I'm Considering Relocating to OC

With the inevitable passing of my brother in the near future my remaining extended family in Colorado has made the decision to relocate to Florida this summer and my father has indicated that he would like to move back to California. This leaves only my mother, myself and my two children living in Colorado and if I move my mother will move as well. 90% of my client base is located in Los Angles and Orange County and I've had mounting pressure from my clients to relocate to So Cal. In the past the idea of making the move has not made financial sense but the cost of living in Denver has sky rocketed over the last two years so the cost of living is very similar, I believe California actually makes more financial sense at this point due to the fact that constant traveling has become my largest business expense and being closer to my clients will enable me to accelerate my sales cycles and take on more clients.

All that being said the stars seem to be aligning and relocation to California is likely in the cards.

Looking at rentals and home prices I really don't see much difference in price between living in Irvine or Mission Viejo vs. Huntington Beach. Are there any advantages living in Irvine or Mission Viejo over living in Huntington Beach? I only foresee myself leaving my home office a couple times to meet with clients so commute times are not a concern for me. My biggest concern would be the quality of schools my oldest son will attend if we go the public school route. I absolutely love the idea of being a few minute drive away from the beach so why would I choose somewhere else in the OC over HB considering the cost of living is very similar?

Honestly I'd look at North Orange County. Maybe I'm biased because I live there, but south orange county gives me a headache every time I'm down there. Crowded, traffic sucks, etc. Don't get me wrong, north has similar issues but not quite as bad.I could honestly care less about the beach, but that's just me. I think it's a turn off for me because every time I go there it's a mad house. If I want to go to the beach, I'll take a drive up to Pismo or somewhere up the coast to not have to deal with the crowds.

Plus, north OC is closer to the river when you have to leave on Friday afternoons/evenings.

Good assessment ^^^

Anything by the Beach/OC is massive traffic. I would hate to live out that way.

Seems like your location is irrelevant to your client base??

Boozer said:

With the inevitable passing of my brother in the near future my remaining extended family in Colorado has made the decision to relocate to Florida this summer and my father has indicated that he would like to move back to California. This leaves only my mother, myself and my two children living in Colorado and if I move my mother will move as well. 90% of my client base is located in Los Angles and Orange County and I've had mounting pressure from my clients to relocate to So Cal. In the past the idea of making the move has not made financial sense but the cost of living in Denver has sky rocketed over the last two years so the cost of living is very similar, I believe California actually makes more financial sense at this point due to the fact that constant traveling has become my largest business expense and being closer to my clients will enable me to accelerate my sales cycles and take on more clients.

All that being said the stars seem to be aligning and relocation to California is likely in the cards.

Looking at rentals and home prices I really don't see much difference in price between living in Irvine or Mission Viejo vs. Huntington Beach. Are there any advantages living in Irvine or Mission Viejo over living in Huntington Beach? I only foresee myself leaving my home office a couple times to meet with clients so commute times are not a concern for me. My biggest concern would be the quality of schools my oldest son will attend if we go the public school route. I absolutely love the idea of being a few minute drive away from the beach so why would I choose somewhere else in the OC over HB considering the cost of living is very similar?

Click to expand...

Funny thing is that Irvine can cost you more than HB even though it is much further from the ocean. Huntington Beach is a nice place to live and raise the kids. The public schools are just ok nothing special. I would pic HB over Irvine just because I like the beach area.

If you like crowds and unruly drunks, move downtown. It takes a good 30 minutes to get to the freeway with light traffic and the amount of apartments built at Bella Terra, 3 new complexes on Beach and another 700 units at Pacific City will only make it worse. What I'm trying to say is there are too many people here and I would move inland to at least have some room to move around. I guess if I was 25 it would be an awesome place to be. If you're looking to find a nice Asian lady for companionship, Irvine would be the hot spot.

