XP - Relocation Question (Rancho Santa Margarita area)

Skittle128

I apologize in advance if you hang out on the O.C. or L.A. nest or bump and see this post several times.  I am just trying to get various opinions. 

Hi!  I hope I picked the Nest board closest to the Rancho Santa Margarita area.  If not, let me know if there is a different board I should post on.

I live in Tucson, AZ and my mom lives in Phoenix.  She is currently going through a divorce (my stepdad cheated on her and is leaving her for the other woman - although I tend to call this woman worse names IRL...). 

Anyway, she was laid off from her job in February due to them outsourcing the accounting dept. she was in.  She has been looking for a job ever since then.  Although, with the affair coming out this summer, she has been expanding her outlook to beyond Phoenix.

She has been interviewing with a company in Rancho Santa Margarita, and she is down to the final interview.  I know that she has started looking at apartments in the area, just in case.  She will be keeping her house in Phoenix and renting it out, and therefore just looking for an affordable apartment (in a decent area - not necessarily luxurious, but safe) somewhat near her job.

I have heard that the area tends to be a nicer area, and therefore might not be as affordable?  Can anyone tell me if that is true?  If what I heard is true and it is more expensive, can anyone recommend an area that she could look for apartments that would be reasonably close to her job?  Maybe 30 - 40 min drive at max.

Thanks for any help!

lesliecliebelt81

it can be more affordable there, but most places in orange county are going to be more pricey. I actually live near RSM the only issue i have come across is its not as easily accessible from freeways and such but it also depends in which part you live

jenbat

Sorry to hear about your mom.  The good news is that I've read rents have dropped since the economy has gone south.  Cost of living out here will be a lot more than AZ, so make sure that when she negotiates a salary that she keeps this in mind.

I lived in RSM for 12 years, but never rented there.  I would think that it could be affordable if you look around.  My personal take on the area is that it is nice and safe, but bland and without personality.....think Chandler or Tatum Ranch.  Many people feel much different about the area than I do.

She might try to get a six month lease for when she first comes out here, then start looking around for something else once she is settled.  There are many condo complexes in the area and a condo rental might be a better bet - more space for less money.

Surrounding RSM is Mission Viejo which is nice.  She might find some older complexes with decent rent.  Lake Forest comes next and I would think lower rents could be found there, but tell her to see the complexes at night and pay attention to the neighbors.  Aliso Viejo is nice, but I'm not sure if the rents are higher or lower than RSM.  Then there's Irvine and Laguna Niguel - these are most likely more expensive.  She could go out to Tustin or Costa Mesa, but her drive would be longer and you kind of have to know the area to avoid some bad pockets.

chelsali

Def. look in Costa Mesa, Tustin, city of Orange, some parts of Santa Ana, Newport, Huntington Beach.  Rent is RSM is ridiculous. Most of the apartments are owned by the Irvine Company, and they are not a cheap company to rent from.  Lake Forest is cheaper and thats close, Aliso Viejo too! Good luck!

rstout25

If you're mom is still looking I'll give you some numbers to think about. I've lived Grown up in RSM and have lived in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Irvine all of which is close. You can find 1 bed room apartments that start around $1100 in RSM itsself. There aren't many though.
If you go out to Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Laguna Hills you can find slightly cheaper ($950-1050), as they are older cities. If you need cheaper than that as other people have mentioned. Those cities are all Close enough to RSM that you don't have to take the freeways to get there. 
Costa Mesa, Tustin or Santa Ana you can find cheaper than that, but those are cities that you need to check out the area around where you're renting since there are pockets of bad areas in those cities.
The best way to find a place for cheap isn't to rent an apartment, but to look for someone renting a condo or if she is willing to rent a room while she looks for a place of her own. I've found that http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ is a good place to find condos for rent and rooms. Look for places in the cities I've mentioned. I hope this helps.