Sold-out development in Fountain Valley

[momopi_IHB]

@_@ But the 405 FWY runs right through Fountain Valley.

Fountain Valley has a few of my favorite restaurants. Shinsengumi Ramen, Shinsengumi Yakitori, Kappo Honda, and Ebisu (for their okonomiayaki).

There's also a Marukai 98 cent plus super store.

This city gets a Momo Peach Bloom award. Here's my write-up on FV Japanese restaurants:

http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/2728/

 

[hs_teacher_IHB]

can someone explain to me why fountain valley is so close to the beach and freeways, yet irvine which has more freeway access, an airport right at its doorstep, and the county's largest CBD is apparently isolated in BFE? ;-)

I agree that Irvine does have all of these attributes. But Irvine is also the biggest city in Orange County in terms of geographical size, and it's not very densely populated.

 

[hs_teacher_IHB]

Costa Mesa is coastal, but has underperforming schools.

Hey, if we want to kick a hornet's nest REAL hard, we can start a discussion on just why Costa Mesa's schools - which are in the same District as Newport's - are underperforming...

Anyone who has worked in the Newport-Mesa district knows that there is a significant disparity in school qualities between the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach borders.

Even at Newport Harbor High, there's a difference between the kids who come from Costa Mesa and those who come from Newport Beach.

Personally, I think Costa Mesa is situated in a pretty nice location - pretty coastal and close to the freeways and shops.

But the schools simply don't perform well.

 

[stepping_up_IHB]

I have a question on the maximum occupancy load. You see a lot of illegal additions and garages converted to living spaces here in Costa Mesa. While these structures aren't legal living spaces, the city says it's nearly impossible to prove that someone is living in the garage. My husband had to spend an entire day tearing out drywall that was used as a ceiling in the garage here. It hadn't been there too long, but it was already starting to pull on the rafters and bow the roof.

Anyway, there is a rental next door with WAY too many people in it with way too many vehicles, none of which park in the 4th bedroom, err garage. The city said the state law allows for 3 people per bedroom, so as much as they don't like it, State law has their hands tied. The bedrooms in these homes are REALLY small, so 3 people sounds like it would be above the maximum occupancy. Is it possible for it to be considered unsafe to allow 3 people per bedroom if the rooms are small?

 

[stepping_up_IHB]

Have you heard of incidents like a Vietnamese family died due to carbon monoxide poisoning from BBQ indoor?

Without reading the news, my first guess is that it is prbably suicide. Gasing with BBQ, oven, and the car is a common way to suicide in Asia, particularly in the urban neighborhood.

60% down payment? Wow. I guess with cash-only business, the federal and state agencies probably give them 50% of the money.

You have entire familes die all the time from using the BBQ indoors or trying to heat the house with charcoal. It was very common in the east side of san jose and they had to do all this outreach to educate the families about why they shouldn't do it.

 

[CM_Dude_IHB]

hs_teacher,

Take a look at the demographics of the underperforming schools in CM and you'll have your answer. It is actually a big controversy here.

Stepping, you hit the nail on the head. I am FURIOUS about the 7-10 adult males living in the two bedroom one bath apartment behind me and the associated noise and cars, not to mention the can and bottle recycling business they run out of the driveway 10 feet from my windows. Ahhhh, waking up to the sound of cans and bottles being sorted and loud voices chattering away in Spanish at 6:30am - heavenly! I have called code enforcement and the cops and have been told there isn't much they can do. IF they show up and hear the noise, they might be able to warn them.

I live in a great part of Costa Mesa, the Eastside, but there are these pockets of crap with absentee landlords that could care less...

 

[No_Such_Reality_IHB]

We need to compare notes. Are you North of Del Mar or wedge behind Stater Bros? Where's the third it's slipping me at the moment.

BTW, check the city code. If I remember correctly, Costa Mesa modeled their occupancy rule off of another city that had successfully withstood court challenges which limits the bunk house behavior. Skip the cops and go with City Code enforcement.

