Relocation from Chicago to Orange County Help!

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by bolson

I forgot to mention my wife is 12 weeks prego. It look like the move would only be for 3-5 years. Should I rent first? Like I said I will only be in Garden Groove maybe once or twice a week and will be traveling all over Southern California for sales. How bad is the traffic?

Don't buy for 3-5 years unless you enjoy losing money. Southern California is a huge area and yes, traffic is terrible. I don't know why companies assign such a large area as someone's territory. I know a guy that lives in Cypress (not too far from your office) who quit his job and got a sales job driving all over SoCal (mostly LA, I believe). He quit within a couple of years to go back to the previous employer (and probably took a pay cut) because he couldn't take the traffic anymore. He's from the east coast and probably thought he knew bad traffic before he came out here but wasn't prepared for just how bad LA traffic is.

[Unkllars]

Fullerton and surrounding areas are nice for young families! My wife and I enjoy it, along with 5 of our prego friends The only thing is that my wife is super eager to join the club, yet I still feel too young to be a father.

Would your stay be more towards 5 years, or less towards three? Would you have to sell to relocate? If you stay 5 or more, or if you don't have to sell after, then buy. If you don't plan to stay here a day over 3 years, then weigh your options and desires before any quick decisions. Areas like Yorba Linda, Placentia, North Tustin, Orange near, or others all are close to the 55 and 22. There are also some nice pocket areas in Anaheim that are close to the 22. Wherever you go, I'm sure you will enjoy it

[mcaldwel]

Thought I would give my 2 cents as I am in a very similar situation. Relocating from Rhode Island for a sales position covering all of Southern California in July. I have a wife, 1 yr old daughter, and have been looking for a rental - possible purchase for the past couple months.

First off, my wife and I spent a lot of time reading through these postings to try to get a feel for where to live. We just returned from a week long trip to OC and all I can say is take everything you read with a grain of salt, the perception we got from reading these blogs was way off from the reality we experienced when we arrived. Use these suggestions as a guide (mine included), but you need to experience it for yourself to get an accurate unbiased opinion.

We looked at several locations in OC and we really liked Huntington Beach, a lot. It had a laid back vibe to it and there was a lot to do. We thought it seemed safe and everyone we interacted with was friendly. We stayed in a hotel in Irvine, it like most of the places we visited was nice, seemed a little too much like a commuter city for us, but it could work for you. Newport Beach was nice, but a little expensive.

We decided against purchasing at this point. We want to rent for a year to make sure we like the area we decide on. We are planning for a long-term commitment to the area and will probably buy in a year or so. The real-estate agent my company set us up with was great, he showed us several apartments for rent that we really liked, and actually he did show us a newly remodeled 3 bed 2 bath in Huntington Beach that almost got us to change our minds about buying it was ~$575k in a nice neighborhood. (http://www.calcoasthomes.com/cornwell.html) that is his site, I don’t think it is his listing, but just tell him you want to see the house that a couple from RI said was the ‘best deal in Huntington Beach’ he will know the one you are talking about.

I wish you the best of luck…I think we will both be getting a significant amount of windshield time in So Cal in the near future.

[kathleenjewell]

Rent rent rent- prices will continue to drop!

[sonang]

we are also having a relocation from Chicago to OC, we want to rent first, but we also want to get an idea of pricing for a 4 bed/ 3 bath home in a nice, diverse, safe, good commute and good schools. thanks

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by sonang

we are also having a relocation from Chicago to OC, we want to rent first, but we also want to get an idea of pricing for a 4 bed/ 3 bath home in a nice, diverse, safe, good commute and good schools. thanks

Where will you be working?

[sonang]

I am a Physical Therapist so pretty much I can get a job anywhere where there is a hospital, clinic, nursing homes, etc.. or I even thought about starting my own practice.