Living in Orange County (Irvine: rentals, condos, affordable houses)

[Deserter]

Corona del Mar would be a nice place to work, but I'm sure rent is quite expensive. You might look at rent in Costa Mesa (east side is considered the "good" side of town). I'm really not sure how expensive things are there anymore. It's been a long time since I lived there, but my family is still there. I know housing purchase prices are crazy in all of OC, but I don't know about rents. Although, a friend of mine who worked in a hardware store was able to rent in Costa Mesa, so I guess if she could afford it, you can.

[OCCASparky]

Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa are pretty nice, ditto with parts of Tustin, Fullerton (by CSF) and Orange (NOT by "The Block").

Get used to traffic wherever you're driving, regardless of time of day.

OC apartment occupancy is running 97 percent-plus, so renters are gonna get *****ed by complex owners who know they can charge pretty much whatever they want.

My brother-in-law is living in La Habra. Heck, you might even try Brea.

Just stay the hell away from Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Westminster.

[WheelerDubois]

If you do, go to work in the south county, live as close as possible, to the south. I just moved from Orange county (Brea) after 32 years. If you go to work early, the drive is not bad, the traffic patterns have not changed much, in 30 years. This, thanks to the Freeway improvements. However, if you live in north county, you will not, see enough of the beach, and work will only be work, and life will suffer, not getting a chance to enjoy the OC. and all the pretty people in NewPort Beach.
Ps. in 93 I was broke, since I moved, I had bought three houses. Lots of money in the OC., all you gotta do is, want it!

Wheeler

[socal]

i don't know that i have much to add to what the others have already said, both good and bad. overall i would have to say stay put unless your living conditions are bad or you're just itching for a change or adventure. i grew up in oc and still live here. i think in some ways i've always suffered from the "grass is greener on the other side" syndrom myself. oc wasn't bad growing up but it has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. big cities are nice to visit but not necessarily to live in and oc has basically merged into one big city. generally speaking the weather's great if you don't care about distinct seasons, but then again we don't have the extremes other places have (i live near the coastal section). the amenities in terms of goods, services and culture probably can't be beat. if you want it, it's here. but there is something to be said for a simpler life style. it has become far too crowded and expensive in oc. i should have bought a house years earlier, but never felt i could afford it. after years of living in a mobile home park and saving up, my wife and i finally bought one at the low end of the market for our area four years ago and its probably appreciated a couple hundred thousand. i don't think i could afford to buy now. the inland empire (western riverside and san bernardino counties) has cheaper housing but is hotter and you're looking at bad commutes. 50k won't go far here. i'm not entirely sure what's driving the market, although it's starting to flatten out. i guess it's high credit and double incomes. although we make do on one, but that's because i don't try to keep up with the "jonse's". i've stayed put mainly due to family and job. but someday i may breakaway. in any event good luck to both of you that were thinking of moving.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

all i have to say is orange county is the best county on this earth, i have lived here for 35 years, and have lived and traveled very extensively.

[choyak]

Orange County is my jackpot! This tiny shack I bought in 2001 for 200K is now like a lotto! I could not afford another house now, the property taxes would be immense!!! For anyone moving from other areas, you need to do cost of living analysis. It seems that to move from let's say Texas to OC, your salary would need to double.

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by choyak

Orange County is my jackpot! This tiny shack I bought in 2001 for 200K is now like a lotto! I could not afford another house now, the property taxes would be immense!!! For anyone moving from other areas, you need to do cost of living analysis. It seems that to move from let's say Texas to OC, your salary would need to double.

Are you planning on selling?

[morningstarmyrefuge]

I have heard that you can buy a condo in TX for less than 100K, that sounds like a dream to me. I grew up in the OC all my life. Irvine is a great and growing city right now. It has one of the lowest crime rates and many job opportunities. If you are young, have some adventure and move to California. Some affordable cities you can find houses at are:
1. Orange (where I live, close to many freeways that take you directly to Irvine, you can find a 1 bedroom less than 1,000 or 2 bedrooms for $1300)
2. Garden Grove (much less luxurious, lots of ethnic minorities, but cheap and good Asian foods, you can easily find a 1 bedroom for less than 1,000 or 2 bedrooms for less than $1200)

Other cities you can find affordable housing include Anaheim, Costa Mesa, and Tustin.

[Des_Demona]

Responding to the original poster regarding roommate locator sites: I really like roommates.com. I did a quick search for you and there are about 300 listings of people who need roommates in that area. The rent (just to share a room) ranges from about $900 to $1300 a month and even on up from there. I make more than the amount you said you'll be making and I couldn't afford to rent in South Orange County. I had to move. You might be able to room with someone and be okay. It really depends. If you ever plan on having your own place or a home though you won't be able to make it in Southern California. Moving here might just be a waste of time and money unless you just REALLY really want the experience of living here for a little while. Unless your job is offering you over 100k yearly I would not recommend moving here.

[bigd8200]

Originally Posted by Des_Demona

Moving here might just be a waste of time and money unless you just REALLY really want the experience of living here for a little while.

This is one of the main reasons why I turned down the job. I have a friend who did the whole Hollywood/LA scene after graduation and in less than a year he wanted to move back to Texas. He now lives in Houston. I took a job in San Antonio and it is very affordable. I'm living in a super nice 725 sq. ft. apartment for $779/month. This is expensive for San Antonio standards but nothing compared to Orange County! I guess that's why so many people are relocating from California to Texas. Do the California cash out, come to Texas, buy a lot of land and build yourself a nice house! (If you can afford real estate in So Cal and you manage to sell it I've heard you can make a killing!) Still, I think California could be an exciting place to live, if you have the salary to accomodate living there. Thanks Des_Demona for doing a roommate search for me.