I think I've posted it before with a link, I just don't remember which blog I posted it on and my Google-fu has fled this morning.

 

[stepping_up_IHB]

I called code enforcement about six weeks ago and they essentially told me that their hands were tied due to State law. My husband managed an apartment complex some years back and he said the same thing... the State doesn't allow you to restrict the number of occupants below their limit. You can stipulate that everyone living there over the age of 18 has to be on the lease.

If you ever get woken up at 6:00 am by mariachi music, it's someone's birthday. We learned of this tradition our very first Sunday morning when the fiesta began at that ungodly hour less than 10 feet from our bedroom window. I had called the city to inquire about the noise laws and the gal told me about this. Aha!

We have several Hispanic families on the street, but they all own and most of them maintain their homes quite nicely. They do have a few more cars, but noise is not an issue. There aren't any chickens running around the street however I've been hearing the horn toots of an helote cart lately. The people next door are renters. Several adult couples with kids and the matriarch. Every one speaks fluent English and each of them have brand new vehicles, so this isn't a case of questionable legal status.

There is one house that is a series of unfinished projects and consequently looks quite messy with little hope of seeing something nice come of it. My neighbor told me that in Mexico, you don't pay tax on additions to properties until they are complete. As a result many homes leave some rebar sticking up with no intention of ever finishing. He said that mindset often ends up here. ??? Maybe BK can confirm.

 

[CM_Dude_IHB]

NSR, I am actually south of 17th! I'll keep pestering Code Enforcement, that seems to be all I can do.

I have no problem with people of any race, and Costa Mesa is a great, diverse City. What I do have a problem with is the bunkhouse behavior, total disrespect for neighbors (noise and parking) and the in-your-face activism of the pro-illegal immigration faction here in CM. I don't like clusters of day laborers crowding street corners, simply because it is an eyesore, and they have to go to the bathroom somewhere! I don't like the fact that we are known to have under-performing schools. If you complain about the failing schools (which happen to be the ones with extremely high percentages of non-English proficient students) or the other conditions caused by overcrowding and illegal immigration, you are branded a racist.

 

[Major Schadenfreude_IHB]

"But Irvine is also the biggest city in Orange County in terms of geographical size, and it’s not very densely populated."

It is only densely populated where people live - courtesy of the Irvine Co.

 

[freedomCM_IHB]

It wasn't until the right wing wackjobs got elected to the city counsel/mayor in CM that there were so many day laborers hanging out on the corners.

There used to be a very nice, highly populated, city run job center at 17th/Placentia. Literally hundreds of guys there who had a safe and sanitary place to wait for jobs.

Then the wackjobs decided they didn't want to "their taxes subsidizing the illegals", so they shut it down. And Voila! now there are 5-10 guys on 20 different corners around CM.

So be sure you thank Masoor and Leece, et al, the next time you see them.

 

[norcaljeff_IHB]

It wasn't until the right wing wackjobs got elected to the city counsel/mayor in CM that there were so many day laborers hanging out on the corners.

There used to be a very nice, highly populated, city run job center at 17th/Placentia. Literally hundreds of guys there who had a safe and sanitary place to wait for jobs.

Then the wackjobs decided they didn't want to "their taxes subsidizing the illegals", so they shut it down. And Voila! now there are 5-10 guys on 20 different corners around CM.

So be sure you thank Masoor and Leece, et al, the next time you see them.

I highly doubt this. If your ascertain is correct, they would be booted back to Mexico, not on the streets of CM.

 

[stepping_up_IHB]

It wasn't until the right wing wackjobs got elected to the city counsel/mayor in CM that there were so many day laborers hanging out on the corners.

There used to be a very nice, highly populated, city run job center at 17th/Placentia. Literally hundreds of guys there who had a safe and sanitary place to wait for jobs.

