Feedback from my trip to Irvine/OC (Orange, Newport Beach: houses, buy)

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

The thing is right now I'm about a 2 minute drive from Trader Joes, 10 minute drive from Whole Foods, 5 minute drive to 4 other grocery stores. I'm a 5 minute drive from restaurants, bars, banks, fitness centers, a big community park, dog park, golf courses. I'm about 10 minutes from Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Disney Springs, etc. When it comes to necessities, where I live is very convenient and everything is designed with taste and feels upscale.


So while Aliso Viejo is a nice community with all the necessities, it wouldn't make sense for me to take a big hit on housing and land to be in a similar environment. What I'm really missing is really good asian stuff. If the homes in Aliso Viejo were the same price as Lake Forest or SRM, I can see paying more for a somewhat equal house, but I can't see paying more, getting less, and still have to drive some distance to get what I really feel I'm missing.

We disagree on the distance, but I'm definitely not trying to persuade you to move to Aliso! No way! We're not short of people. I provide information about this city (Started years ago when I saw obvious lies being posted about AV), but strange as it seems, I would like for there to be fewer people here as our population, at about 51,000, has grown too much. Still, I will try to help people out if they have interest in the city. I only commented since you actually showed interest in Aliso Viejo. My concern here is accuracy.

As previously stated, there is no great distance from amenities here; it's absolutely impossible. Aliso (7.47 sq mi) is smaller in area than Laguna Beach, and everyone is just minutes away grocery stores (including TJ's), movies, restaurants, a performing arts center, parks (22 of them), fitness centers, etc.

BTW, it does sound like your present home might be the best solution. You have what you want right there, including ready access to Asian food. Sometimes, the grass is not really greener on the other side of the fence.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by NewbieHere

That’s a lie, they welcome money regardless of race. It’s just you are white, female, and poor. Maybe that’s why they don’t welcome you, snide remark to you because of your comment, I know. I have plenty of friends who are white and black living in Irvine. I only know 2 Persians. So let’s stop the nonsense. Irvine has no majority in any race, or religion.

For five years, I drove through Irvine on Portola every weekday morning, taking my children to school in Tustin. There were a couple of crosswalks where elementary school kids were walking to school, many with their parents/grandparents. Almost everyone there was Asian. This newer part of Irvine is HEAVILY Asian. Some of the older parts of the city are not so overwhelmingly Asian, but if you are looking at new builds in northeast Irvine, yes, your neighbors are going to be mainly Chinese.

My daughter has been attending Irvine Valley College for a couple of years. Last year she enrolled in a couple of classes at Saddleback (a sister college of Irvine Valley) and immediately noted that, unlike at Irvine Valley, the students in those classes were NOT mostly Asian.

[pacific2]

If it matters, according to the census, Whites are, by a slight margin, the largest racial group in Irvine.

However, the common perception in OC that Irvine is majority Asian might, IMHO, be due to the fact that it's not unusual for mixed-race Asian/White people to self-identify on the census as White. Maybe others perceive them to be Asian? Also, maybe some of the "Two or more races" individuals are also Asian/White?

http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-...ne-population/
Irvine Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Irvine was:

• White:47.56%
• Asian: 42.25%
• Two or more races: 5.20%
• Black or African American: 1.86%
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.21%
• Native American: 0.16%

Just an aside, but Hispanics (Not a race) may also be included in the White category.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by pacific2

If it matters, according to the census, Whites are, by a slight margin, the largest racial group in Irvine.

However, the common perception in OC that Irvine is majority Asian might, IMHO, be due to the fact that it's not unusual for mixed-race Asian/White people to self-identify on the census as White. Maybe others perceive them to be Asian? Also, maybe some of the "Two or more races" individuals are also Asian/White?



Just an aside, but Hispanics (Not a race) may also be included in the White category.

Well, the figures that you can find online are all over the place. Obviously, there hasn't been an official census since 2010. However, in 2016 the Orange County Register reported that Irvine was now 45% Asian, and the numbers would only, I'm sure, have surged since then.

New census estimates show that, for the first time, Irvine has more Asian than white residents.

Using the new census figures, a Register analysis indicates Irvine now is – or soon will be – the largest city in the continental United States with an Asian plurality.

