Las Ventanas by Taylor Morrison at Portola Springs

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
rimrattler6 said:
They released a new phase this weekend. I was offered either lot 82 or 84.. I don't remember. She said I was "high" on their interest list for these lots. I have yet to call Laura back. But more of a FYI


Isn't lot 82 part of phase 8 release and not phase 6?
 
I have a Phase 3 buyer who'll be closing this week so I'll drop by this weekend and see how LV is doing with their sales for the new phase release.
 
fishfinder333 said:
rimrattler6 said:
They released a new phase this weekend. I was offered either lot 82 or 84.. I don't remember. She said I was "high" on their interest list for these lots. I have yet to call Laura back. But more of a FYI


Isn't lot 82 part of phase 8 release and not phase 6?

My thoughts exactly. Laura said she was approved to release it for sale. I think sales may be sluggish, so they could be jumping to later phases to sell the "more popular" lots and get some sales... I'm sure USC will get more intel...
 
kayochan said:
I really like the plan 1 layout.  I have a friend at work who looked at these but decided not to buy because of the big cell tower - obelisk.  They thought it was an eyesore but I think it kinda blends into the background and I am sure you get used to it after a while...

Originally I wanted plan 1.  But then I saw plan 2 and they had the sink on the island in the kitchen and a better open master bath.  But the courtyard is a nice touch.
 
Hey jyeh. Got your PM. I'm on a business trip, so I won't be able to respond with the info until I get back on Thursday.

In the meantime, please be careful about veggie sinks in the island. As a HOA board member, we've had a HUGE # of slab leaks. It's a HUGE headache/inconvenience, not to mention terribly expensive. Nowadays, MOST plumbing is not through your slab foundation, but my YL-Greenbrier home came with it and that was going to be the only piping in my slab. I was able to request to remove that feature and all the plumbing in my foundation and get a credit in options money for something else. Now my concrete foundation is pipe free, which is the way to go, IMO! Just fyi...take a peek and ask how they get plumbing to that island sink. If it's through the slab, be wary. Just imagine how on earth they'll get to it to repair (e.g. bust through tile/hardwood floors). If you insist on having the sink, make sure there is a separate shut off valve so if it does leak, you can shut that off but not shut off water to your whole house.

 
fishfinder333 said:
rimrattler6 said:
They released a new phase this weekend. I was offered either lot 82 or 84.. I don't remember. She said I was "high" on their interest list for these lots. I have yet to call Laura back. But more of a FYI


Isn't lot 82 part of phase 8 release and not phase 6?
I dropped by the sales office this late afternoon as I wanted to visit one of my buyers who closed in Phase 3.  Phase 6 which was released last week includes lots 83, 84, 85, 42, 43, and 44 so lot 82 will be a part of Phase 8 (seems that each phase since Phase 4 they have only been releasing 6 homes per phase).  John said that they sold 3 of the 6 homes in Phase 6 (see the attached picture to check out the progress of the sales).  Red = sold, Yellow = hold, Green = available, and Blue = not yet available.
 

Attachments

USCTrojanCPA said:
fishfinder333 said:
rimrattler6 said:
They released a new phase this weekend. I was offered either lot 82 or 84.. I don't remember. She said I was "high" on their interest list for these lots. I have yet to call Laura back. But more of a FYI


Isn't lot 82 part of phase 8 release and not phase 6?
I dropped by the sales office this late afternoon as I wanted to visit one of my buyers who closed in Phase 3.  Phase 6 which was released last week includes lots 83, 84, 85, 42, 43, and 44 so lot 82 will be a part of Phase 8 (seems that each phase since Phase 4 they have only been releasing 6 homes per phase).  John said that they sold 3 of the 6 homes in Phase 6 (see the attached picture to check out the progress of the sales).  Red = sold, Yellow = hold, Green = available, and Blue = not yet available.

Thanks for the info USC. Do you know if prices have gone up any and is the builder offering any incentives right now?
 
fishfinder333 said:
USCTrojanCPA said:
fishfinder333 said:
rimrattler6 said:
They released a new phase this weekend. I was offered either lot 82 or 84.. I don't remember. She said I was "high" on their interest list for these lots. I have yet to call Laura back. But more of a FYI


Isn't lot 82 part of phase 8 release and not phase 6?
I dropped by the sales office this late afternoon as I wanted to visit one of my buyers who closed in Phase 3.  Phase 6 which was released last week includes lots 83, 84, 85, 42, 43, and 44 so lot 82 will be a part of Phase 8 (seems that each phase since Phase 4 they have only been releasing 6 homes per phase).  John said that they sold 3 of the 6 homes in Phase 6 (see the attached picture to check out the progress of the sales).  Red = sold, Yellow = hold, Green = available, and Blue = not yet available.

Thanks for the info USC. Do you know if prices have gone up any and is the builder offering any incentives right now?
I took a real quick scan of the price sheet and did not notice the prices being up much (if any) versus the previous phase.  They are not offering any new/additional incentives at this time.
 
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.
 
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
 
Nous said:
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
Which is something that can definitely negotiated for the homes that have been released and not sold (especially for homes in Phase 1-4). 
 
My dad and I plan to do my entire lot. As long as you don't get too fancy, and you're remotely handy, you can probably do most of it yourself. Like someone said, if you want hardscape with windy pathways and crazy stone walls, etc...then you can probably afford to have a professional. For me, i'm going interlocking pavers to minimize how much sod and eventually how much mowing i'll have to do and have a flower bed made with some stackable blocks. easy smeasy stuff.  I like the clean/minimalist look. It's easier to maintain too.

