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Old 04-07-2013, 07:36 PM
 
Location: Amelia Island
20 posts, read 54,105 times
Reputation: 20

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Hello,

My husband is considering a position in Fullerton and I was wondering what his communte would be like if we lived in Newport Beach. He would be leaving the house around 5:30am and heading home around 5pm. I have heard that he would be heading in the opposite direction of the usual traffic.

I was also wondering if you think Newport Beach is affordable for a couple in their 50's with no children making $120,000 a year. We would rent for a year or two and then maybe purchase a town house or condo.

Thanks!!!
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Old 04-07-2013, 08:09 PM
 
880 posts, read 1,411,728 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dgeejay View Post
Hello,

My husband is considering a position in Fullerton and I was wondering what his communte would be like if we lived in Newport Beach. He would be leaving the house around 5:30am and heading home around 5pm. I have heard that he would be heading in the opposite direction of the usual traffic.

I was also wondering if you think Newport Beach is affordable for a couple in their 50's with no children making $120,000 a year. We would rent for a year or two and then maybe purchase a town house or condo.

Thanks!!!
Traffic is better going to Fullerton than going South in the PM. It will still be crowded as traffic from the 405 will be headed North to the 91.

Newport is not inexpensive compared to Fullerton, but you should be able to find something to rent. If you are buying, that may change your circumstances. Any reason not to live in Fullerton? I have lived in both areas.
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Old 04-07-2013, 08:27 PM
 
Location: Amelia Island
20 posts, read 54,105 times
Reputation: 20
I have heard that there are lovely areas in Fullerton. Any suggestions...or other areas? I just thought the beach would be fun. We are finally empty nesters! I would love to live in a town home or condo where we could walk to some restaurants and shops. Being able to walk or bike to the beach would be a dream come true. I saw what looked like a great rental at Promontory Point. It also looks like you can find a condo or town house in teh $500-600K range. Having been a realtor back east, I am still quite aware of HOAs.
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Old 04-07-2013, 08:38 PM
 
Location: LA/OC
1,083 posts, read 2,163,376 times
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One of my favorite areas in Fullerton is near Ford Park. There are a lot of historic homes around there, built in the 20s. It's walking/biking distance from downtown Fullerton--some nice mom and pop shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. With up to $600K you can afford a nice little bungalow in the neighborhood, but unfortunately there's nothing on the market at this time.

You can probably find a nice rental in Newport Beach too, but you won't get as much bang for your buck down there--I suppose that's a fair trade for beach living.
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Old 04-08-2013, 09:17 AM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,707 posts, read 79,510,165 times
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Promontory Point is not at the beach. It is near the bay (aka Newport harbor). It is a really long walk to the beach, you can ride a bicycle though. In fact, to Balboa beach it would usually be faster to ride a bike than to drive.

Depending on where you live in Newport the commute may or may not be tolerable to you. When I lived in Balboa Villiage (at the beach) I could make it to work in Orange in 22 minutes most days. Fullerton is only a little bit further (depending on where in Fullerton you are going). However in the summer, it usually took me an hour to an hour and a half to get home. In the winter, I could be home in half an hour to 45 minutes most days. Friday is the worst.

Fullerton is nice, especially up in the hilly part. There are not nice parts of Fullerton, but they are easy enough to avoid and they are not horrible, just not nice.

Another option: Old town Orange is one of the neatest places to live in OC and really close to Fullerton. You might also look at Irvine if you like that kind of lifestyle.


Living at the beach is really neat. It is super to be able to go for a walk on the beach and watch the sunset every night. However life right at the beach is crowded, crazy and loud - especially in the summer. Weekends can be crazy and you will find that if you leave (for example to go to Home depot, or Costco, you may as well just stay away for the whole day. you will also find friends reluctant to visit you on weekends because of the traffic and parking issues. It is not all peaches and cream, but living at the beach is wonderful and at least for a while, worth it.
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Old 05-03-2013, 11:43 PM
 
Location: Amelia Island
20 posts, read 54,105 times
Reputation: 20
Thanks Coldjensens....I see you are in Michigan. Our daughter is working at The Palace in Auburn Hills. A dream job for a 24 year old...but not exactly her dream city. Fortunately, she loves her job and friends. I think MI is beautiful and hope she has the opportunity to get to some of the Lakes over the summer. I appreciate your advice. Since we plan to rent before buying...being at the beach seems like a great adventure for recent empty nesters My only fear is the challenge in making friends. It's tough without children being the icebreaker!!! When we lived in San Francisco, I did quite a bit of volunteer work with the Symphony and other organizations. I hope to find a fit in NB.
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Old 05-04-2013, 01:57 AM
 
3,852 posts, read 12,842,853 times
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You can't afford newport beach on 120k, You'll need 200k.

Also make sure you well research the area, NB is a known party city. Especially if you are close to the beach, also parking is nearly non-existent. NB is a nice place to visit on vacation but as far as living there - avoid. Only live there if you are in a gated community or some other restricted area.
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Old 05-05-2013, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Amelia Island
20 posts, read 54,105 times
Reputation: 20
Really? We have zero debt, are empty nesters and have been able to but aside for retirement. We are not in the market for a big showy house, just a comfortable 2 bed/2 bath townhouse/condo. There will be bonuses and 401K match program to add to retirement on top of what we put aside. I plan to get a part time job to keep busy once we settle in.
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Old 05-06-2013, 12:09 AM
 
Location: LA/OC
1,083 posts, read 2,163,376 times
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Rents can be high and it's increasingly tough to find a 2-bedroom for under $600K in NB. Though, with $120K/yr and zero debt, I think it's doable. If living close to the beach is a your dream and you can afford it, why not? Just make sure you check out the area thoroughly before committing.

To Killer2021's point, I have a friend who was very excited about moving to his new NB apartment several months back. He's been ready to move right out since his first month there. Too many loud drunks in his complex. Constant partying and the occasional drunk banging down his door thinking it was their own. By contrast, I recently did an open house at a $2.5M Lido Isle property. It's a great, family-friendly and quiet community. Those are just two extreme examples though. There are a lot of areas in-between.

Newport Beach is a great city and very nice place to live, but you just have to live in the area that suits your lifestyle best.
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Old 05-06-2013, 06:49 AM
 
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
5,888 posts, read 12,964,971 times
Reputation: 3973
You'll get better bang for your buck in Huntington Beach, but even condo prices are on the rise.

The commute from HB or NB to Fullerton will take about 45 minutes.
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