Relocating to OC (Neighborhood Info) (Huntington Beach, Irvine: rent, condos, hotel)

[Trystero]

Hey all,

We are a family of three (Mom, Dad and a 1 y/o) moving from Chicago to OC. I've scoured some of the other relocation threads within the forum and found them (for the most part) to be very helpful. I'm now hoping to get some advice on which areas to focus on during our home-buying process based on our needs, wants, budget....

Some background:

We are a one-income family with a gross income in the low $300ks. Job is located near South Coast Plaza. We have no debt. Our spending habits are average -- neither of us care about the labels on our clothing though we aren't shy about ponying up for a good bottle of wine. I'm 40 y/o. She's in her mid-30s. Our bar/club days have passed. The average night out with friends is generally centered around a meal and conversation (same with the average night in with friends).

We have spent the majority of our adult lives in condensed urban areas (NYC and Chicago) and are accustomed to making due with a limited amount of living space. So we are willing to trade square footage for location.

Our thought is that, if we are going to move across the whole damn country to the Left Coast, we should be as close to, you know, the coast as possible. I do, however, recognize that there are certain economic realities to this course of action that may impede (or flat out put the kibosh on) our ability to fulfill this particular aspect of our manifest destiny.

We are looking for the following characteristics in a neighborhood:

- Family-Friendly (e.g., safe, good schools and a recognizable population of other young families)

- A decent selection of (non-chain) food options

- A reasonable commute to SCP-area

Oh, and we'd like the home to have at least a small patch of grassy yard. It doesn't have to be huge.

On the advice of a few work colleagues, we toured Irvine on our last trip out. While the city seemed to have a lot going for it -- the abundant green space and wide, smooth roads stood out -- I don't see it being a fit for our family, a little too suburban and uniform.

We were awed by the beauty of Laguna Beach but couldn't get a read on whether the city had a true, local family population. I also suspect the housing costs are just as jaw-dropping as the beauty.

The "niceness" of Costa Mesa seemed to vary block to block, though we were intrigued by parts of it and some of the adjoining areas of Newport Beach.

We did not have the time to explore Laguna Niguel or Aliso Veijo.

We would appreciate any (constructive) thoughts as to where we might look to purchase a home. (For a variety of reasons, we are more inclined to purchase than rent -- and, yes, we recognize some of the inherent folly in this decision.) Bonus points for recommending particular neighborhoods/areas within the greater cities in which to focus our search.

Thanks in advance for any help you all can provide.

[OCerik]

Of course everything will depend on what you're looking to spend on a home. But coming from an urban area, looking for non-chain restaurants and stores, you're going to have to look at the coastal cities or close to them.

As far as South OC goes Laguna Beach & Dana Point come to mind. Both have many families, good schools, and are almost completely chain-free when it comes to restaurants and stores. Your money will go much further in Dana Point. I'd look at the Monarch Beach area of Dana Point (again, depends on budget). Dana Point's downtown is also currently undergoing redevelopment with many new restaurants and shops opening, and it's harbor is also undergoing a $200 million revitalization.

If you don't mind being 5-10 minutes inland, I would also look at Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo. Laguna Niguel has very quick access to both Dana Point & Laguna Beach, a lot of really nice homes, and is an extremely family-oriented area. Aliso Viejo is much of the same but not as quick access to the beach, lower in price, and gets hotter in summer (many microclimates in the area). Beacon Hill, Marina Hills, and Rancho Niguel are all nice areas of Laguna Niguel. Aliso Viejo is small in size and you won't see much difference from one neighborhood to the next.

Judging by what you said, I don't think you'd want to look much more inland than that.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Trystero

Hey all,

We are a family of three (Mom, Dad and a 1 y/o) moving from Chicago to OC. I've scoured some of the other relocation threads within the forum and found them (for the most part) to be very helpful. I'm now hoping to get some advice on which areas to focus on during our home-buying process based on our needs, wants, budget....

Some background:

We are a one-income family with a gross income in the low $300ks. Job is located near South Coast Plaza. We have no debt. Our spending habits are average -- neither of us care about the labels on our clothing though we aren't shy about ponying up for a good bottle of wine. I'm 40 y/o. She's in her mid-30s. Our bar/club days have passed. The average night out with friends is generally centered around a meal and conversation (same with the average night in with friends).

We have spent the majority of our adult lives in condensed urban areas (NYC and Chicago) and are accustomed to making due with a limited amount of living space. So we are willing to trade square footage for location.

Our thought is that, if we are going to move across the whole damn country to the Left Coast, we should be as close to, you know, the coast as possible. I do, however, recognize that there are certain economic realities to this course of action that may impede (or flat out put the kibosh on) our ability to fulfill this particular aspect of our manifest destiny.

We are looking for the following characteristics in a neighborhood:

- Family-Friendly (e.g., safe, good schools and a recognizable population of other young families)

- A decent selection of (non-chain) food options

- A reasonable commute to SCP-area

Oh, and we'd like the home to have at least a small patch of grassy yard. It doesn't have to be huge.

On the advice of a few work colleagues, we toured Irvine on our last trip out. While the city seemed to have a lot going for it -- the abundant green space and wide, smooth roads stood out -- I don't see it being a fit for our family, a little too suburban and uniform.

We were awed by the beauty of Laguna Beach but couldn't get a read on whether the city had a true, local family population. I also suspect the housing costs are just as jaw-dropping as the beauty.

