Millennials simply can't afford to live in OC (Sacramento, Orange: low income, neighborhood)

[CaliRestoration]

Originally Posted by majoun

It would keep more people in OC, as well as bringing down the cost of housing, and actually improve the quality of life in OC.

How? Seems like it would just increase the already suffocating congestion that already exist there.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by crabtrees

I'm part of the middle class that is bouncing out of OC and I can't wait. I'm in my late 30's and lived here my entire life. Great place to grow up when you're a kid and don't have to have a job or responsibilities, but growing old here just isn't worth it. Housing prices are simply stupid and there are way too many damn people. It shouldn't take me an hour to drive 16 miles to work, and that's not even that bad!

I think one poster hit the nail on the head...it's all about quality of life. Living in SoCal has a premium and if you don't have a family income over $200k/yr you are going to have to sacrifice either quality of life or location. You cannot live in a nice safe neighborhood, in a modest house with good schools and expect to pay less than $700k for the house. My wife and I both have college degrees and make around $150k together a year...we've been looking for a house for 6 months and nothing we want is under $700k, and the idea of paying that amount for a 1200sqft home is ludicrous. OC is just not worth it. At least for me, you can't even enjoy the things that used to make SoCal so great...going to the mountains takes forever, going to the beach is a freakin nightmare, the amusement parks cost two paychecks for entry, driving to work takes 2 hours of my life each day, going south to San Diego or something on the weekend is easily a 3 hour trip each way. The cost of living is through the roof. We finally said screw it, decided to sell our insanely overpriced condos and head for the suburbs of Vegas in a few months. We'll have a 3000sq ft home built in the past 10 yrs, 3 car garage, completely updated interior in a terrific neighborhood that looks like Irvine for less than $400k. We'll be able to pay 20% in cash and still have over $100k leftover from selling our condos and we're not even 40 years old yet. Traffic out there is nothing compared to here, the taxes out there are significantly lower, the COL is about 30% lower out there, and we're a 60 minute flight away at all times. Thank god for John Wayne Airport! Basically we are choosing to have the best quality of life that our money will provide, as opposed to just getting by in one of the most desirable locations in the country. It's no longer desirable to us. See ya'll in Vegas!

And why do you need a 3,000 sqft house? And a 3 car garage?

People like you never get ahead. Why? Because you leave Southern CA and than you overextend yourself in another state with more house than you need.

Unless you have several kids(which is also foolish) no reason two people need a house that large.

The smart thing to would be have something similar to what you have now or a home that more than suits you.

Always find it amusing when people leave a higher COL area for a lower one and than end up p**sing the savings away on a McMansion they don't really need.

[pacific2]

Orange County's population is still growing, but more slowly than in past years, and it went up 5.3 % from 2010-15. Irvine's population is absolutely booming, as it grew 21.2% during that time span.
'O.C. has hit middle age': Orange County's growth has slowed down, but not in Irvine - The Orange County Register
There are far more cars on the freeways and people in the stores.I fail to see how the QOL has improved here as a result of that growth.

From the above article:

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by majoun

Condos are less expensive than SFRs.
Building more multifamily housing, rolling back the "master plans" will mean more housing. It's pretty obvious economics that more supply will mean lower costs.
OC's zoning (and LA's) is deliberately designed to restrict the housing supply in order to drive prices up.
Change that, and prices will fall.
I realize that in some areas of OC that would involve changing contractually based CC&Rs.

Again that would mean more people and more cars and more congestion and a lowered quality of life. Is that what you want?????

Plus, building more does not ,mean prices will come down as long as there are enough people willing to pay higher prices. How do you stop people bidding a price up when more people want a house/condo etc than are available? The builders will raise prices to fit the market. You assume there will be fewer people wanting to move in than the number of houses built. Don't count on it.

No way to roll back Master Planned communities without buying them all up. No way that would ever happen.

Yes a lot of people want to live in OC and can't afford it and want the prices to drop for them.

The solution? Make more money.

[LuvSouthOC]

Why do we need to keep more people in OC when it is already crowded? How would it enhance our QOL? It'd do the reverse.

[payutenyodagimas]

people means growth. that's why they don't want to solve illegal migrations coz that still represents growth.


politicians want voters. businessmen wants cheap workers. we are really caught between a rock and the deep blue sea

[majoun]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Why do we need to keep more people in OC when it is already crowded? How would it enhance our QOL? It'd do the reverse.

Should have thought about that before tearing up all the orange groves.

[LuvSouthOC]

So OC should tear everything down because, you see, OC is guilty as charged for having developed. And because it's developed, it needs to tear its housing down to suit you. There's no criticism of sprawl in LA, when such sprawl defines LA (the place from which OC split some time ago), ...seems OK with you. The IE, to which you've moved or intend to move, is bulldozing apace for ever more SFRs...not any criticism nor any demands to tear everything down there. You also said you preferred SD over OC. OC is far more dense, so what exactly do you like and want?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

So OC should tear everything down because, you see, OC is guilty as charged for having developed. And because it's developed, it needs to tear its housing down to suit you. There's no criticism of sprawl in LA, when such sprawl defines LA (the place from which OC split some time ago), ...seems OK with you. The IE, to which you've moved or intend to move, is bulldozing apace for ever more SFRs...not any criticism nor any demands to tear everything down there. You also said you preferred SD over OC. OC is far more dense, so what exactly do you like and want?

L.A. should also change its zoning.
The IE still has pretty affordable housing so there is not as much of a need for changing zoning. Also it is still open for young people. SD is more open for young people than OC is, so not as much of a need to change.

[pacific2]

Ouch. Shea is now leasing its newly constructed apartments that were crammed onto once quiet Aliso Viejo Parkway in Aliso Viejo. Studio rentals alone are almost 2K/month at $1,895-$1,955.

More traffic.