Can someone explain why Newport Boulevard is comprised primarily of shady massage parlors?  Does the mayor of Costa Mesa enjoy massage with a happy ending?

C’mon now, that isn’t true.  Some examples:

The Crossing Church
Armstrongs Garden Center
Vanguard University
Starbucks
Skosh Monahans
The Grant Boys
Growers Ranch
El Matador
Cal’s Camera
Outback Steakhouse
FedEx Kinkos
Starbucks
Del Taco
Taco Bell
Aaron Brothers
Goodyear
Champion Honda Kawasaki Yamaha
U Haul
Sushi Love
Triangle Square
Dick Church’s
Stater Brothers

Etc…

CM_Dude - 29 July 2008 11:16 PM

C’mon now, that isn’t true.  Some examples:

The Crossing Church
Armstrongs Garden Center
Vanguard University
Starbucks
Skosh Monahans
The Grant Boys
Growers Ranch
El Matador
Cal’s Camera
Outback Steakhouse
FedEx Kinkos
Starbucks
Del Taco
Taco Bell
Aaron Brothers
Goodyear
Champion Honda Kawasaki Yamaha
U Haul
Sushi Love
Triangle Square
Dick Church’s
Stater Brothers

Etc…

What? You forgot Golden Truffle and Goat Hill tavern. After a happy ending it only gets better when you have a nice five course meal and grab a pint afterwards to make for a truly happy ending. Isn’t that what the mayor does?

Maltese - 29 July 2008 09:25 PM

Can someone explain why Newport Boulevard is comprised primarily of shady massage parlors?  Does the mayor of Costa Mesa enjoy massage with a happy ending?

Apparently, there is also a high concentration of sex offenders living in the cheap motels along Newport Boulevard/55 as the rates there are cheap enough to live full time and given they have a hard time getting long-term leases anywhere else.  Something to think about for people looking for homes in that area…

You got to love this Condo sales prompt struggle The right wing city council says that the economy is to blame for the slump in sales…. umm, it has nothing to do with the fact that most people who can afford to buy a home don’t want to live in Costa Mesa because we have gangs and horrid schools. This city has so much potential… amazing location, great weather, shopping, dining, etc.. but people don’t want to buy here. It’s not the economy stupid, it’s the state of the city.

stepping_up - 14 August 2008 07:02 PM

You got to love this Condo sales prompt struggle The right wing city council says that the economy is to blame for the slump in sales…. umm, it has nothing to do with the fact that most people who can afford to buy a home don’t want to live in Costa Mesa because we have gangs and horrid schools. This city has so much potential… amazing location, great weather, shopping, dining, etc.. but people don’t want to buy here. It’s not the economy stupid, it’s the state of the city.

Ahem, two bedroom condos in the $600-$700K range.  Oh, I’m sorry $599K-$749K range.  Please, luxury condos with two bedrooms at $700K, that’s the only problem.

Okay, so this is sitting beside the old refurbished Government building that now holds club vegas?  And on the corner of 19th and Newport?  At least they built private garages in the parking structure.

Frankly, Costa Mesa is over built with new PUDs & condos.

Oh come on, the Costa Mesa market is doing just fine!

look, for a mere 850 large, you can get a 1948 gem.  A fine 2/1 990 sf with an inviting entrance:

And this well thought out description detailing all it has to offer:

Great neighborhood.

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Costa-Mesa/1596-San-Bernardino-Pl-92627/home/4591527

That price is for the lot.  Block and half behind my place.  It will sell, and probably be turned into a McMansion like the abominations on Redlands a few blocks away, or subdivided.

stepping_up - 14 August 2008 07:02 PM

You got to love this Condo sales prompt struggle The right wing city council says that the economy is to blame for the slump in sales…. umm, it has nothing to do with the fact that most people who can afford to buy a home don’t want to live in Costa Mesa because we have gangs and horrid schools. This city has so much potential… amazing location, great weather, shopping, dining, etc.. but people don’t want to buy here. It’s not the economy stupid, it’s the state of the city.

Stepping, I’m with you there!  These are a total JOKE!  Surrounded by concrete and traffic, wedged between a parking garage, furniture showrooms and a Toyota dealership - the street view is the end of the 55!  Seriously, they couldn’t have come up with a less desirable place to locate these except the Shalimar slums.  Would have worked in 2006, but not now.  There are SFRs in better neighborhoods in CM.

