Mission Viejo: Value of a Name

As a Mission Viejo property owner I have heard about the prospects of this town incorporating--that is, casually until I heard about a proposed name change along with it.

I must confess that Southern California has been my residence for only the past year. I’m a voluntary transient from New Jersey, and these dilemmas (incorporation and town name changes) don’t crop up too often back there. Furthermore, I don’t even live in Mission Viejo. However, I do own a handful of single-family houses and town homes in town for investment purposes.

As an investor by vocation for the past five years, a great deal of research has gone into every one of my potential and eventual purchases. A name has a great deal of “unseen” value in it, especially to all those that live in that town. Who would argue that the name Beverly Hills, for example, doesn’t have any value when resale time arrives?

So, too, is there value in the name Mission Viejo. As such, a name change to Saddleback City, for instance, would adversely affect the future value of all properties within the current Mission Viejo boundaries because of lost good will.

I realize that I may be the exception in that I am not a “resident” of Mission Viejo. But I do plan to be one when the opportunity presents itself. And until my residency arrives, I do have a stake in this town’s future by contributing to the “kitty” in the form of property taxes and association dues.

I feel strongly that Mission Viejo is one of the most valuable and desirable places in Southern California to own property at this time. And good will is a major reason why. To take this away or diminish it would be unfair, unreasonable and may even border on . . . (ah, we don’t want to get into that, do we?)

KEVIN M. WHELAN

Newport Beach