Better Location for Resale in Irvine

[Burn That Belly]

x

 

[aquabliss]

LOL I thought that was a lady with a big purple hat.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

The cost of taking care of a yard is way less than Mello Roos... and even if you don't use it, it's nice to have when you entertain, if you have a dog, if your kids want to play outside but you can't take them to the pocket park, or if they have some project that requires outdoor space and you can't leave it drying in the nearest park.

But people like to rationalize to explain why they don't "want" something. Like "I don't want a living room because I don't use it" or "I don't have enough people to eat at a formal dining room"... but isn't good to have that option? How about "I don't want a driveway because we park in the garage"? Except, when you have guests over, or if you need to do something in the garage and you don't have to park your car 3 motorcourts down.

I guess I'm claustrophobic. I need space. I can't even believe that Tiny House is a thing

... and everything is way too spread out for me. 

What does that even mean? The park isn't close enough that it takes you an extra 3 minutes to walk to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a park right next to your house... like a backyard?

 

[Irvinecommuter]

The cost of taking care of a yard is way less than Mello Roos... and even if you don't use it, it's nice to have when you entertain, if you have a dog, if your kids want to play outside but you can't take them to the pocket park, or if they have some project that requires outdoor space and you can't leave it drying in the nearest park.

But people like to rationalize to explain why they don't "want" something. Like "I don't want a living room because I don't use it" or "I don't have enough people to eat at a formal dining room"... but isn't good to have that option? How about "I don't want a driveway because we park in the garage"? Except, when you have guests over, or if you need to do something in the garage and you don't have to park your car 3 motorcourts down.

I guess I'm claustrophobic. I need space. I can't even believe that Tiny House is a thing

... and everything is way too spread out for me. 

What does that even mean? The park isn't close enough that it takes you an extra 3 minutes to walk to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a park right next to your house... like a backyard?

What does mello roos have to do with landscaping costs and fees?  I didn't have to pay much to landscape my backyard and I pay very little to maintain it.  I didn't pay for any patio furniture or bbq set and haven't paid any money to maintain it.  I don't have to worry about cleaning or replacing anything. 

If I entertain...we stay in the house or we go to the community BBQ/pool area.    Don't have a pet and don't intend to have one.

Driveways are very different than yards...I don't think anyone has ever said that they don't want a driveway. 

It could just be that we have different opinions about what we want.  I personally don't need or want a yard.  Give me a bigger house.

 

[bones]

The cost of taking care of a yard is way less than Mello Roos... and even if you don't use it, it's nice to have when you entertain, if you have a dog, if your kids want to play outside but you can't take them to the pocket park, or if they have some project that requires outdoor space and you can't leave it drying in the nearest park.

But people like to rationalize to explain why they don't "want" something. Like "I don't want a living room because I don't use it" or "I don't have enough people to eat at a formal dining room"... but isn't good to have that option? How about "I don't want a driveway because we park in the garage"? Except, when you have guests over, or if you need to do something in the garage and you don't have to park your car 3 motorcourts down.

I guess I'm claustrophobic. I need space. I can't even believe that Tiny House is a thing

... and everything is way too spread out for me. 

What does that even mean? The park isn't close enough that it takes you an extra 3 minutes to walk to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a park right next to your house... like a backyard?

What does mello roos have to do with landscaping costs and fees?  I didn't have to pay much to landscape my backyard and I pay very little to maintain it.  I didn't pay for any patio furniture or bbq set and haven't paid any money to maintain it.  I don't have to worry about cleaning or replacing anything. 

If I entertain...we stay in the house or we go to the community BBQ/pool area.    Don't have a pet and don't intend to have one.

Driveways are very different than yards...I don't think anyone has ever said that they don't want a driveway. 

It could just be that we have different opinions about what we want.  I personally don't need or want a yard.  Give me a bigger house.

TIC already got that message loud and clear.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

The cost of taking care of a yard is way less than Mello Roos... and even if you don't use it, it's nice to have when you entertain, if you have a dog, if your kids want to play outside but you can't take them to the pocket park, or if they have some project that requires outdoor space and you can't leave it drying in the nearest park.

But people like to rationalize to explain why they don't "want" something. Like "I don't want a living room because I don't use it" or "I don't have enough people to eat at a formal dining room"... but isn't good to have that option? How about "I don't want a driveway because we park in the garage"? Except, when you have guests over, or if you need to do something in the garage and you don't have to park your car 3 motorcourts down.

I guess I'm claustrophobic. I need space. I can't even believe that Tiny House is a thing

... and everything is way too spread out for me. 

What does that even mean? The park isn't close enough that it takes you an extra 3 minutes to walk to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a park right next to your house... like a backyard?

