Ladera Ranch Discussion Thread

vicstah_IHB

vicstah_IHB

New member
<p>Hi all:</p>

<p>Similar to momopi's post about Aliso Viejo. I have the same question for Ladera Ranch. It seems that prices have dropped very aggressively over there, and will continue to do so for the next 18-24 months. IR, you mentioned that home prices might reach ~$150/sq ft in a previous post. That would mean a 3000 sq ft detached home to cost approximately $450k somewhere between 2009-2012 (which would be great, but we are now reaching pre-2000-2001 sales numbers). I know there are electric lines all over the area, and high mello roos and HOA. However, the school districts are good, and it seems to be a nice place to live and start a family.</p>

<p>Anyways, I'm curious on what everyone else thinks of the area.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>
 
Back in the day when Ladera was just starting out, I almost bought a place there. It was those damn power lines that stopped me though. They were <em>everywhere ! </em>Cute neighborhoods though.
 
Some folks think Ladera is too cramped and I see their point, but I still like the small town feel. There are lots of families and they seem to be friendly with one another. It looks like the price drops there will be greater than most, because so many of the properties were bought recently with all the recent funny mortgage.<p>

Downside in my mind is that most of Ladera was built on fill, and I will never buy a house on fill if it is on a slope. If you are ever serious about buying there and the property you are thinking of making an offer on is on a slope, pay a land surveyor or a civil engineer to look at the old grading plans and see if it was built on fill.
 
Vic - Thanks for taking the initiative to start the post. In addition to this, you might click on the "Search" tab and run "Ladera". I recall that someone had posted quite a bit about how much they liked the community.
 
From convenience prospective, Ladera is the complete opposite of irvine - extremely inconvenient. Mission Viejo company did a terrible job of putting the retail and dinning place around. There is no real dinning place, other than infusion and Cosmo. The rest are all fast food quality. It takes FOREVER to reach I-5 even during mid week lunch hours. In the morning, it can take 20 mins just to reach I-5 for the 2 mile drive from Antonia Parkway.



Once you are inside Ladera Ranch, several villages are nice - not all of them are nice. I think the village of Terromore (i don't think I spelled it right) is horrible - layout is odd.



Very kids friendly though.



However, if you have no kids, i think it makes no sense to live in ladera ranch. they spend a lot of money to improve the parks.



By the way in case you don't know, HOA charges a transaction fee of 0.3% the purchase price as a community improvement fee. What a rip off!



My conclusion of Ladera Ranch: The juice is not worth the squeeze.
 
<p>Thanks for the feedback everyone! Eva, I'll take a look on the Ladera posts... </p>

<p>IMO, at some point, if avg SFR in Irvine is still in the $600k-$800k range, and something nice (3k sq ft + decent lot size) in Ladera Ranch falls to the $400k-$500k (if IR is right), I don't know, it'd be awfully tempting to consider it seriously. Wouldn't y'all agree?</p>
 
I must have odd tastes, well, I know I do, I loved the new Bangle designed BMW's from the Day I saw one, and that's just one example, but I really like Ladera as well...



The only problem is, the drive up and down Clown Valley to the 5 freeway, which others have already mentioned, I drive it from the 5 every few weeks because my Bike Shop (Ladera Cyclery) is there, otherwise Ladera is one of those places you'd never drive to unless you had a good reason...



And guess what, I've never even noticed the Power lines....



I'm deffinately thinking that when I finally decide to buy I need to take a couple of IHB'ers to check the place out before I buy...



I agree, BTW, with Irvine 123 that Ladera is the complete opposite to Irvine as far as convenience is concerned, but on the other Paw, I live and work in Irvine, my Home and work are only 2 miles apart, but it's beginning to feel a little odd, sometimes I don't leave Irvine for weeks on end (or at least it feels like it) and I'm actually starting to enjoy the opportunities to drive on the Freeway for a change!!



I bought a new Car on June 2nd, it's 6 months old now and only has 2000 miles on it, in fact, it goes in for it's 5K or 6 month Oil change on Friday at the Dealer, that's never happened to me before, it's almost a waste of time having a Car...



But apart from the location convenience wise, I like Ladera...
 
<p>Peter, I'm there with ya. I live in Westpark and work near SNA. I don't bother hooking the MP3 player up to the stereo because I only get to hear two songs before I'm at work. The oil never warms up and after 3-4 months smells like hell. My 3/36 warranty has a week left and I just rolled past 24k miles. I sometimes wish I had a 20 minute commute just for the "alone" time.</p>

<p>On the flip side, I've averaged a gallon of gas per day this year. A tank of gas will last me 18-20 days if I don't go out of town on weekends.</p>
 
Eff, I turn right on Harvard, left on Alton, over Jamboree, left on Von Karmen and I'm 100 yds from work, 1.8 miles...if I leave 10 minutes before I'm supposed to be there I can make it on time easily...



