Job in Irvine, need some help on specific issues (Santa Ana: for sale, apartment)

[pumpkinmamma]

Hi everyone, been reading numerous threads with great interest as the husband has just been offered a job in Irvine. Assuming the following:

- 100k/yr before taxes, hopefully a little more
- healthcare and pension taken care of by company
- relocating costs borne by company
- will be renting unfurnished place
- 2yr old kid
- company will sponsor work visa for me
- company should assist in car leasing (letter of guarantee etc)

I understand we will able to lead a decent but not extravagant lifestyle (we don't buy designer goods or play golf) but please feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Now come the questions:

1) From my research, I think we'll be able to afford a 3br 2 bathroom condo or townhouse in Tustin, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo for around $2000/mth. Is my assumption correct? Is it unrealistic to try for Irvine itself or even Ladera Ranch? I'd like to keep the commute for my husband down to max of 45mins if possible.

2) Read a lot about schools but not sure about pre-schools from 3-5 yrs old. Does that come under the term "elementary school"? I've heard that daycare for 3-5yr olds cost around $1000/mth. Does anyone have more info or links?

3) Will it be hard for me to find work? I have a background in retail, marketing and account management for the textiles industry. I will stay home for the first 6mths-1yr.

4) Where can we find out exact amt. of take home pay? I've seen people advising others on this forum but no idea how they do it. We've used online sites to do estimations but is there a service/agent we can use to find out the exact figure?

5) Are organic/eco-friendly readily available? I read the threads about farmer's markets and speciality organic shops. Can they be purchased at regular supermarkets too?

Think that's enough for starters.
Would appreciate any info on the above, thank you and have a lovely day!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by pumpkinmamma

Hi everyone, been reading numerous threads with great interest as the husband has just been offered a job in Irvine. Assuming the following:

- 100k/yr before taxes, hopefully a little more
- healthcare and pension taken care of by company
- relocating costs borne by company
- will be renting unfurnished place
- 2yr old kid
- company will sponsor work visa for me
- company should assist in car leasing (letter of guarantee etc)

I understand we will able to lead a decent but not extravagant lifestyle (we don't buy designer goods or play golf) but please feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Now come the questions:

1) From my research, I think we'll be able to afford a 3br 2 bathroom condo or townhouse in Tustin, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo for around $2000/mth. Is my assumption correct? Is it unrealistic to try for Irvine itself or even Ladera Ranch? I'd like to keep the commute for my husband down to max of 45mins if possible.

I think $2000 a month on a $100K salary is reasonable. If no other outstanding loans, Factoring in 401(k) max out, Roth IRAs for both you and him $12000/year, Education IRAs $2000/year, insurance, etc.



2) Read a lot about schools but not sure about pre-schools from 3-5 yrs old. Does that come under the term "elementary school"? I've heard that daycare for 3-5yr olds cost around $1000/mth. Does anyone have more info or links?

Preschool is not part of elementary school. ES starts at Kindergarten. Preschools are usually private and they have out of pocket costs. Some public schools may have preschools but I don't think they are free. Call the Irvine, Saddleback, and Capistrano school districts.

3) Will it be hard for me to find work? I have a background in retail, marketing and account management for the textiles industry. I will stay home for the first 6mths-1yr.

What does "hard" mean?

4) Where can we find out exact amt. of take home pay? I've seen people advising others on this forum but no idea how they do it. We've used online sites to do estimations but is there a service/agent we can use to find out the exact figure?

What's wrong with the estimations? Why do you need an exact figure?


5) Are organic/eco-friendly readily available? I read the threads about farmer's markets and speciality organic shops. Can they be purchased at regular supermarkets too?


Organic food is for sale in supermarkets.


Think that's enough for starters.
Would appreciate any info on the above, thank you and have a lovely day!

Responses in relocation red.

[pacific2]

1) From my research, I think we'll be able to afford a 3br 2 bathroom condo or townhouse in Tustin, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo for around $2000/mth. Is my assumption correct? Is it unrealistic to try for Irvine itself or even Ladera Ranch? I'd like to keep the commute for my husband down to max of 45mins if possible.

