Another thought is North Orange County. I saw a few small pocket communities with newer homes in our price range (buena park) and of course there are plenty of older homes. The big question is, is the area nice and safe, are the schools good, etc? If my husband had to find another job there are a lot, for what he does, in Irvine. Also, we still have several friends and family in SD so the drive would be shorter. So for those in the know, would you consider North OC or is Nroth LA still a better bet?