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Old 06-03-2010, 03:15 PM
 
15 posts, read 47,724 times
Reputation: 11

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Wow, the high Mello Roos/HOA may indeed be a game changer. Commute seems no fun either. I appreciate all the sage advice from you locals.
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Old 06-03-2010, 09:17 PM
 
76 posts, read 174,119 times
Reputation: 33
I grew up in Irvine and currently live in Wagon Wheel, around the corner from Ladera Ranch. You honestly cannot go wrong with either city as schools are good in both and there are family activities in both. Irvine is a city though and Ladera Ranch is more like a town. In Irvine, you will have many more ethnicities around you and some neighborhoods/schools are highly concentrated with certain ethnic groups. Depending on where from out of state you are coming, this could be important to you. There all the shopping you want in both places. Irvine is obviously closer to SNA than Ladera Ranch. An alternate driving option is to take the 241 toll road, not the 73. You would miss all the traffic near the regular freeway if you take that route for your commute. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:15 AM
 
15 posts, read 47,724 times
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Cutting my commute time is very important to me. I don't want to sit in a car for an hour each way. WOuld Aliso Viejo be a closer commute to Irvine?
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:46 AM
 
15 posts, read 47,724 times
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Basically what I am looking for is the following: Commute time 30 minutes or less to MacArthur & I-405 in Irvine where my office is. Home budget is around $850k. Have young children so want good schools, neighborhood amenities (pool, parks, etc) with a more neighborhood feel where my kids can play on their street. I am coming from out of state so I know very little about the different areas, but am open to any area that fits the qualifications above.
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Old 06-04-2010, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Mission Viejo, CA / San Rafael, CA
2,352 posts, read 5,254,100 times
Reputation: 540
I don't get it, if you have an $850k budget, why not just buy in Irvine? That should buy you a decent home, and give you all the other things you want (schools, amenities, etc).
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Old 06-04-2010, 11:06 AM
 
15 posts, read 47,724 times
Reputation: 11
This is coming from someone that knows litterally nothing about Irvine, but my impression from reading posts is that Irvine has a more city like feel.
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Old 06-04-2010, 11:20 AM
 
916 posts, read 3,700,670 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brejohns View Post
This is coming from someone that knows litterally nothing about Irvine, but my impression from reading posts is that Irvine has a more city like feel.
Irvine has tall buildings but it doesn't really feel like a city. To me it feels like master planned suburbia (similar to Ladera Ranch).
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Old 06-07-2010, 10:28 PM
 
76 posts, read 174,119 times
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Irvine is a large, master planned city/community. Ladera Ranch is much, much smaller. Schools are great in both and buying a house for 850K will be easy in both places. I suggest you come and drive around both. You'll know where you want to live after doing that. Just tonight, I took the 241 Toll Road from home to across the street from SNA. I left home at 5:30 PM and arrived at 6:00 (I live 5 mins from Ladera Ranch). Coming home, at 6:45PM, the worst traffic was on the on ramp to the 405 at MacArthur. The 405 can have traffic at any hour of the day, any day. Do you want a larger town or a smaller town? If you are looking for a smaller feel, choose Ladera Ranch (3 elementary schools, one middle school, one high school shared with other communities). Irvine has too many elementary schools and middle schools to count and four high schools. The city is broken up into communities so you still have a home town feel. Again, feel free to PM me with any questions. I know about both places. Kari
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