Baker Ranch in Lake Forest / Foothill Ranch

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My_Alter_Ego said:
How's the ant situation in Baker Ranch?  Is it still bad? We almost bought in Parkview (Toll Bros) but backed out.  There were WAY too many ants in the models and at the specific lot we reserved.  We even talked to one of the newly moved in neighbors and they said the ant problem was pretty bad.
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I bought in the Knolls and no ants issues on that side.  Ants seem like a small issue to back out for.  I would've called a decent pest control place and get rid of the issue.  I use propacific pest control for my ant problem at stonegate and it's all good now.  Those Parkview homes have been doing well on the resale market $900-$925k for a quick flip.  Where did you end up buying?
 
SoclosetoIrvine said:
My_Alter_Ego said:
How's the ant situation in Baker Ranch?  Is it still bad? We almost bought in Parkview (Toll Bros) but backed out.  There were WAY too many ants in the models and at the specific lot we reserved.  We even talked to one of the newly moved in neighbors and they said the ant problem was pretty bad.
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I bought in the Knolls and no ants issues on that side.  Ants seem like a small issue to back out for.  I would've called a decent pest control place and get rid of the issue.  I use propacific pest control for my ant problem at stonegate and it's all good now.  Those Parkview homes have been doing well on the resale market $900-$925k for a quick flip.  Where did you end up buying?
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Good to hear the resale market for Parkview has been good.  Ended up buying in Jasmine (Cypress Village).  We liked Baker Ranch, but we need to be closer to the freeways and schools.  The ants were just the last straw for us....I think we were looking for an excuse to not purchase that house.   
 
Baker Ranch is beautiful, but by family's heart is in Irvine. If we lived in BR we'd definitely be organizing the community to insist that the builders' fees charged instead of MR go specifically towards a K-8 on the Nakase Nursery property. Unfortunately, SVUSD is claiming to have major budget issues with planned cuts for 2017. So I'm guessing BR will never see a specific benefit unless Shea and TB insist soon.
 
eclipxe said:
Anyone going to the grand opening on the 4th?
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Reporting back...I only visited the landing today as I was too busy eating free food.

Plan 1 on the sales sheet was $698k...I think that's a bargain for almost 1600 detached.  Those were the most popular and sold out already.  It's a winner in my book for a starter home.  Plans 2 and 3 start at $790.  I was very impressed with the vaulted ceilings of plan 3 but at $810k and front yard (no back yard) was ehhh for me. 
My_Alter_Ego said:
Good to hear the resale market for Parkview has been good.  Ended up buying in Jasmine (Cypress Village).  We liked Baker Ranch, but we need to be closer to the freeways and schools.  The ants were just the last straw for us....I think we were looking for an excuse to not purchase that house.   
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Nice! I loved Jasmine in Cypress village.  One of my regrets was buying in Caserta vs Jasmine.  I was looking for a smaller starter home but the Jasmine prices at the time were still within budget, though would've been stretching.  Did you get one of the homes that had the open space on the first floor?  Thought that was a cool touch for more natural lighting
 
My_Alter_Ego said:
How's the ant situation in Baker Ranch?  Is it still bad? We almost bought in Parkview (Toll Bros) but backed out.  There were WAY too many ants in the models and at the specific lot we reserved.  We even talked to one of the newly moved in neighbors and they said the ant problem was pretty bad.
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Ant problem in this area is not a reason not to buy.  Any of the new builds in Irvine are likely to have the same issues.  You might need to have a professional the for a period of time to help ensure you have pest control, but it eventually gets better. Irvine homes have tons of ant problems...you just kind of live with it (or if you are me and don't have vegetables, you spray outside every 6 months (just buy some stuff from home depot) and stay away from the area for a couple days). 
 
Kangen.Irvine said:
Baker Ranch is beautiful, but by family's heart is in Irvine. If we lived in BR we'd definitely be organizing the community to insist that the builders' fees charged instead of MR go specifically towards a K-8 on the Nakase Nursery property. Unfortunately, SVUSD is claiming to have major budget issues with planned cuts for 2017. So I'm guessing BR will never see a specific benefit unless Shea and TB insist soon.
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Biggest flaw with Baker Ranch is the lack of good schools in close proximity. The general schools in the area are good...just not that close and given the builder prepayed the fees, you'd expect funds to get appropriately invested back in the area.  Eventually they might get a new high school, when the second one eventually gets built at the Great Park (as I believe that one is slated for SVUSD). 
 
Bullsback said:
Kangen.Irvine said:
Baker Ranch is beautiful, but by family's heart is in Irvine. If we lived in BR we'd definitely be organizing the community to insist that the builders' fees charged instead of MR go specifically towards a K-8 on the Nakase Nursery property. Unfortunately, SVUSD is claiming to have major budget issues with planned cuts for 2017. So I'm guessing BR will never see a specific benefit unless Shea and TB insist soon.
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Biggest flaw with Baker Ranch is the lack of good schools in close proximity. The general schools in the area are good...just not that close and given the builder prepayed the fees, you'd expect funds to get appropriately invested back in the area.  Eventually they might get a new high school, when the second one eventually gets built at the Great Park (as I believe that one is slated for SVUSD).
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Haven't heard about a second HS in Great Park - especially not one in SVUSD. Do you have any more details or rumors about that?
 
The north-south sliver of land through the Great Park that is zoned for Saddleback Valley appears to be more commercial/park and less residential. It still wouldn't guarantee another SV school as the district has been very consistent in charging developer fees instead of Mello Roos throughout the latest new builds in Lake Forest. This way they can spend the money anywhere in the district to compensate for declining enrollment. Since this is one-time money they won't spend it on recurring costs.

