Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, or San Juan Capistrano - best for family with active young teens (Orange: credit)

[HomeboundOC]

Hi!
We will be moving to the area from BC, Canada. We have 3 kids - 11, 14, and 16 (and 3 dogs) and want to find an area with other kids and lots of stuff for them to do. The kids are very active - soccer, softball, rock climbing, track and field, etc. The schools all seem to be pretty good and the areas are nice - from an outsiders perspective. We are looking for a home between $900K - $1million. We found homes we like in Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills and San Juan Capistrano but want to get some inside info. We are looking for something close to activities for the kids and family- friendly. Must be easy to get around and no mello roos.

Should we rule one out over the other? Why is one better? Is there something we are missing? We haven't lived or really visited there so we are wide open to suggestions.

Thanks!

[guitarsarebeautiful]

MV is on one side of the freeway, LH is on the other, SJC is south of both. Otherwise not much difference between the 3.

Lots of activities for the kiddos.

Although I find getting around MV and LH much easier than SJC. (More side streets as options to get around traffic).

[TimTheEnchanter]

Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo, west of the 5 Freeway would be my first picks, then Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch and Rancho Santa Margarita on the east side of the 5.

[rsmfan]

I'd look at the areas and see what you think. They would all be suitable. But sometimes there's specific things you would like if you looked. I chose RSM, although similar to other suburbia, my neighborhood backs up to federal owned national forest land. Of course a forest in southern CA is different than one in BC, but I've loved hiking the canyons and trails and having it close by. I'd say let your heart get involved a little too, and you can do that by looking.

[pacific2]

Both Aliso Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita ranked high on this list, but you'd actually be fine just about anyplace in South County. Also, South County cities are close to one another that people commonly shop, dine, etc. in neighboring communities all the time.

3 California Cities Make Family Friendly Top 20
Posted on September 21, 2016
http://www.kabc.com/2016/09/21/3-cal...iendly-top-20/

Two cities in Orange County and one in l-a county made it on to Wallethub’s top 20 Best California municipalities in which to raise a family …. Aliso Viejo ranked sixth out of 240 cities …. Manhattan Beach came in at 11th place … and Rancho Santa Margarita placed 13th. The rankings were based on such categories as “family life and fun” … “education, health and safety” … “affordability” … and “socioeconomic environment.

[saibot]

Almost anything built in south OC after 1990 is going to have mello roos--which means many, many houses you will see have them. Saying you will not accept a mello roos tax is really going to limit your search to the oldest homes in the area. Mello roos are a flat tax, not based on the price of the house, and they eventually go away. For instance, some developments in my city of Rancho Santa Margarita have already lost their mello roos, and mine will expire in 2019.

[pacific2]

Regarding Mello-Roos, it was announced about two years ago that many of us would no longer have to pay it after 09/16:
School district tax to end for thousands in Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo - The Orange County Register

Also, the OC Auditor-Controller sent a letter out in August, 2016, to homeowners in 9 Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), informing us that the bonds for these districts had been paid in full several years ago. The CFDs are being dissolved.

Homeowners in each of the nine districts below may receive a one time credit on the 2016-2017 tax bill:

• 86-2 Rancho Santa Margarita
• 87-1 Dimension Business Park
• 87-2 Portola Hills
• 87-3 Mission Viejo
• 87-6 Baker Ranch
• 87-7 Los Alisos
• 87-9 Santa Teresita
• 88-1 Aliso Viejo
• 88-2 Lomas Laguna

Nevertheless, some developments, both new and old, still have special assessments. You can easily check them out by entering the address at the OC Tax Assessor's site:

County of Orange - Treasurer-Tax Collector