Family of 6 Moving to Orange County. Looking for Low Cost of living! (Santa Ana: real estate market, foreclosed)

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Not to mention, the one in Costa Mesa is in a marginal neighborhood, the one in Orange backs to rail road tracks, and Rancho Santa Margarita is pretty far from everything, including jobs. Find properties without those issues and you're probably talking another $100k at least.

Exactly.

[OC Investor2]

Not to be snippy Harlow, but looking for a low cost of living in OC is like looking for an ocean view in St. Louis, MO or a large yard in Manhattan. So perhaps and understanding of what you classify as low COL would help. You mentioned a housing budget, but that is only one component of COL. Everything is more expensive here.

If you are looking to work in Orange County but are willing to live close by & put up with some commuting, you may be able to approach a COL more in line with the nat'l average by living in the IE and commuting to OC.

If you want to live & work in OC w/ a $3k budget, you are going to be forced to rent or, if you must buy, you'll get real cozy with the other 5 harlows in a very small house, and probably have to learn to "Habla" to talk to your neighbors as well. (If you want real cheap, knowing what "colors" you can safely wear in some of these neighborhoods might be a good thing to find out also )

Someone mentioned you have to make $150k to live a decent life here. I think that is an overstatement. The median income in high COL Irvine is in the high $80's. But we are all paying too much for our housing, too much in taxes, gas is 20-50¢/ gal higher then the rest of the US and most other things we buy - Food, a restaurant meal, a bottle of wine, etc are more expensive here. As a result people either a) borrow out the ying yang from the home equity ATM and pray (and you can see how well that's worked for most ) or b) learn to live with less. So again, what do you define as low COL? What are the lifestyle must haves for you? Help us with these things and hopefully we can offer better guidance.

[bhcompy]

Harlow didn't say a 3000 total budget, just rental budget(unless I missed something). That is entirely doable in many good communities. Median price in 90720(Rossmoor/Los Alamitos) is around 600k, but rents are around 2000-2500/mo for a 3 or 4bd ranch and up to 3000/mo or so for an upgraded home or a large two story.

[Kandy]

Harlow,
Try the First Team Real Estate website. They have a lot of rentals and other options. We don't live in OC anymore (Texas now) but we lived in zip 92869 and loved it there.
Here is an example of what $3000/mo can get you. It's a great house in a guard gated upscale community in the hills of Orange. This is such an awesome area!
Detailed Home and Property Information - First Team Real Estate Company

Good luck!
~K~

[Axiom]

I have to admit I LOL when I saw the title of the thread.

It's nothing personal Harlow, but Orange County and low cost of living = quite the oxymoron.

When I ran detailed COL numbers Orange County came out higher than the national average in every category I compared, sometimes significantly so. The indexes I used were: housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and transportation.

We all know California has a fairly high tax burden. And have you seen news reports about the state's current financial woes? It's a safe bet that upward adjustments are coming.

The problem for anyone moving to Orange County now, or in recent years, is that by far the biggest factor pushing overall COL sky high is housing costs.

Quick illustration:
As mentioned above, median income in Irvine is in the $80's. Folks who bought before the housing bubble inflated (and didn't HELOC themselves to death) are probably OK making ends meet on that income.

But try making ends meet on that same income when you have to pay $950,000 today for a house that sold for $400,000 in 2003. That averages slightly more than 15% yearly appreciation, every year for the past 6 years. You're in RE... crazy, eh? Yep, we're still seeing those kinds of numbers. The high end in Irvine hasn't really declined all that much from the peak.

IMO it's much cheaper to rent than to buy in Orange County right now, unless you're looking at the very low end and/or the worst neighborhoods. But you'll still pay a premium (FAR above the national average) especially if you want a decent neighborhood and good schools for your kids.

Of course I have my own opinion of what the future holds as far as RE sales and prices... but you'd probably consider it criticism since I assume you are looking at working in RE in CA too.

[missionhome]

If you can really afford $3,000 in rent per month, there are plenty of homes here in Mission Viejo in southern OC that you could rent. Buying is probably another story and not wise in this bad real estate market. The area is safe, pretty, has good neighborhoods, good schools, etc... It is also closer to jobs than RSM. You can get 4 bedroom 2,800 square foot homes for $3,000 per month rent in MV.

[Raelyn28]

Not being negative...just asking questions that you are not answering. WE have all either lived in OC or are living there. Don't you get it?? We are trying to help because it looks like you are thinking one way and OC is another. Everyone here who has spent their valuable time answering your questions is just being honest and trying to keep you from either moving there and being overwhelmed or trying to steer you in the right direction.