I like North OC myself as for the above stated reasons, but I can tell you from living in Irvine when I went to college at UCI, their high schools rank among top in nation every year, so schools are no slouch, but for the price housing goes for with no land, I prefer North OC. Don't get me wrong, there are the expensive as shit cities up here too, but I personally got the hell out of Irvine when I had the chance and came back up to Brea Yorba Linda area.

I am in South OC, it is great. Schools are great, weather is great. Irvine is nice, but boring. Very large Asian population there.

I hate having to hit the 91 to go to the river though. In North OC there is quite a bit of traffic as well. I am in the Mission Viejo area and call on accounts in the LA and Pasadena. It is not a big deal..

North OC might be a little quicker to LA, depending on timing.

Joker said:

If you like crowds and unruly drunks, move downtown. It takes a good 30 minutes to get to the freeway with light traffic and the amount of apartments built at Bella Terra, 3 new complexes on Beach and another 700 units at Pacific City will only make it worse. What I'm trying to say is there are too many people here and I would move inland to at least have some room to move around. I guess if I was 25 it would be an awesome place to be. If you're looking to find a nice Asian lady for companionship, Irvine would be the hot spot.

Click to expand...

We lived in the area by Edison High school and never had a problem with the pier area drunks or crazy crowds. We would ride our bikes down Magnolia to the beach and turn right for the pier or left for Newport.

Joker said:

If you like crowds and unruly drunks, move downtown. It takes a good 30 minutes to get to the freeway with light traffic and the amount of apartments built at Bella Terra, 3 new complexes on Beach and another 700 units at Pacific City will only make it worse. What I'm trying to say is there are too many people here and I would move inland to at least have some room to move around. I guess if I was 25 it would be an awesome place to be. If you're looking to find a nice Asian lady for companionship, Irvine would be the hot spot.

Click to expand...

I rented a place through the end of June on PCH and 8th so I should have a better feel for what it's like to be downtown for an extended period of time in the very near future. I had considered moving Inland due to the fact that you get a lot more bang for your buck and if I were somewhere like Corona I'd be a lot closer to my family but I don't know that I want to deal with the heat. If I get a hankering for heat I can go to Havasu for the weekend. After dealing with all of the snow we've had in Denver for the last two years I don't think I want to go from one extreme (cold) to another extreme (heat). Living close to the ocean the weather is just about perfect year round.

Boozer said:

I rented a place through the end of June on PCH and 8th so I should have a better feel for what it's like to be downtown for an extended period of time in the very near future. I had considered moving Inland due to the fact that you get a lot more bang for your buck and if I were somewhere like Corona I'd be a lot closer to my family but I don't know that I want to deal with the heat. If I get a hankering for heat I can go to Havasu for the weekend. After dealing with all of the snow we've had in Denver for the last two years I don't think I want to go from one extreme (cold) to another extreme (heat). Living close to the ocean the weather is just about perfect year round.

Click to expand...

You don't want to deal with the 91. It will take hours out of your life every week. if you are only out in the field a couple days a week it might be tolerable.

Beach without a doubt, get over by 15-16th street or move to seal!

boatnam2 said:

Beach without a doubt, get over by 15-16th street or move to seal!

Click to expand...

I agree, as far away from downtown as possible.
I don't have that option.

HB... High prices for older homes. Go a block in the wrong direction and :yikes. Love to visit the area but would not live there. Seal Beach is a great area if you can spend the $.
MV... Great schools, 20 minutes to the beach. Houses are mostly over 700K. I live in Rancho Santa Margarita (Next to MV). Great area... We raised both of our daughters here and Love the area. My youngest is a Junior at Mission Viejo High School... Great school.

Irvine... Very high prices 900+... High demand... Great schools.

Also check out Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point.

I don't commute (work from home) So I can't comment on traffic.

I'm hoping to cash out and move to AZ next year.

yopengo said:

HB... High prices for older homes. Go a block in the wrong direction and :yikes. Love to visit the area but would not live there. Seal Beach is a great area if you can spend the $.
MV... Great schools, 20 minutes to the beach. Houses are mostly over 700K. I live in Rancho Santa Margarita (Next to MV). Great area... We raised both of our daughters here and Love the area. My youngest is a Junior at Mission Viejo High School... Great school.