What does mello roos have to do with landscaping costs and fees?  I didn't have to pay much to landscape my backyard and I pay very little to maintain it.  I didn't pay for any patio furniture or bbq set and haven't paid any money to maintain it.  I don't have to worry about cleaning or replacing anything. 

If I entertain...we stay in the house or we go to the community BBQ/pool area.    Don't have a pet and don't intend to have one.

Driveways are very different than yards...I don't think anyone has ever said that they don't want a driveway. 

It could just be that we have different opinions about what we want.  I personally don't need or want a yard.  Give me a bigger house.

TIC already got that message loud and clear.

LOL...yup.  I remember walking into the model homes where they offer you the option of a "California room" or an addition.  I was like 150 square of enclosed space for $15,000?  Sold.  Everyone I have spoken to regrets that they didn't do it.

 

[paydawg]

I grew up with a big back yard and a nice park within 1 block of my house.  I NEVER went in my backyard and was always at our park.  My folks still live in that house and my kids NEVER go in the backyard but always go to that same park, where there's a jungle gym, swings, large grassy area, etc.. 

I remember every Saturday morning having to close all our downstairs windows because the gardeners were doing their work in the backyard.  So annoying. 

I get it.  Having a backyard in Irvine is a prestige thing.  But it's not worth it to me.  It's more of a nuisance than anything else.  I don't plan on having pets and I'm already too busy to properly maintain my small house as it is.  When we entertain, we have our house and we have the neighborhood parks.

 

[momopi]

This post doesn't necessarily apply to Irvine.  When I invest in older SFR's elsewhere, I prefer homes on larger lots with room to expand in the backyard.  HOA's tend to be more strict with front and height modifications, but less strict with back additions so long as it confirms to code and you get a permit.

Hypothetically if the market value is $300/sq ft and additions cost $150/sq ft, then it may be worth taking the risk of adding a few hundred sq ft to the back before you sell it.  Older SFR's tend to be smaller with fewer bathrooms and lacking formal dining / family rooms.  If you pay for the addition you can add nice dining/family room area.  If the older home only has 1 bathroom then adding a second is also very attractive.  The former small dining area can be converted to pantry shelves by solid wall and breakfast nook by window.

As with any addition there are risks.  Once you open the wall you don't know what you might find, hehehe.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

The cost of taking care of a yard is way less than Mello Roos... and even if you don't use it, it's nice to have when you entertain, if you have a dog, if your kids want to play outside but you can't take them to the pocket park, or if they have some project that requires outdoor space and you can't leave it drying in the nearest park.

But people like to rationalize to explain why they don't "want" something. Like "I don't want a living room because I don't use it" or "I don't have enough people to eat at a formal dining room"... but isn't good to have that option? How about "I don't want a driveway because we park in the garage"? Except, when you have guests over, or if you need to do something in the garage and you don't have to park your car 3 motorcourts down.

I guess I'm claustrophobic. I need space. I can't even believe that Tiny House is a thing

... and everything is way too spread out for me. 

What does that even mean? The park isn't close enough that it takes you an extra 3 minutes to walk to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a park right next to your house... like a backyard?

What does mello roos have to do with landscaping costs and fees?  I didn't have to pay much to landscape my backyard and I pay very little to maintain it.  I didn't pay for any patio furniture or bbq set and haven't paid any money to maintain it.  I don't have to worry about cleaning or replacing anything. 

Do I really need to spell this out? Older homes with bigger yards don't have Mello Roos, you don't want to pay "yard maintenence fees" but you'll pay Mello Roos? Money is money... yard maintenance fees over time will cost less than MRs... and the land appreciates.

If I entertain...we stay in the house or we go to the community BBQ/pool area.    Don't have a pet and don't intend to have one.

Yes, that's why you are TIC fodder.

Driveways are very different than yards...I don't think anyone has ever said that they don't want a driveway. 

Yet people are settling for them so TIC keeps building them. Again... fodder.

It could just be that we have different opinions about what we want.  I personally don't need or want a yard.  Give me a bigger house.

This is true. But do you really think TIC is giving you a bigger house in lieu of a yard? No, they are giving your yard space (and driveway) to the next house so they can fit more lots on the land. But again, you like it crowded and dense.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I grew up with a big back yard and a nice park within 1 block of my house.  I NEVER went in my backyard and was always at our park.  My folks still live in that house and my kids NEVER go in the backyard but always go to that same park, where there's a jungle gym, swings, large grassy area, etc.. 

I find it hard to believe you "NEVER" went in your backyard and that your kids "NEVER" go in the backyard. Does it have quicksand or something?

I remember every Saturday morning having to close all our downstairs windows because the gardeners were doing their work in the backyard.  So annoying. 