For what it's worth, I've heard landscaping jobs in YL costing at least $50k and up to $90/$100k, which is a bit outrageous to me...

 
rimrattler6 said:
My dad and I plan to do my entire lot. As long as you don't get too fancy, and you're remotely handy, you can probably do most of it yourself. Like someone said, if you want hardscape with windy pathways and crazy stone walls, etc...then you can probably afford to have a professional. For me, i'm going interlocking pavers to minimize how much sod and eventually how much mowing i'll have to do and have a flower bed made with some stackable blocks. easy smeasy stuff.  I like the clean/minimalist look. It's easier to maintain too.

For what it's worth, I've heard landscaping jobs in YL costing at least $50k and up to $90/$100k, which is a bit outrageous to me...

Well, material costs can vary and if you are add a lion-head fountain or something like that they can be real damned expensive.  Looking for it on the cheap, plant a tree in the front and sod our the rest and tell your guests to walk up the driveway (cuz you'll have one of those at LV).  Oh, also depends on the model you get I guess, the plan 2 for example will likely need no extra hardscaping as the door is adjacent to the driveway.  Other two plans not so much...
 
Nous said:
rimrattler6 said:
My dad and I plan to do my entire lot. As long as you don't get too fancy, and you're remotely handy, you can probably do most of it yourself. Like someone said, if you want hardscape with windy pathways and crazy stone walls, etc...then you can probably afford to have a professional. For me, i'm going interlocking pavers to minimize how much sod and eventually how much mowing i'll have to do and have a flower bed made with some stackable blocks. easy smeasy stuff.  I like the clean/minimalist look. It's easier to maintain too.

For what it's worth, I've heard landscaping jobs in YL costing at least $50k and up to $90/$100k, which is a bit outrageous to me...

Well, material costs can vary and if you are add a lion-head fountain or something like that they can be real damned expensive.  Looking for it on the cheap, plant a tree in the front and sod our the rest and tell your guests to walk up the driveway (cuz you'll have one of those at LV).  Oh, also depends on the model you get I guess, the plan 2 for example will likely need no extra hardscaping as the door is adjacent to the driveway.  Other two plans not so much...

Like what Nous said, material costs can vary, but materials geberally inexpensive. The real cost, if you choose to hire someone, is in the labor. Be prepared to pay a premium when you hire someone. Of course, most of the time, they know how to grade properly for drainage, irrigation, etc.

But remember, similar to buying a house, everything is negotiable. Contractors would much rather have your business at a negotiated rate rather than have no business at all. If you choose to hire someone, i recommend getting a couple of quotes first and really try to drive the price down. In my experience, i was able to really get the price down.
 
USCTrojanCPA said:
Nous said:
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
Which is something that can definitely negotiated for the homes that have been released and not sold (especially for homes in Phase 1-4). 
USCTrojanCPA said:
Nous said:
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
Which is something that can definitely negotiated for the homes that have been released and not sold (especially for homes in Phase 1-4). 

USC - do you have any idea of what current incentives are for LV?  Wife and I like 2 and 3.  We checked out lots 54 and 55 this weekend.  Sounds like 55 came out of escrow and they want to sell.  We also were looking at San Marcos in Stonegate - i'm guessing there are no incentives for those properties?

thanks
 
Contractors rarely do the work themselves and his job is to coordinate the various subtrades. In todays market he is just a meet and greet person. His best crews were probable laid off during the recession and he just hired new crews for the rebound market.

I suggest touring his projects from 5 years ago and some he did recently. The consistency is an indicator to achieving a similar result.

jyeh74 said:
thks for the replies.  Any good contractors that you can recommend in our area?
 
ducky said:
USCTrojanCPA said:
Nous said:
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
Which is something that can definitely negotiated for the homes that have been released and not sold (especially for homes in Phase 1-4). 
USCTrojanCPA said:
Nous said:
jyeh74 said:
What are new homes buyers expected to spend for minimal landscaping?  I love the new homes at LV, but the idea of doing everything yourself from gate to grass vs buying a slightly older home which has all landscaping done is something I am researching.  For those who have closed on the LV, what is estimated basic costs of landscaping?  I'm guessing at least $10k for bare bones.  Let me know if I am way off.

Absolute minimal you can probably do for a few hundred dollars if all you do is sod the whole area and do it yourself.  Most of the cost is in hardscaping which can range quite a bit.  Also, landscaping is something you can ask them to throw in for you and I guarantee you they have someone on staff who does it.
Which is something that can definitely negotiated for the homes that have been released and not sold (especially for homes in Phase 1-4). 

USC - do you have any idea of what current incentives are for LV?  Wife and I like 2 and 3.  We checked out lots 54 and 55 this weekend.  Sounds like 55 came out of escrow and they want to sell.  We also were looking at San Marcos in Stonegate - i'm guessing there are no incentives for those properties?

thanks
For the Las Ventanas new releases there aren't many incentives other than $2,500 for using their lender and another $2,500 for the design center.  Now when we talk about homes that have been built and not sold (dropped out of escrow or just haven't closed), you can wheel and deal a bit like I did with one of my buyers who closed in Phase 1.  As for Stonegate (and all Irvine Pacific homes), they are not flexible at all when it comes to negotiating even when it comes to the homes that are built and not sold. 
 
Got an email from TM saying that they are offering a 3% broker co-op on the standing inventory homes (built but not sold).  That tells me that buyers should be able to get good incentives on those homes as TM wants to move them.
 
So on October 9, USC put up a picture showing 7 homes available from the 46-62 lots. Just right now i checked the TM website showing 7 homes still available in that group of lots. Now that they are selling homes down Los Indios and Pawprint, are these 7 homes just going to sit there till the end unless they get a decent discount? 

USC - do you know if the floors put in these homes yet? just curious what you can get in the way of incentives to upgrade if the home is fully built out. Are they throwing in landscaping in the front/back yards?
 
Back
Top