Are we ever going to afford a house in OC?

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
i have not extensive check out all the house for sell because the price are still a bit out of my comfort range. if i buy in that range i would be at a 42% DTI. i am trying to keep it under 30%. i been trying to go to open house by myself since i don't want to waste any of the agent's time. it has been hit and miss. nothing really pop out as of late. i saw two in westminster that i like. first one has a nice lay out. and high ceiling. only problem was that they added two bathroom right next to each other. second one has 11k sqft yard. original layout but it was next to a powerline and backup to the freeway.
 
Aesthetic, neighborhood charm and safety are my priority. I can not think of other communities in your price range that I can think of. I only ask for 2 things when I buy a house. No two houses are alike and no garage door is visible through out the entire neighborhood. City of Orange has some charming homes because of the low footage 900sf-1100sf in many of these home you may be able to find some.
 
<p>jb,</p>

<p>I know you are looking for an SFR, and not in Santa Ana; however, check out this place: <a href="http://www.redfin.com/stingray/do/printable-listing?listing-id=1497730">http://www.redfin.com/stingray/do/printable-listing?listing-id=1497730</a> -- we saw it today and seemed like a reasonable asking price. With 20% down your monthly payment would be less than rent for a comparable property.</p>
 
penn1- thanks for the heads up. the pictures look nice. i like the high ceiling. how is the lay out? i drove by it today thinking they were rentals because of the phone number in front of the sign. they sure priced it right to sell in today's market. but at 460k TH in santa ana with share walls...... i will have to think hard bout it.



bkshopr- thanks for the tip. i will keep that in mind as i go to all the open houses. anyways your comment about garage door not visible.... that sounds like uber rich neighborhood with a long drive way up a hill. probably hard to find for a young person like me entering the housing market. either that or the house is design with an alley. those are cool too but usually the house will face a busy street. i seen a few like that up in stanton. but the alley seem scary at night because it being so dark.
 
<p>bk, </p>

<p>"Garage door not visible". Are you referring to those older homes with the garage as a separate structure towards the back?</p>

<p>The project you'd mentioned across or rather next to the Bower Museum I believe is call, "Cordoba Courtyard".</p>
 
<p>Hi JB</p>

<p>I agree with you about the shared walls; however at your price range you are smart to wait a little longer. Then again, as far as shared walls go, sometimes when I look at the new houses on postage stamp lots in irvine where your master bedroom window look directly into someone else's bathroom window, I'm not so sure that is any better. That TH shares the gate with the apartment complex called the Pinnacle. I looked into renting there and that's when I noticed the TH. When I worked out the numbers it seems like buying that property would be better than renting at the Pinnacle. </p>
 
Hey Penn1- the only problem i see with that place is the school district. if you don't have kids then it would be better then irvine or tustin. but also keep this in mind though. if you buy a brand new unit in columbus square in say camden it is only 484k right now for something comp. if you wait until the end of the year i am sure you can get it for 460k. that would put it on par with this unit. but the mellos roos is higher in tustin vs santa ana. but you also get more in tustin. more parks, new school, and facility. not to mention that everything is new. plus your surrounding is definitely better. the one in santa ana is surround by large apt complex to the west and mix commerical to the east. so if i had to choose right now, i would choose columbus square. the problem is that once you hit 460k you are running into alot of new stuff offer by the builder. the builder might want 500k but in return they give you alot of incentives. and your net net price are the same almost. so if you are seriously thinking bout getting that place.... look at portola springs and woodbury east and west. tons of nice places.
 
<p>JB,</p>

<p>thanks for the recommendations. I actually am not looking to buy just yet. Like I said we were looking at the Pinnacle and ran into that place. What I'm really looking for is a home with a large lot--Villa Park, Tustin Ranch, Turtle Rock. </p>
 
I disagree with the views expressed here about Floral Park. By definition, it cannot be safe. It is Santa Ana after all. Are you saying that gang members wouldn't bother to not even drive, but walk for a couple of blocks to break into a nice 800K house? How would you feel living in 800K Floral Park home knowing that 5 minute drive from your home there are 300K SFRs? Do you even know what kind of people live there and in surrounding slums? Refer to crime reports by area to see where most crime occurs.

There is a reason why most properties in Santa Ana, as well as downtown LA have steel bars on windows and gates throughout. There is also a certain stigma attached to having this kind of a zip code, especially if you hang out with professionals and folks who make over 100K a year. I know a couple of people from work who live there, but they always vaguely refer to living in "Heights," "close to South Coast plaza" and such when asked about where they live. People tend to gravitate towards more prestigious neighborhoods, even if they can't afford a SFR there...

