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I like your attitude. Every place has its downsides, but you only live once, so you have to go for it, follow your dreams, so you don't have to live with a "what if," for the rest of your life.
Yes, Laguna Beach is crowded, Yes, it's hard to commute, Yes, you will have a small apartment, but the average house is $1,000,000+ for a reason: its an amazing place to live. If less crowded, more centrally located places (Irvine etc...) where better places to live then Laguna, the houses wouldn't be going for half the cost they are in Laguna.
Here is a 2 bed/1 bath apartment steps from the beach, with an ocean view deck for $2300: ***** LAGUNA BEACH ***** Ocean Side of PCH ***** (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2867056188.html - broken link). I can't promise it's spacious, but I'm sure its a fair trade off with that location.
Here is another 2 bed/1 bath place for $1850: 2 BR 1 BA Apt Laguna Beach (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2867717734.html - broken link)
Here is a charming looking 2 bedroom cottage for $2000: Great Laguna Beach House (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2863656237.html - broken link)
Here is a tiny 4 bedroom place off Laguna Canyon Road for $2240: Laguna Beach 4bd Country Atmosphere near Art School & Boys & GirlsClub (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2840587077.html - broken link)
Here is a 2 bedroom place in North Laguna near a great beach, and walking distance to downtown for $1750: Light& bright pet friendly laguna beach (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2839952982.html - broken link)
Here is a fully furnished 2 bedroom place with a deck and ocean view for $2495: Laguna Beach with Ocean View (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/apa/2802893069.html - broken link)
If it is any concern of yours, be aware that any apartment near PCH will have traffic noise from 6 am until at least 10 pm. When I was right on PCH, it was unbearable but again, that may not concern you.
Those are some nice options posted above. Be sure to give them Reps.
Laguna Beach is a neat palce to live, but go into it raslitically. No pace is all wonderful.
As noted Laguna is crowded. There is no parking. If your rental does not have two spaces at least, you will have a problem. When people come to visit you, they will nto be able to find parking and will give up and go home - if they even get into the town before they give up from the traffic. Getting in and out is hell unless you are on a bicycle. It is very hilly and there are no yards for most of the homes in town. Streets are very trafficky. Loads of tourists who start at you and stare in your windows if you are anywhere near a main drag. Laguna is very very gay if that bothers you. I am straight, but i got hit on by gays pretty much every day when I lived there. It annyoed me at frst. Later it became funny
Laguna public schools are very good.
Laguna is very expensive to live in, the cost of housing is only the beginning.
Winter traffic is lighter, but it is still difficult to get to and from.
There are some great beaches for diving in Laguna. Lots of authors, movie and TV actors and producers live in Laguna.
There is a really neat beach just noth on PCH that has tide pools full of neat sea creatures during low tide.
If you bike, the hills will get you into good shape quickly. Suth Laguna is a lot cheaper and you can walk or ride a bike into town. I was able to live in a condo right on the beach in South Laguna. It was wonderful.
The quality of the neighborhood and school district, crime level, and proximity to recreational facilities is more important, and Laguna Beach has that covered.
You will be spending less time doing maintenance, and more time with the family.
Also living in an apartment you will be more inclined to go out and do activities. Kids will probably spend less time sitting on the couch and watching TV.
I chose a condo in a nice city instead of a home in a less desirable city.
Wow! I really appreciate all of these replies. Great insight. To the poster wondering if my post was on the level--it is! We love Laguna Beach and want to live there. Housing prices in Chicago burbs are not cheap, true. We bought a house in 2006 for 320,000. We rented it out 2 years ago and have the mortgage covered. We lived with my in laws for 1 year to save money for a down payment on another house (we also have dreams of being house flippers). We bought our current house (a short sale) for 230,000. When we bought the short sale, we thought maybe we would try to flip it in a couple of years for a down payment on something in Laguna. Or if my husband got a great job offer there we would just rent out our 2nd house too. I am telling the truth, I swear. I could write a pretty interesting book about living with my in laws!
I'm sure you're not serious about flipping a house in the next couple of years. 10-15 years maybe
Keep in mind that Laguna Beach isn't the greatest place to be commuting from. Its not close to any freeways and the only routes in or out of town are very crowded, especially in the summer.
I know a LOT of people who live/have lived in Laguna. (And I've spent time commuting from there myself when house-sitting for a relative.) You adjust. If you love Laguna, you adjust.
The only horrendous time is when Laguna Canyon Road is closed because of flooding.
Still in the Chi burbs, and we have been applying for jobs. It's tough to get a bite from out of state.
Unless you have some job skills that are rare and in demand, its going to be tough. Employers can be very selective given the high unemployment rate.
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