moving from NJ to job in Aliso Viejo - where to live? (Los Angeles: real estate, 2015)

[Not from around here]

Hi Everyone,

I'm considering a job in Aliso Viejo, I'd be relocating with my wife and two school-age kids, elementary school, and middle school, so public schools are a factor (but not the only factor). Also, our family is multi-racial (White, Vietnamese, and Hispanic - it's a long story... ) so diversity is a positive too, although it seems like just about anywhere in OC will have diversity vs. most parts of the country.

Our housing budget is ~$725k max (need at least 3BR), I'm thinking Aliso Viejo/Mission Viejo but am concerned that if something ever happens with this Aliso Viejo job then I'd be stuck in south OC with a long commute to anywhere else, is that right? (I work in Marketing). If this is the case, maybe something north of AV is best, I'd appreciate your thoughts, thanks in advance for your input.

NFAH

[pacific2]

You should be fine if buy a home anywhere either in Aliso, or in nearby Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, or Rancho Santa Margarita. They are all very close to one another and more affordable than greatly overpriced Irvine.

I don't quite understand the concern about being stuck in South County with a long commute elsewhere if you lose your job, because if you currently work in Aliso and buy a home far away in say, some spot very close to LA instead of South County, you'll have a long commute.

Check Redfin.com. Currently, there are only about 12 SFR's in AV fitting your criteria, so it definitely pays to be flexible and look at houses in surrounding communities.

Real Estate Search | Redfin

BTW, you'll see this home on the list above for AV, but it's actually an older (IMHO overpriced) condo, not a SFR:

75 ABBEYWOOD Ln, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 | MLS# OC13095296 | Redfin

Ditto this (older overpriced condo):
24866 VIA SAN RAFAEL, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 | MLS# OC13234898 | Redfin

BTW, if you were to lose the Aliso job and then found another in nearby Newport Beach or Irvine, you would not have a long commute.

[Electrician4you]

Rent for the first year while you get acclimated. House prices can go down because sure as hell they aren't going up right now. It will give you time to look and pick the RIGHT house in the RIGHT area fitting YOUR needs rather than just being under the gun to get in something and overpaying to get in it. Renting will also give you the time to learn the area and traffic patterns.

[pacific2]

Actually, OC housing prices are projected to go up in 2014, but far more modestly than in 2013:

Orange County economy expected to accelerate through 2015 - Los Angeles Times
Orange County's better-than-expected job growth is expected to continue to drive the region's housing recovery, according to a UCLA report.
April 02, 2013|By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times

Orange County's economy — a standout in Southern California — is expected to accelerate through 2015, as the region's better-than-expected job growth drives the county's housing recovery, according to a UCLA report released Tuesday.

[Not from around here]

Originally Posted by pacific2

I don't quite understand the concern about being stuck in South County with a long commute elsewhere if you lose your job, because if you currently work in Aliso and buy a home far away in say, some spot very close to LA instead of South County, you'll have a long commute.

Pacific2, thank you for your helpful comments. My thinking on being stuck in South County is simply that, if I want to look at working somewhere else say five years from now, will I have relatively few choices given that there is really nothing to the south of me and that getting anywhere toward LA could set me up for nasty traffic? I realize I'm probably overthinking this, sometimes it's better to float your ideas in front of strangers on an internet message board because people will actually tell you you're crazy (as opposed to friends, who may say "yeah, well, um, that makes sense I guess." So if my thinking is off here, please let me know,thanks!

[DinsdalePirahna]

Aliso is a great place for families, although I find it to be a bit bland for my tastes.
Commute times are a bear around here, and the closer you are to your office, the more enjoyment you will get in living in CA.

[Cheektowaga_Chester]

Originally Posted by Not from around here

My thinking on being stuck in South County is simply that, if I want to look at working somewhere else say five years from now, will I have relatively few choices given that there is really nothing to the south of me and that getting anywhere toward LA could set me up for nasty traffic?

Unless you know more than I do about the demand for your specific occupation, I'm thinking the opposite. South OC has a high density of professional jobs. There are lots of companies here. I think it is an excellent place for someone to live as there are many "Plan B" opportunities throughout.

[pacific2]

I see what you are saying, but given the realities of traffic in this area, if you move to Fullerton (North OC), for example, to be closer to the LA job market, you are faced with a commute down to Aliso each morning. I don't know how long that would take, but Southbound 5 traffic seems to be heavy in the AM. The PM commute back home could be hellish if you leave the office at 5PM.

Also, while Orange County is no LA in terms of job concentration, and I don't know what prospects are like here in the marketing field, I suspect that most people who live in this county also work here; and mostly manage to do continue to so with job/career changes.

Some, of course, do move to LA if a new job is there, depending upon its location, since LA County is so spread-out.

You have to do what makes you comfortable, but personally, if I could just roll out of bed here in Aliso and be at the job in a few minutes; and then get home for lunch, I would do it.

Who knows? You might be with the same company in 5 years, or decide to move to another one in OC, or LA. It's not an easy decision.

[pacific2]

Again, I don't know about prospects in your particular field, but as someone else mentioned, there are a lot of companies in Orange County.

Irvine has about 225,000 people and is one of OC's main job centers. Additionally, there are a number of companies in Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Anaheim. So, you should have choices.

Aliso Viejo is very small (7.5 sq. miles; 48,000 people), but it alone has the following (tech) companies and it's also headquarters for a number of corporations.

Quest Software (now owned by Dell)

Smith Micro

Microsemi Corporation

Telogis Inc

3Tera

Gaikai (recently acquired by Microsoft)

UST Global

Information Management Resources, Inc. (IMRI)

Net Applications

USweb.com

Corent

Silvertrac Software Inc

Alternative Technology Solutions

LAN International

Carrington Technology Solutions

A few other companies with a presence in Aliso include, among others:

Nolet Spirits USA (headquarters) Ketel One Vodka- (The drunkards don't live in Aliso, they are in Huntington Beach, CA's DUI Capital)

Marriott (Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo)

Fluor

UPS

Pepsi

Pacific Life

[Joe Van Fossen]

If you're in marketing and open to multiple industries, you should be fine in South OC. There are a lot of companies in the surrounding cities and plenty more 15-30 minutes up the 5 Freeway from the area. The above mentioned cities of Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills/Niguel, RSM, etc. could all work. You could easily get a nice 3-4 bedroom home in any of those places within your budget.