Ladera Ranch is best place to buy a condo/townhouse (Orange: real estate, waterparks)

[CmpEngineer]

My conclusion about Orange County real estate:
Ladera Ranch is best place to buy a condo/townhouse.

For about the same amount of money as you pay for an old condo/townhouse in Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, or Lake Forest, you can get a new Ladera Ranch property built after the year 2000.

Ladera Ranch properties have fire sprinklers too, so you don't have to worry about a fire spreading throughout the units.

I have been to Ladera Ranch about 4 times. Do any of you live there? How is it?

[shadow42]

I have lived here almost 5yrs and have two small boys. It is very nice. Expensive, but very nice. Amenities are wonderful (ie: pools, parks, waterparks, walking trails). There are always activities as well. If you can afford it, it is wonderful.

[kturbe]

Ladera has great amentities as noted above and pricing on entry level townhomes is pretty good. The issue people run into is the assocation fee's, property tax and other fee's which can add a lot of dollars to your monthly out lay. There are some good deals on the market now and the inventory is high compared to other areas so there is lot's of room to negotiate.

[Boba.Vette]

Originally Posted by kturbe

Ladera has great amentities as noted above and pricing on entry level townhomes is pretty good. The issue people run into is the assocation fee's, property tax and other fee's which can add a lot of dollars to your monthly out lay. There are some good deals on the market now and the inventory is high compared to other areas so there is lot's of room to negotiate.

My question is, is it worth negotiating?

I've been looking around at pretty-much every place in South OC for the past 2 months and Ladera looks really nice, until you start digging deeper and find out how much it's really going to cost you to live there.

The tax rate is higher than most (other than RSM), the multiple Mello-Roos bonds, the unmentioned "school bond" and the fact that most of the townhome I saw had NO YARD for my dog & children have put a stake in Ladera's heart.

I won't even get into the amazing traffic jam getting in and out of there at rush hour or the very rude people all driving their SUVs 30mph through the parking lot, at the strip mall.

[missionhome]

Be aware that the commute from Ladera Ranch to the freeway and back is one of the worst. Crown Valley Parkway is the only street connecting Ladera to the freeway (you take Oso and Ortega also, but most people don't) running through Mission Viejo. At peak hours the street is a complete nightmare and it could take twenty minutes just to get home from the freeway off ramp. Ladera offers a very young and family oriented life style and the prices are good for new property. I live in Mission Viejo, but one of my kids goes to private school in Ladera so I know that area well. It is very pretty, but if Mission Viejo is more obtainable, it is just as nice.

[kturbe]

Originally Posted by Boba.Vette

My question is, is it worth negotiating?

I've been looking around at pretty-much every place in South OC for the past 2 months and Ladera looks really nice, until you start digging deeper and find out how much it's really going to cost you to live there.

The tax rate is higher than most (other than RSM), the multiple Mello-Roos bonds, the unmentioned "school bond" and the fact that most of the townhome I saw had NO YARD for my dog & children have put a stake in Ladera's heart.

I won't even get into the amazing traffic jam getting in and out of there at rush hour or the very rude people all driving their SUVs 30mph through the parking lot, at the strip mall.

Depending on the listing price of the home and the sellers motivation it never hurts to negotiate. Just be fully aware of the tax cost. Mission Viejo is suppose to begin doing expansion on Crown Valley and OSO to ease the traffic but at rush hour it is pretty bad. Need any help don't hesitate to contact me direct.
Best of luck