Best Bang-for-the-buck area for housing ?? (San Diego, Anaheim: for sale, foreclosures, crime)

[HarborEastGuy]

I left Orange County in 2007 because of housing costs. Now I see
them coming down. What is the best bang for the buck area of OC
for buying a 2000 sq ft home built in 2000 or newer?

I really liked the new part of Anaheim Hills near Savi Ranch but I notice
houses haven't dropped but there... Go just 4 miles east on 91 and your
in Corona where 2300 sq ft homes built in 2003 can be had for $300,000.
The same house is like $600,000 or more in Anaheim..

PS: Colorado is not the dreamland many Californians envision. I'm living
south of Denver in the Suburbs and let me tell you -10 F on cold snaps is
murder.. There is no beating Southern California.

[recycled]

Housing prices are expected to decline over 20 percent in 2009 in OC, LA and San Diego. It would be pretty risky to buy a house here right now, especially with the other economic turmoil that has not bottomed out yet.

[HarborEastGuy]

yes I agree.. I am looking at May to move back then June-July to start looking..
In the mean time I wanted to ask about what city is the best-bang-for-the-buck
so I can keep an eye on price drops and foreclosures..

It would seem that Irvine prices haven't budged at all since late 2006. But I notice
that prices in Corona have dropped from 500k to 300k for the same level of house..
WOW... Big drops in Corona..

[bhcompy]

probably find a lot of depreciation in the recently developed oc. rsm, aliso viejo, etc. established middle class+ areas are much more stubborn(like where i live in los alamitos/rossmoor/seal beach/cypress area)

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Tom63376

I left Orange County in 2007 because of housing costs. Now I see
them coming down. What is the best bang for the buck area of OC
for buying a 2000 sq ft home built in 2000 or newer?

I really liked the new part of Anaheim Hills near Savi Ranch but I notice
houses haven't dropped but there... Go just 4 miles east on 91 and your
in Corona where 2300 sq ft homes built in 2003 can be had for $300,000.
The same house is like $600,000 or more in Anaheim..

PS: Colorado is not the dreamland many Californians envision. I'm living
south of Denver in the Suburbs and let me tell you -10 F on cold snaps is
murder.. There is no beating Southern California.

What is the definition of "bang"? Square feet?
Are schools important? Commuting? Amenities? Crime rate? Climate?

If you are living in Highlands Ranch or Lone Tree then you can't expect to get quality neighborhoods in Orange County by asking "most bang for the buck" questions.

That -10F in Denver is analogous to the 25F we had here in Calabasas two mornings ago. We know that a day or two later its in the 50s in Denver and you are out riding your bike, playing golf or tennis.

Today's Denver forecast is for 60F.

[HarborEastGuy]

Yes I do live in the Highland's Ranch area which is probably as close to an "Irvine" as you
can get here. But it's boring here and the weather is NOT mild like California... Today's 60
is a fluke. 2 days ago it was 15F. And It's been all out cold for the last 2 months. I lived
in Irvine for a year so I know the difference between the 2 areas. Everyone that I met who
is Single without kids who moved here from California did so for their Job OR because of the
high cost of living. All of these people have told me they miss California and would rather
be back in California if it were not for the brutally high cost of living.

It feels like you're questioning my preference for California. Let's stick to my topic of housing
prices ok?

I do agree that I'm looking for the better areas that are safe. I remember liking Anaheim Hills,
Irvine (But it's too expensive), and Huntington Beach. These are the only areas I frequented
when I lived out there as I rented in Irvine and worked in Anaheim. I'm not oposed to Corona
if it's the only place I can get a house for 300-400k in June. I remember driving to Big Bear and
noticing that the homes up on the hill south of the 91 looked like Anaheim Hills.

[bhcompy]

and those houses arent in the 300-400k range. i have friends that live there and they are much more pricey. now on the north side of the freeway in yorba linda there are more traditional homes available, but they are older and are holding onto their value better than IE cities.

for what you're looking for you're going to be stuck out in riverside and san bernardino for the most part. south oc may have some options, but taxes and hoa's can be rough in south oc

[EscapeCalifornia]

If you moved to Denver thinking the weather was as mild as coastal California, you get what you deserve. You want Highlands Ranch living in OC and you don't want to pay $500k+ for something old and small. Gee, don't we all?

[BRinSM]

home prices in corona have definitely dropped a significant amount. my parents live there and we have some friends who just put an offer on a house off of green river. i was just out there for christmas and noticed that there are definitely less brown lawns and for sale signs up these days, especially compared to earlier this year. it appears that a lot of the foreclosures are now being sold. however, i still know people that are on the brink of foreclosure with no hope of avoiding it. i would imagine there are still many people in this situation, especially considering the more recent economic news.

i think it's anybody's guess as to whether housing prices continue falling or not in corona. our friend's who i mentioned earlier actually lost out on the house they put an offer on. i believe they said they were 2nd out of 4 or 5 offers. its interesting that there is now competition in the market among buyers. my guess is the prices are near bottom, but will remain at current levels for years to come.

also, don't forget how terrible the commute on the 91 can be. i would NEVER again live in Corona and work in OC. I've done it before and it is awful.

[HarborEastGuy]

EscapeCalifornia please don't reply to my posts. I find your response rude and unhelpful.
Especially since I tried to steer the topic back to "housing prices" 2 replies before yours.

I was merely trying to warn people not to give up on California. And I moved here with my
job. I am not here by choice.

I see decent houses in Corona on "Redfin" in the 300K-400K range. If I could find those same
houses in Aliso Viejo, Laguna Nigel, Anaheim Hills is say June 2009 for about $400 I would be
very happy. It really seems that Corona has dropped a lot more than other areas and that was
my point.