little more bang for your buck in the Shore or Belmont Heights. You'll be a short, pretty, 20 minute drive down PCH to Newport and you could make it to LA in an hour (even during rush hour).
All the areas I mentioned are close to 2nd Street (you can walk there) in Belmont Shore which is the main shopping / dining district and it's family friendly. Plus each of the areas have everything from beach cottages to very big newer homes. No cookie cutter, tract stuff like you find in OC. Lots of character.
anniekey - I grew up in the Chicago area DO NOT MOVE to Newport Beach or Laguna Beach; boring places, materialistic, non-friendly snobs that care more about a stupid car then their neighbor.
This place is the exactly what you hear about people in L.A...believe the threads about how horrible a place OC is.
NaplesRes had it right, if I were you with 2 kids I would consider living in Belmont Shores in LA County. If not there, then move to Riverside County...anything but OC...I mean that.
Belmont Shore is too close to Long Beach for comfort. God only knows what state of the public schools are down there.
My aunt lives in Naples. And that's too close to Long Beach, too.
Irvine has great schools (University High is highly rated---note that I didn't go there. This is just on what I have read), is rather safe and your neighbors will almost all be professionals.
However, the downsides to Irvine is that I wouldn't drive to L.A. from it during morning rush hour and I wouldn't drive to it until after 7 p.m. because of the jammed freeways. So it will be inconvenient for you. Your husband won't mind so much since it isn't that long a hop to Newport.
There is also the infamous "Irvine Attitude," which is a yuppy sense of self entitlement to treat regular working people like crap. People from Newport Beach are fine. A lot of folks in Irvine need an attitude adjustment. Irvine's city council also has its head up its backside. What a bunch of bozos.
And you have to drive everywhere. First, make sure you get your gas in a city other than Irvine. They limit the number of gas stations in that city for aesthetic reasons (this is not an exaggeration), which means less competition and thsu higher prices. Then you have to drive everywhere. Irvine is not walkable unless you like to walk miles on end to get anywhere.
Mission Viejo is a little farther removed plus there have been some landslide issues in the canyon areas there. It is virtually crime free relative to the rest of the country and it is a lot like Irvine otherwise.
Newport has a lot more crime than either of the above two cities, but how much of that is related to the tourist traffic (which I suspect is a lot) and how much of it is related to that is where a boatload of rich folks live I can't say (burglary rate there is slightly above national average). Overall crime in Newport Beach is still a bit under national average, though. You won't be killed there. But you might be ripped off there. It is probably the most conservative city in Orange County, but the folks there aren't hard to get along with. It is still a beach town in that regard. The schools have good reputations and most of the kids expect to go to college. I would suggest to stay out of the immediate beach areas if you want to avoid heavy traffic and some of the crime. But other areas are just fine, even the ones near Costa Mesa.
As basic places to live, all three cities are fine. It's just going to be the drive to your jobs that will be the big decision for you. At least Newport has cooler summers and is just more fun than Irvine. So if you can swing it, that would be my pick.
The public schools in Belmont Shore and Naples are as good as Newport.
As far as being to close to LB, you could say the same thing about Santa Ana and Costa Mesa for Newport.
I think all the places being talked about are fine. But if you're looking for a safe, close to the beach, nice area central to LA and Newport, you can't beat Belmont Shore or Naples.
East Costa Mesa is close to Newport and have some great older homes, large lots and not too close to your neighbors. Easy access to LA. Irvine, Capistrano and Saddleback are the best school districts. Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Coto De Caza are all great neighborhoods and you could find a nice home in a great neighborhood. In fact, I have a 4bed/3.5 bath/3600 sq. foot home available between $1.2-1.4 (completely remodeled and beautiful) in the neighborhood of Portola Hills.
If you need any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
East Costa Mesa is close to Newport and have some great older homes, large lots and not too close to your neighbors. Easy access to LA. Irvine, Capistrano and Saddleback are the best school districts. Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Coto De Caza are all great neighborhoods and you could find a nice home in a great neighborhood. In fact, I have a 4bed/3.5 bath/3600 sq. foot home available between $1.2-1.4 (completely remodeled and beautiful) in the neighborhood of Portola Hills.
If you need any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Excellent! This is all good information. kturbe is passing out excellent advice. Come and tour the area and see where "you" fit in.
We rent a house in Sancerre in Newport Beach (Newport Coast to be exact) that sold for $1.2 million in 2005. With the market downturn this same exact house in this community is selling for $800k. It's 1,900 square feet in a beautiful community full of the greatest and most friendly neighbors I've ever had.
For $1.5 you can get some really great deals on houses in Newport Ridge here in Newport Coast.
Ignore rockx's comments about Newport being fake and snobby. He's already discredited himself on this board and is known for posting all lies.
Apparently he's got some kind of agenda against the area.
We rent a house in Sancerre in Newport Beach (Newport Coast to be exact) that sold for $1.2 million in 2005. With the market downturn this same exact house in this community is selling for $800k. It's 1,900 square feet in a beautiful community full of the greatest and most friendly neighbors I've ever had.
For $1.5 you can get some really great deals on houses in Newport Ridge here in Newport Coast.
Ignore rockx's comments about Newport being fake and snobby. He's already discredited himself on this board and is known for posting all lies.
Apparently he's got some kind of agenda against the area.
When did I descredit myself?
Funny how I don't think I am lying, or the many others that post negatively here, I suppose they are all lying too?
Last edited by rockx; 07-10-2007 at 08:56 AM..
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Work in Newport Beach; where to live <$1.5M?