Then the wackjobs decided they didn't want to "their taxes subsidizing the illegals", so they shut it down. And Voila! now there are 5-10 guys on 20 different corners around CM.

So be sure you thank Masoor and Leece, et al, the next time you see them.

I highly doubt this. If your ascertain is correct, they would be booted back to Mexico, not on the streets of CM.

Freedom is indeed correct here. There is now talk of re-opening the job center to fix the problem created by its closing. CM looked at the City of Orange, who also decided it was better to have a job center. The CM city government is pretty right wing. I'm ready to throw the bums out.

 

[freedomCM_IHB]

It wasn't until the right wing wackjobs got elected to the city counsel/mayor in CM that there were so many day laborers hanging out on the corners.

There used to be a very nice, highly populated, city run job center at 17th/Placentia. Literally hundreds of guys there who had a safe and sanitary place to wait for jobs.

Then the wackjobs decided they didn't want to "their taxes subsidizing the illegals", so they shut it down. And Voila! now there are 5-10 guys on 20 different corners around CM.

So be sure you thank Masoor and Leece, et al, the next time you see them.

I highly doubt this. If your ascertain is correct, they would be booted back to Mexico, not on the streets of CM.

WTF? Why do you doubt this?

Do you think I am lying, or just "making stuff up to further my liberal agenda"?

It has been in the local newspaper (The Daily Pilot, which has an online archive, so you can look yourself) for years.



Before you cast aspersions on people's veracity, try to do a little research to back it up, OK?

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

NSR, I am actually south of 17th! I'll keep pestering Code Enforcement, that seems to be all I can do.

I have no problem with people of any race, and Costa Mesa is a great, diverse City. What I do have a problem with is the bunkhouse behavior, total disrespect for neighbors (noise and parking) and the in-your-face activism of the pro-illegal immigration faction here in CM. I don't like clusters of day laborers crowding street corners, simply because it is an eyesore, and they have to go to the bathroom somewhere! I don't like the fact that we are known to have under-performing schools. If you complain about the failing schools (which happen to be the ones with extremely high percentages of non-English proficient students) or the other conditions caused by overcrowding and illegal immigration, you are branded a racist.

Schools with the least score has the highest Mexican population. Schools with declining score is parallel with increasing Hispanic enrollments. If you are shopping for a home with high performing school then stay away from where Mexicans live. Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Stanton, and many pockets of central OC. I went to school where 80% of the student population were Mexicans and It was really easy to get "A"s and having a very high GPA from a crummy school was an advantage getting into the top tier schools when so many colleges offer incentives and scholarships to smart kids from the ghettos. Top tier campuses believes in integration of racial, cultural, social and financial differences among student body.

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

I called code enforcement about six weeks ago and they essentially told me that their hands were tied due to State law. My husband managed an apartment complex some years back and he said the same thing... the State doesn't allow you to restrict the number of occupants below their limit. You can stipulate that everyone living there over the age of 18 has to be on the lease.

If you ever get woken up at 6:00 am by mariachi music, it's someone's birthday. We learned of this tradition our very first Sunday morning when the fiesta began at that ungodly hour less than 10 feet from our bedroom window. I had called the city to inquire about the noise laws and the gal told me about this. Aha!

We have several Hispanic families on the street, but they all own and most of them maintain their homes quite nicely. They do have a few more cars, but noise is not an issue. There aren't any chickens running around the street however I've been hearing the horn toots of an helote cart lately. The people next door are renters. Several adult couples with kids and the matriarch. Every one speaks fluent English and each of them have brand new vehicles, so this isn't a case of questionable legal status.

There is one house that is a series of unfinished projects and consequently looks quite messy with little hope of seeing something nice come of it. My neighbor told me that in Mexico, you don't pay tax on additions to properties until they are complete. As a result many homes leave some rebar sticking up with no intention of ever finishing. He said that mindset often ends up here. ??? Maybe BK can confirm.

