Mission Viejo - Pacific Hills neighborhod - a few questions

[JT24hr]

Not an expert on the home structures or earthquakes so I can't address that.

Charles, you bring up a good point about short sales, I just like that property. The bigger the house though, generally the lower price per sq/ft. Gotta compare apples to apples.

Boston - I generally think most of RSM is too far inland however Las Flores is not far at all. If you zoom out on the map on the bottom of the listing, from Felipe to Antonio might be a mile or two, however there is a lot of open space with only 1 or 2 traffic lights which are not major streets. That drive is very fast considering the road conditions and traffic. So based on that, I would not be too concerned about its distance from the 5. Wagon Wheel/Las Flores is a much quicker drive to the 5 than Coto and most of North RSM.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by WannaBeinBoston

Can you guys tell me, or anyone else, if the newer homes are better built for earthquakes? Thanks.

The most indestructible thing in an earthquake is a single story wood framed home. A two story wood frame home is almost is sturdy. Too many load bearing walls made of flexible lumber. Only a fire would take one down (that's why people should install a earthquake gas shutoff valve).

[Charles]

Originally Posted by JT24hr

Charles, you bring up a good point about short sales, I just like that property. The bigger the house though, generally the lower price per sq/ft. Gotta compare apples to apples.

Yep, I noticed that. In fact I analyzed it and it came out to about to a $1/sqft reduction per (I think it was) 50 square feet in house size.

Still there are so many other factors which affect market value: lot size, garage size, layout, street type (busy vs cul de sac), orientation, upgrades, etc.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by WannaBeinBoston

My concern was the distance away from the 5

What about the 241? Will that work?

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by WannaBeinBoston

From what I have gathered researching this forum, the Pacific Hills neigborhood seems to be where we will target our home search for a relocation opportunity in So. CA. I drove through there briefly about a year ago and it seems like a nice, quiet suburban environment. Yes, I want a soccer mom neighborhood experience.

I want to get the perspective of those that know/live in the area and have a few questions. Are there any areas within that develoment to avoid? Homes on Pacific Terrace that back up to Oso....is that very noisy? Is there a community pool or facilty or will we need to find a home with a pool or join a fitness center, etc. I noticed quite a number of sales and foreclosures and am surprised given that the homes were built in the early 90s. Sure, people can tap home equity lines, etc even if they've been long term residents. Is there a history there that I should be aware of?

Thanks a million in advance.

My finance are moving into Pacific Hills, and our home is located on Glenwood. The noise from Oso isn't so bad in the backyard, and I don't hear it at all inside our home. I guess it depends on how much that kind of noise bothers you.

You get lake Mission Viejo privileges, and but no community pool.