Bottom line. There is NO LOW COST OF LIVING in OC, unless you want to live in a dump. Do you want truthful well-informed answers or do you want people to honestly give you suggestions? Or do you mind living in a dump? Maybe that doesn't bother you and if it doesn't then say that.

You just come across as being very naive about the area almost as if you somehow know the answers to your questions before you ask them. And some of your language and comments about stealing someone's wife is really obnoxious. I don't know you but you really shouldn't say such things if you want to be taken seriously in a relocation forum. Once again I am not trying to be negative, but honest with you.

Listen to the people here and don't become offended. These people know what they are talking about. If you still want to move there and think you will get by on a shoestring you will have to make serious lifestyle adjustments. If that doesn't bother you then go for it....

Originally Posted by HarlowPartyofsix

Wow people on here are so negative! You get about a 50/50 shot here huh? I responded to what I'd say was definately a smart a** comment and everyone attacks you!

The only thing mind boggling here is your need to make a comment like that. Nice! Really! Shows that you are definately here to help...

[Pfhtex]

I thought I recognized the OP. Check out the attitude of his post from a few days ago when OP inquired about the move:





06-24-2009, 10:32 PM
http://www.city-data.com/forum/membe...ix-617684.html
Join Date: Jun 2009
20 posts, read 2,367 times
Blog Entries: 1
Reputation: 13



Agents with talent can make money in any market...
Quote:


Even though I will be totally unfamiliar with my surroundings I will make money.

I consider myself to be a talented Realtor/Salesperson. My techniques in marketing have brought me to the upper echelon in New Orleans Real Estate.

I am a very quick learner and it doesn't take a professor to learn the areas. I swear people act like I'm moving to Russia. I DO speak English and last time I checked California is still the United States. California is ground zero in the mortgage meltdown and I am definitely up to the challenge! I could sell your clothes right off your back w/o you knowing and by the time you figure it out I'm speeding off in my 1967 Austin Healey with your wife 007 Style!!

The purpose for the initial question was to feel the pulse of the residents in OC. I want to make sure that whatever company I decide to be affiliated with is the right one.

I will agree that the agent brings so much to the table that the company is little important in some cases but, I have been in listing appointments where the only reason was because of RE/MAX. I just want to feel the sentiment of THE PEOPLE!

So, give me your opinion of which company and why....

[Raelyn28]

I know...that is what I was referring to when I answered his post. Honestly I don't know how he is going to make it in OC with that kind of an attitude...but then again he will probably fit in just fine...if you know what I mean

Originally Posted by Pfhtex

I thought I recognized the OP. Check out the attitude of his post from a few days ago when OP inquired about the move:





06-24-2009, 10:32 PM
http://www.city-data.com/forum/membe...ix-617684.html
Join Date: Jun 2009
20 posts, read 2,367 times
Blog Entries: 1
Reputation: 13



Agents with talent can make money in any market...
Quote:


Even though I will be totally unfamiliar with my surroundings I will make money.

I consider myself to be a talented Realtor/Salesperson. My techniques in marketing have brought me to the upper echelon in New Orleans Real Estate.

I am a very quick learner and it doesn't take a professor to learn the areas. I swear people act like I'm moving to Russia. I DO speak English and last time I checked California is still the United States. California is ground zero in the mortgage meltdown and I am definitely up to the challenge! I could sell your clothes right off your back w/o you knowing and by the time you figure it out I'm speeding off in my 1967 Austin Healey with your wife 007 Style!!

The purpose for the initial question was to feel the pulse of the residents in OC. I want to make sure that whatever company I decide to be affiliated with is the right one.

I will agree that the agent brings so much to the table that the company is little important in some cases but, I have been in listing appointments where the only reason was because of RE/MAX. I just want to feel the sentiment of THE PEOPLE!

So, give me your opinion of which company and why....

[RobE]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Not to mention, the one in Costa Mesa is in a marginal neighborhood, the one in Orange backs to rail road tracks, and Rancho Santa Margarita is pretty far from everything, including jobs. Find properties without those issues and you're probably talking another $100k at least.

Yeah. I am a former Orange resident and don't like the neighborhood around Ashwood nor do I like the neighborhood for the property on Coolidge, since both of those neighborhoods have been headed downhill for a while now. Mind you, they aren't as bad as Santa Ana (yet), but you will want better than what they offer.