2010 Irvine New Home Collection

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
[quote author="kayochan"]Checked out the Montecito models over the weekend. Some visitors were pre-qualified and others appeared to be lookie-loos (sp?). The open floorplan with the Cali room was nice. But, the backyard was small and the models had the biggest yards (per the site plan). Most lots appeared to have the Cali room almost right up against the backyard walls. So I don't know if I could call these backyards really backyards. They are more like small patios. I think I would consider these if they had a little bigger yard so it wouldn't feel so closed in.

I also drove over to look at the Sonomas (not as much foot traffic as the Montecito's). The models were fully furnished and very attractive. Pricing for these (for phase 1 release 1) start at $771,700 (cheapests plan 1) and up to $930,000 (the most expensive plan 3 with conservatory in lieu of the calif room). [/quote]

I like the plan 3 Sonoma layout but it seems expensive. Plus add MR+HOA to the mix. It may be ~$337/sqft. If the sq footage of 2627 on the website is for the base plan 3 + add Conservatory option (I estimated 10'x13')--total new sqft of ~2757. I suppose this is the premium TIC expects the market will bear for new construction.

The other nice aspect of the Sonoma homes vs Carmel/Montecito is that you actually get a pocket park in your area. I know it was mentioned in previous threads on IHB but the Carmel/Montecito properties were originally designated for a IUSD middle school and thus never were part of the WB master plan; thus builders opted to maximize profits and eliminated any pocket parks. You will need to walk over to Coral Tree Park or the Commons. I am not sure if they will allow direct access to the Jeffrey Open Space trails.
 
Seriously, TIC has been shrinking backyards since 93, and this is ridiculous. I can't believe people are getting excited to be packed in like sardines. Either I am crazy, or there are paid shills on here to pump this Kowloon like neighborhood. Forget about converting your California room, all 12 of your HOA neighbors who can see into your backyard covered patio will shut that idea down real quick. This product is sh*t, and anyone who ever followed BK knows this is a disaster waiting to happen. This product will have the lowest resale value in 5-10 years, mark my words. Buy in Portola Springs or wait for Laguna Crossing or Orchard Hills. At least then if your neighbor opens their bathroom window (if they have one to open) you won't know what their sh*t smells like. My gawd this product is awful. IHO is right, they didn't get the right people to survey. Garage space and a lot where you can move more than in a circle, hello! Oh... I can't wait to here about the parking complaints, should be even better than the CG whiners.

[/negative nelly]
 
Well... I think they are trying to maximize their BagOChips method... instead of building up like Pringles, they are using up as much lot space as possible... I wouldn't be surprised if some of these models are zero lot lines.

We are going to start seeing houses that have a smaller lot size than living square footage... heh.

And I do think the Carmel/Montecito area will have parking problems, since I doubt you can park in the motorcourt, you will see people parking in the Montecito area and so if you want to live in Carmel, you should buy opposite of Montecito but that places you closer to Jeffrey.

I was looking at the Portola Springs map the other day, and they are not even close to being half developed, they are probably only using 1/3 of the space right now.... so... despite TIC's siren call... there is still a whole lot of land left in Irvine.
 
Yes, the Montecito's are really tightly packed...I'd hate to be one of the ones buying the middle unit with all 3 sides closed in and the 4th side of the house facing the motor court...ugh. That would be a dark, depressing home...
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Well... I think they are trying to maximize their BagOChips method... instead of building up like Pringles, they are using up as much lot space as possible... I wouldn't be surprised if some of these models are zero lot lines.

We are going to start seeing houses that have a smaller lot size than living square footage... heh.

And I do think the Carmel/Montecito area will have parking problems, since I doubt you can park in the motorcourt, you will see people parking in the Montecito area and so if you want to live in Carmel, you should buy opposite of Montecito but that places you closer to Jeffrey.

