Caserta at Cypress Village vs. Agave at Portola Springs

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cafeaulait

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I am a first-time buyer and have narrowed down my options to these two, but I'm having a hard time choosing one.  Could you tell me which one would be a better house?  By better, I mean more resale value.

I'm thinking about Caserta plan 1 and Agave plan 1.  I do not plan to live there forever, so I would like to pick the one that I can sell easily later.  Thank you!

Casertahttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...Cypress-Village/Residence/Caserta/Residence-1
Agavehttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...s/Portola-Springs/Residence/Agave/Residence-1
 
which plans are you looking at ?  what is the current pricing ?

Generally, most folks here would argue that all else equal, CV > PS (and this is coming from someone who just bought from PS).  But if Agave is priced at a discount compared to Caserta, it might provide more value in the end (but I don't really think it will be a lot of difference and its really hard to predict future resale value).    I think you should still select with the one that you like better (community, layout etc, without thinking of resale value for now).  Only if you are indifferent between the two should you look at the resale value potentials.. my 2 cents..
 
Thank you for the reply, GH.

I'm thinking about Caserta Plan 1 (486k) vs. Agave Plan 1 (535k).

- Space
They both have 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, but Agave at PS is more spacious (1355 sq ft) compared to Caserta at CV (1165 sq ft).  I like Agave's floor plan better than Caserta.

- Location
CV vs. PS...I like both for different reasons.  I like CV for its convenient location, but personally, a good floor plan is more important to me than location.

I am not indifferent between the two.  In fact, my problem is that I like both of them for different reasons that I can't pick one.  I like Agave better for myself, so maybe that's the answer...I appreciate your input :)
 
cafeaulait said:
I am a first-time buyer and have narrowed down my options to these two, but I'm having a hard time choosing one.  Could you tell me which one would be a better house?  By better, I mean more resale value.

I'm thinking about Caserta plan 1 and Agave plan 1.  I do not plan to live there forever, so I would like to pick the one that I can sell easily later.  Thank you!

Casertahttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...Cypress-Village/Residence/Caserta/Residence-1
Agavehttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...s/Portola-Springs/Residence/Agave/Residence-1
Click to expand...

Isn't Caserta right next to the new Cypress Village elementary school? This one probably would retain value better because of proximity to the elementary school.  However, it's pretty close to the freeway, which is a negative for a lot of people.  Agave would be little more peaceful with cleaner air, but if I were to buy as an investment and rent the place out, I would choose Caserta.
 
Goriot said:
cafeaulait said:
I am a first-time buyer and have narrowed down my options to these two, but I'm having a hard time choosing one.  Could you tell me which one would be a better house?  By better, I mean more resale value.

I'm thinking about Caserta plan 1 and Agave plan 1.  I do not plan to live there forever, so I would like to pick the one that I can sell easily later.  Thank you!

Casertahttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...Cypress-Village/Residence/Caserta/Residence-1
Agavehttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...s/Portola-Springs/Residence/Agave/Residence-1
Click to expand...

Isn't Caserta right next to the new Cypress Village elementary school? This one probably would retain value better because of proximity to the elementary school.  However, it's pretty close to the freeway, which is a negative for a lot of people.  Agave would be little more peaceful with cleaner air, but if I were to buy as an investment and rent the place out, I would choose Caserta.
Click to expand...

Agave will also be close to the future elementary school in PS (within reasonable walking distance although you would have to cross Portola Pkwy).
 
cafeaulait said:
Thank you for the reply, GH.

I'm thinking about Caserta Plan 1 (486k) vs. Agave Plan 1 (535k).

- Space
They have both 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, but Agave at PS is more spacious (1355 sq ft) compared to Caserta at CV (1165 sq ft).  I like Agave's floor plan better than Caserta.

- Location
CV vs. PS...I like both for different reasons.  I like CV for its convenient location, but personally, a good floor plan is more important for me than location.

I am not indifferent between the two.  In fact, my problem is that I like both of them for different reasons that I can't pick one.  I like Agave better for myself, so maybe that's the answer...I appreciate your input :)
Click to expand...

so Caserta would come out around $417 /sq ft .. Agave at $395/sq ft.  I'm not really sure about Mello Roos and their HOA difference (I think PS would be more so the sq ft pricing difference would probably be a wash). 

Personally for a primary residence, unless pricing gap is really huge .. I would go for the one you like better (the intangibles). 

Good luck on your decision :)
 
bones said:
Hmm interesting choices. 