It kills my Gas mileage, but a gallon of Gas will last me more than a week if I just use the Car for work but most of the time I commute by Bike...so the Car sits in the Garage most of the time...



Having said that, Irvine did a great job in planning, they seperated the Indstrial and Residential halves quite well, once I'm home it feels like work is miles away.....
 
My primary concern with Ladera Ranch is the commute to/from work in Irvine. From what everyone is telling me, the traffic situation isn't very desirable. But you do get more house for the $ there.
 
Some folk may consider the lack of freeway access to be a positive. Lack of easy access tends to discourage humanity from visiting.
 
I have the following FACTS for you: from 405 / jamboree (mins local drive) to center of Ladera Ranch: 40 mins on a regular day on average; once a week you will spend up to 60 mins, and once every two weeks you will be stuck in the traffic for up to 75 mins. Add more time if your office is not next to the freeway.



If one is willing to spend this kind of time on the way road, you might as well consider Corona or IE. You will get even more house for the $.
 
Whenever I think of Ladera Ranch, I think of the women from the Real Housewives of Orange County. Are most women who live in Ladera like that?
 
i just watched Real Housewives, there's a housewife named Taamra lives in Ladera Ranch, snobbiest pretender you'll ever see, starting out in real estate at this time can you believe it. I think she's the only one not in Coto de Caza (aren't both Coto and Ladera pretty far from freeways?). Anyway, Ladera property values have probably not been too kind to her although she'll keep on spending for the expensive kids block parties no matter what.
 
<p>With regard to the Real Housewife connection....Tamara is a realtor, and her husband is a glorified car salesman. Hopefully this does not offend anyone, but as I was thinking about that poseur couple, it brought me back to something my father recently told me: </p>

<p><strong>"You know, Chris, when dealing with realtors you have to put them in the same category and treat them with the same deference as you do a used car salesmen --- the only reason they are doing that job in the first place is because they failed at something else".</strong> </p>

<p>Again, sorry if offended anyone out here --- and I am sure there are some very good and professional people in both of those roles --- but I think my dad is a pretty smart guy, and his comment pretty much brought it all home for me. Needless to say, when the time comes you better believe I will be a Zip or Redfin customer all the way.</p>
 
I live in Ladera. I really like it. Very family friendly....we have young kids and it is perfect for them. We were really attracted to the parks, pools, amenities, schools, and most of all the community environment. And it is a decent discount in price to Irvine. We really enjoy living there.



We walk all the time to retail....including several restaurants (infusion, beach fire, pacific whey).



The commute is a problem...but the times listed by Irvine123 are a ways off in my mind. I work on Jamboree in Irvine. It takes me 35 minutes in the morning....sometimes up to 40. I leave at about 6:30 in the evening and it takes me 25 to 30 minutes to get home. I take the 405 to the 5....no toll road. Crown Valley is a disaster. But it is under major construction right now and the extra eastbound lane should open in a few months. The westbound lane is at least a year off. In 3 years it has never taken me more than 50 minutes in either direction.



The power lines can be as big or little of a factor as you want them to be. In some parts of Ladera they are visible....in other parts you are a ways away and will not notice.



Sorry if this sounds like an advertisement....but we really like it. I would consider Irvine for the schools and the shorter commute. But I don't think I want to pick up and move.
 
I was driving around Ladera today after dropping my son off at his dad's McMansion in Coto. At about 5:40pm I noticed a bunch of Open House signs. I followed them, figuring they'd lead me to a dead end due to a lazy realtor forgetting to collect them at the end of the day. Instead, they led me to a house that was, literally, open. The front door was ajar and I saw the realtor standing toward the back of the house through the opening. So I parked and went in. I asked about the late hour and he said, "Oh, we'll be here til about 9 or 10 tonight." He really didn't seem to be kidding!





The house was empty, and in my opinion it needed some work. Like, the tile floor in the laundry room was god-awful. The carpeting needed to be replaced, and there was some really strange cabinetry in one of the bedrooms.





The list price was like 1.3mil. Okay, it was a large house (like, 5br?) with a nice view, but come on. yeahhhh, good luck with that!
 
The large amount of foreclosures has absolutely killed the comps in Ladera Ranch for the homes more than 3000 sq ft. Couple tracks at the gated village that were sold by the builder between $1.2 to $1.4 million at Mid 2005 are now going to escrows at under $1 million!
 
i123- you'd never know it from the wishing prices being advertised on the half-dozen flyers I picked up while driving around. The denial-flavored kool aid is still flowing freely down there.





I remember reading an article in the Register some time ago that quoted a LR resident haughtily joking about laughing at a backyard bbq with his neighbors. They had nicknamed their street "Equity Alley."





Goodbye Equity Ally, hello Foreclosure Place!
 
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