I was looking at the Portola Springs map the other day, and they are not even close to being half developed, they are probably only using 1/3 of the space right now.... so... despite TIC's siren call... there is still a whole lot of land left in Irvine.[/quote]

Seriously, Portola Springs needs to cut the "Glorified detached condo and duplex" crap like Manzanita and Paloma and start producing some real 2300 - 2500 sq ft. SFR products like Sonoma.

Sonoma is atleast $100k over priced. I'm waiting to for mortgage rates and unemployment to rise so i can put down a bigger down payment.
 
[quote author="kayochan"]
Yes, the Montecito's are really tightly packed...I'd hate to be one of the ones buying the middle unit with all 3 sides closed in and the 4th side of the house facing the motor court...ugh. That would be a dark, depressing home...

[/quote]

This is what I was saying the other day --- these motorcourt homes are not a NORMAL SFR layout. And that's fine -- not everyone wants or needs a traditional neighborhood layout. But they are CHARGING traditional SFR prices. Graph is right, these will be the least desireable of resale homes in 5-10 years. Seriously, if I thought I had to buy something right now, I would definitely go for something like Lantana at the dreaded Columbus Grove before this. At least that is a real neighborhood layout, even if there is a cement factory behind it. Heck, you can't see cement factory. But you have to see that greasy motorcourt front yard every time you leave and come home. And how soon will it be before the neighborhood battles begin because there is one inconsiderate jerk who parks his car on the motorcourt for hours on end, blocking easy access for all others?

Where are the kids going to play? Walk to a pocket park for planned playdates every time the neighborhood kids want to run around and blow off some energy with each other? Is that the way it happens for most of your kids? That's not the way it happens with my neighborhood. Or maybe they will be staging football and soccer games on the pavement like in Brooklyn?

Again, that's fine if you think you can live with this layout...but is the value proposition there at $800,000?
 
[quote author="Panda "]Seriously, Portola Springs needs to cut the "Glorified detached condo and duplex" crap like Manzanita and Paloma and start producing some real 2300 - 2500 sq ft. 3-car wide garage SFR products like Westpark II.[/quote]
IHO Edit-Fu!

Although I wouldn't mind if TIC saved that for Laguna Crossings.
 
30lnbti.gif


Before you decide to give TIC your 3% deposit and your soul, look at the graph above. I'm not touching any Irvine RE until late 2011 and early 2012.
 
FCB and children of FCB don't really need a backyard... this is going to be a stereotypical one-sided argument here, but most Asians don't have a need for any outdoor recreational activities. ALL academic, and most extracurricular activities do not involve anything with grass, sunshine or fresh air. The Asian, 1st or 2nd generation peeps who were able to come over here already lost their agrarian identity and adopted for the city or suburban lifestyle. If they need to plant a garden or till the soil they would have already bought in old Tustin or somewhere else...
 
I could see that a lot of kids these days are too busy to play in the yard, but I think a yard would be nice also for other things, including space away from your neighbor, room for sunlight to come through your windows, and I think it is relaxing to be able to look out your kitchen/dining/family room window and see plants and open space.

With no yard and your neighbors right next to you, it would be hard to get good sunlight. For example, a friend of mine who lives at Woodbury Place apt. townhomes is in a unit with no yard, neighbors right next to them as well as right in front of them. Their house is always pretty dark and she is very unhappy there.

I understand that FCB's may not need a yard for their kids to play outside but how about wanting sunlight in their homes?
 
Sunlight is for non-Irvine residents, people who live in Irvine use radiant light from their souls.

I always like to keep the curtains/blinds/shutters closed so I don't really know what sunlight is.

(says the vampire)
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Sunlight is for non-Irvine residents, people who live in Irvine use radiant light from their souls.

I always like to keep the curtains/blinds/shutters closed so I don't really know what sunlight is.

(says the vampire)[/quote]

LOL! That is too funny!

Yes, I did notice that most people in WB keep their blinds closed...
 
