Avignon by Standard Pacific Homes at Blackstone (Brea)

[ps99472]

http://www.standardpacifichomes.com...alifornia/orange-county/avignon-at-blackstone

Grand opening today for these big boys: 

$1 million bucks?  So that's what...roughly $300/sq ft?  Hmmm... Homer can buy the whole site

Oh wait, oil wells in plain view.. never mind

make sure to say the name "Avignon" in the snobbiest french accent possible when you tell your friends where you live

 

[lnc]

make sure to say the name "Avignon" in the snobbiest french accent possible when you tell your friends where you live

Filet Avignon?  Now I'm hungry....

 

[zubs]

I was just at these models this weekend.  These aren't selling well.  The pretty sales girl said they hope to sell the models by the end of this year.  The base price for these are 1.3 ~ 1.5 million.  She said the models will be sold for 3.5 million.  Fully furnished....more than double the base...

I liked these model homes more than Hidden Canyon or OH.  The layout and design felt better.

There is a 3 mph wind that blows through these models that feels like coastal air.  I call it the $200,000 premium.

 

[OC troll]

I saw these last year. Nice floor plans. I thought it was kinda pricey for the area. I only found out about it when I had to do some dumping of my old toilets and some other waste from my remodel. Found that the Brea landfill was open to the public and these homes were right next door. The sales reps were so egar to chat with us when we walked in.

Sales rep: "So how did you hear about us?"
Me: "Oh, I was dumping some stuff at the landfill and I saw your new home signs."
Sales rep: slight cringe, then fake smile, "ummm...enjoy the models".
Me: "Thanks!"

 

[usctrojancpa]

I was just at these models this weekend.  These aren't selling well.  The pretty sales girl said they hope to sell the models by the end of this year.  The base price for these are 1.3 ~ 1.5 million.  She said the models will be sold for 3.5 million.  Fully furnished....more than double the base...

I liked these model homes more than Hidden Canyon or OH.  The layout and design felt better.

There is a 3 mph wind that blows through these models that feels like coastal air.  I call it the $200,000 premium.

Pictures of the pretty sales girl or it didn't happen. 

 

[AW]

I was just at these models this weekend.  These aren't selling well.  The pretty sales girl said they hope to sell the models by the end of this year.  The base price for these are 1.3 ~ 1.5 million.  She said the models will be sold for 3.5 million.  Fully furnished....more than double the base...

I liked these model homes more than Hidden Canyon or OH.  The layout and design felt better.

There is a 3 mph wind that blows through these models that feels like coastal air.  I call it the $200,000 premium.

$2m premium for the model home, will the sales girl come with

 

[aquabliss]

It's nice that they have professional pictures of the standing inventory homes (haven't seen that before), usually they just re-use the model pictures or have amateur poor quality images of the already built homes.

For example click on either of these links then on Image Gallery:http://www.standardpacifichomes.com...gnon-at-blackstone/Specs/877-n-landa-way.aspxhttp://www.standardpacifichomes.com...lackstone/Specs/2599-e-santa-paula-drive.aspx

Also seems like there is one missing standing inventory since last night, so somebody must be buying.

 

[zubs]

5,000+ sqft homes with 2 + 1 car garage.  I guess one can make an argument that the smaller the garage foot print in front, the better the house looks.

 

[zubs]

I was just at these models this weekend.  These aren't selling well.  The pretty sales girl said they hope to sell the models by the end of this year.  The base price for these are 1.3 ~ 1.5 million.  She said the models will be sold for 3.5 million.  Fully furnished....more than double the base...

I liked these model homes more than Hidden Canyon or OH.  The layout and design felt better.

There is a 3 mph wind that blows through these models that feels like coastal air.  I call it the $200,000 premium.

$2m premium for the model home, will the sales girl come with

Getting pretty girls is not a problem when you can afford a 3+million dollar home.

 

[qwerty]

I was just at these models this weekend.  These aren't selling well.  The pretty sales girl said they hope to sell the models by the end of this year.  The base price for these are 1.3 ~ 1.5 million.  She said the models will be sold for 3.5 million.  Fully furnished....more than double the base...

I liked these model homes more than Hidden Canyon or OH.  The layout and design felt better.

There is a 3 mph wind that blows through these models that feels like coastal air.  I call it the $200,000 premium.

$2m premium for the model home, will the sales girl come with

Getting pretty girls is not a problem when you can afford a 3+million dollar home.

its a matter of convenience. Preferably the home would come with the pretty sales girl.

 

[Arman]

Went and visited these this past weekend. Wow! Three great homes, three great floorplans. Nothing outrageously offensive about any floor plan. I could quibble with small aspects of each, but if I were in the market to buy a new home in North OC, these would be at the top of my interest list.

 

[aquabliss]

Went to see these over the weekend.  These houses are pretty awesome.  They have my 3 favorite things:
1) Huge Great Rooms
2) High Ceilings
3) Big Lofts

Most are priced around $1.6M and they have some standing inventory.  They have views of deserty looking hills with oil wells.  Heck, maybe you can stick one in your back yard and the house would pay for itself in no time.

