A move back to Mission Viejo? Need some Help?! (Santa Ana: tax lien, apartment)

[doug25]

I lived in Mission Viejo in the mid 1980's and would certainly like to relocate back with my family. I am currently anticipating graduating with an Associates Degree in Accounting in the Spring of 2009. I have checked the job market and housing market, even foreclosures, bank/tax liens, and notice of defaults. I am married and have 2 kids (well, 3 in July), and was wondering if anyone could assist me on figuring out the monthly expenses(utilities), such as: Water, Power, Sewer, Oil, A/C, etc. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I do currently like in Pennsylvania in a small city of less then 10,000 pop. and there is nothing for my children, or me and my spouse to do; unless we want to drive 2-3 hours away. The school systems educational standards are well below avg. (averaging lower then a 70%-Math, and 40%-English on SchoolMatters - Home). Again, any assistance will be appreciated.

Thank You.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by doug25

I am currently anticipating graduating with an Associates Degree in Accounting in the Spring of 2009. I have checked the job market and housing market, even foreclosures, bank/tax liens, and notice of defaults. I am married and have 2 kids (well, 3 in July), and was wondering if anyone could assist me on figuring out the monthly expenses(utilities), such as: Water, Power, Sewer, Oil, A/C, etc. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

So you are going to move to Orange County and support a spouse and three kids and you already have the housing finances figured out? And all you are asking about are the comparative nickle and dime expenses? What do think you will be doing for work? Where? What do you think your housing budget will be (purchasing or renting)?

Depending on how close you are to the coast your electricity might be pretty cheap if you don't need Air Conditioning. Heating bills are only high in Dec-March but only a couple hours at night - not like the eastern US or midwest. Water and sewer aren't that expensive unless you do a lot of irrigation (which would most likely go along with a large lot).

Wild guess for your worst case (a hot August with A/C or a cold January) monthly utilities: $200-$300 per month in a standard 2000 sqft ranch style home.

[Axiom]

Originally Posted by doug25

The school systems educational standards are well below avg. (averaging lower then a 70%-Math, and 40%-English on SchoolMatters - Home).

Well, according to Morgan Quinto's 5th annual smartest state awards for 2006-2007 (not the final word by any means, but a pretty comprehensive 21 factor ranking system) California came in #47
(Pennsylvania was #10)

Granted those are overall rankings for the entire state.
Of course California has both bad and good schools, as does Pennsylvania.
The problem being that when you're already looking at one of the most expensive places in the nation to live (OC, California) and then you start limiting yourself to only areas with the best schools... well, you see where this is going, right?

Don't count on renting/buying something in the low to average price ranges if you want your kids to attend the best schools.

Sorry, I know that's not what you asked... just couldn't let the school comment go.

[missionhome]

Although I would admit California lags with educating the masses, the top students in California do very well. Granted, your child has to be in the advanced classes, but if they are, they will receive a good education. The Advanced Placement Program (known as AP) brings rigorous college level curriculum to the students. In May the students take the test for the class they are in (like AP Statistics, AP US History, AP Calculus BC, etc...) and try to score a 3-5 (5 is highest) to pass the test and get college credit. Many colleges (granted, top colleges/ competitive colleges mainly) look for these when admitting students and want to see AP or IB classes in their schedule.

California is ranked 8th in the nation for percentage of students that passed the AP Exams. So, if your child is going to take advanced classes in high school, do not fear, find a good school and your child will do fine. I you don't think they will go down an advanced route, then California is lagging in bringing everyone up to standard.

In Orange County though you will find many good schools with some areas that are big NO's (Santa Ana, Anaheim for example). Check the scores for the areas you are considering because many Orange County schools exceed our state's bad averages.

[doug25]

So you are going to move to Orange County and support a spouse and three kids and you already have the housing finances figured out? And all you are asking about are the comparative nickle and dime expenses? What do think you will be doing for work? Where? What do you think your housing budget will be (purchasing or renting)?

Yes, I have researched housing costs, very repeatedly. Also, where I currently live (Shamokin, pa) the school standards area low, of course every state will have it's good schools and bad schools-of course none area around my current location. However, my current location does not have the career field I desire. And as I stated above, my field will be Accounting. I have researched the cost of relocating as well, this isn't just some "I wanna move to CA." There are other reasons other then schooling-just because a school/state ranks high doesn't mean that it will guaranty a high quality student, there are many variables that go into effect, for example: the student themselves, family and natural environments that they are raised in play a key role. Also, for info purposes, a change of scenery, more "family"activities, and cultural diversity are some of the reasons for the relocation as well.
I have written the previous thread for some insight on the "other" costs of living in the stated area, I do appreciate the comments directed towards it.

[oc2nyc]

I am sure you have researched the housing expenses here in Orange County, and I hate to be rude but have you looked at the demographics? If you want to live in an area with a good school district out here you will pay for it. Most of the nicer areas have people that have graduated with a 4 year degree (B.A. or B.S.), so your competition may be more out here when it comes to getting a job. I am not sure that an AA would get you a job paying enough to support a family of five in an area with a good school district. I live in Los Alamitos, we have a very good school district, but owning a home here is very expensive. The average 3 bedroom, that is 50 years old, will cost you over $700,000. You may find a condo or town home for less, and that may be something for you to look into.
If I were you I would rent for awhile to see if it is affordable with the job you get. I have four children and I can tell you that even though they go to public school, I still pay quite a bit in fees and for activities. I am not trying to discourage you because we all have reasons for wanting to move. I am just saying that you should really prepare yourself for a very high cost of living.
Also, let me warn you that having a lot of things to do seems great but that gets expensive as well. Not every activity is free and as your kids get older they usually want to do activities that cost money.