[quote author="roundcorners"]FCB and children of FCB don't really need a backyard... this is going to be a stereotypical one-sided argument here, but most Asians don't have a need for any outdoor recreational activities. ALL academic, and most extracurricular activities do not involve anything with grass, sunshine or fresh air. [/quote]

I really can't agree with that. I think that is a cop out argument that FCB don't have a need to play outside only because the *new* home designs do not give them an option to do so. If that outdoor option was there, they would partake. Kids are kids.

I live in a detached SFR product (Ivywood/West Irvine). Just on our immediate block my daugther has playmates of the following background: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Caucasian. They ALL play outside together --- riding scooters and bikes, tag, catch, frisbee, sidewalk chalk, giant bubbles...I could go on and on and on.

And its not just the kids. I can see into the backyard of my three immediate neighbors, and they are fiddling with the plants and fruit trees in their the backyard ALL the time. My Chinese mother-in-law nearly lives in her backyard garden. We come home from grandmas house with bags and bags of oranges and lemons and you name it almost every time we visit. So I'm having a hard time seeing the generalization that Asians don't use a backyard (or front yard).

I'm only saying all this because I just hope nobody is getting caught up in the Irvine Company hype machine thinking these are going to be the last homes ever built in Irvine. I hope people are actually looking at what they are really getting for their $800k here. That's all. But if you are considering all your options --- and this really is your Irvine dream, hey --- whatever floats your boat. I'll say no more...my work is done here, I suppose people can talk themselves into anything.
 
[quote author="ck"]
[quote author="roundcorners"]FCB and children of FCB don't really need a backyard... this is going to be a stereotypical one-sided argument here, but most Asians don't have a need for any outdoor recreational activities. ALL academic, and most extracurricular activities do not involve anything with grass, sunshine or fresh air. [/quote]

I really can't agree with that. I think that is a cop out argument that FCB don't have a need to play outside only because the *new* home designs do not give them an option to do so. If that outdoor option was there, they would partake. Kids are kids.

I live in a detached SFR product (Ivywood/West Irvine). Just on our immediate block my daugther has playmates of the following background: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Caucasian. They ALL play outside together --- riding scooters and bikes, tag, catch, frisbee, sidewalk chalk, giant bubbles...I could go on and on and on.

And its not just the kids. I can see into the backyard of my three immediate neighbors, and they are fiddling with the plants and fruit trees in their the backyard ALL the time. My Chinese mother-in-law nearly lives in her backyard garden. We come home from grandmas house with bags and bags of oranges and lemons and you name it almost every time we visit. So I'm having a hard time seeing the generalization that Asians don't use a backyard (or front yard).

I'm only saying all this because I just hope nobody is getting caught up in the Irvine Company hype machine thinking these are going to be the last homes ever built in Irvine. I hope people are actually looking at what they are really getting for their $800k here. That's all. But if you are considering all your options --- and this really is your Irvine dream, hey --- whatever floats your boat. I'll say no more...my work is done here, I suppose people can talk themselves into anything.[/quote]

Super Exalted! CK, you couldn't of said it any better!
 
[quote author="ck"]
[quote author="roundcorners"]FCB and children of FCB don't really need a backyard... this is going to be a stereotypical one-sided argument here, but most Asians don't have a need for any outdoor recreational activities. ALL academic, and most extracurricular activities do not involve anything with grass, sunshine or fresh air. [/quote]

I really can't agree with that. I think that is a cop out argument that FCB don't have a need to play outside only because the *new* home designs do not give them an option to do so. If that outdoor option was there, they would partake. Kids are kids.

I live in a detached SFR product (Ivywood/West Irvine). Just on our immediate block my daugther has playmates of the following background: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Caucasian. They ALL play outside together --- riding scooters and bikes, tag, catch, frisbee, sidewalk chalk, giant bubbles...I could go on and on and on.

And its not just the kids. I can see into the backyard of my three immediate neighbors, and they are fiddling with the plants and fruit trees in their the backyard ALL the time. My Chinese mother-in-law nearly lives in her backyard garden. We come home from grandmas house with bags and bags of oranges and lemons and you name it almost every time we visit. So I'm having a hard time seeing the generalization that Asians don't use a backyard (or front yard).

