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Old 07-28-2014, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Placentia, OC
1,487 posts, read 1,778,377 times
Reputation: 691

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I went there this weekend and it looks like something out of a postcard or family sitcom! Super nice, great and normal families and the place is immaculate.

Tell me why i should not move the family there?!
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Old 07-28-2014, 11:14 AM
 
298 posts, read 624,011 times
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No reason not to move at all. Ladera Ranch is a great place to live and raise a family.
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Old 07-28-2014, 11:51 AM
 
699 posts, read 1,336,791 times
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It's a nice community indeed. Beautifully landscaped and a nice selection of homes.

Close relative used to live there; here are some observations:

- Getting home from the 5 can be a time-suck.

-Many of the folks who bought in LR are realtors or deeply connected to RE. The neighborhood seems to be more impacted by the RE cycle than surrounding south OC nabes.

- The neighborhood shopping area has been a revolving door. They lost Pacific Whey bakery, one of the finest OC bakeries around (other location is in Newport Beach). Word is property management is a PITA and rents are higher than market.

- Mello Roos and HOA fees combined are awfully high.

If you're after this sort of feel, you might consider Northpark in Irvine, which is more centrally located, has lower overall MR and HOA fees, plus multiple walkable shopping centers.
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Old 07-28-2014, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Placentia, OC
1,487 posts, read 1,778,377 times
Reputation: 691
i work in Mission Viejo, bit inland, so wont even use the five

i did get a RE feel about the place and did notice that HOA and Mellow Roos were not cheap

i'll take a look at Northpark too ..thanks
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Old 07-28-2014, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Laguna Niguel, Orange County CA
9,810 posts, read 11,048,011 times
Reputation: 7995
Honestly Infinite, when you consider:

No Mello Roos
Wide streets
Quick access to the beach
Cooler temperatures
Better sized lots for SFRs

I think your family would do better (as compared to LR) in each above category in Laguna Niguel.

That said, there is nothing wrong with Ladera Ranch if you have kids. It is clean area, albeit a very sheltered one. But who can honestly say sheltered is bad if you have kids? Good luck.
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Old 07-28-2014, 12:48 PM
 
699 posts, read 1,336,791 times
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Ladera is charming because it is walkable with generous common areas beautifully landscaped.

Laguna Niguel doesn't have a community that mimics Ladera; most of it was built out in the 1980's and the planning is the epitome of that area. Lots of cul-de-sacs and generous home/lot sizing, which limits walkability because of sparsity - also common areas are sacrificed in favor of larger lots. Nothing wrong with this at all - many folks prefer larger homes and lots - it's just not as attractive at the community level, more at the home level.

Irvine would mostly be a reverse commute to MV, with return traffic stopping up around Culver. You'd also have a better long term job situation being in Irvine vs. south county.

You can also look at Baker Ranch for new housing, but it isn't walkable nor planned in the manner/scale of Ladera Ranch.
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Old 07-28-2014, 12:51 PM
 
Location: Placentia, OC
1,487 posts, read 1,778,377 times
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I really like Laguna Niguel but ...

I visited a few open houses in Laguna Niguel. The houses are pretty old and i noticed compared to my new house that they have low ceilings, lots of walls, and overall pretty poor condition. From the outside they looked nice so i was pretty surprised.
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Old 07-28-2014, 01:02 PM
 
Location: Dana Point
1,224 posts, read 1,813,898 times
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Ladera is nice. But since you're asking about negatives...

- Further from freeway
- Further from beach (than other communities)
- Lack of shopping options (you'll be going to MV a lot)
- High MR, HOA
- Postage stamp lots (not a bad thing if you don't like doing yardwork)
- Lots of high density construction in some areas (which makes street parking a pain)
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Old 07-28-2014, 01:02 PM
 
699 posts, read 1,336,791 times
Reputation: 194
Quote:
Originally Posted by infinitekid View Post
I really like Laguna Niguel but ...

I visited a few open houses in Laguna Niguel. The houses are pretty old and i noticed compared to my new house that they have low ceilings, lots of walls, and overall pretty poor condition. From the outside they looked nice so i was pretty surprised.
Yeah, be prepared to gut that Laguna Niguel home. Two relatives purchased in LN in the past 6 months, two complete interior remodels. Both weren't cheap either. I went on a few of the realtor runs and that situation is all too common.

I've observed there's a solid crusty contingent of original LN purchases, and turnover has traditionally been rare in the city, which limits the number of remodels. LN folks are largely content to stay in place; AV's mello roos have been a turn off, MV is too hot, Dana Point is spotty, SJC is too far/hot, Laguna Beach is too pricey. So it's a goldilocks sort-of-deal for the Laguna Niguelians.
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Old 07-28-2014, 01:48 PM
 
Location: Placentia, OC
1,487 posts, read 1,778,377 times
Reputation: 691
The houses in Laguna Niguel are expensive despite their condition. Once you pay for that pricey home which needs MAJOR renovation then you're asking yourself what you've gotten yourself into. Now i havent looked at a ton of houses there so i'm just basing it on a few houses ive seen.

also you cannot really renovate things like square footage and low ceilings..not practically speaking anyways.
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