The "niceness" of Costa Mesa seemed to vary block to block, though we were intrigued by parts of it and some of the adjoining areas of Newport Beach.

We did not have the time to explore Laguna Niguel or Aliso Veijo.

We would appreciate any (constructive) thoughts as to where we might look to purchase a home. (For a variety of reasons, we are more inclined to purchase than rent -- and, yes, we recognize some of the inherent folly in this decision.) Bonus points for recommending particular neighborhoods/areas within the greater cities in which to focus our search.

Thanks in advance for any help you all can provide.

Not sure about the schools but also look at San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

[BRinSM]

I second Dana Point. you could live near the coast and use the toll road to get your office in a relatively short amount of time. Dana Point is one of the last cities in socal that still has the old timey CA feel to it. san clemente also has this vibe, but it's further away from your office. i know people with much smaller budgets than yourself that live there and do just fine.

[LuvSouthOC]

I love Dana so no arguments here (but a little less a fan of Doheny, etc). I just want to point out Laguna Niguel is very ocean close, is closer to the toll road, the I-5, and has lots of shopping. You also get more house and get the same breezes and even ocean views for less.

Another place to consider is Newport.

[bowneline]

Housing budget?

My opinion is that with what you are looking for, and with what your price range is (potentially), you should focus on Newport Beach. It's very likely going to offer more of what you are looking for, and there is no reason to move to South County, and spend 30-40 minutes (each way) on the freeway up to SCP area each day for work.

Not knowing your budget, I've thrown out a few possibilities.

All of these places will have young families, safe streets, homes with yards, good schools and close to lots of good food options and the beach. They are all 10 minutes or so from SCP. The neighborhoods and areas all have a more character than your typical Irvine community


$1-1.7 million range: Newport Heights in Newport Beach (and adjoining steets in Costa Mesa):

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...3/home/4589773

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Costa-Mesa...7/home/4587502

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...3/home/3244085


$1.3-2 million range: Mariners and Dover Shores in Newport Beach

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...0/home/3559279

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...0/home/3560202


$1.7-2+ million range: Port Streets in Newport Beach

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...0/home/4717433

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Newport-Be...0/home/4721862

All of these places will have young families, safe streets, homes with yards, good schools and close to lots of good food options and the beach. They are all 10 minutes or so from SCP. The neighborhoods and areas all have a more character than your typical Irvine community

[Trystero]

Thanks for all the great advice. It's good to hear that we have some feasible options. And we welcome any additional comments.

Still trying to get a handle on the budget. From what I understand, Californians tend to allocate a higher portion of their income towards housing costs. We have traditionally tried to stay within the 30% of monthly gross income rule of thumb in the past and, if possible, we'd like to do so again, though we are open to increasing that figure, given the amount of time we spend at home and the abundance of low cost activities (hiking, paddling, etc...) available when we are not at home. Even if the numbers worked, we'd have to think long and hard about going over $1.5M.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Trystero

Even if the numbers worked, we'd have to think long and hard about going over $1.5M.

You obviously have plenty of very good options from Newport Beach down to Dana Point. You might also want to look at Huntington Beach.

Still, Aliso Viejo is worth consideration if you are looking to get "more bang for the buck," so to speak.

As a city, Aliso Viejo is "youngish," both in terms of its residents, and the age of incorporation (2001). AV is still evolving, but has already managed to distinguish itself as an entrepreneurial "hotbed,"(so says a MIT study), and an emerging mini tech and biomed center. There's plenty of energy and creativity in the air.

The schools are good, and AV usually ranks as one of CA's safest cities. AV is tiny (7.47 sq mi) and easily travelled.

We're hardly a tourist destination , but you can also get to Laguna Beach in about 10 minutes from here.

Prices and neighborhoods do vary, but its possible to save, compared to other nearby areas.

AV has far more condos/townhouses than SFRs, but these might be of interest.

This $745,000 4bd/2.5 bth house is 2,043 sq ft with a nice hillside view:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej...6/home/5300512

The asking price for this 4 bd/2.5 bth/2,200 sq ft home is $869,000:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej...6/home/5816088

The owners are asking $939,900 for this 4bd/3bth/2,716 sq ft house. Check the tax assessor's site, if you are interested, since it's at Glenwood and likely has a high ($5K-$7k ) annual special assessment on top of ordinary property taxes.
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej.../home/17469601

This nearly $1M home has 5 bedrooms/3 baths and is 2,530 sq ft:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej...6/home/4885142

There's also this 5 bd/3.5 bth/3,300 sq ft house:
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej...6/home/4870268

[pacific2]

Aliso Viejo is already a sort of mini-urban town, but if you are looking for a neighborhood with even more of an urban vibe, you might like something like this 2bd/2.5bth/2,215sq ft /3 story live/work townhouse (under contract for $840K):
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Aliso-Viej.../home/17467597

It's right across a tiny street from a new long-term stay hotel (Homewood Suites Aliso Viejo-Laguna Beach), about a block from a sports hotel (Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo-Laguna Beach), across the street from several businesses, and up the hill from town center (movies, stores, etc.). It's also next to a street with brick pavers, old fashioned lamps and a really nice picnic area.

[Trystero]

A friend has a line on an interesting opportunity in Old Town Seal Beach. Is the daily commute between SB and South Coast Plaza manageable? What kind of time are we talking?