Moving from Miami to California. Which city is best for my family? (Los Angeles: best cities, house)

[marcellamiami]

Thank you for your suggestions. It helps so much with the overwhelming task of relocating my family. I'm not clear about my budget yet until I sell my house in Miami but I'm thinking between 1M-1.5M. We are going to wait until the kids finish this school year to make our move but plan to visit next month to start looking. It would feel so much better to know at least what city we are going to!

[marcellamiami]

My housing requirement is single family home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, at least 2000 square feet (or close to but no more than 3500), and a yard of some kind. Thank you for your kindness and help!

[marcellamiami]

I need an excellent high school and a good middle school because of my daughters ages.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by marcellamiami

My housing requirement is single family home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, at least 2000 square feet (or close to but no more than 3500), and a yard of some kind. Thank you for your kindness and help!

Originally Posted by marcellamiami

I need an excellent high school and a good middle school because of my daughters ages.

Try:
Real Estate, Homes for Sale, MLS Listings, Agents | Redfin to find a suitable home. Larger homes are mostly located, to my understanding, in Ladera Ranch and Rancho Santa Margarita. They're both safe master planned communities with good schools.

This will give you school ratings information:
GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

[loveorangecounty]

You might want to check out Ladera Ranch too, in southern Orange County. VERY family friendly and great middle school. Only downfall, in my opinion, is that the middle school splits into 2 high schools, Tesoro and San Juan Hills. My kids are at Tesoro and we love it there. I do not care for the other high school, San Juan Hills, but that is just my opinion, many are happy there. Also Talega and Ladera Ranch have a similar feel. Talega kids attend San Clemente High School, which is good, but crowded. Eventually, when La Pata Rd is completed, Talega kids will attend San Juan Hills HS. May be awhile though.

[bowneline]

I might also suggest the University High School area in Irvine (the neighborhood is called Turtle Rock). If the big focus is schools, University is one of the top high schools in the County (maybe the top one?), the area is close to the beach (for Irvine) and outdoor options, and you get larger houses and lots than you will for the same price in nearby Newport Beach (a 2000sq, four bedroom house with a yard in Newport for under $1.5 might be difficult to locate).

It's a nice community with plenty of parks and is not terribly cookie cutter (especially for Irvine). The neighborhood is adjacent to Newport Beach, so you are close to many of the things that people like about Newport (beach, shopping, restaurants, etc..). It's also very centrally located in the County and close to several major freeways (one disadvantage of San Clemente and Talega is that they are fairly isolated from most of the County, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on what you are looking for).

The high school and community are adjacent to the University of California campus, and so many of the faculty send their kids to the Turtle Rock schools, including University HS, which probably helps explain the schools' success (at least, in part).

28 SYCAMORE Crk, Irvine, CA 92603 | MLS# NP13253002 | Redfin

5322 SIERRA ROJA Rd, Irvine, CA 92603 | MLS# PW13191817 | Redfin

Real Estate Search | Redfin (the red outline is the University HS district boundaries, and the houses inside have been narrowed to the $1 to $1.5 million range, but you can adjust it once you click through)

[marcellamiami]

Thank you for all the info. It is greatly appreciated. I have definitely looked into the cities suggested and of course the first thing I check are the schools. Based on the feedback on the community life for families and proximity to some entertainment, I am leaning toward Newport Beach or San Clemente. I currently live in a town-like community in Miami 10 - 15 min away form nearly anything, Miami Shores. We barely go to the beach although it is just 10 min away but then again we live on a canal and enjoy the ocean that way. I know I am going to have a major life style change with this move but I am afraid that being too far from a "city" will make it an even harder adjustment for me and my whole family. With a budget of $1.5 I am aware this will limit what I can get in those cities but I am willing to sacrifice square footage for location and quality of life. While schools are important, happiness is even more important, so I want my girls to have that support of community paired with the opportunity for a good education. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[DinsdalePirahna]

if you like living on canals: Huntington Harbour (Huntington Beach, excellent, progressive schools), or Naples Island (Long Beach, iffy schools)

Newport and San Clemente are very good choices. Newport has better schools.

[bowneline]

If you want city-like amenities, then Newport Beach is probably your best option. It has the restaurants, shopping, and character that separates it from many of the cookie-cutter suburban areas of OC. But, at your price range, your options will be limited. You may have to give up something on your wish list.

Newport Beach has two high schools: Corona Del Mar and Newport Harbor. CDM scores better, but both are very good. CDMHS includes within its boundaries several of the most expensive zip codes in the entire country, so that comes with good aspects (high standards, lots of resources at school) and bad aspects (LOTS of money, i.e. Mercedes Benz in the student parking lot). NHHS is a little more diverse and larger.

In the CDM side of the bay (the area south of the Back Bay is within CDMHS's jurisdiction), there are probably two areas that you might find something in your price range: Eastbluff and the area just above the CDM Flower Streets, specifically a neighborhood called Jasmine Creek.

Eastbluff: Eastbluff is an older master planned community (from the 70s) and is pretty cookie-cutter for Newport, and the houses tend to not be as nice. But, there are lots of parks and its close to CDMHS, and you are more likely to find a 4 bedroom with 2000+sqft. Here is one option: 2171 VISTA ENTRADA, Newport Beach, CA 92660 | MLS# PW13096094 | Redfin

Jasmine Creek: The area just above the CDM Flower streets is a more modestly priced pocket in an expensive area of the city. You can find a single family home with decent space in your price range, but may have to give up large yard. But, the good news is that you are getting a more vibrant, "urban" in that area, although the houses in this particular part of the neighborhood are not that diverse. You can walk down to PCH and all of the restaurants in CDM, and have Fashion Island at your doorstep, and the beach is right there too. Here are a couple of options:
17 WHITE WATER, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 | MLS# NP13248612 | Redfin
9 BARRIER REEF Dr, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 | MLS# NP13220211 | Redfin

You might even be able to sneak into the Flower Streets themselves if you bend your requirements: 709 NARCISSUS Ave, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 | MLS# NP13123045 | Redfin

Then, moving over to the Newport Harbor High School area, across the bay, there are two possible neighborhoods that match your needs: Mariners and Newport Heights.

Mariners: This is a really great family neighborhood with pretty, diverse houses, close to all of the shops on 17th Street. Here are a few examples what you can get:
Real Estate Search | Redfin
Real Estate Search | Redfin

Newport Heights: Newport Heights, is very close to NHHS, everything on 17th Street, all of the restaurants on PCH, and a bike ride away from the beach. It's walkable, has houses with plenty of character and is s nice family community. Here are a few options:
542 TUSTIN Ave, Newport Beach, CA 92663 | MLS# NP13225660 | Redfin
400 SAINT ANDREWS Rd, Newport Beach, CA 92663 | MLS# NP13198346 | Redfin
546 CATALINA Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92663 | MLS# NP13213135 | Redfin

[marcellamiami]

Thank you for all the information. I am not looking for anything on a canal in California. The water here and the water there is very different so it is not on my wish list at all. I am leaning towards Newport though and I am willing to make sacrifices to be in the right area for my family so I will look into all those areas mentioned above. A bit of city life is more important to us than a big house or a big back yard. Thank you for all the help! I feel more oriented now.