The Ridge - Mission Viejo (First-time Poster!)

[SubieRX]

Hey guys!

First time poster here!  I've been lurking for a couple of weeks and I've enjoyed learning about the OC/Irvine real estate market from you knowledgeable folks! 

Lately, my fiance and I have been hoping to buy a new home within the next 4-6 months and we've been looking all over for a unit that meets our budget.  That's when we came across The Ridge in Mission Viejo. 

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to real estate and so I thought I'd reach out to the community for some help!  Does anyone have any experience with these units?  They are attached townhomes priced from the Low 400's. 

More specifically, we are most interest in Unit 4 but they are temporarily sold out.  We would also be willing to go with Unit 5 possibly.  Unit 5 is priced at $454,990 and is 1,803 sq ft (3 floors).  This comes out to about $250 / sq ft.  Is this reasonable in Mission Viejo for new construction?

Our budget is around $450K.  We like The Ridge because the prices seem reasonable (at least to us) and there is no Mello-Roos. 

Also, not sure if this is important, but the location is a bit strange.  The community is directly adjacent to a Target.  The model home's have a direct view of the Target parking lot.  The units we would be buying would be further in the interior and would avoid this view. 

If the Ridge is no good, what other options would you all suggest?  We both work in Irvine and would like to stay relatively close. 

Communities we've looked into:
-  Mirabella (Super high MR and toxic ground water??)
-  Elements at Vantis (Seems nice, but there is a MR still). 

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.  Real Estate is tricky business and we want to make sure we're not making a mistake on our first house!  Feel free to be as candid as you like.

Thanks everyone in advance!

 

[adaan]

The community is great. Quiet and sitting on the top of the hill. While the address is still within Mission Viejo, it is rather closer to Lake Forest, so you don't feel like you are farther down south where the traffic can be slightly worse during the peak hours and can still easily gain access to other cities' resources (LF, Irvine, Laguna, Aliso Viejo etc..)

The prices are reasonable in comparison with all other "new" developments in Irvine. You'd pay much more with the same types of layouts and constructions. Adjacent to Target is a privilege (while if you're not directly facing the store) if you think of it as next to a grocery shop or giant convenient store except much better quality, appearances and security. We've been very pleased so far taking an evening walk for a need of any household item.

All in all, Mission Viejo is arguably second to none one of the safest cities in the nation, the city landscape is more interesting rather than one piece of flat land such as Irvine. However, if you'd crave for all the fancy shopping malls, theaters, cafe and parks in Irvine, the community is still close to Irvine without paying high new development prices and mello roos.

Finally, all the homes are built are backed up by LENNAR, definitely one of the top quality builders in the nation. You can't beat that with the prices you pay.