The pics of that neighborhood look really nice, but I wouldn't dare to spend a single night there, unless you own an extensive gun collection. which I don't :)
 
<p>Yeah, but you eat organic food because you think it's better for you. I know you're crazy. I kid, but only a little.</p>

<p>I spent the afternoon in Floral Park. I did not see one home - not one - with bars on the windows. You get two blocks away and that isn't the case. It reminded me of the parts of Beverly Hills that butt up against Los Angeles. You can tell where you're at by the window treatments. </p>

<p>I did see about fifteen people walking dogs, a movie being filmed, and two or three randomly parked Santa Ana PD cars. And no graphiti.</p>

<p>It's not so easy as to just "drive in". You can leave on Santa Clara to Broadway, enter via the one way at 19th, Flower is an in and out street, and you can get in via Memory lane and through West Floral Park. With the exception of me, the film crew, and a couple of gardeners, I didn't see anyone walking around that neighborhood who didn't live there. Did I mention the PD patrols?</p>

<p>There are only a couple of homes I saw that were for sale, compared to last summer where there were over fourty. They ranged from a short sale in moderate condition at $309 a foot to a couple of homes at $450 a foot which were ready to move in and the listing that Sandy was showing today (I didn't go in) that was $525 a foot and 3000 feet. Apparently they haven't put down the crack pipe yet either.</p>

<p>Most interesting was the glut of "phantom inventory" - homes I remember seeing six months ago that were for sale, that now aren't, but are still unoccupied. Lots and lots of them. Gotta wonder a little. Anyway, I'm just window shopping. But I can't see vacant unoccupied homes in a neighborhood as a positive for price appreciation.</p>

<p>Are they going to tear down everything from Bowers to the mall?</p>
 
<p>blackacre, </p>

<p>When I was in high school, some of my classmates lived in Floral Park. And some 20 plus years later, the neighborhood is exactly the same. There's no graffiti and no bars on the windows. To this day, you won't see gang members driving around in there. I know it's hard to believe but it's a whole different world as compare to the rest of the city. I suppose it is safe because judges, attorneys, congressmen and even the mayor make that part of town their residence.</p>

<p>Santa Ana is mainly a hardworking blue collar city. It's unfortunate that a few gang members give the whole city a bad reputation.</p>
 
I still don't buy it :) What is this, some sort of an oasis? Do gang members and garden variety burglars have certain respect for the homes of the rich and powerful? Even so, the zip code makes it not worth it for me. Maybe I'm just getting picky, I'm starting to hate living even in Laguna Niguel :)
 
Hey, I eat organic food too. It tastes better. Try eating an organic Fuji apple and one from the grocery store and tell me if you can't taste the difference. But I also agree it's better for you.
 
<p>liz:</p>

<p>Those apples taste better because they dont' sit in a cold storage for 2-4 months before they get to your store. They stay on the tree for another month longer. Just like the citrus you grow tastes better than what you can buy because you give it a chance to sugar up.</p>

<p>I was at Trader Joes with the Mrs. three weeks ago, and I saw a guy take an organic fugi apple through the checkout, only to have them replace it because it had a bruise. Hello? It's ripe you donkey!</p>
 
<em>"There is also a certain stigma attached to having this kind of a zip code, especially if you hang out with professionals and folks who make over 100K a year. I know a couple of people from work who live there, but they always vaguely refer to living in "Heights," "close to South Coast plaza" and such when asked about where they live."





"Even so, the zip code makes it not worth it for me. Maybe I'm just getting picky, I'm starting to hate living even in Laguna Niguel"</em>


<em>


</em>I find this sad. Live where you want to live because you like it, not because your ego will be bruised because you are afraid someone will think less of you because of your zip code. This insecurity is what fuels our materialistic world anyway.
 
<p>You guys worry about zip codes? I usually don't know where one zip changes to another.</p>

<p>But I guess I do know where the good and bad neighborhoods are.</p>

<p>You all will be able to buy. Prices will come down.</p>

<p>But, what if the banking system collapses first with yur money? Somebody over at Cal


Risk said the FDIC was hiring. Which might be ominous or might mean nothing.</p>
 
<p>Liz,</p>

<p>I care about zipcodes.</p>

<p>If it's not in two specific areas of two specific zip codes I'm pretty well uninterested. You move over one or two zipcodes and the neighborhoods and prices radically change. Often, that movement can be as small as 1/4 mile. Which is really shocking to me because I grew up in a rural area where my closest nieghbor was like 1/4 mile away from my front door, and nothing changed in that 1/4 mile.</p>
 
<p>Southern CA has always been an urban sprawl. Neighborhoods get rough people starting to move away to newer and nicer one. The disposible attitude is the very reason why neighborhoods fall in to despair. However, there are indeed several landmark neighborhoods that borders rougher communities that is very prestigeous like Hancock Park and Los Feliz. Both borderline challenging neighborhoods and both are cherished by old timers who never left and never will. Floral Park home owners are similar as well. Gangs are people with feeling too. They may behave and act deviant due to their surrounding but they respect those who stay behind and support the city. The crime that are committed are from individuals from far away cities. Look at the revival of Pasadena with Altadena as a very rough neighbor it is a shining star. Neighborhood watch and defense are the best remedy for crime deterrent no matter where you are.</p>
 
<p>Through the years, I have seen many beautiful neighborhoods in Santa Ana getting worse. I clearly remember one street behind Mater Dei High, it was gorgeous with well-manicured lawns. You can tell the pride of homeownerships. Now, this same street looks very down trodden. </p>

<p>Also, back in the 80's, as my parents drove me to church. Even as a child, I admired the homes along Broadway St. from 1st St. to Edinger St. Recently, I drove back and find that the neighborhood is totally run down. </p>
 
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