Wait, so there are no gardeners where you currently live? Incontheevable!!

I get it.  Having a backyard in Irvine is a prestige thing.  But it's not worth it to me.  It's more of a nuisance than anything else.  I don't plan on having pets and I'm already too busy to properly maintain my small house as it is.  When we entertain, we have our house and we have the neighborhood parks.

The TIC/irvinecommuter force is strong in this one.

 

[bones]

I can?t believe people WANT and ACTIVELY seek out dense housing in a suburban environment like Irvine.

I don?t even know what to say about NEVER using a large backyard. Maybe it wasn?t designed properly to entice people to utilize?

 

[bones]

This post doesn't necessarily apply to Irvine.  When I invest in older SFR's elsewhere, I prefer homes on larger lots with room to expand in the backyard.  HOA's tend to be more strict with front and height modifications, but less strict with back additions so long as it confirms to code and you get a permit.

Hypothetically if the market value is $300/sq ft and additions cost $150/sq ft, then it may be worth taking the risk of adding a few hundred sq ft to the back before you sell it.  Older SFR's tend to be smaller with fewer bathrooms and lacking formal dining / family rooms.  If you pay for the addition you can add nice dining/family room area.  If the older home only has 1 bathroom then adding a second is also very attractive.  The former small dining area can be converted to pantry shelves by solid wall and breakfast nook by window.

As with any addition there are risks.  Once you open the wall you don't know what you might find, hehehe.

This is a good point. I?ve seen expansions in Woodbury.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

Is there a way you can have this conversation without calling people names?  I mean personal preference is a thing.  You ever consider a cultural difference?  Like some people don't enjoy sitting in the sun for hours? 

No...the conversation is not older home versus newer because that's a whole different conversation.  We are talking about yard versus no yard...more specifically PP vs Stonegate.  PP has both mello roos and big yards. 

I grew up in a house with a big backyard and almost never went there.  Pretty much there to do yard work and clean up.  Some people enjoy it...I personally don't.

This is true. But do you really think TIC is giving you a bigger house in lieu of a yard? No, they are giving your yard space (and driveway) to the next house so they can fit more lots on the land. But again, you like it crowded and dense.

That's not the discussion.  The discussion is whether having a yard is something worth paying for.  If you have bigger yards, it means fewer homes per section which means higher prices.  Since I don't see a yard as positive, I don't want to pay for it. 

 

[Irvinecommuter]

I can?t believe people WANT and ACTIVELY seek out dense housing in a suburban environment like Irvine.

I don?t even know what to say about NEVER using a large backyard. Maybe it wasn?t designed properly to entice people to utilize?

I don't understand why this is the conclusion.    I have never used my yard and even if it were 10X bigger...I would never use it. 

The question is whether I want to pay for the extra yard space.  I don't. 

 

[AW]

Side setbacks on non gate side, are shrinking to 3.5 from 5 feet on newer homes, even less to maintain I guess.

 

[bones]

Side setbacks on non gate side, are shrinking to 3.5 from 5 feet on newer homes, even less to maintain I guess.

Thanks in part to TIC reading IC?s comments here

 

[bones]

I can?t believe people WANT and ACTIVELY seek out dense housing in a suburban environment like Irvine.

I don?t even know what to say about NEVER using a large backyard. Maybe it wasn?t designed properly to entice people to utilize?

I don't understand why this is the conclusion.    I have never used my yard and even if it were 10X bigger...I would never use it. 

The question is whether I want to pay for the extra yard space.  I don't. 

You?re not not paying for the extra space. You?re getting less space for the same $$.  When certain PP tracts rolled out and offered MORE space for the same money, people came out in droves.

 

[rkp]

The question is whether I want to pay for the extra yard space.  I don't. 

If 2 identical models were next to each other but one had small low maintenance patio and the other had a huge yard and both were priced identical, which would you choose? 

 

[Mety]

The question is whether I want to pay for the extra yard space.  I don't. 

If 2 identical models were next to each other but one had small low maintenance patio and the other had a huge yard and both were priced identical, which would you choose?

I probably would choose the bigger yard, but everyone is different. Just because it seems like the bigger yard is a better choice for the majority of the people, it doesn't mean it is an absolutely correct choice. In real life, the bigger yard house will most likely list with more $$$.

 

[Liar Loan]

The question is whether I want to pay for the extra yard space.  I don't. 

If 2 identical models were next to each other but one had small low maintenance patio and the other had a huge yard and both were priced identical, which would you choose?

I probably would choose the bigger yard, but everyone is different. Just because it seems like the bigger yard is a better choice for the majority of the people, it doesn't mean it is an absolutely correct choice. In real life, the bigger yard house will most likely list with more $$$.

A bigger yard means a better long term investment, all else being equal.