Orchard Hills - Messina by TRI Pointe Homes

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OCgasman said:
Nice review IHO.  I'm generally not a fan of interior courtyards but Messina's work well.  For plan 2, if a buyer opts for the outdoor kitchen, the area flows nicely from courtyard to outdoor kitchen to loggia .  And with the optional stacking doors indoor/outdoor space becomes seemless. Not sure how it would work with the standard tandem garage in place, but I bet most buyers will option out the tandem as either a bedroom or the outdoor kitchen.  The nook is optional and I agree, seems redundant.  The space becomes much more open without the optional built-in nook seating and removes the pony wall which closes down the space IMO.

Plan 3 is interesting.  It's polarizing with the circular staircase and the optional casita bedroom.  What I didn't like about plan 3 was the very small and oddly shaped upstairs bonus room.  It would be an odd setup for a traditional play area/second TV area for the kids.  I do like the outdoor retreat off the master bedroom.

Not a fan of Plan 1.
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I actually liked the loft space of plan 3. I think it depends on what you'd use it for. Not that I'm looking to buy that plan, but if I were, I think it'd make an ideal reading/library space. I, too, liked the double-stairs.

Not a plan 1 fan either.

Really liked the downstairs of plan 2. Separate dining room useless for my needs, however.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
For $1.5m+... I think I would look for something in Newport Beach than buy one of these.
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I'm with you on that one. In the $1.5m+ range, I'd rather get an old, rehabbed 2000 sq ft house in Newport than a 3600 sq ft new house in the northern reaches of Irvine.  I feel that new construction quality is inferior to well rehabbed/remodeled older construction.

 
Really seriously considering Messina plan 2.  The are a few things that we do not like but overall the house is just a dream.

Don't like:
The cramped stairs
Entry into a wall
Limted seating at kitchen island
Okay but a bit small nook

We like to spend a lot of time out in the yard and our jaws dropped when we saw the flow from formal dining to courtyard to outdoor kitchen and loggia to backyard.  The sliding glass doors between the great room and loggia makes that indoor/outdoor living seamless.  The model had the same travertine flooring in and out which made for a great experience.  If you had a lot like number 21 which is double the depth of the model it could be fantastic.

The inner courtyard allows a ton of natural light to fill the whole house.  The upstairs hallways have a very bright and open feeling which i really like. 

Lot 21 has 4 bedrooms and a huge bonus room upstairs.  A good size downstairs bedroom that has ample additional storage space in the closet make it a perfect home office/man cave.  Thats what I intend haha if my wife lets me.  Very functional for us, a family with three children.  Two girls will share the one bathroom and my son will have his own bathroom...perfect!  Prefer it to the way the model is laid out with the guest suite.

Location is good.  Close to settlers park, shopping strip, and school.  Too far from resort but thats ok.  Most of all it is far enough from the toll road.  We could not hear anything at 6 pm on a thursday evening from the models.  The construction was done so it was quiet and I know it was rush hour.

Good schools.  Hicks canyon, orchard hills and beckman high are outstanding schools.  Some may argue iusd but my two older kids went to sierra vista and let me tell you that school has some awful teachers.

Oh my wife did not like the smallish closet for a 3800 sf home.  I sorta agree but my infatuation with the outside area blinds me of any logic centered around closet space.  Call me what you want.

Wish it had a 3cwg but even Trevi does not have that. A view would be nice but only Trevi has that and I do not want to pay another $800k.  La Vita plan 4 is a winner but the shared front courtyard or motorcourt is a big risk.  Also it backs into the apartments which I really do not like.

Who knows maybe on Saturday lot 21 may be mine. 
 
Oh and one more thing...Messina and La Vita for that matter is away from the avocado groves.  Bad if you consider the groves to be a view and want to be close to it.  Great if you don't care to hear the trucks or watch hoards of people during harvest.  I am pretty sure they spray stuff as well.

Btw the avocado trucks will enter through the north gate.

Obviously i like being away from it. 
 
