Living on the Orange County coast is expensive, and Sammy Veicer doesn't hide it on the second episode of Cadê Moradia: "everything you have on the coast is expensive" — San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach. But within the same city, a few details explain why one house costs much more than the one next door. As Jason Lanzarini moves across the map of San Clemente, where Sammy lives, the realtor points out the main ones.

The view is worth money — even a small one

Near the coast, Sammy says, what makes a house more or less expensive is having an ocean view. And it doesn't have to be panoramic. He introduces Jason to a term the market uses: peekaboo view, a "sneak-peek" view — a slice of ocean seen from a window, between rooftops or trees.

"Peekaboo is a tiny little view. But people value it." — Sammy Veicer, on the episode

That's why the view is highlighted in listings and weighs in price comparisons. There's no fixed percentage: the effect depends on how much ocean you can see, where you see it from (living room or bathroom) and whether the view is protected — whether there's any risk of a neighbor building and blocking it. Hillside homes facing the ocean tend to have more view and, as a result, a higher price. Homes closer to the mountains, Sammy notes, also tend to cost a bit more.

The cul-de-sac

Another detail Jason notices on the map: streets in Orange County's residential neighborhoods often have no outlet and end in a rounded turnaround, the cul-de-sac. Sammy says agents point it out when a house sits at that end, and homes there tend to be a bit more expensive and more private. The reason is simple: the only people who drive by are the people who live there. Jason notes this attracts families with children, because in the United States it's still common for kids to play in the street — something that has been lost in many Brazilian cities.

The layout also explains another feature of the area: neighborhoods are divided into tracts of homes, each with its own association (HOA), its own name and few entrances, to avoid through traffic.

What San Clemente costs

Sammy considers San Clemente one of the more affordable cities on the Orange County coast — "affordable," he stresses, compared with its neighbors. The ranges he cites on the episode, recorded in early 2026:

• Condos and smaller homes: starting at $500,000 to $600,000.
• Basic single-family home: around $1 million, according to Jason; Sammy puts the cheapest in some neighborhoods of large homes at $1.3 million and up.
• Custom homes, built to the owner's specifications on larger lots, well above that.

Farther north, the comparison changes scale: according to Sammy, a small oceanfront house in Newport Beach easily goes for $4 to 5 million, while in Dana Point the figure is still around $2 million.

He also notes that most cities are required, under the state's zoning and housing-planning rules, to set aside areas for more affordable housing — which is why even expensive cities have complexes of small, two-story apartments.

Figures cited on the episode, recorded in early 2026, and subject to variation by neighborhood, size and condition. Before deciding, ask your agent for recent sales of comparable properties.

Sources and verification

• Episode 2 of the Cadê Moradia podcast (February 2026), with Sammy Veicer and Jason Lanzarini.
• California Department of Housing and Community Development — cities' obligation to plan housing for all income levels (Housing Element).
• City of San Clemente — general city information.

This topic comes from the full episode — watch it:

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