Irvine... Very high prices 900+... High demand... Great schools.

Also check out Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point.

I don't commute (work from home) So I can't comment on traffic.

I'm hoping to cash out and move to AZ next year.

Click to expand...

I just looked and found a few places in Laguna Niguel. I've always loved Laguna but never thought it would be in my price range. From a rental standpoint the houses I saw are only a few hundred dollars a month more than the houses I've been looking at here in Colorado and well within my budget. It's crazy to think a house in Laguna Niguel is only a few hundred more a month than a house in the Denver suburbs.. If I were looking in Denver proper Laguna is actually cheaper. :yikes

Joker said:

I agree, as far away from downtown as possible.
I don't have that option.

Click to expand...

Where we lived in HB it was almost like Havasu. If you did not go down by the beach on the holiday weekend you did not even know it was busy.

TCHB said:

Where we lived in HB it was almost like Havasu. If you did not go down by the beach on the holiday weekend you did not even know it was busy.

Click to expand...

We are in the 700 block of Lake and we've had more crime and stupid shit happen on our block than most people could ever imagine. For instance, last weekend I get a text from our tenant that two guys park their truck behind our garage and start throwing blows. Cops are called, 30 minutes go by no cops, drunk guy gets back in truck and leaves. This is not normal.
As soon as the wife is ready to leave, we're gone.

TCHB said:

Funny thing is that Irvine can cost you more than HB even though it is much further from the ocean. Huntington Beach is a nice place to live and raise the kids. The public schools are just ok nothing special. I would pic HB over Irvine just because I like the beach area.

Click to expand...

Love HB and love living down town...If you are going to live downtown, live east of 17th, north of Pecan or west of Huntington and things are a bit quieter...

Joker said:

If you like crowds and unruly drunks, move downtown. It takes a good 30 minutes to get to the freeway with light traffic

Click to expand...

Maybe you should buy Joker's place he hates it down here...

In all seriousness most people love downtown and take the good with the bad with it....I have parking issues at my place three weekends out of the year...I am close enough to walk to everything but just far enough away on a cul d sac to leave the crowds on main.

The people that bitch about traffic and overcrowding assume this is not happening in every good metropolitan area but there it is happening with shitty weather. I lived in Phx and saw the overbuilding and traffic grow there...with shitty weather....Texas the same is happening but with shitty weather. Colorado is getting crowded and values going up and not bad weather as long as you like snow...

Its expensive to live here and there are some compromises...smaller/expensive house....but I love the beach and just hanging out on the sand after a long day or a bike ride watching the waves gets the mind right.

Been all over the world and but still love coming home getting on PCH to drive the final couple miles to home...

Of the places you mentioned I would pick HB or Seal beach everyday over Mission Viejo, North OC, or Irvine... I work near Irvine...and its a nice place to work, but little too cookie cutter to me..

Boozer said:

I just looked and found a few places in Laguna Niguel. I've always loved Laguna but never thought it would be in my price range. From a rental standpoint the houses I saw are only a few hundred dollars a month more than the houses I've been looking at here in Colorado and well within my budget. It's crazy to think a house in Laguna Niguel is only a few hundred more a month than a house in the Denver suburbs.. If I were looking in Denver proper Laguna is actually cheaper. :yikes

Click to expand...

Just remember Laguna Niguel is Not Laguna Beach. LN is just a little inland but still on the West side / Beach side of the 5 freeway.

Tchb isn't correct. The best place to live in Huntington Beach just west of Graham Street somewhere off of Warner or towards the harbor . Weather is perfect there is literally no traffic Home Depot and all the stores you would ever need to shop at her nor more than 7 to 10 minutes away . You can be at Long Beach airport or John Wayne airport in under 30 minutes LAX about 37 minutes without traffic , in about one hour with a little traffic . You area few minutes to the intersections of the 605/405 and 22 freeways. Every freeway in this area for Miles has carpool lanes. Don't forget to figure in the cost of energy we have a very low electricity rates and water is literally free ($50) in Huntington Beach it's so cheap the climate doesn't change much. The crime rate is very low especially outside of downtown and the police department has two jet helicopters and watch over the idiots.

