Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Irvine (Santa Ana, Laguna: to live in, prices, club)

[Invest OC]

Hi all,

I am semi-retiring and returning to the area that I lived in when I was a kid (I am 60 now and a widower with grown kids) then lived in Denver.

I am fairly active and want to live in one of these cities near some childhood friends. When I visited in 2005, it was the middle of the housing bubble.

Now that the bubble has burst, I can easily afford these.

Any suggestions for an active retiree?

[EscapeCalifornia]

None of the cities you listed have seen prices decline all that much since the peak. Dumpy areas like Santa Ana are down 50-60% while nice areas are down maybe 10-20%. So instead of being stupidly, insanely, amazingly overpriced, they're now just extremely overpriced.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Invest OC

I am fairly active

Any suggestions for an active retiree?

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

We make no apologies for wanting to leave, nor should we.

Ya, I have a suggestion. Get together with a curmudgeon.

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http://neuralfirings.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/244132odd-couple-posters.jpg (broken link)

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ya, I have a suggestion. Get together with a curmudgeon.

Grumpy old men rule!

[bhcompy]

Irvine is the most expensive, but will require less searching for a good area since nearly all of it is good. Irvine will require the most driving for amenities.

Costa Mesa has good areas(Country Club area among others) and bad areas. Pick wisely. Also, probably has the most amenities closeby.

FV is a great family town, but does have some areas to avoid. Typical suburbia, so you'll be sort of close to amenities.

I realize that it may not suit your style, but there are retirement communities in Laguna Woods(called Laguna Woods) and Seal Beach(called Leisure World) that may suit your needs as well.