Marea Apartment Homes — Attraction in Dana Point

You too could live in beautiful Dana Point! These luxurious apartments offer recently painted, all original wood that has been decomposing since the 1980’s. The exquisite artwork of the local termites is on display all across the commons.

Do you enjoy combative leasing staff that talk down to residents? Then you have found the place!

Credit Advice - When first looking to move into Monarch (now Marea) I had completed the paperwork and called the leasing office to ask which Credit bureau they query so that I could unlock it for them. Long story short I ended up unlocking all three, 1 by 1 because they did not know. When I called the last time to advise that all were unlocked, I was told by a polite gentleman “This is why you don’t put a freeze on your credit, It causes problems”. Thanks for the advice D!

Off the rail - During our move in inspection, I found that the railing of our 3rd story apartment was completely rotten and needed to be replaced. The agent said, “Well if it gets any worse then let us know” (Pictures Included). I was given a line that they would be completely revamping my building soon and replacing all railings (BTW a year later they had only finished the roof). I called a week later and asked about the railing and they advised that a contractor would look at it for us. The contractor came a week later and put 3 metal straps on the railing with protruding screws and nails (See pictures). I immediately went to the office and complained which intern got us nowhere. Two weeks later without notice that they were entering our apartment. After reporting this to the manager, she called us directly. She tried to reason with me and stated that they only entered our balcony without notice. Then advised that the repairs were up to their standards and I would have to live with it. I then sent her a video showing the “Repairs” as she had not taken the time to come see them and made a blind judgement. After watching, she realized that the railing needed to be replaced and authorized the repair. This process took roughly 5 weeks of battling to get a resolution.

Moving on out - When we decided to leave this dreamboat, I went to the office and filled out the paperwork and all seemed well. We moved out early (10 days) and I took a few days to deep clean, touch up the walls, etc. When I went to the office to get a bit touch up paint, the same fine individual as that gave me Credit Advise told me “You shouldn’t even bother painting, we are going to charge you anyway”. Good to know! I still got the paint and fully touched up and cleaned the apartment to a state better than when we moved in. After getting everything done, I went to the office to give back my keys. The Agent (Not the same as before) advised me that if I give my keys 5 days early there would be a charge for breaking the lease. After trying to reason with her advising that I am not asking for money back and this is purely out of convenience, she still would not accept. I came back on the lease end date that she had given me in my previous visit. I noticed that there was a random charge made to my account that did not make sense. She advised that she could not tell me what that charge was for and that I would need to wait for my final bill to get further information. Three weeks later, we get the final bill and deposit refund with bad faith charges for Cleaning, Painting, etc. Wouldn’t you know, there also was no explanation of the charge to my account, or compliance with the law as to providing invoices for the charges made to my deposit. It has now been about 1 month since we sent a request for reimbursement and have no explanation or contact. We have called and even gone to the office with no luck. All they do is evade the questions and requests.

When it’s all done… If you don’t mind living in buildings of questionable integrity, dealing with office staff that do not care about your rights or needs, and are willing to pay way over market value for an apartment, then...

A Wonderful Place to Call Home

I have been living at Marea for 6 months and my experience has been wonderful. The highlight for me is the maintenance service crew (Fernando), the supportive property manager (Jane) fantastic amenities, and the positive atmosphere that makes this place a wonderful home.

Maintenance Crew: Fernando - Exceptional Service! One of the standout aspects of living here is the fantastic maintenance crew, particularly Fernando. Fernando has been incredibly helpful, friendly, and courteous from day one. No matter the issue, whether it's a minor repair or a more complicated concern, Fernando approaches it with a smile and a can-do attitude. His promptness and efficiency in handling maintenance requests are truly commendable, and it's clear he takes pride in ensuring residents' satisfaction. It felt like my uncle came in to help me fix something in my apartment, what a caring and amazing human being!

Amazing Amenities The amenities at Marea are top-notch and contribute significantly to the high quality of life here. The beautifully maintained pool is perfect for a relaxing swim on a hot day, and the adjacent grill area is ideal for weekend/ week night barbecues with friends and family. The cozy outdoor fireplace and gazebo create a lovely ambiance for evening gatherings or quiet moments of reflection - super cozy! I've taken a nap here plenty of times! Oh and if you stay present enough in the moment - you will always hear sound of the birds here!

For those who enjoy staying active, the pickleball and tennis court is a great addition, offering a fun way to exercise and socialize. The billiards room is another great feature - big plus! These amenities make living here not just convenient but truly enjoyable. There's also trail that leads to Salt Creek Beach - I've enjoyed a 6 mile hike with kids starting from Marea, fun stops at Ritz & Young's Beach Shack, continuing at Salt Creek Beach, Strands Beach, Headlands, and finishing up with Ice Cream & Affogato at Dana Point Harbor! Truly memorable experience.

Supportive Property Management: Jane, the property manager, has been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout my time here. Her dedication to creating a positive living environment is evident in everything she does. Jane is always approachable, responsive, and genuinely cares about the well-being of the residents. Her proactive approach to property management ensures that any concerns are addressed promptly, and her friendly demeanor makes interacting with her a pleasure.

Overall Experience: Living at Marea has been a thoroughly positive experience, which I really needed and appreciated during a challenging transition in my life, largely due to the exceptional team of Fernando and Jane. Their dedication to excellent service, combined with the fantastic amenities, great location and easy access to nature, creates a welcoming and enjoyable community. If you're looking for a place to call home that offers both comfort and a sense of belonging, I highly recommend Marea. It's a place where you can...

Marea Apartment Homes has an unbeatable location—just two blocks from the ocean and within a five-minute drive of several stunning beaches, including Salt Creek Beach, Strands Beach, and Doheny State Beach. Depending on your unit, you may even get a breathtaking view of the golf course and a sliver of the ocean. For the location alone, I’d give it a solid 4 stars.

However, that’s where the positives end.

The complex itself is visibly aging has a large spider issue, and is just about at the ends of its viability. But the real issue—the one that made our experience unbearable—was the complete failure of management to handle a serious harassment situation.

Serious Safety & Management Issues My wife was repeatedly harassed by our aggressive male neighbor, and management refused to take any meaningful action until extreme measures were taken.

It all started over something simple—he regularly parked a foot or two into our assigned space, making it difficult for my pregnant wife to fully open her car door. When she politely asked him to park within his spot, he escalated the situation, aggressively confronting her and then becoming more and more unhinged over the coming weeks and months.

Things only got worse: -He blocked her car in when she was trying to take our newborn to a doctor’s appointment. -He waited for me to leave before harassing her, multiple times. -It took police reports, legal threats, and me explicitly telling management I would physically handle it myself for them to finally intervene.

When management finally confronted him, he was aggressive toward them as well—yet instead of taking action against him, their solution was to cancel our lease and give us barely a week to move.

Final Straw on Move-Out Day On the day we moved, our psychotic neighbor waited until I left with the moving truck, then harassed my wife one last time. He watched her struggle to load the car with our newborn, then deliberately blocked her in while sitting in his car laughing at her misfortune. Lucky for myself, I was far away. otherwise I would be in prison for the acts I would have committed.

Final Verdict Marea’s location is incredible, but the management is absolutely incompetent when it comes to resident safety. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll love living here. But if you ever have an issue with another resident, don’t expect management to protect you. They will take the easiest way out, even if that means forcing out a family instead of addressing an aggressive neighbor.

We were happy to leave and never look back. I can only hope that neighbor met his end when dealing with the...