Latina moving to OC working in Foothill Ranch and commuting (Santa Ana: house, condo)

[elsimm]

[SIZE=3]I’m a Latina from Miami, FL and considering taking a job offer in Foothill Ranch for and unfortunately, I don’t know too much about the area, or the “culture” I’ve been reading about on the forums.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I have a couple of questions. Hope to get some good feedback.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]1. I’m looking to move into a 2 bedroom / 2 bath apt/townhouse, in a fairly new building with good amenities, paying less then $1300, commuting to Foothill Ranch less then 45 min during rush hour and nearby some places of interest. Any recommendations? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]2. Would a salary of 80-85k be enough to live a normal and decent life for a single mom of 1in OC. Let’s say middle to high end middle class? If not what would be a more realistic amount?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]3. How bad is the racism there? I have an exotic latin look, cross between Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Will I be sticking out like a soar thumb on a daily basis? Will I get a lot of negative remarks? I'm not Mexican, but people often wonder where exactly I'm from since my look is a bit different. And I already had someone ask me "are you Latin?" last time I was in the OC for a visit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]4.What is there to do for fun, during the weekend and to get away from it all?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]5. How big will the culture shock be for me (any body previously from Miami that can tell me?). I've read that there are lots of stuck up people there but we have our fair share of them here.[/SIZE]

[EscapeCalifornia]

Look luck finding a 2/2 apartment for less than $1300. That's not even enough for a 1/1 in most 30-40 year old complexes.

That salary is OK for a renter. Its no where near higher middle class though.

There's a billion Mexicans here. No one will notice one more Latina.

[elsimm]

It's actually my first time posting something, so I'm not sure why my message got mixed up and has that font info.

So how much would I be looking at spending for a 2 bedroom apartment? And what areas can I look into? Any websites to recommend?

[EscapeCalifornia]

If you're working in Foothill Ranch, you should be looking in nearby cities such as Irvine, Lake Forest (Foothill Ranch is actually part of Lake Forest), Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills, maybe Aliso Viejo, Tustin, maybe Costa Mesa.

Miles don't really matter for commute times since 45 minutes may only get you 10 miles during the rush hours. For example, I can leave Lake Forest (Bake Pkwy and the 241 area), drive down Bake to the 5/405 interchange, and drive up the 405 12 miles to Euclid St. in Fountain Valley and have it take 20 minutes during non-peak times or up to 75 minutes during peak times. It doesn't look far on a map, but it can be really far in terms of time.

Well maintained, corporate owned apartments in that area are typically in the $1700-1900/mo range for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit.

[elsimm]

EscapeCalifornia,
Thanks for the message. I'm not concerned about how many miles, I just don't want to commute for an hour during rush hour, I would like to be under 45 minutes is possible but be able to live some where I can afford.
So are there any places nearby for less then that for a 2/2?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Well, the point I was trying to make is that an hour during rush hours won't take you very far, like in my Lake Forest to Fountain Valley example. There may be apartment complexes for less than that within a short distance of Foothill Ranch but I don't know how many. Most places are corporate owned and will keep the units at market rate and don't really care if you leave. You can go to the Orange County section of Craig's List and search in the cities I mentioned above. They tend to have some less expensive, privately owned apartments. But remember, South Orange County is one of the more expensive parts of one of the most expensive states. The cheapest areawithin an hour is Santa Ana and you don't want to live there. Costa Mesa has good and bad areas and has a lot of small complexes, 4 plexes, etc that can be cheaper but you'll have to check them out well as the quality and neighborhoods can be all over the place. I think Costa Mesa is close to the limit of where a 1 hour commute to Foothill Ranch can take you.

[recycled]

You can find 2+2 apartments in lake forest / mission viejo area for around $1600. Not worth it to waste a lot of time in a long commute to try and save a couple of hundred a month. You will burn that up in gas real quick, and the lost time in a long commute is even more valuable cause you're a single mom. If you are making $80+K a yr, you're better off renting right around foothill ranch part of lake forest. It's a nice safe area with a big variety of people from all corners of the globe. Doesn't matter what ethnic look you have, there are plenty of all sorts of people here so it's not a big deal.
No shortage of entertainment or things to do on weekends. Just pick up the weekend or OC Weekly, dozens and dozens of pages of things going on in the area. Endless outdoor recreation too.
Take a trip out here for several days before considering job, you may like it or you may find it too sterile compared to Miami.

[RideOC]

Hi,
If you are considering a job in Foothill Ranch, there are some points to consider.

1. Toll roads both ways are a way to commute with less time in traffic, however they are costly. I spend $100/mo or more. You save 30% of your time on the roads, but without using them you will spend alot of time in traffic every day of the week.

2. It`s very hot and dry throughtout the year,and with Foothill Ranch so close to the fires right now, the air is bad.

3. Its overpopulated here and getting worse.

4. Alot of friendly people,with money, families & friends live here and there are good schools and churches here. My daughter and I are latino and I have never experienced predudices, hate crimes or anything like that.
Saddleback Church is in the middle of Foothill Ranch and if you are a wise latina you will make good with your life and your kids if you chose your friends wisely.

5. The cost of living here is high. I pay $2500/mo for a 3 bedroom condo and you will find most places in South Orange County i.e Newport Beach to San Clemente averages $1800-$2200 with a garage for a decent apartment or condo. Subtract $100-200 if you do not need a garage.

6. You are not far from the ocean if you live here.

7. If you are as beautiful as you say you will not have a problem finding a well to do man that could make you happy. Good Luck.