Mexicans rarely hire specialists for additions because they can't afford it. The next phase of construction will be the next mariachi party so in the meantime exposed rebars. I doubt the addition went to a formal application with the city. City's Building and Safety inspectors would need to approve the addition for final occupacy. The county assessor would process the application for the increased property value and I doubt the city or county would have a protocal of communication in which to validate the commencement of completed construction before adjusting property taxes reflecting the improvements. Mexicans hate government officials because they think all are tied to INS. The owner of the house might be cited for a single story structure in violation of "maximum occupancy load" or construction details not up to code standards.

 

[tulip_IHB]

BKshopr,

I am definetly going to move my kids to Santa Ana High School...since they are Asian they have a disadvantage of applying to a decent college. College don't want any more Asian kid since we are "naturally" smart. All those years of Kumon is such a waste of my money...should have read your advices long time ago.

Plus...I am telling my parents, his parents, my sister and his brother to move in with us so we can afford a house in FV. Then I am going to find a divorce lawyer, since all of us are living together, it will ensure gurantee divorce.

I am sure the divorce rate in the Vietnamese community are rising too with all those people living together like that?

Nothing beat living in a nice home and eating ramen noodle eh?

 

[bkshopr_IHB]

BKshopr,

I am definetly going to move my kids to Santa Ana High School...since they are Asian they have a disadvantage of applying to a decent college. College don't want any more Asian kid since we are "naturally" smart. All those years of Kumon is such a waste of my money...should have read your advices long time ago.

Plus...I am telling my parents, his parents, my sister and his brother to move in with us so we can afford a house in FV. Then I am going to find a divorce lawyer, since all of us are living together, it will ensure gurantee divorce.

I am sure the divorce rate in the Vietnamese community are rising too with all those people living together like that?

Nothing beat living in a nice home and eating ramen noodle eh?

Having an Asian last name on the college application is a disadvantage to begin with. However Asian living in a ghetto address, ghetto high school, and a good autobiographical essay explaining the cultural deprivation growing up in the ghetto and having a 4.0 GPA while studying despite dodging bullets and gang influence shows the determination to succeed.

Top tier campuses are looking for students from difficult upbringing. The survival of the fittest plays a strong part in the admission process.

Many Asians including Vietnamese would live with unhappiness than to wearing the "shame" from a divorce. The younger generation may feel differently however.

 

[reason_IHB]

BKshopr,

I am definetly going to move my kids to Santa Ana High School...since they are Asian they have a disadvantage of applying to a decent college. College don't want any more Asian kid since we are "naturally" smart. All those years of Kumon is such a waste of my money...should have read your advices long time ago.

Plus...I am telling my parents, his parents, my sister and his brother to move in with us so we can afford a house in FV. Then I am going to find a divorce lawyer, since all of us are living together, it will ensure gurantee divorce.

I am sure the divorce rate in the Vietnamese community are rising too with all those people living together like that?

Nothing beat living in a nice home and eating ramen noodle eh?

Having an Asian last name on the college application is a disadvantage to begin with. However Asian living in a ghetto address, ghetto high school, and a good autobiographical essay explaining the cultural deprivation growing up in the ghetto and having a 4.0 GPA while studying despite dodging bullets and gang influence shows the determination to succeed.

Top tier campuses are looking for students from difficult upbringing. The survival of the fittest plays a strong part in the admission process.

Many Asians including Vietnamese would live with unhappiness than to wearing the "shame" from a divorce. The younger generation may feel differently however.

So true. And the truth might offend but in the end, it's still true. Another good observation.

 

[reason_IHB]

for someone who posts so much on this site, you sure don't know a lot about real estate, or humans.

If you're a bank, and somebody(s) shows up with 8 W-2's under different names to document income, do you just write it or do you start asking questions?

On a side note, every time you post I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. Is this you?

Hahaha! That's just wrong! Notice the horse's tail in the air? It's passing gas. Hahaha!