If you are looking for a family friendly community in South Orange County, with top of the line amenities, Ladera Ranch and Talega have it. These two communities have a lot in common as far as activities, lots of kids, and even types of homes. We often get asked the same question: which one is better? Ladera Ranch or Talega?  Here's some highlights of the communities as far as:

MELLO ROOS: ok, so no one is a winner. Both communities have mello-roos and the amounts paid by the home owners differ even within the same communities (there's different factors involved). But let's just say they both have them, and both are high. 

Amenities: Both Ladera Ranch and Talega have pools, neighborhood parks and community activities. Ladera Ranch does have more parks…

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orange_county_homes_with_mello_roosProperty owners in Orange County and all over California were put on notice in January that the state Franchise Tax Board was going to be cracking down on taxpayers who deduct Mello-Roos and other property-related fees that aren't legally deductible from state income taxes.

But as of March 15th 2012, the state tax officials are now saying that they are going to rely on taxpayer honesty in reporting property tax deductions, as they have in the past, because the FTB computer is not able to connect to county tax records to verify compliance.

That's a huge relief for the owners of many Orange County homes have that extra assessment known as mello-roos.

Mello-Roos assessments are the biggest issue for property taxpayers in Orange County and other areas…

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san_juan_capistrano_swallows_day_parade_2012Swallows Day Parade is tomorrow, rain or shine! With over 200 entries and about 40,000 spectators expected, this event is the largest in the city of San Juan Capistrano and the South County cities.

This it the 54th instance of the  Swallows Day Parade,  ending the month-long celebration known as Fiesta de las Golondrinas, or Swallows Festival, in honor of the small birds that traditionally make their spring and summer home in and around San Juan Capistrano.

The festival began as a school carnival, grew into an equestrian parade and through the years added several other events, such as Hoos'gow Day, Fiesta Grande and the El Presidente Ball. This year's Parade has over 200 entries, including many horses, marching bands and many more.  There's a shuttle…

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For those who like to know what's going on in Dana Point, here's a new event coming up: The Dana Point Concours d'Elegance 2012.

The Dana Point Concours d’Elegance 2012 will be staged theupcoming June 23 and 24 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California. This is the 30th annual event, and the exposition includes more than 200 European and American classics and 50 vintage motorcycles.

This is a 2 day celebration, which starts Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 at 9am, with a Private Collection Tour featuring automobile collections rarely seen in Southern California. Beach goers and surfers will also enjoy the Beach Cruisers Show on Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm. The event will host more than 200 VW’s, Woodies and assorted Hot Rods to…

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We usually don't do this but this is such a rare case and we are reaching out for help.

It's about our friend's and past client's baby boy. His name is Valentino Ricciotti and was recently diagnosed with OMS, a rare disease/cancer that attacks its own body.  Valen went from being a normal 1 year old, to all of a sudden not being able to walk, shaking constantly with absolutely no control over his body, having 'dancing eyes', crying constantly and not being able to sleep whatsoever because of what this disease those to his brain. 

A treatment that the world's only doctor specialized in the disease is very costly and often not covered by insurance. The treatment costs about $6k a day, and has to be given for a month, then periodically and sporadically…

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33722_avenida_calita_san_juan_capistrano_92675_mls_s691218This is rare find. The custom home located at Avenida Calita in San Juan Capistrano has been remodeled and has potential for great ocean views! For those looking for a home free of HOA, and no mello-roos assessments, this is a gem!

The 4 bedroom, 3 bath home, with almost 2500 square feet, was built in 1979, boasts over 11,000 sq lot and some of the custom built features include:

  • limestone floors downstairs
  • wood floors upstairs
  • stunning wrought iron stair rail
  • newer dual pane windows
  • gourmet kitchen with granite counters 
  • stainless steel appliances
  • custom cabinets 
  • custom lighting. 
  • 3 car garage

The home has a nice floor plan, open to the family room for that great room feel. There is a downstairs den that could be a fourth…

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We often get this question. What is Mello- roos? Is it forever? What does it cover? Why some houses have it and some don't? Is it a percentage?

Let start by explaining what Mello Roos is. 

Mello Roos is a special 'bond' used to finance the cost of public improvements and infrastructure in a newer area, like roads, schools, parks, fire stations etc needed to support the new community. A Mello-Roos District is an area where this special property tax on real estate, in addition to the normal property tax, is imposed on those home owners. The tax paid is used to make the payments of principal and interest on the bonds. Talega and Ladera Ranch are very similar when it comes to the mello-roos. Just doing a drive around you'll notice the similarities: newer…

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