Please correct me if I am wrong about SVUSD considering any new schools; they are more likely to consider shuttering one except it leaves them available to charters.
 
So, is Baker Ranch mainly asian now? Or maybe it's just the Baker Ranch Air BnB customers from overseas.

I went to eat at California Fish Grill in F.R. for lunch on Sunday around 1:30. The place has totally changed. It used to be a quiet, little low-key place to eat. One of my favorite places I began going to since they first opened. Never had trouble getting a table. I hadn't been there in a while. This time, it was packed!! Looong wait. Cramped and dirty inside. Kids going crazy, jumping on the seats, kicking the booths, crying. It was so loud. Must be because of all the recent housing developments nearby. But what's also different now is I would say about 50% looked like either recent immigrants or visitors from overseas
with grandma and/or grandpa visiting, son & his family - several tables just like that.

I read online today that there are Baker Ranch and F.R. homes listed in English and Chinese on the web for short-term rentals (source: F.R. Neighborhood Watch on FB). Somebody had copied & pasted the ads. I'll try to paste it here although the formatting may not be great, bear with me:

This is the listing and from my search found several more in Chinese around Lake Forest and the new Baker Ranch area.

Shared room
2 Guests
1 Bed
User Profile Image
Yaya
$50per night
Check In
Enter your check in date in the format mm/dd/yyyy
Check Out
Enter your check out date in the format mm/dd/yyyy
Guests
1 guest
Book
You won?t be charged yet
Save to Wish List
2 travelers saved this place
Email EmailMessenger Messenger ??? More
Report this listing
About this listing
????,?????,?????,????????,???????????
Contact host
The space
Accommodates: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Bed type: Real Bed
Bedrooms: 1
Beds: 1
Check In: Flexible
Check Out: 12AM (midnight)
Property type: House
Room type: Shared room
House Rules
Amenities
Internet
Kitchen
+ More
Smoking allowed
Wireless Internet
Prices
Extra people: $10 / night after the first guest
Cleaning Fee: $10
Security Deposit: $100
Weekly Discount: 5%
Monthly Discount: 10%
Cancellation: Flexible
Weekend Price: $100 / night
Description
The space
??house,???,?????
Guest access
????,???,living room
The neighborhood
????,?????
Getting around
????,?????
House Rules
No smokingNot suitable for petsNo parties or eventsMay not be safe or suitable for children (0-12 years)
 
If anyone is able to read the characters above and can translate, please do if there's anything worth mentioning. Apparently some folks are lying to their neighbors and saying these customers are just "cousins" who came for a visit so they don't get busted by their HOA or the city.
 
SoCal said:
If anyone is able to read the characters above and can translate, please do if there's anything worth mentioning. Apparently some folks are lying to their neighbors and saying these customers are just "cousins" who came for a visit so they don't get busted by their HOA or the city.
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Google translate  ;)
 
eyephone said:
SoCal said:
If anyone is able to read the characters above and can translate, please do if there's anything worth mentioning. Apparently some folks are lying to their neighbors and saying these customers are just "cousins" who came for a visit so they don't get busted by their HOA or the city.
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Google translate  ;)
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Got it. The thing is, I was looking for a less literal translation than what a software program offers. For example:

"The neighborhood

The white community, safe, quiet"

Sometimes things get lost in translation. Are they actually saying, "Yo. Check out all these white folks. It's safe."
 
SoCal said:
????,?????,?????,????????,???????????
??house,???,?????
????,?????
????,?????
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Yeah I can speak and read Chinese. 
Essentially clean and comfortable house. Good upgrades within home.  Can see the sunrise and sunset.  Many shopping centers and restaurants two minute drive
Seems you get the place to yourself as the owner has their own house
It's a white neighborhood, they put that in terms to mean quiet and safe neighborhood. 
Close to convenient stories and department stores

Nothing there strikes me as strange

Is Lake Forest against short term rentals?  I wasn't sure
Looks like a standard posting to be honest
 
I was reading about your Foothill Ranch experience at Fish Grill
I'm pretty sure that is more the Camden Square folks than the Baker ranch.  From Camden Square, you can literally see Fish Grill outside your windows, so it's a 15 second walk.  They are building out and I think on their final phases which is probably the cause of more traffic at the stores
 
SoclosetoIrvine said:
Nothing there strikes me as strange

Is Lake Forest against short term rentals?  I wasn't sure
Looks like a standard posting to be honest
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It's absolutely not allowed by the HOA. The person who shared the Air BnB listing said they just reported a different listing in F.R. where the HOA has a 30-day minimum rule. They said the HOA had no idea it was going on and will take immediate steps with a letter then possibly fines. Legal action would follow. HOAs and city zoning does not take kindly to turning residences into hotels.
 
SoCal said:
SoclosetoIrvine said:
Nothing there strikes me as strange

Is Lake Forest against short term rentals?  I wasn't sure
Looks like a standard posting to be honest
Click to expand...

It's absolutely not allowed by the HOA. The person who shared the Air BnB listing said they just reported a different listing in F.R. where the HOA has a 30-day minimum rule. They said the HOA had no idea it was going on and will take immediate steps with a letter then possibly fines. Legal action would follow. HOAs and city zoning does not take kindly to turning residences into hotels.
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Roger that. Good to know! Not a fan of short term rentals either.  Let me know if I can help in any way.  I can translate to try to pinpoint which location it is etc
 
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