From a floorplan perspective, I really like Agave over Caserta.  And here's why:
1. Separation of the bedrooms.  Not sure who's living there (if it's just you for now), but if you ever have kids down the road, it's nice for the kid to be separate (especially when they are newborn and crying).  If you have guests over, it's nice not to share a wall and hear noises.  If you choose to rent out the 2nd bedroom/get a roommate, it's also nice to have that separation.
2. More space.  The retreat and the flex space are both nice to have.  One can make a nice little office.
3. Larger deck.
4. In general, the Agave floorplan feels more like a home, whereas the Caserta floorplan feels like a rental unit.  But I haven't seen either in person, so I'm not sure how it feels when you actually walk the floorplan.

Location wise:
I think it depends on your lifestyle.  If you need quick/frequent access to the highway, then Caserta is probably the better choice.  Caserta will also probably be easier to rent out when the time comes due to location.  In terms of community amenities, PS and CV are pretty similar.  The usual assortment of pocket parks/pools.

Builder:  I've heard good things about both William Lyon and CalPac.

If it was me, I would probably buy Agave.
Click to expand...

I second that - To live, Agave, but to rent out Caserta.
 
Since no one can predict the future I'd say resale values are equal. Since you are getting a discount per sq ft at Agave and PS tends to be cheaper than CV they are pretty equal when it comes to future resale.

Overall it's a lot harder to re-sell attached units than detached (especially in a down market). I would look at The Knolls at Baker Ranch. If you can get high on the priority list and get a low price you'll have instant equity:http://www.sheahomes.com/community/knolls/

Yes the prices are in the high 500s but there is no mello roos which makes it basically the same monthly payment as Agave.
 
Both Cal Pac and William Lyon are excellent and innovative builders. I would buy from either of them and no one else. Cal Pac's Caserta a safe approach to a townhome products and very predictable. The plans are at least a few years old started from Santa Barbara. I am most impressed with lyon's recent innovation and Agave is fresh and lifestyle driven. It is intriguing to me and I love the element of surprise. Agave is my pick. However I would prefer the completely detached home Luna next door to agave by Cal Pac. It lives much better and offers higher degree of privacy.
 
irvinehomeshopper said:
Both Cal Pac and William Lyon are excellent and innovative builders. I would buy from either of them and no one else. Cal Pac's Caserta a safe approach to a townhome products and very predictable. The plans are at least a few years old started from Santa Barbara. I am most impressed with lyon's recent innovation and Agave is fresh and lifestyle driven. It is intriguing to me and I love the element of surprise. Agave is my pick. However I would prefer the completely detached home Luna next door to agave by Cal Pac. It lives much better and offers higher degree of privacy.
Click to expand...

The Luna products in the 500s are attached. The Knolls in the 500s at Baker Ranch are true SFRs.
 
Luna is not attached. They are detached condos. The unit at the rear of the cluster is attached at the garage only and not the living spaces. Sorry Bakers Ranch is not highly sought after by FCBs and the school district is not Irvine. That should be a whole different thread not remotely close to the title do this thread.
 
Goriot said:
cafeaulait said:
I am a first-time buyer and have narrowed down my options to these two, but I'm having a hard time choosing one.  Could you tell me which one would be a better house?  By better, I mean more resale value.

I'm thinking about Caserta plan 1 and Agave plan 1.  I do not plan to live there forever, so I would like to pick the one that I can sell easily later.  Thank you!

Casertahttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...Cypress-Village/Residence/Caserta/Residence-1
Agavehttp://www.villagesofirvine.com/Vil...s/Portola-Springs/Residence/Agave/Residence-1
Click to expand...

Isn't Caserta right next to the new Cypress Village elementary school? This one probably would retain value better because of proximity to the elementary school.  However, it's pretty close to the freeway, which is a negative for a lot of people.  Agave would be little more peaceful with cleaner air, but if I were to buy as an investment and rent the place out, I would choose Caserta.
Click to expand...

That's a good point.  I see that there are pros and cons for being so close to the elementary school.  Given that I telecommute and have to lead conference calls a lot, the noise could be an issue to me.  Since I'm thinking about living in a house, I definitely need to take that into consideration. 

As for the noise from the 5 freeway, I did not hear it when I was inside the house, but I understand if some people do not prefer to be so close to the freeway.  Thank you!
 
GH said:
cafeaulait said:
Thank you for the reply, GH.

I'm thinking about Caserta Plan 1 (486k) vs. Agave Plan 1 (535k).

