Best/Worst HOAs in OC? (Irvine, Costa Mesa: cul-de-sac, home owners insurance, crime)

[LagunaMom]

What are the most progressive, least offensive HOAs in OC and the most repressive? Particularly interested in south OC. You can include the 55+ communities.

[LordOfTheCars]

I only heard horror stories, I bought a real house without an HOA.

[LagunaMom]

That's what I'd like to do, but we've got a small budget ($300k or so tops), and we'd prefer to be where the air is clean (aka near the ocean and not in a valley). Our son and his family are in Dana Point, we've been going to Laguna since the '70s, and we own a family restaurant in San Clemente, so we'd prefer to be in south OC, which, of course, is HOA-land.

[LordOfTheCars]

I live in the country, my spot set me back $50k, my property taxes are $250 a year.

I still work and pulled $99,600 last year. I came here $42,000 in the red.

Today I have no morgage, My home owners insurance is about $1000.00 yearly covers relacement.

Total utilities... Water, Electricity, Sewer, Gas and trash is at $200 a month average.

Other than that it's cars, food, phone and fun.

I am now $30K in the black.

This was done in 4 years... To make the difference all I did was leave California, Wish I would have done that 52 years ago when I was 2. That's when pop got out of the Navy and settled there.

I have also bought 1 collectors car, A Ford F-250 Super Duty truck and 3 daily driver type cars. Made improvements to the property and furnished the place.

[LagunaMom]

We want the cool weather (the heat's a bummer the older you get) and to be near the kid and grandkids on a regular basis, not to mention the fresh ocean air. The time's going to come in which it gets too hard to travel.
Not happy about the chance for large quakes, landslides, brush fires, and floods, plus the incredibly overpriced housing and the miserable traffic. Got a 4 bedroom, 1 3/4 ba house in AZ with no mortgage and on a cul-de-sac. All electric. Still, my grandbabies are 6 hours away, and we want to see them grow up, and not just every once-in-awhile. Not much of a choice. Family's the most important thing.

[LordOfTheCars]

My folks died, I had the only grand kids till 4 years ago.

The air here is clean(I live in the sticks.).

The house prices are good.

I heard a mention of an earth quake. felt nothing.

We have tornados, There was a house lost on my block to one. There were 3 of them, the straight line winds were over 200 MPH. My house is still here, we did have to do a roof, the insurance covered it.

I had my Josey Wales moment, I live among the Comanche and Apache tribes, One of them made a threat to run us out, I told him he must not know who I am(I have a dark secret.). That was 4 and a half years ago, he's gone and I am still here. Now no one raises an eyebrow, we are a part of this place. I live at the end of "The Trail of Tears" AKA known as American shame.

Today we are part of the community, no one raises an eyebrow and we now pass un-noticed.

I work 42 miles away, I can get there in 35 minutes. Try that in CA.

I am getting ready to call it in and work at home on my own business. I manufacture a line of Radio Control airplane kits out of a home shop. Most of it is automated equipment I built myself. sort of a semi retirement. I have some health issues myself and I am eligable for 100% disablity and well as health covered by the VA.

So at this point I will be teching the business to my 8 year old, he now has a serious intrest in R/C flight and I will expand in to small UAVs. He will be set to live out here. My daighter wants to go back to the big city, I don't think she will like it when she has to pay her way... we figure she will come back if she goes.

[LordOfTheCars]

As for me, I look back... I have a sister living in my old home I grew up in, My parents rented it out when they moved to Mississippi... She is moving to Idaho with her husband and son.

I look back at California and all I see is the loss...

The places I liked to go and things I like to do as a child are gone.

The neighborhood I grew up in is no longer crime free, My pop took his car to the car wash 1 block away and it was stolen at the exit of the machinery.

The signs are fewer in English and more in Spanish...

Gangs are there now, slowly they have been getting a foothold...

When I grew up this city did not have a police department, now it has one and a courthouse to go with it.

This is a city in L.A. county not far from the north O.C. border.

When I have those moments of did I make the right move I look to see what life is like there and I have a chuckle and say "glad I'm here".

I still get the people I met when I moved here asking if I am ready to go back, so many have... I say No, there is nothing there I want to go back to... The one thing I may do is load up my son and go see a few of the better things in L.A. and possibly the O.C. I want to wait until he is 12 and go to the Griffith Park Observatory, take in The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, Knott's and Disneyland and stay in the old house fir that week or two. Do it in the off season.

I also want to get some damned decent Italian food darn it. The 3 places I like to eat at are gone.. Antonucci's(Newort Beach), Ricco's(Irvine) and Calentino's(Costa Mesa, Mrs. Calentino had been there since 1969 and closed up in 2008.) I will have to locate a new place there, It seems nonexistent here.

Also I have not seen a mongolian BBQ since I left... There are 2 good ones in Costa Mesa.(there were when I left.)

Imagine living 45 miles away from the closest Starbucks. (Oh the horror! )

[TimTheEnchanter]

Originally Posted by LordOfTheCars

I live in the country, my spot set me back $50k, my property taxes are $250 a year.
I still work and pulled $99,600 last year. I came here $42,000 in the red.
Today I have no morgage, My home owners insurance is about $1000.00 yearly covers relacement.
Total utilities... Water, Electricity, Sewer, Gas and trash is at $200 a month average.
Other than that it's cars, food, phone and fun.
I am now $30K in the black.
This was done in 4 years... To make the difference all I did was leave California, Wish I would have done that 52 years ago when I was 2. That's when pop got out of the Navy and settled there.
I have also bought 1 collectors car, A Ford F-250 Super Duty truck and 3 daily driver type cars. Made improvements to the property and furnished the place.

There is a reason all the Oakies moved to CA and none have moved back,

Oklahoma might be your idea of nirvana, but not many peoples.

[Fontucky]

Jeeze... the lady, who owns a business in South OC, is asking about finding a place to live there and Cochise here rattles on about some place in flyover country for four posts. Take it where it ain't off topic, dufus.

[LagunaMom]

I guess hubby and I could skip either camping (summer/early fall) or staying with my son's family (the rest of the year) and sleep in our family's little SC restaurant, instead. LOL