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Old 07-10-2018, 02:22 PM
 
18 posts, read 17,226 times
Reputation: 16

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So I've been reading the forum to get ideas about locations, and thought I should post here seeking your advice.

We plan to move from a Chicago suburb to SoCal, particularly the Orange County area. It has been 15 years since I lived in LA, and would like to see the beach again, and not snow 4-5 months of the year. A few details about us:
- In my mid-late 30, will be moving with my wife, my toddler, and an infant (by that time)
- Budget 1.5M
- Looking for 2000-2500sqft, 3-4 bedrooms, 2-3 baths, a garage, and a small-ish garden, newer construction
- Good school district
- Safe neighborhood
- We are interested in Vietnamese food/market, so a good proximity to those would be great. Thinking within 20-30 min drive, but not right next to it, as those areas could be quite ... complicated.
- Does not have to be right next to the beach, but within 20-30min drive should be nice. I am not that active, don't care about beach bars/parties and the associated young adult behavior. Just like strolling on the beach itself.
- Do not care about nightlife, the kids would suck the energy out of us by then But prefer to not live among retirees, which is where we are right now. Kinda boring for the kids I would think.
- Telecommute, so no restriction in term of proximity to work.

After perusing the forum, I feel Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach are the good choices.
- Huntington Beach has the right combo of price and location, although it does not seem to be promoted much in the posts that I read, not sure why.
- Newport Beach: ultimately would be best, but afraid might be too expensive for my budget and needs. Please correct if I am wrong. Wonder if not having to be on the beach helps with the cost a bit.
- Irvine: I can't imagine what "cookie-cutter" is, but people associated it with Irvine quite a bit. And not sure if too expensive.
- Not sure about Long Beach, Seal Beach, and Costa Mesa

Related questions:
- About the beach cities: would it be still a good idea to live in beach cities but not right next to the beach? Aka, how much of the desirability of these cities own to the beach itself?
- How bad is HOA in SoCal? In term of fee, and how draconian they can be. Not a thing in the midwest area where we currently live.
- Do all of these cities have (at least small) downtown area to stroll around?
- Older vs. newer houses: anything we should pay attention to? How old is "old"? Don't want to fix it the min we move in.
- We are flexible in moving time. Is there a good month to buy in term of house availability / cost?

Sorry for the long post! Kinda nervous about the move, so have many questions. Hope this will our house for a long time, where we watch our kids grow up.
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Old 07-10-2018, 02:27 PM
 
Location: Paranoid State
13,044 posts, read 13,801,844 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vietlam View Post

- Budget 1.5M
A down-payment of $1.5M should give you a number of good alternatives from which to choose.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vietlam View Post
- Good school district
- Safe neighborhood
Once... just once... I'd like to see someone post that they are looking for an awful school district in a dangerous neighborhood.
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Old 07-10-2018, 03:29 PM
 
18 posts, read 17,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SportyandMisty View Post
A down-payment of $1.5M should give you a number of good alternatives from which to choose.


Once... just once... I'd like to see someone post that they are looking for an awful school district in a dangerous neighborhood.
Appreciate the response!

Believe me, my wife would not let me get away with making any kind of priority list without those 2, no matter how "default" they are by this point.

And just to clarify, $1.5M is our total budget (cash), not just the down payment. We have saved that much for the house, we know it might not be much for the area, but prefer not to have a mortgage on our shoulders going forward.
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Old 07-10-2018, 05:57 PM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,648,212 times
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It sounds like Irvine might fit the bill, but minus the downtown.

https://www.redfin.com/city/9361/CA/...marks=backyard

"Cookie-cutter" refers to the mostly faux-Mediterranean lookalike housing style so very prevalent here in OC from about Irvine down to most of South County.

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Old 07-10-2018, 06:39 PM
 
3,437 posts, read 3,264,160 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vietlam View Post
$1.5M is our total budget (cash), not just the down payment.
Villa Park, you are near Westminster/Garden Grove for the Pho fix


or


Coto De Casa, if you want to be near Laguna Beach
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:12 PM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,648,212 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by payutenyodagimas View Post
Villa Park, you are near Westminster/Garden Grove for the Pho fix


or


Coto De Casa, if you want to be near Laguna Beach
Maybe I missed something, but when did Coto de Caza move to be near Laguna Beach? I guess it's all relative.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Coto...8!2d33.5427189

Also, are there many Vietnamese restaurants there?
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:19 PM
 
18 posts, read 17,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pacific2 View Post
It sounds like Irvine might fit the bill, but minus the downtown.

https://www.redfin.com/city/9361/CA/...marks=backyard

"Cookie-cutter" refers to the mostly faux-Mediterranean lookalike housing style so very prevalent here in OC from about Irvine down to most of South County.
Ah, so thats what they call cookie cutters. Ugg. Where we currently live, it is kind of master-planned in a way, but each of the houses are different enough, while a friend of mine lives in a neighborhood that every house looks exactly the same on the outside, which is terrible. Hopefully the houses in Irvine are similar to mine....

Irvine is actually in our top 2, with Huntington Beach. Is there a reason why you do not recommend Huntington Beach?
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:25 PM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,648,212 times
Reputation: 4550
Quote:
Originally Posted by vietlam View Post
Ah, so thats what they call cookie cutters. Ugg. Where we currently live, it is kind of master-planned in a way, with HoA, but each of the houses are different enough, while a friend of mine lives in a neighborhood that every house looks exactly the same on the outside, which is terrible. Hopefully the houses in Irvine are similar to mine....

Irvine is actually in our top 2, with Huntington Beach. Is there a reason why you do not recommend Huntington Beach?
Huntington Beach is fine, but you'd have to be comfortable with its often party-town atmosphere if you moved there.

Maybe someone who lives there could direct you to suitable neighborhoods.
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:26 PM
 
298 posts, read 625,059 times
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Most of South Orange County is full of young families and close to beautiful beaches but not sure about Vietnamese markets. Your budget is more than ample for that area.
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Old 07-10-2018, 07:28 PM
 
18 posts, read 17,226 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by payutenyodagimas View Post
Villa Park, you are near Westminster/Garden Grove for the Pho fix


or


Coto De Casa, if you want to be near Laguna Beach
Thanks! I have not looked that far inland for Villa Park, but will read more for better understanding whether that could be an option! Re. Coto De Casa, it might be a bit too far south for us.

Might be just a coincidence, but I noticed you quoted my budget in your response. Wondering if you thought my budget would not be enough for the cities I listed? Need a reality check here
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