You will have a lot of trouble finding a 3bd/2bth for $2k. Realtor.com lists 5 for Aliso Viejo, but only 3 of them are actually in the city and the other two are in Laguna Hills. Rents in Aliso Viejo tend to be high ( #3 in Orange County behind Newport Beach and Irvine).Of those in Aliso:

This newer 3bd/3bth should be fine:
11 Iron Bark Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
11 Iron Bark Aliso Viejo CA - Home for Rent - MLS #S659079 - Realtor.com®

This is also in an older (‘pre-beige” ,non-stucco) section of Aliso, but the neighborhood is okay. It’s just located across Alicia Parkway, a very major thoroughfare at the outskirts of the city, and it doesn’t “feel” connected to AV. Young families with more limited means tend to be attracted to these units.
14 Allenwood Ln Aliso Viejo CA - Home for Rent - MLS #S657983 - Realtor.com®

I would not even consider renting this unit because it’s in an old working-class section of AV (Few even know it exists & most think it is part of Laguna Hills), that has “issues” at times:
23496 Los Adornos Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
23496 Los Adornos Aliso Viejo CA - Home for Rent - MLS #S654722 - Realtor.com®

2) Read a lot about schools but not sure about pre-schools from 3-5 yrs old. Does that come under the term "elementary school"? I've heard that daycare for 3-5yr olds cost around $1000/mth. Does anyone have more info or links?

Kids 3-5 can attend private (you pay) preschool, whereas older kids are eligible for public elementary school. Someone else will have to give you info on the costs.
Local preschools:
Preschools in Aliso Viejo, CA on Yahoo! Local

3) Will it be hard for me to find work? I have a background in retail, marketing and account management for the textiles industry. I will stay home for the first 6mths-1yr.

Unemployment is low in Aliso Viejo (the lowest of all incorporated cities in Orange County), but high in CA. That said, I don’t know what the market is like for your field. Tech related jobs ( including sales reps) seem predominate in the region. I don’t think it would be hard for you to find a lower-paying retail position, something to bring in a few bucks, but I don’t know about the competition for management level jobs in marketing, etc.

4) Where can we find out exact amt. of take home pay? I've seen people advising others on this forum but no idea how they do it. We've used online sites to do estimations but is there a service/agent we can use to find out the exact figure?

Try this;
Taxable Yield Calculator

This will give you a rough estimate of your federal taxes;
Tax Calculator (through 2010 and 2011)

California tax rates:
Tax Table - California Income (1002763)

5) Are organic/eco-friendly readily available? I read the threads about farmer's markets and speciality organic shops. Can they be purchased at regular supermarkets too?

Yes, there are many organic/eco-friendly products available locally. Products are available at local supermarkets, produce markets and specialty stores. My personal favorites is Mother’s Market and Kitchen located on Paseo de Valencia (There are additional stores in Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana):
Home - Mother's Market

I also shop at Trader Joe’s. There’s a large TJ’s at Town Center in Aliso Viejo. Grower’s Direct in Aliso is an inexpensive option. It’s also located at Town Center:
Growers Direct - Aliso Viejo, CA

There’s a farmers market held nearby every Sunday morning at the parking lot near Henry’s Market (offers organic) in Laguna Niguel at the corner of Pacific Park Drive and La Paz Road. If things go okay (HOA delegates approve), there will be an organic ranch and teaching center (Savannah's Organic Ranch) on a 24 acre site at Aliso Canyon Community Park.

BTW, Aliso Viejo is very small and master-planned so everyone lives relatively close (within about 2.5 miles) of Town Center.

Hope this helps.

[ragnarkar]

Although I tend to be on the frugal side, if I had a job in Irvine, I'd still try to live in Irvine. Since many jobs are located there, the commute will not be fun whichever direction you commute to and from Irvine. Shop around and try to find an apartment with only the amenities you absolutely need so you don't end up paying more than necessary for rent. With rare exceptions, there are no bad/sketchy neighborhoods in Irvine but you might still want to double check with neighbors first..

