Archive for November 22nd, 2008

Did you know… the history of 4 popular OC Cities!

Posted on November 22, 2008. Filed under: First Time Buyer help |

Maybe you know the Pillgrams arrived here to the New World on the Mayflower… but do you know the history and origin of these popular Orange County Cities?  Click the link after each city to discover a special value on an reo/bank owned home in these featured cities!

MISSION VIEJO
Although not a fledged city for too many years, Mission Viejo is steeped in a tradition that dates back to the vanishing days of men on horses driving cattle.
Nearly 25 years ago, the Mission Viejo Co. bought a 10,000-acre section of Rancho Mission Viejo from the O’Neill family, which once owned much of the land from Oceanside to El Toro.  An adorable condo, walking distance from the lake with low taxes and hoa, click here

IRVINE
Around 2000 years ago, the Gabrielino Indians inhabited what is now Irvine. Irvine is comprised of several villages, each of which was master planned by the Irvine Company. The first was constructed in the 1960’s and more are planned. The land, once granted to individuals by the Spanish and Mexican governments, was purchased in the second half of the 1800’s by James Irvine.
The Irvine, Flint and Bixby ranches were devoted to sheep grazing, although in the 1870’s tenant farming was permitted. In 1878, James Irvine acquired his partners’ interests for $150,000. His 110,000 acres stretched 23 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Santa Ana River.
James Irvine died in 1886. In 1893, his son, James Irvine, Jr., came into full possession of the ranch which he incorporated into The Irvine Company one year later. James, Jr. began shifting ranch operations to field crops, olive and citrus orchards.  A stunning townhome, reduced over $70,000!  Click here
LAGUNA BEACH
In early times, local Indians thrived on the rich coastal lands and freshwater canyon lakes that made up the area they named Lagonas, for ‘lake.’
By the late 1800s, visitors were making an annual pilgrimage on rutted trails through the canyons to camp at Laguna Beach each summer. By the time painter Norman St. Claire visited from San Francisco in 1903, Laguna already had become a popular tourist destination with a hotel: the Hotel Laguna.
Within a few years, Laguna Beach had a permanent population of about 300 people—half of whom were artists.
In 1918, artist Edgar Payne opened an art gallery that later became the Laguna Art Museum, one of the first art museums in the state.  A beautiful home with a spectacular view/click here.

HUNTINGTON BEACH
The area of Huntington Beach was originally occupied by the Tongva people, also known as Gabrielinos, whose lands stretched from what is now Topanga Canyon through Aliso Creek in Laguna Beach.  European settlement can be traced to Spanish soldier, Manuel Nieto, who in 1784 received a Spanish land grant of 300,000 acres, which he named Rancho Los Nietos, as a reward for his military service.  The Stearns Rancho Company ran cattle and horses and raised barley crops on what is now the city of HB.  In the early 1800’s a portion of property was sold to Col. Robert Northam, who raised and sold barley to surrounding ranchers.  By 1889, the city was called Shell Beach and consisted of a small group of settlers.  In 1901, Shell Beach was changed to Pacific City when P.A. Stanton formed a local syndicate and purchased 40 acres along the beach with 20 acres on each side of Main Street.  Stanton’s dream was to build a town on the Pacific Coast which would rival Atlantic City on the East Coast… Huntington Beach!  A condo that is walking distance to the beach/click here

We at the WeeksTeam wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and want you to know we are thankful that you are our client.  Have a beautiful Holiday Season!