Stepping, what are your thoughts on the upcoming election?  Do you care who gets elected to the City Council?  Just trying to gauge interest.

CM_Dude - 15 August 2008 12:32 PM

stepping_up - 14 August 2008 07:02 PM

You got to love this Condo sales prompt struggle The right wing city council says that the economy is to blame for the slump in sales…. umm, it has nothing to do with the fact that most people who can afford to buy a home don’t want to live in Costa Mesa because we have gangs and horrid schools. This city has so much potential… amazing location, great weather, shopping, dining, etc.. but people don’t want to buy here. It’s not the economy stupid, it’s the state of the city.

Stepping, I’m with you there!  These are a total JOKE!  Surrounded by concrete and traffic, wedged between a parking garage, furniture showrooms and a Toyota dealership - the street view is the end of the 55!  Seriously, they couldn’t have come up with a less desirable place to locate these except the Shalimar slums.  Would have worked in 2006, but not now.  There are SFRs in better neighborhoods in CM.

Stepping, what are your thoughts on the upcoming election?  Do you care who gets elected to the City Council?  Just trying to gauge interest.

Actually, I do care quite a bit about the city council elections. Whenever I read Mr. Rigonomics editorials in the Daily Pilot, it’s like nails on a chalk board. I’m not too keen on Mansoor either. I’m really of the mindset that it’s time to try something besides the ultra right conservative politics that have not been working. It’s another case of ideology getting in the way of good policy. In fact, I spoke to Chris Bunyan last week about volunteering for his campaign.

If anyone is interested in CM politics, there will be a candidates forum at the CM neighborhood recreation center tomorrow night at 7:00 pm.

Stepping, I was at the forum - did you go?  Be curious to hear what you thought.  I was impressed by McEvoy.  Bunyan has passion, but doesn’y stand a chance…

First off…I’m tracking primarily the Woodbuy, Oak Creek, Westpark section of Irvine as the places I would like to purchase a home in sometime in the next 18-24 months..

However, I do like the 92626 section of Costa Mesa…

In particular the little community of Providence Park gated community. 

That’s one of the homes on the market…there are 2 other similar to it

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Costa-Mesa/1302-Corte-Maltera-92626/home/5927029

The 3 are on the market in the $780-790k range.

The math works out to about $340ish per sq ft..each home being around 2275 sq ft.

Where do you think some these will end up dropping to?

Personally I think they will eventually be priced around $275 per or $625k.

Also…anyone know if Newport Mesa Unified is a good district?

that little enclave is a bit too close to the 405 for my tastes, though the houses themselves are nice.  but it is an enclave.  you have to go down harbor to hit groceries (henry’s, and the asian one), or over into SA at fairview/maccarthur.  i guess you can walk to the ikea for meatballs.

i’m not sure which elementary serves that area, but the nmusd has a good map you can look at.  the API scores vary widely amongst the elem. schools, though.

since they were all built in 2004, i bet that there will be a lot of foreclosures there.  maybe going down to low 200s/sf?

so it is Killybrooke Elementary with an api of 815

it is a more mixed school.  either california or paularino would have had higher API, reflecting a less diverse population.

btw, here is a nice resource comparing the best NMUSD elementary schools with the two best IUSD schools (turtle rock and bonita), which test much higher

http://newportelfoundation.org/cs/blogs/eric/archive/2007/10/04/a-brief-history-of-the-api.aspx

freedomCM - 25 August 2008 02:06 PM

that little enclave is a bit too close to the 405 for my tastes, though the houses themselves are nice.  but it is an enclave.  you have to go down harbor to hit groceries (henry’s, and the asian one), or over into SA at fairview/maccarthur.  i guess you can walk to the ikea for meatballs.

i’m not sure which elementary serves that area, but the nmusd has a good map you can look at.  the API scores vary widely amongst the elem. schools, though.

since they were all built in 2004, i bet that there will be a lot of foreclosures there.  maybe going down to low 200s/sf?

I like the design…the only negative is the way the main door entry is designed..it’s off to the side, which is bad feng shui in my book.

As for the too close to the 405..I have actually driven thru the neighborhood.  The noise factor is pretty much zero.  I was quite surprised by how quiet the area was.

I’m curious about when the market is actually going to correct in CM.  There is still a whole lot of WTF pricing going on.  I actually had a realtor tell me that NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY, PRICES ARE AT ROCK-BOTTOM!!!

Nonsense, of course.  Even the crappy condos with ridiculous HOAs are over-priced!