I'm only saying all this because I just hope nobody is getting caught up in the Irvine Company hype machine thinking these are going to be the last homes ever built in Irvine. I hope people are actually looking at what they are really getting for their $800k here. That's all. But if you are considering all your options --- and this really is your Irvine dream, hey --- whatever floats your boat. I'll say no more...my work is done here, I suppose people can talk themselves into anything.[/quote]

CK,

what do you think about paying 635K for no yard (i'm looking at Coronado Plan 2)? I've been waiting since 2006 to get my first home and I think this is reasonably priced for a 4/3 in irvine from what i've been seeing... I guess I've come to accept that i will not have a large backyard living in irvine...
 
[quote author="scubasteve"]
[quote author="ck"]

I really can't agree with that. I think that is a cop out argument that FCB don't have a need to play outside only because the *new* home designs do not give them an option to do so. If that outdoor option was there, they would partake. Kids are kids.

I live in a detached SFR product (Ivywood/West Irvine). Just on our immediate block my daugther has playmates of the following background: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Caucasian. They ALL play outside together --- riding scooters and bikes, tag, catch, frisbee, sidewalk chalk, giant bubbles...I could go on and on and on.

And its not just the kids. I can see into the backyard of my three immediate neighbors, and they are fiddling with the plants and fruit trees in their the backyard ALL the time. My Chinese mother-in-law nearly lives in her backyard garden. We come home from grandmas house with bags and bags of oranges and lemons and you name it almost every time we visit. So I'm having a hard time seeing the generalization that Asians don't use a backyard (or front yard).

I'm only saying all this because I just hope nobody is getting caught up in the Irvine Company hype machine thinking these are going to be the last homes ever built in Irvine. I hope people are actually looking at what they are really getting for their $800k here. That's all. But if you are considering all your options --- and this really is your Irvine dream, hey --- whatever floats your boat. I'll say no more...my work is done here, I suppose people can talk themselves into anything.[/quote]
CK,

what do you think about paying 635K for no yard (i'm looking at Coronado Plan 2)? I've been waiting since 2006 to get my first home and I think this is reasonably priced for a 4/3 in irvine from what i've been seeing...[/quote]


Wait - I thought Coronado was a SFR - is there ABSOLUTELY NO LOT at all?
 
[quote author="ajw522"]
[quote author="scubasteve"]
CK,

what do you think about paying 635K for no yard (i'm looking at Coronado Plan 2)? I've been waiting since 2006 to get my first home and I think this is reasonably priced for a 4/3 in irvine from what i've been seeing...[/quote]


Wait - I thought Coronado was a SFR - is there ABSOLUTELY NO LOT at all?[/quote]

It's really really small... if you look at the floor plan, the size of the backyard is literally about 6 feet to the right of the master and goes all the way up to the end of the great room wall... BUT it runs up to the neighbor's wall (w/ no fence seperation). I'm guessing that makes it a zero lot? I don't think there are any windows on the neighbor's wall though if that makes me feel better about my small backyard..haha
 
[quote author="scubasteve"]
[quote author="ajw522"]


Wait - I thought Coronado was a SFR - is there ABSOLUTELY NO LOT at all?[/quote]

It's really really small... if you look at the floor plan, the size of the backyard is literally about 6 feet to the right of the master and goes all the way up to the end of the great room wall...
[/quote]

Oh, I see- not to bad for TIC standards.
 
[quote author="ajw522"]
[quote author="scubasteve"]

It's really really small... if you look at the floor plan, the size of the backyard is literally about 6 feet to the right of the master and goes all the way up to the end of the great room wall...
[/quote]

Oh, I see- not to bad for TIC standards.[/quote]

Sorry, I know I am getting off topic, but i want to know - Is Coronado off a motorcourt as well or is it as a normal layout? Do you have a full driveway that goes onto a street? Where does the front door lead out to?

Thanks again.
 
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