Moving from Chicagoland to SoCal, seeking advice on location (city) (Huntington Beach: apartment complexes, condo)

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by vietlam

Ah, so thats what they call cookie cutters. Ugg. Where we currently live, it is kind of master-planned in a way, but each of the houses are different enough, while a friend of mine lives in a neighborhood that every house looks exactly the same on the outside, which is terrible. Hopefully the houses in Irvine are similar to mine....

Irvine is actually in our top 2, with Huntington Beach. Is there a reason why you do not recommend Huntington Beach?

In all fairness, OC's cookie-cutter neighborhoods usually look better at street level. So, I wouldn't dismiss Irvine without a visit.

I don't personally care for Irvine, but that's just me (A resident of another cookie-cutter OC city).

[vietlam]

Originally Posted by pacific2

Huntington Beach is fine, but you'd have to be comfortable with its often party-town atmosphere if you moved there.

Maybe someone who lives there could direct you to suitable neighborhoods.

Yeah, that's what I am afraid. Imagining the frat/sorority rows back in college. But I figure for a big(ger) town like that, there have got to be different types of neighborhoods. Someone with familiarity would be great to show the way

[vietlam]

Originally Posted by loveorangecounty

Most of South Orange County is full of young families and close to beautiful beaches but not sure about Vietnamese markets. Your budget is more than ample for that area.

Not too familiar with "South OC". Is it from Irvine down?

[payutenyodagimas]

Originally Posted by vietlam

Wondering if you thought my budget would not be enough for the cities I listed? Need a reality check here

my boss lives in LB and his house is worth $2.5+ I'm "guessing" that's entry level house in LB

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by vietlam

Not too familiar with "South OC". Is it from Irvine down?

South OC is south of Irvine: Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

[vietlam]

Originally Posted by pacific2

South OC is south of Irvine: Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Thanks!

[vietlam]

Ah ha. Someone posted a redfin link above (thank you!), so I played with it a bit (did not think of that earlier for some reasons). Look like my budget is okay for at least a few places in both Irvine and Huntington Beach, phew!

Feel like my original post was too long, so I will try to narrow it down to the few remaining questions. Would greatly appreciate if someone who is familiar with these areas can chime in...

- Which neighborhoods in Irvine/HB I should avoid in term of
i) well, basic safety
ii) excessive party-town atmosphere (which could lead to safety, noise, traffic issues)
iii) family unfriendly (no nearby park, sucky school system)
- How bad is HOA in SoCal? In term of fee, and how draconian they can be. Not a thing in the midwest area where we currently live.
- We are flexible in moving time. Is there a good month to buy in term of house availability / cost?

[VoxTerra]

Here are a few in great areas (IMO) and in your budget, (a few are just a tad over, as you may be able to negotiate with cash): If anything, it will show you what your budget will afford in nicer areas of OC

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...?fullpage=true

[saibot]

Originally Posted by vietlam

- How bad is HOA in SoCal? In term of fee, and how draconian they can be. Not a thing in the midwest area where we currently live.

It totally depends, on the specific city and the specific development within the city. Many houses in OC don't have an HOA at all. Most of the newer ones do. Condos have additional fees in addition to any the city might impose.

In the links posted just above, for instance, the first house has a $265/mo. HOA fee; the second apparently doesn't have one. My city, Rancho Santa Margarita, has a flat $55/mo HOA for all residences. So you need to take that on a case by case basis.

As for how draconian they are, that differs as well. My city is pretty lax and most of the rules have to do with the inevitable fact that houses are very close together and we need to be considerate of our neighbors. So, for instance, you need approval of the HOA and all of your immediate neighbors if you want to put a tall play structure in the back yard that will be visible from the other yards. (Our neighbors did this, and we all signed off because it didn't bother us, so they got their play structure). And you can't park RVs on the street for more than one night, because they use up a lot of parking that is really necessary for others.

I know some cities are more strict. RSM doesn't care if you park on your driveway or on the street and never use your garage. Aliso Viejo says your first car MUST be parked in the garage; only if you already have a car in the garage can you park another on the driveway. My friends got tattled on for breaking this rule. So again, it depends. Something to ask the realtor and neighbors about when looking at homes.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by saibot

It totally depends, on the specific city and the specific development within the city. Many houses in OC don't have an HOA at all. Most of the newer ones do. Condos have additional fees in addition to any the city might impose.

In the links posted just above, for instance, the first house has a $265/mo. HOA fee; the second apparently doesn't have one. My city, Rancho Santa Margarita, has a flat $55/mo HOA for all residences. So you need to take that on a case by case basis.

As for how draconian they are, that differs as well. My city is pretty lax and most of the rules have to do with the inevitable fact that houses are very close together and we need to be considerate of our neighbors. So, for instance, you need approval of the HOA and all of your immediate neighbors if you want to put a tall play structure in the back yard that will be visible from the other yards. (Our neighbors did this, and we all signed off because it didn't bother us, so they got their play structure). And you can't park RVs on the street for more than one night, because they use up a lot of parking that is really necessary for others.

I know some cities are more strict. RSM doesn't care if you park on your driveway or on the street and never use your garage. Aliso Viejo says your first car MUST be parked in the garage; only if you already have a car in the garage can you park another on the driveway. My friends got tattled on for breaking this rule. So again, it depends. Something to ask the realtor and neighbors about when looking at homes.

True for some communities, since rules vary depending upon the development. Your friend was repimanded by her neighborhood HOA. There is no city-wide rule which says that the first car must be parked in the garage. Some people park two cars in the driveway and none in the garage.

Also, FWIW, street parking, outside of a development, is also almost nonexistent in Aliso. That helps with traffic flow. This rule was probably put into place by the City of Aliso Viejo (Safety, Health, Infrastructure, Traffic, & Finance); a separate entity from the AV HOA.

For the most part, Aliso's city-wide HOA does not concern itself with matters beyond the maintenance and beautification of tress, parks, slopes, and medians; plus recreation.