I have lived here for almost 40 years now you know why I do not move.

Add to that we have a special formula we inject into the drinking water that has a positive effect on all women !!!

Walk Down Main St., Midsummer you know what I mean.

If you really want to live in Huntington, we are going to rent out this 1bd for 1800 a month. It's in a nice area behind our house.[emoji1]

TCHB said:

Where we lived in HB it was almost like Havasu. If you did not go down by the beach on the holiday weekend you did not even know it was busy.

Click to expand...

That is how I feel living here....Only have to worry about parking issues three weekends a year...Marathon, 4th of July and US Open....other than that...most days it is just a normal street..

Joker said:

If you really want to live in Huntington, we are going to rent out this 1bd for 1800 a month. It's in a nice area behind our house.[emoji1]

View attachment 481938
View attachment 481939

Click to expand...

What is the sq ft on that? Just trying to get a sense of what 1br's are going for in the area.

Joker said:

If you really want to live in Huntington, we are going to rent out this 1bd for 1800 a month. It's in a nice area behind our house.[emoji1]

View attachment 481938
View attachment 481939

Click to expand...

My kids would like that place but I'm not so sure I want to live on a couch. I'll be in the market for a 3 bedroom house or a townhouse that has a decent sized patio.

Seal Beach is great...it's quiet has great restaurants, schools are some of the top in the state and it is small enough you can ride your bike anywhere. The nick name of Mayberry by the Sea is very appropriate. You can be in downtown HB in 15 min of to 2nd street in Long Beach in 5 min. You have Marine Stadium right there if you want to drop in your boat and do some skiing. It is very atypical as far as the OC is concerned and you don't get the flat bill 909 types on Main St. on the weekends.

mbrown2 said:

What is the sq ft on that? Just trying to get a sense of what 1br's are going for in the area.

Click to expand...

650, no garage but has laundry. No adjoining units.

River Lynchmob said:

Seal Beach is great...it's quiet has great restaurants, schools are some of the top in the state and it is small enough you can ride your bike anywhere. The nick name of Mayberry by the Sea is very appropriate. You can be in downtown HB in 15 min of to 2nd street in Long Beach in 5 min. You have Marine Stadium right there if you want to drop in your boat and do some skiing. It is very atypical as far as the OC is concerned and you don't get the flat bill 909 types on Main St. on the weekends.

Click to expand...

I just checked out seal beach, the only rental they have is $4800 a month for a two bedroom that looks pretty crappy. I'm paying $4200 a month now (includes utilities) for a fully furnished 2 bed 2 bath town home @ 8th and PCH and I'm on the sand. Seal beach doesn't seem like it's going to be the place for me.

Boozer said:

I just checked out seal beach, the only rental they have is $4800 a month for a two bedroom that looks pretty crappy. I'm paying $4200 a month now (includes utilities) for a fully furnished 2 bed 2 bath town home @ 8th and PCH and I'm on the sand. Seal beach doesn't seem like it's going to be the place for me.

Click to expand...

Most rentals in seal are by drive by, 4800 is on the sand, you can get a nice 2 bed 2 bath around 2200, most are older but decent.

Being in Huntington in June will not give you a fair assessment of what it's like to live in Huntington during the majority of the year. The three months of summer are way different then the nine other months of the year. We don't go downtown during the summer months as its way too crowded and crazy.

After moving away from the LA/OC area, I would never advice anybody to live anywhere down there unless they NEED to. Sounds like you don't NEED to. Honestly, I'd look further north if I were you. Areas of Ventura county, Santa Barbara county, or further north into San Luis Obispo county. Those 3 counties are SOOOO much more laid back, less traffic, and generally a better quality of life for FAR cheaper.

