Aliso Viejo v Laguna Hills (Santa Ana, Irvine: house, neighborhood, high school)

[3taplow]

Where does this English family move to from Texas? 2 teenagers + a 10 year old.

Narrowed it to AV or LH ... but which one? Work is in Irvine and Santa Ana

Thank you

[pacific2]

It really depends upon your preferences. Do you want an older community, or a newer one? Would it bother you to live in a very densely populated area like Aliso? What is your budget? Given the realities of today's market, are you sure you don't want to throw Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel into the mix for consideration?

[Joe Van Fossen]

Aside from the differences mentioned above (old/new, densely populated), Aliso Niguel and Laguna Hills are fairly similar in their proximity to Irvine/Santa Ana and offer a lot of similar amenities, good schools, etc. If housing affordability is a consideration, you might find a few more affordable options in Aliso Viejo--this is just going by the current inventory of 4 bedroom homes in both areas. Both are great cities for a family, as are the cities pacific2 brought up as well.

[Coldjensens]

This is kind of like asking whether you prefer fermented grape juice or wine. More important than which of the two towns your house is within the borders of, is which house do you like better.

For these two communities and about a half dozen others there is not enough difference between them to make a difference. The selection process is really about finding the house and neighborhood you like best.

[BuckeyeAtHeart]

One big difference between AV and LH is the size of the high school servicing each. AV is in Capo district and LH is in Saddleback if that makes a difference to you.