I thought I would share my 2 cents for those considering Ladera.
I've been a private renter for over 2 years. I like living in a smaller community where I don't have to go far for errands, such as banking, food runs, medical appointments, etc. Everything is in my backyard and I like supporting community business owners (which I cannot say for Westar, the mgmt company for the shops and "strip malls")
Ladera is great for families, everyone knows that. It's clean, well-kept. Lots of kids to play with, great amenities for them to use.
I am single and I cannot afford a SFH in Ladera. I can afford many of the attached condos, but I think it's ridiculous for me to pay 2 HOAs that start at $350 minimum, depending on in which tract you live. I could go the route of a detached condo and pay only one HOA that falls around $220 minimum, but I still think prices are too high. Along with that, buyers must pay a percentage of their purchase price to the association, which I think is outrageous. I've also heard that sellers must do the same. So, in essence, you have to pay the association to buy in, to live there, and to leave.
Redfin is a good resource to scope out HOA fees, as they're included in the listings.
As far as neighborhoods go, there has been a steady stream of renters coming in, especially in my tract. Half the renters are Saddleback students, the other half are families. The students love their large parties, blast their stereos while leaving windows open, and many leave beer cans and bottles in the common areas, such as the sidewalks. Some of the families are under the disillusion that they live in a SFH, so they let their kids run all over the place, nearly getting hit by cars, leaving toys and blow-up pools in the common areas as well. I'm one of the more thoughtful neighbors and I keep to myself, so perhaps I'm a bit more sensitive than the average Joe.
Parking is bad in many of the tracts. People tend to use their garage as either storage or an extra room, so people are fighting for parking spaces and street parking, and often parking in front of garages. This was a huge problem in my tract until so many people complained that parking enforcement was brought in. It's 1000 times better now than a year ago.
Please don't get me wrong, there are some great tracts in which residents take pride of their homes and neighborhoods. Be sure to do some research when looking at properties and talk to the residents.
As for me, I'm going the detached condo route outside of Ladera where the prices are more affordable and the HOAs are reasonable.
To sum up:
Pros: cleanliness, upkeep of the area overall, small businesses, family friendly, amenities, shopping/errand distance
Cons: parking, HOAs, housing prices