There are many parts of Huntington that are very low key. You can still drive down to Main Street if you want to join the crazies. My recommendation is stay south of Adams between new land and Bushard . Great neighborhoods, and great schools. Here are some
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/25268571_zpid
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/25272385_zpid

Flying_Lavey said:

After moving away from the LA/OC area, I would never advice anybody to live anywhere down there unless they NEED to. Sounds like you don't NEED to. Honestly, I'd look further north if I were you. Areas of Ventura county, Santa Barbara county, or further north into San Luis Obispo county. Those 3 counties are SOOOO much more laid back, less traffic, and generally a better quality of life for FAR cheaper.

Click to expand...

He might as well stay in Denver if he is calling on accounts in OC and LA from those areas

GET SOME said:

There are many parts of Huntington that are very low key. You can still drive down to Main Street if you want to join the crazies. My recommendation is stay south of Adams between new land and Bushard . Great neighborhoods, and great schools. Here are some
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/25268571_zpid
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/25272385_zpid

Click to expand...

Yes great neighborhoods, great private schools, and ok public schools. A short bike ride to the beach patch and it is fun to hang out at the pier and then bike home.

I would just stay clear of the 91 or 55 fwys.

Heylam said:

I would just stay clear of the 91 or 55 fwys.

Click to expand...

And the 605, 405, 110, 5, 210, 60, etc.

LargeOrangeFont said:

He might as well stay in Denver if he is calling on accounts in OC and LA from those areas

Click to expand...

Not even close. A 3 hour drive a couple times a week is a hell of a lot cheaper and easier and he'd still be CA like his clients want, and real estate would be SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper.

Heylam said:

I would just stay clear of the 91 or 55 fwys.

Click to expand...

TCHB said:

And the 605, 405, 110, 5, 210, 60, etc.

Click to expand...

Its not that bad all the time. The company I work for has 15 company trucks that use all those freeways going to job sites and city plan checkers offices. You just need to know what times and what freeways are better then others to make it across town.

My only advice is that schools should drive your decision. They vary greatly within each city mentioned.

If I had a family that I was raising, and my job would let me, I would move to a city with a 1 hour flights to LA/OC and not have to deal with the overcrowding/overpopulation of So Cal. You could pick to live in Northern Cal, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. My .02

Take The Long Way Home said:

If I had a family that I was raising, and my job would let me, I would move to a city with a 1 hour flights to LA/OC and not have to deal with the overcrowding/overpopulation of So Cal. You could pick to live in Northern Cal, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. My .02

Click to expand...

This is pretty much exactly what I was getting at. Shit, both Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo airport have flights to LAX. Can't be more than a 45 min flight if you go that way.

Take The Long Way Home said:

If I had a family that I was raising, and my job would let me, I would move to a city with a 1 hour flights to LA/OC and not have to deal with the overcrowding/overpopulation of So Cal. You could pick to live in Northern Cal, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. My .02

Click to expand...

A 1 hour flight sounds simple enough in principal but you have to be at the airport 2 hours before each flight, deal with parking, TSA, renting a car for the day and etc. I already do fairly frequent turn around trips to LA where I fly in and fly out the same day, despite only being a 1 hour and 50 minute flight those days usually start at 4am and end around midnight, it makes for a very long, very frustrating and very exhausting day.

Overcrowding is an issue in Las Vegas and Phoenix, just the same as Denver. Both cities are now more affordable but they both have extremely hot weather which is something I'd like to avoid for now. Phoenix is one of two places I'm going to consider when I retire but that's still a good 15-20 years off. Las Vegas is a straight up hell hole, the surrounding cities are extremely ugly and I'd never consider raising a family there. As far as Nor Cal goes... Never going to happen, I'm So Cal born, So Cal raised and as far as I'm concerned Nor Cal is a completely different state that I want nothing to do with.

