The homes in Lake Forest
Lake Forest was built in layers. The original community went up starting in the late 1960s, in and around eucalyptus groves planted in the early 1900s. Portola Hills followed from the late 1980s into the early 1990s, and Foothill Ranch was completed in 1996. Newer neighborhoods such as Baker Ranch, Serrano Summit and Portola Center came after that.
Detached houses, townhomes and condos are all common, and most were built as planned tracts. Many homes belong to a homeowners association, sometimes a master association plus a smaller one. Some of the newer tracts carry Mello-Roos special taxes and some do not. Ask Tony to check both for the exact address before you tour.
Neighborhoods and tracts
The city is named for its trees and its two man-made lakes. Homes in the first lake community belong to the Lake Forest Community Association, which runs the Beach and Tennis Club on Ridge Route Drive. Homes in Lake Forest II belong to the Lake Forest II Master Homeowners Association and its Sun and Sail Club on Toledo Way. The clubs are for members and their guests.
Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills sit at the northeast end, against the foothills and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Both joined Lake Forest in 2000, and Foothill Ranch has its own ZIP code, 92610. The Oaks at Portola Hills is a newer gated community, and Teresina is a small hillside tract. Ask Tony which association and which club a home belongs to.
Schools
Saddleback Valley Unified School District serves all of Lake Forest. El Toro High School, opened in 1973, is in the city, and Trabuco Hills High School sits on the border with Mission Viejo. Serrano Intermediate School is on Jeronimo Road. Elementary schools include Lake Forest Elementary, Foothill Ranch Elementary and Portola Hills Elementary. School assignment goes by address and can change, so check it with the district before you make an offer.
Parks, shopping and landmarks
Lake Forest Sports Park and Recreation Center is the city's main sports complex. Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park has hiking and mountain bike trails at the edge of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills. Heritage Hill Historical Park keeps several of the area's historic buildings. The etnies Skatepark is a large public skatepark. The Arbor on El Toro Road is the older shopping district, and Foothill Ranch has its own commercial centers.
Getting around
Interstate 5 runs along the west side of Lake Forest with two interchanges. The 241 toll road passes through Foothill Ranch with three interchanges. El Toro Road runs the length of the city and ties the two ends together. The 241 charges tolls, so count that in if you expect to use it every day.
There is no Metrolink station in Lake Forest. The closest is Irvine station on Barranca Parkway, served by Metrolink's Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line and by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner. The Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station is the next Metrolink stop to the south. John Wayne Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Buying in Lake Forest
The monthly cost of a Lake Forest home is more than the loan payment. HOA dues, any second association and any Mello-Roos tax all count, and they differ from tract to tract. Tony is a REALTOR and a licensed mortgage loan originator (NMLS ID 2359276), so he can go through what you may be able to borrow, with those costs included, before you tour.
Read the association documents during your contingency period. In the hillside areas near open space, ask Tony to check the fire hazard zone for the address and what that may mean for insurance. Tony works in Lake Forest and has held a California real estate license since 2007.
Selling in Lake Forest
Buyers compare your home with others in the same tract first, then with the next tract over, so the floor plan and the association matter as much as the address. Have your HOA documents, dues statement and any Mello-Roos details ready before you list. Buyers will ask for them early.
If your home comes with a lake club membership, say so plainly in the listing, because not every Lake Forest home has one. Tony's office is at The Real Estate Solution in Cerritos, and he speaks fluently in English and Arabic. Ask him which repairs are worth doing before photos and which to leave alone.
