Considering the area...suggestions, please (Santa Ana, Orange: for rent, crime, house)

[SusieSunshine]

OK...I am a single mother from the East coast, currently living outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. I have two daughters. I visited the area recently and am considering trying it out for a year.

I need a safe area...that said, I feel like I am safe here in Mexico...as long as bullets aren't firing too close to the house and my daughters will not be abducted or hurt, I'm good. We have shootouts and such, but they aren't directed at random people, so I guess I've gotten used to it.

I need a single story house because we have dogs and I have a bad leg. They bark when someone comes to the door or other dogs are barking and I don't want to be right up on someone who is going to be disturbed by that.

My daughter really enjoys the lifestyle here and wants to be in a Hispanic neighborhood...is that a good idea? I've heard both sides (bad crime and no crime) and am asking for your honest opinions for a somewhat sheltered white girl...haha.

Basically, I want to play tourist for 6 months or so while deciding what to do on a more permanent basis. Fortunately, I am in a position where this is possible without having to immediately search for employment and am trying to stay around $2500 a month for rent, but don't know what to allow for utilities, but am hoping to stay under $3000...is this realistic?

What I am looking for is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would appreciate suggestions for areas and overall opinions on my plan/idea. I am a 30 something psychologist, if it matters.

Thanks in advance!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by SusieSunshine

I have two daughters.
single story house
wants to be in a Hispanic neighborhood...is that a good idea?
honest opinions for a somewhat sheltered white girl...haha.

Basically, I want to play tourist for 6 months or so while deciding what to do on a more permanent basis. Fortunately, I am in a position where this is possible without having to immediately search for employment and am trying to stay around $2500 a month for rent, but don't know what to allow for utilities, but am hoping to stay under $3000...is this realistic?

What I am looking for is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would appreciate suggestions for areas and overall opinions on my plan/idea. I am a 30 something psychologist, if it matters.

Thanks in advance!

Since you have two daughters, I would recommend living in an area with good schools (and I'd recommend that even if you had no daughters).
There is no shortage of Hispanic culture in Southern California though some places may have less of it.


School Performance Maps is a good start.


My gut feeling is your budget is OK.

Did you mean you want to rent for six months then buy? Or, something else? What did you mean by six months? Then what? It is important to know since you would probably want to not change schools again.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by SusieSunshine

OK...I am a single mother from the East coast, currently living outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. I have two daughters. I visited the area recently and am considering trying it out for a year.

I need a safe area...that said, I feel like I am safe here in Mexico...as long as bullets aren't firing too close to the house and my daughters will not be abducted or hurt, I'm good. We have shootouts and such, but they aren't directed at random people, so I guess I've gotten used to it.

I need a single story house because we have dogs and I have a bad leg. They bark when someone comes to the door or other dogs are barking and I don't want to be right up on someone who is going to be disturbed by that.

My daughter really enjoys the lifestyle here and wants to be in a Hispanic neighborhood...is that a good idea? I've heard both sides (bad crime and no crime) and am asking for your honest opinions for a somewhat sheltered white girl...haha.

Basically, I want to play tourist for 6 months or so while deciding what to do on a more permanent basis. Fortunately, I am in a position where this is possible without having to immediately search for employment and am trying to stay around $2500 a month for rent, but don't know what to allow for utilities, but am hoping to stay under $3000...is this realistic?

What I am looking for is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I would appreciate suggestions for areas and overall opinions on my plan/idea. I am a 30 something psychologist, if it matters.

Thanks in advance!

Hispanic-majority neighborhoods are everywhere in Southern California so you should have no trouble finding them. Some of the nicer ones are La Mirada, Whittier, and Norwalk (in LA County near OC).

[SusieSunshine]

Thanks.

By 6 months, I mean that I want to give it at least six months and then either stay and buy or decide that it isn't for us. May do a year, but at least 6 months before I make any big changes. I'm not overly concerned about schools during this period because I have been homeschooling anyway and will likely continue until the beginning of the next school year.

I will look at those areas. I have been told to stay away from the Hispanic neighborhoods there, but when I visited, I didn't see anything alarming so I was wondering if I just missed something or if it was okay.

I had someone recommend Palmdale...is that hotter since it is a bit out? I want the consistent weather in the 70's.

[Coldjensens]

Look at the better neighborhoods in Santa Ana. That will be the least expensive. If you stick to the fundamental schools, they are pretty decent. I only know a few of the fundamental schools John Muir elementary, Villa Middle School, Macarthur (Cannot remember whether that is middle or high). Segerstorom high is not bad. Even though some fundamlental schools do not have great overall test scroes, their top half is as good as most other school's top halfs. Just make certaint hat your kids are in the top half.


Orange and Fullerton are also both significantly hispanic and have OK schools.

In South County the neighborhoods are pristine and really safe, The schools a quite good, but they run creaming into the night with their arms waving wildlyin terror if they see a hispanic person (unless they can be assured that person has an income over $200,000)