This is all not to mention the key drivers behind this decision are moving closer to family (They all live in the IE) and moving closer to my clients (LA and OC).

are ON the way out of cal, 1 is coming in....Maybe I should rent my house to you. Amazing schools, see the ocean. Id live in Carlsbad before any OC locations. But just my opinion. If your work takes you to OC and LA on occasion then the drive is easy, I do it all the time. Yes there is traffic. HB school I would not send my kids too. I worked in a bunch of them, again just my opinion.

Welcome to Socal, now pull your mirrors in, watch out for assclown bicycle riders, have fun at the gas station, leave early on Saturdays for where ever you are driving too, you will love the DMV, get a fast track, don't rent on a busy street the ricers will keep you up at night, stay out of santa ana, parking at the beach is brutal in the summer, watch out for sharks, freeways are in surprisingly good condition if you have ever been to any big city, learn Spanish, Disneyland is great mid week in the winter, closest boating water is 4 hours away unless you have a salt water boat then your good.
Tough to buy right now, so renting is a good call, average snowboarding is 3 hours away same as Disney mid week, very attractive house wifes in OC, very over extended husbands supporting them (you will spot this quick) Hollywood is cool once, Honda center and angel stadium is close, Not as much weed as Denver (yet)

Your kids should adapt fast, don't worry about them. Theres such a mix of races and kids in OC they will fit somewhere. If they are in their teens watch out for drugs. Not judging you or your kids but educate them here. You guys in Denver have pot, we have Heroin and its out of control. It was prescription drugs, heroin is cheaper and easier to get now.

Look at any rental along the 5 freeway between the 78 freeway and Manchester ave on the 5. Its south of OC, north of SD. Just a suggestion....

and enjoy the breweries, we have tons!!

and north SD is the same drive to the IE as it is from the OC. Maybe easier. MY house to Corona is about 50 minutes with no traffic. From HB to IE would be more but not by much

I live in Carlsabd. It takes 75 minutes to get to the John Wayne Airport and 45 to get to the SD Airport in perfect conditions. In traffic it takes 90 to both. Reason I live in Carlsbad (beach is 1 mile west of my house), schools are good for my kids and I can get to my customers all over SoCal in 90 minutes.

Singleton said:

I live in Carlsabd. It takes 75 minutes to get to the John Wayne Airport and 45 to get to the SD Airport in perfect conditions. In traffic it takes 90 to both. Reason I live in Carlsbad (beach is 1 mile west of my house), schools are good for my kids and I can get to my customers all over SoCal in 90 minutes.

Click to expand...

Carlsbad is great..

Bobby V said:

Its not that bad all the time. The company I work for has 15 company trucks that use all those freeways going to job sites and city plan checkers offices. You just need to know what times and what freeways are better then others to make it across town.

Click to expand...

I would travel all over Southern California at least 2 days every week for almost 40 years and the traffic only got heavier. I would be stuck on the 605fwy at noon for no reason.


The travel window gets smaller and smaller every day.

TCHB said:

I would travel all over Southern California at least 2 days every week for almost 40 years and the traffic only got heavier. I would be stuck on the 605fwy at noon for no reason.


The travel window gets smaller and smaller every day.

Click to expand...

Yes there is a travel window but you just need to know when it is. The 605 and 405 are the worst of them. I left my house in Yorba Linda at 7am and I am already at work 17 miles away in La Habra.

Bobby V said:

Yes there is a travel window but you just need to know when it is. The 605 and 405 are the worst of them. I left my house in Yorba Linda at 7am and I am already at work 17 miles away in La Habra.

Click to expand...

Sounds like it was a good morning.

TCHB said:

Sounds like it was a good morning.

Click to expand...

Its the same every morning when I go straight to the office. :thumbsup

Not sure where everyone is getting that Huntington Beach schools are bad. In my area the elementary schools are rated a 10/10. Middle school is 9/10 and high school is 10/10.

GET SOME said:

Not sure where everyone is getting that Huntington Beach schools are bad. In my area the elementary schools are rated a 10/10. Middle school is 9/10 and high school is 10/10.

Click to expand...

I really don't know anything about the schools in Huntington as we sent our kid to private school then to a charter high school in Santa Ana.