The location is pretty bad though - reminds me of Inland Empire.  These houses in Irvine would be $3M easy.

 

[zubs]

But did you see the pretty sales girl?....


zubs asking the important questions.

 

[aquabliss]

But did you see the pretty sales girl?....


zubs asking the important questions.

Yep, she was relatively flirty as others have mentioned... had this conversation:
Me: Do you have the dimensions of the rooms, I don't see them on the floorplan.
Her: No they're not in the brochure.
Me: Do you have them documented anywhere else?
Her: No but I have a tape measure you can use (raises eyebrows).  I always keep a tape measure in my desk, it comes in very handy. 

Maybe this was completely innocent and I'm overthinking it, but sounded like the start of a movie I've never watched.

 

[Arman]

But did you see the pretty sales girl?....


zubs asking the important questions.

Yep, she was relatively flirty as others have mentioned... had this conversation:
Me: Do you have the dimensions of the rooms, I don't see them on the floorplan.
Her: No they're not in the brochure.
Me: Do you have them documented anywhere else?
Her: No but I have a tape measure you can use (raises eyebrows).  I always keep a tape measure in my desk, it comes in very handy. 

Maybe this was completely innocent and I'm overthinking it, but sounded like the start of a movie I've never watched.

Really, she didn't have dimensions?

A few possibilities:
1. She was being lazy and did have dimensions but didn't want to take the time to show someone who may or may not actually buy.
2. She doesn't have the dimensions. If so, this is a poor reflection on the part of Standard Pacific.
3. She does have the dimensions somewhere in the office but didn't know. Again, poor reflection on the part of Standard Pacific for not making their sales people aware of what they have at their disposal, and also a poor reflection on her for not enquiring from her higher ups as to whether this is available.

When I bought my new home a couple years ago (not Standard Pacific), I had access to the architect floorplans (detailed for every window, every electrical outlet, etc) and dimensions from the sales office on demand any time I visited.

 

[aquabliss]

I remember she said something like the company no longer provides dimensions because there were a few lawsuits as a result of doing so some years back.  I didn't ask specifics just shrugged.

 

[JackTamkin]

Been busy with work, meant to reply earlier. We went to see the models in August as well.  I also wanted dimensions on brochure, but since I had my laser measure, I was able to jot down some numbers. Thought the floorplans were great, only minor quibbles (one secondary bedroom has a small closet, and master bathroom showers are way oversized for my needs). Been to many open houses recently, and I prefer these floorplans to new and old homes in Walnut (Three Oaks), Glendora (La Colina Estates), Fullerton, and in my area (La Canada, South Pas, San Marino).

Been wondering how people are affording these places, so I decided to try to pre-qualify without selling our current home. Went through Chase since I heard they had loosened standards on jumbo loans. Good learning experience, but I'd have to earn more, or if I decided to rent out current home, would need to show 2 years rental history.

Anyway, I think Brea's an interesting area, especially with Target, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's nearby. Whole Foods and Bristol Farms are slated to move in to Brea/Yorba Linda. I've never been to downtown Brea, but I imagine it to be similar to Paseo Colorado/Old Town, which draws from surrounding towns.

In short, I'd really love to live in OC again. Can't live in Irvine with job in LA, but northern OC might make sense. I am concerned about Blackstone being so close to active oil wells, especially if fracking is done as wells become less productive. Prices are very high though, probably highest in all of Brea. BTW, models 2 and 3 at Avignon are like models 5 & 6 at Alta at Talega - priced similarly too. Just the Talega connection alone would give me nightmares thinking about my huge jumbo loan.

 

[qwerty]

Jack - don't worry about the oil wells, you carry 10-15 gallons of gasoline in your car 5-6ft away from you and you breathe in all of the polluted air while driving on the freeway and living in your house.  Don't worry man, we all die

 

[aquabliss]

I was less than thrilled about this location.  I grew up in Yorba Linda so I'm familiar with the lay of the land, and I just don't think they built out this section of Brea very nicely.  I can only imagine the traffic in the mornings getting to the 57 onramp on Lambert especially as they continue to build into the hills here.

Also the developers didn't do a very nice job of ambiance in the surrounding areas.  To get to Avignon you have to drive through a couple smaller communities of condos (both attached and detached), and a pool that was way overly crowded (must have been 50 kids and 150 adults in that small pool area).  I'm assuming the pool will serve Avignon as well.

If you drive through this community (not sure what the master plan community is called), then drive down the street a few miles to Vista Del Verde in Yorba Linda, they seem like worlds apart.  Vista del Verde has many more greenbelts, nice vinyl fencing, horse trails, large trees, etc. 

My wife and I kept commenting how it felt like we were in the Inland Empire visiting Avignon.  Granted, very nice homes but after upgrades and landscaping you're probably at about $1.8 - $1.9M, and I just don't see these selling for over $2M resale any time soon. 

 

[JackTamkin]

Hmm... those are good points about the community. Will have to check out Vista del Verde. I was trying to stay as close to 57 as possible - plan would be to catch train either at Fullerton or Industry stations. For my schedule, Industry station works better.