[quote author="stepping_up" date=1228994663][quote author="tmare" date=1228993933][quote author="stepping_up" date=1228993210][quote author="tmare" date=1228990120]My apologies to your neighborhood, I grew up there in the 70's and 80's, so I guess I'm going from memory. I really didn't realize they actually got that high. However, it still is an ugly house
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My next door neighbor bought 11 years ago and at the time they had a 2 year old and weren't sure which way the neighborhood was going to go. They were quite concerned, but it was a great deal fixer and he's a contractor.... We had very similar thoughts/doubts when we were first looking at it, but in talking to them we felt comfortable. We did the drive around on a sat night and all that too. Still, I was really nervous at first, but I had been living in sheltered CDM for ages, so it was quite different. I still scour the Daily Pilot looking for police reports in the vicinity, but 6 months later I feel totally comfortable. However, I won't walk the dog down Meyer after dark, but I'm probably being overcautious there.
These houses are not exactly attractive. In fact, if you really want to see an ugly one, you should see ours! The interior and backyard are coming along, but man curb appeal wise, it is butt ugly. We're just not the Irvine type and CM was the only city that fit our needs and lifestyle that we could afford. Even north CM was too suburban for my husband, so we started looking at the SW. It was just so exciting to think that there was actually a real SFR with a real lot that we could afford. Had I known what I know now, we wouldn't have bought it, but when I block that out, it's actually still really nice and hubby really likes it.
Seriously, there are times that I calculate the money we would have had we not bought either of these houses and the position we'd be in to really pounce next year, but you really can't do that what if's. I tend to hold stocks and most of the original house fund was in the market, a good share of it in Citi. If we hadn't of put the money into the Paso house, we would have lost a lot of it in the stock market. However, that was done when we bought this and my new house fund was just in savings, so we really should have waited on the OC house. But, my hubby really wants to move to Paso so if we didn't buy here this year, we probably never would. I like the house so much more than the rental with the exception of the location, but we weren't exactly going to be able to buy in CDM, so that is a moot point. I have my garden and finally, after 20 years without a boxer, we''ve got Maggie. My husband is so proud of owning these houses, so really, how do you put a price on all the happiness?
My latest little project has been going around the house and replacing all the light switches and electrical outlets with the new modern ones. I know many of you expect all that nice new stuff in the house you buy, but I can't quite explain the feeling you get from making your house a little nicer. It may be putting lipstick on a pig (and Winex don't you dare accuse of me of dissing Sarah Palin), but there is something really cool about it. A few weeks back I replaced the faucet in the bathroom and I just had to do a little dance afterwards. Last weekend I finally refinished the coffee table, which I probably never would have gotten around to in the rental. It's just different when it's your place. Yeah, the bank owns more of it than we do, but it still feels like ours.</blockquote>
I own in a house built in the 30's in N. Santa Ana, so I know about the pleasure and pain of not buying a new house. I have a natural love for CM, having grown up there, in the Freedom Tract. Thanks for the story and update on the neighborhood.</blockquote>
Now we're talking.... there are some really cool houses in Santa Ana. I was willing to live around Hispanics, but hubby wanted to be able to bike to the beach, so that was out. But I seriously looked at some of the neat homes there. I would absolutely love a 1920's or '30's house on a good sized lot somewhat near the coast, but it just doesn't exist without winning the lottery. Personally, I'm just not that fond of new homes, particularly when they come with a postage stamp lot. Do you have original wood flooring?</blockquote>
Original wood floors in all but the bedrooms and hallway (last owner put in new wood, it holds up better, but isn't as nice). The original wood in the kitchen doesn't work very well for me. I'm not fond of new homes either, except I have to admit to being envious of certain features. Our lot is 16,000 sq. feet, the double lot doesn't come up for sale often, so we jumped on it when it did. Paid too much in 2004 of course, but we're here to stay. Growing up in CM, I had to adjust to a little warmer weather than I was accustomed to (the air conditioning went in our 2nd year), but I enjoy that the sun actually comes out in the morning. Hubby grew up here in the other neighborhood that everyone knows about (Floral Park) and always wanted to live in this one. It's strange when I go to HB, FV or CM how bare everything seems, I'm so used to the old trees now.