More than 45 percent of Irvine’s roughly 257,000 residents are Asian, according to American Community Survey estimates released Thursday.

https://www.ocregister.com/2016/09/2...-for-the-city/

[Finper]

Originally Posted by NewbieHere

That’s a lie, they welcome money regardless of race. It’s just you are white, female, and poor. Maybe that’s why they don’t welcome you, snide remark to you because of your comment, I know. I have plenty of friends who are white and black living in Irvine. I only know 2 Persians. So let’s stop the nonsense. Irvine has no majority in any race, or religion.

What’s a lie?? I am poor compared to a lot of Asians that willingly pay 1.4 million for a tract house and I’m fully aware that’s why I was ignored and made to feel unwelcome at the model homes. Your blind if you really think Irvine has no race majority. Don’t be ridiculous......

[OC4life]

Originally Posted by Vic Romano

Gives you an interesting perspective on how minorities can feel, doesn't it?

Quite an insightful comment Vic.

I wonder if Fiinper would make a bunch of poor Honduran immigrants with a gaggle of children feel welcome in her neighborhood?

[pacific2]

Irvine was heavily marketed to Asians, but it seems that some may now be having trouble paying their HOA fees due to a crackdown by the Chinese government on taking money outside of the country:

Chinese buyers pull back from U.S. housing market, hurting home sales
Yan Zhang
USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...es/1960142001/

Meanwhile, more Chinese homeowners have been selling their American houses and condos because they can’t pay the maintenance costs with their money trapped in China, says Jeff Lu, vice president of Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.

Also, it's not just perception, the Chinese are clearly big players in the Irvine market.

Chinese buyers pull back from U.S. housing market, hurting home sales
Yan Zhang
USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...es/1960142001/

In Irvine, population 280,000, “there are 65,000 houses... and 21,000 of them are owned by Chinese.” Lu of Fidelity National says.

“It’s normal for Chinese buyers to raise the price aggressively," says Phil Lee, a broker at Keller Williams in Irvine. "For example, a $1.2 million house, they pay $1.22 million, all in cash.”

In recent years, Chinese investors made about half of all home purchases in the city, but that share has fallen to about 36% in 2019, Lu says.

The pullback is depressing prices. In the first half of the year, the median home sale price in Irvine fell to $820,000 from $834,000, according to Zillow.

“It’s good news for local Americans who are looking to buy a home – larger supply and less competitors,” Lu added.

[NewbieHere]

Originally Posted by saibot

For five years, I drove through Irvine on Portola every weekday morning, taking my children to school in Tustin. There were a couple of crosswalks where elementary school kids were walking to school, many with their parents/grandparents. Almost everyone there was Asian. This newer part of Irvine is HEAVILY Asian. Some of the older parts of the city are not so overwhelmingly Asian, but if you are looking at new builds in northeast Irvine, yes, your neighbors are going to be mainly Chinese.

My daughter has been attending Irvine Valley College for a couple of years. Last year she enrolled in a couple of classes at Saddleback (a sister college of Irvine Valley) and immediately noted that, unlike at Irvine Valley, the students in those classes were NOT mostly Asian.

I agree there are more Asians in Irvine. It’s one of the city advertised on YouTube for Chinese buyers. My acupuncturist is Chinese from China, she told me to buy in Irvine when I was hesitant, she said the Chinese will come and bid up the price. I wanted to buy in Laguna Niguel for more land. But what I disagree is the comment white, poor, and females are not welcomed in Irvine. I saw two white families moved into my neighborhood recently like in last year. The Chinese are not buying them as many previous years. In fact, my next door neighbor came from Texas, the husband I think at least, they are white, blond, non Persian. My neighborhood is not old. We shop at the local supermarket too, so we are not isolated. Personally, I have not being to Great Park, I’m turned off by that boxy housing look and contaminated land.

[NewbieHere]

Originally Posted by Finper

What’s a lie?? I am poor compared to a lot of Asians and I’m fully aware that’s why I was ignored and made to feel unwelcome at the model homes. Your blind if you really think Irvine has no race majority. Don’t be ridiculous......

What make you think they don’t ignore everybody else? You can’t interject race into everything.
Here it is the racial make up of Irvine.
https://www.cityofirvine.org/about-irvine/demographics

[Finper]

Originally Posted by pacific2

Irvine was heavily marketed to Asians, but it seems that some may now be having trouble paying their HOA fees due to a crackdown by the Chinese government on taking money outside of the country:



Also, it's not just perception, the Chinese are clearly big players in the Irvine market.

The lady that worked at the 1.4 mil model homes said all the houses in that price point were sold they just had the 2 model homes left to sell. So somebody is still willing to shell out that kind of money for a tract house.