Affordable Housing, Recreation Options Attract Newcomers
affordable housing, attracts, culture, newcomers, real estate, recreation options,
It basically was love at first sight. But getting Rick Main to take that first gander at Victor Valley took some doing.
“My wife‚ Nora‚ was in real estate‚ and she drove up here to show some homes. She fell in love with the area‚ but I was very against moving‚” Main remembers. “ ‘No way‚’ ” I said‚ “ ‘I’ve lived in Fountain Valley and Orange County all my adult life.’ ”
But his wife was insistent‚ and Main drove up “just to take a quick look.”
“And when I got here‚ I couldn’t believe it – the difference in prices between up here and Orange County‚” he says. “It was just phenomenal.”
Now‚ nearly two years later‚ the Mains are on their second Victor Valley home. The first one was good‚ but when they spotted their dream home in Apple Valley‚ they jumped at the opportunity. Today‚ they own a 4‚700-square-foot “mini-mansion” on nearly an acre of land – a seven-bedroom home with oak wet bar‚ two islands in the kitchen and high-end appliances‚ a 1‚500-square-foot‚ six-car garage‚ and a pool with waterfall and slide.
The pricetag: $150‚000 less than the much smaller‚ 40-year-old home they sold in Fountain Valley.
“And that Fountain Valley house was on a tiny lot‚” Main says.
The Mains have become pom pom-waving cheerleaders for their new hometown.
“I hate to go down the hill anymore‚” says Main‚ a retired police officer who now works in new-home construction. “And my wife – well‚ you have to drag her down.”
“Down the hill” is local-speak for the abominable con gestion‚ pollution and high prices of the Los Angeles/Orange County area. Though a lot of Victor Valley residents still commute down the hill‚ their after-hours are spent “up the hill” – zipping through the scenic Cajon Pass and retreating to a High Desert lifestyle they couldn’t possibly have afforded in L.A.
“We’re the last affordable housing market in the state of California‚” says Caroll Yule‚ broker/owner of Shear Realty‚ which has six offices in the High Desert.
Yule says the median home price in Victor Valley is $300‚000‚ compared with $461‚000 for the state. Comparable homes in L.A. or Orange County could easily hit $800‚000 or more.
One local company has taken that affordability and turned it into the basis for a nationally ranked company. Five-year-old Frontier Homes‚ based in Hesperia‚ has grown into one of the top 100 builders in the nation‚ ranking No. 84 for 2007‚ according to Builder magazine.
Founder James L. Previti started the company with 41 lots in Victorville in 2003; in 2006‚ the company closed 933 homes‚ according to spokesman Miguel Gonzalez. With 15 Frontier developments in Victor Valley and 12 models to choose from‚ Gonzalez says‚ “we like to think we have a home for every family’s demand.”
For $300‚000‚ he says‚ a homebuyer can purchase a new‚ 1‚800-square-foot‚ three-bedroom‚ two-bath home with a three-car garage and national-brand appliances. Frontier’s open floor plans are especially appealing to today’s buyers‚ Gonzalez says.
But great home prices aren’t the only advantage of a Victor Valley address.
The location‚ Yule says‚ can’t be beat.
“I don’t know anywhere else in the world where you can be so close to so many exciting destinations‚” she says. “We’re an hour and half from Los Angeles‚ two hours from San Diego‚ 45 minutes from Lake Arrowhead‚ a half hour from two ski resorts and three hours from Las Vegas. Palm Springs is only an hour and a half.
“The ocean‚ the mountains‚ Disneyland‚ Knotts Berry Farm … they’re all only a short car ride away.”
Remember to factor in nearly 365 days a year of blue skies and bright sunshine – the ideal climate‚ according to Yule.
“And the most wonderful part is the wide-open vistas‚” she says‚ “so you can always see that sky.”
While the middle of the day heats up‚ the mornings and evenings are cool and comfortable‚ with refreshing winds off the mountains and dramatic evening temperature drops.
Nighttime in the High Desert is nothing short of spec tacular‚ according to Rick Main.
“We like to go out on the balcony off the master bedroom and look at the stars‚” he says. “The views are amazing.”
If the home prices and convenient location don’t win you over‚ the stars‚ he says‚ most certainly will.
Story by Diane Connolly
Photo by Wes Aldridge