[GirlsRUs]

Originally Posted by doug25

I lived in Mission Viejo in the mid 1980's and would certainly like to relocate back with my family. I am currently anticipating graduating with an Associates Degree in Accounting in the Spring of 2009. I have checked the job market and housing market, even foreclosures, bank/tax liens, and notice of defaults. I am married and have 2 kids (well, 3 in July), and was wondering if anyone could assist me on figuring out the monthly expenses(utilities), such as: Water, Power, Sewer, Oil, A/C, etc. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I do currently like in Pennsylvania in a small city of less then 10,000 pop. and there is nothing for my children, or me and my spouse to do; unless we want to drive 2-3 hours away. The school systems educational standards are well below avg. (averaging lower then a 70%-Math, and 40%-English on SchoolMatters - Home). Again, any assistance will be appreciated.

Thank You.

No disrespect, but an AA in Acounting (or anything else) will get you no where in California. Your AA may as well be in Liberal Arts! They are a dime a dozen, realistically. You'd need an MBA, to play with the big boys here. Just the harsh reality.

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by doug25

I lived in Mission Viejo in the mid 1980's and would certainly like to relocate back with my family. I am currently anticipating graduating with an Associates Degree in Accounting in the Spring of 2009. I have checked the job market and housing market, even foreclosures, bank/tax liens, and notice of defaults. I am married and have 2 kids (well, 3 in July), and was wondering if anyone could assist me on figuring out the monthly expenses(utilities), such as: Water, Power, Sewer, Oil, A/C, etc. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I do currently like in Pennsylvania in a small city of less then 10,000 pop. and there is nothing for my children, or me and my spouse to do; unless we want to drive 2-3 hours away. The school systems educational standards are well below avg. (averaging lower then a 70%-Math, and 40%-English on SchoolMatters - Home). Again, any assistance will be appreciated.

Thank You.

Doug, I think that living somewhere where there is economic OPPORTUNITY and OPPORTUNITY for you and your family is imperative. On the other hand, unless you have a very big nest egg (and maybe you do), it's going to be very hard relocating yourself and four other people (when your baby is born in July) and keeping up even a lower-middle class living standard on just one salary. While I think that most of the time, the people on these boards make it sound like everyone who lives in S. CA has to have Bill Gates' income to live there, I do think that there is some truth to it and you should take all of these posts with a grain of salt and really think about it before you move.

Doug, I think that an AA in accounting is an AWESOME start. Is it possible for you to keep building on that before you move? I realize that when you have a family, you want to get out there ASAP and start making money with your degree. Maybe if you can get employment in PA, and start gaining experience in the field and have the employer pay for you to earn your bachelor's, that might be a consideration. Really, it all has to do with economics. I don't know what you're working with (if you have money set aside, if you or your wife has an inheritance coming, or another financial vehicle elsewhere), but it's going to be mighty tough (and extremely stressful) to be consistently financially deprived. Maybe that is already the case there in PA, and you're willing to live on a very shoestring budget out in CA in hopes of more opportunity for you and your family. I can certainly understand that as well. Bottom line, just keep your wits about you as you're making your decision and I believe that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, Doug! Wishing all of you the very best.

P.S. - Doug, we lived in OC (Anaheim in the 80's). We moved back to NE OH right before we had kids in order for them to be with family growing up. I've looked at relocation and am still working on it. It gets harder the more your kids get entrenched in school and start growing up; you're always looking for a good time to make the transition, and there never seems to be a good time. We have two that are finishing up college and the others are still in school. Also, we're not that keen on living in an apartment again; in fact, for us, it's probably not even a remote possibility because we have a larger family. You need to really look into the cost of renting when you have three children. There really seems to be a lot to think about here.

I graduated with a B.S. Accounting (then went back to school for nursing in 1996; loved the science classes, hated the actual clinicals, dropped it, and have been an entrepreneur every since - LOL). I think that accounting is a good solid field that can take you on different roads. I think that if you can get a bachelor's before moving, you'd be better off...again, maybe you can't take it anymore in PA and hearing someone say this is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Again, really wishing all of you the very best in the future.

[Axiom]

Originally Posted by doug25

I have written the previous thread for some insight on the "other" costs of living in the stated area, I do appreciate the comments directed towards it.

Sorry, it's just that your original post said schools were important, while at the same time mentioning that you had researched foreclosures, bank/tax liens, and notice of defaults.
That, along with the fact that you will be a recent graduate with an AA and will be supporting a family led me to believe that moving to what was recently rated the least affordable market in a survey of 227 markets in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and USA might be a bit of a financial stretch for you, especially if you want to live within the attendance boundaries of a top school.
(Data from Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2008)

My bad


So, to address your original post re: other cost of living considerations:

My choices on this particular comparison calculator were limited for PA
Williamsport-Lycoming Co was the best I could do. Compared to Orange County CA....

In OC:

Utilities will cost 6.279% less
Healthcare will cost 19.962% more
Transportation will cost 19.675% more
Groceries will cost 33.919% more
Housing will cost 176.181% more

Is that the kind of information you were looking for?

[doug25]

I've found another place in Cali that seems more realistic, but I have to check it out more though-Perris, Menifee, and Lake Canyon. It's not the O.C., but with a relocation to Ca from PA, a coast to coast move is a lot and it seems like it would be more realistic outlook, and then maybe later a move to Mission Viejo. Plus, I work for lowes rdc and and they have a rdc in Perris. Plus, the housing market is a little bit less.