- Space
They have both 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, but Agave at PS is more spacious (1355 sq ft) compared to Caserta at CV (1165 sq ft).  I like Agave's floor plan better than Caserta.

- Location
CV vs. PS...I like both for different reasons.  I like CV for its convenient location, but personally, a good floor plan is more important for me than location.

I am not indifferent between the two.  In fact, my problem is that I like both of them for different reasons that I can't pick one.  I like Agave better for myself, so maybe that's the answer...I appreciate your input :)
Click to expand...

so Caserta would come out around $417 /sq ft .. Agave at $395/sq ft.  I'm not really sure about Mello Roos and their HOA difference (I think PS would be more so the sq ft pricing difference would probably be a wash). 

Personally for a primary residence, unless pricing gap is really huge .. I would go for the one you like better (the intangibles). 

Good luck on your decision :)
Click to expand...

I am not too concerned about the noise from new elementary school if that's from the other side of Portola Parkway, but that's good to know.  You are right about the difference in the HOA and mello roos between CV and PS.  PS charges a bit more.

As mentioned before, I like Agave's floor plan better.  Also, since I am a bit sensitive about the noise and that I work from work, maybe PS is a better for me.  Thank you for your advice!
 
Just taking into account the villages and nothing else, I much prefer PS over CV. CV seems completely sterile and boring. PS has a variety of homes, styles, landscapes.
 
Goriot said:
bones said:
Hmm interesting choices. 

From a floorplan perspective, I really like Agave over Caserta.  And here's why:
1. Separation of the bedrooms.  Not sure who's living there (if it's just you for now), but if you ever have kids down the road, it's nice for the kid to be separate (especially when they are newborn and crying).  If you have guests over, it's nice not to share a wall and hear noises.  If you choose to rent out the 2nd bedroom/get a roommate, it's also nice to have that separation.
2. More space.  The retreat and the flex space are both nice to have.  One can make a nice little office.
3. Larger deck.
4. In general, the Agave floorplan feels more like a home, whereas the Caserta floorplan feels like a rental unit.  But I haven't seen either in person, so I'm not sure how it feels when you actually walk the floorplan.

Location wise:
I think it depends on your lifestyle.  If you need quick/frequent access to the highway, then Caserta is probably the better choice.  Caserta will also probably be easier to rent out when the time comes due to location.  In terms of community amenities, PS and CV are pretty similar.  The usual assortment of pocket parks/pools.

Builder:  I've heard good things about both William Lyon and CalPac.

If it was me, I would probably buy Agave.
Click to expand...

I second that - To live, Agave, but to rent out Caserta.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on all the points you made. 

It's definitely nice to have separation of the bedrooms.  I am not planning to have a child, but definitely love to have guests over or have an option to rent one bedroom.  Either way, it's nice to not have another room right next mine.

As you mentioned, it did feel like a home when I went to Agave.  Having an extra space of 200 sq ft definitely makes a huge difference in a smaller place (1355 sq ft vs. 1165 sq ft).  Thank you!
 
paperboyNC said:
Since no one can predict the future I'd say resale values are equal. Since you are getting a discount per sq ft at Agave and PS tends to be cheaper than CV they are pretty equal when it comes to future resale.

Overall it's a lot harder to re-sell attached units than detached (especially in a down market). I would look at The Knolls at Baker Ranch. If you can get high on the priority list and get a low price you'll have instant equity:http://www.sheahomes.com/community/knolls/

Yes the prices are in the high 500s but there is no mello roos which makes it basically the same monthly payment as Agave.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the information on the Baker Ranch.  One of my friends recently recommended it, too.  For now, I am thinking about buying a house in Irvine and not in other areas.  I like living this city :)
 
bones said:
Oh oops, sorry I thought you wanted to rent it out in the future, not sell.

I would agree with ^ that no one can predict the future so resale values are probably equal.  Attached units are harder to sell but for a 2bed/2bath in Irvine, it's pretty much all attached in this area minus one development I can think of top of my head.  I feel like in the long run, PS has more potential - as they build out the rest of the village.  CV - you kinda know what it is... a village right next to the 5 fwy so PS has more upside.  I sold my attached condo in PS last year - what I learned is that floorplan does matter as does how you upgrade the place.  Good luck.
Click to expand...

That's nice to hear that you think PS has more potential (I'm assuming that you are either familiar with PS or have lived there from your comment).  I'm still fairly new in Irvine, so it's good to learn from the people who know the area a lot better than I do.  Thank you!
 
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