[pacific2]

You might find this thread to be useful. The OP has arrived at this point, and gives his impressions on a post dated 12/19/10.

//www.city-data.com/forum/orang...iso-viejo.html

[pacific2]

With rare exceptions, there are no bad/sketchy neighborhoods in Irvine but you might still want to double check with neighbors first..

The area where Los Adornos is located doesn’t even seem like it is part of Aliso Viejo because it's along Moulton Parkway; both architecturally and geographically separated from the rest of the city. Most people in Aliso would be shocked to discover that it’s part of AV. Overall, Aliso Viejo is extremely safe. Irvine has a lot of subsidized housing and, apart from that, “issues;” far, far more than tiny Aliso Viejo.

Housing is much more reasonably priced here in Aliso Viejo than in Irvine; and the commute to Irvine is no big deal. Unlike Aliso Viejo (9.2 sq. miles), Irvine is a large city (65 sq. miles), and depending upon where one lives, it can take some time to travel from one's Irvine home to a job in that city. It's a myth that living within Irvine will necessarily make for an easy commute.

Regarding the very popular "no crime" myth (ain't marketing grand?) for Irvine, here is a sampler (You can't make this stuff up. Aliso Viejo is very tame):

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Irvine Crime and Safety - OC Register Wiki
Notorious Irvine Crimes

'Evil twin' murder plot
Bar pickup murder
Biofem murder mystery
Craigslist Prostitute arrests
Dead man parked at food court
Egyptian child slave
Ex-Sheriffs deputy torture allegations
Irvine baseball player death
Judge arrested for child porn
LAX ticket counter shooter
Linda Park murder
Murder victim in burnt down car
Murder victims left on ice
Murder with no body
Original Night Stalker
Patricia Pratt murder
Residential standoff and murder
Restaurant shooting
Samurai sword murders
Satanic cult's two-day killing spree
Savings-and-loan scandal
Security guard murder
Shaken baby death
Thanksgiving day murder
Trabuco Grove shooting

[robbybee]

Irvine covers a lot of territory and exactly where in Irvine the job is, will/could/should play a factor in your decision as to where to live. Try to live as close as possible.

If the job is near John Wayne Airport, for example, Tustin would be a place to consider. Tustin Ranch has many young families, newer construction, nice parks and the Tustin school district is good to very good. It is less expensive than Irvine for the most part but still quite nice.

If the job is near UCI, then parts of Costa Mesa would be worth considering. CM is a diverse city with good schools, is located next door to Newport Beach and the weather there is fabulous. The on-shore breezes make summer evenings quite nice. The area around Back Bay (Jamboree and Bristol) has a lot of newer construction. There is a fair amount of traffic in that part of town but it's manageable. Again, most of CM is less expensive than much of Irvine.

If the job is further south, like near the El Toro "Y" or the "Great (boondoggle) Park", then AV would be a good option, for reasons previously stated.

But don't rule out Irvine all together. There is a good chance that you could find a nice rental in Irvine in your price range.

All the best!

[pacific2]

BTW, if I were in your shoes, I would also check Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel.

[pumpkinmamma]

Thank you for the replies!
I think I missed out an important point in my previous post.
We're looking to move from Singapore to OC. So we're reading through a lot of material to understand the basics. We have both visited various parts of California, him more than I.

I'll look at the links and come back with more questions.

In the meantime:
- the tax estimations we obtained had a significant difference so knowing more accurately our take home would allow us to budget better
- workwise, I guess I'm asking if it's even worth trying or should I expect to find only front-line retail positions
- pacific2, thank you for the link, I was just reading it! Also been looking at those areas you mentioned
- good point about where in Irvine the job is. I'll look into that
- our max on rental is $2500 but prefer $2000-2300.
-

[pumpkinmamma]

Robbybee, good point. it's near Irvine Medical & Science complex , near the 5 . Looks like Lake Forest is closest?