Zippohunter said:
Who knows maybe on Saturday lot 21 may be mine. 
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Welcome to TI and good luck with the lot.  Hope you get the home and lot of your choice.

BTW, how does Tripoint offer lot to home buyer anyway?  Every builder does thing differently and just curious how Tripoint assign home to buyers.
 
Welcome to TI.  It seems like you really want that lot.  I say do it. :)

Zippohunter said:
Really seriously considering Messina plan 2.  The are a few things that we do not like but overall the house is just a dream.

Don't like:
The cramped stairs
Entry into a wall
Limted seating at kitchen island
Okay but a bit small nook

We like to spend a lot of time out in the yard and our jaws dropped when we saw the flow from formal dining to courtyard to outdoor kitchen and loggia to backyard.  The sliding glass doors between the great room and loggia makes that indoor/outdoor living seamless.  The model had the same travertine flooring in and out which made for a great experience.  If you had a lot like number 21 which is double the depth of the model it could be fantastic.

The inner courtyard allows a ton of natural light to fill the whole house.  The upstairs hallways have a very bright and open feeling which i really like. 

Lot 21 has 4 bedrooms and a huge bonus room upstairs.  A good size downstairs bedroom that has ample additional storage space in the closet make it a perfect home office/man cave.  Thats what I intend haha if my wife lets me.  Very functional for us, a family with three children.  Two girls will share the one bathroom and my son will have his own bathroom...perfect!  Prefer it to the way the model is laid out with the guest suite.

Location is good.  Close to settlers park, shopping strip, and school.  Too far from resort but thats ok.  Most of all it is far enough from the toll road.  We could not hear anything at 6 pm on a thursday evening from the models.  The construction was done so it was quiet and I know it was rush hour.

Good schools.  Hicks canyon, orchard hills and beckman high are outstanding schools.  Some may argue iusd but my two older kids went to sierra vista and let me tell you that school has some awful teachers.

Oh my wife did not like the smallish closet for a 3800 sf home.  I sorta agree but my infatuation with the outside area blinds me of any logic centered around closet space.  Call me what you want.

Wish it had a 3cwg but even Trevi does not have that. A view would be nice but only Trevi has that and I do not want to pay another $800k.  La Vita plan 4 is a winner but the shared front courtyard or motorcourt is a big risk.  Also it backs into the apartments which I really do not like.

Who knows maybe on Saturday lot 21 may be mine.
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lnc said:
Zippohunter said:
Who knows maybe on Saturday lot 21 may be mine. 
Click to expand...

Welcome to TI and good luck with the lot.  Hope you get the home and lot of your choice.

BTW, how does Tripoint offer lot to home buyer anyway?  Every builder does thing differently and just curious how Tripoint assign home to buyers.
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They have a waiting list but for the choicest lots only.  Right now you can just walk in and there are lots available without having to wait.  You have to pre qualify though before you can sign a contract on an existing lot or get on the list for a future release.

I pre qualified at Arcadia (tripointe) and got on their list early.  I had to submit tax returns, w2s, bank and 401k statements, etc, etc.  once qualified they put me on their list. They had the phase1 release where they called out names and we had an opportunity to buy.  We did not do it in the end because of the tiny lots.  If you are contingent you fall below all non contingent buyers.

Messina is the same except there is not much of a waiting list.  The same is true for Arcadia maybe?  I just got an email to purchase standing inventory.

The sales folks admitted it is slow now but that it will pick up after the summer when people are back from vacation.  Whatever we shall see.
 
Arcadia sales are slow...they still have standing inventory from the last 2 phase releases.  All their new units have the same small lots, and are creeping up on the hill/burn that leads up to Portola.  Just feels weird to me having a massive dirt wall that close.
 
gasman said:
Arcadia sales are slow...they still have standing inventory from the last 2 phase releases.  All their new units have the same small lots, and are creeping up on the hill/burn that leads up to Portola.  Just feels weird to me having a massive dirt wall that close.
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But it's close to the basketball court
 
WTTCMN said:
Did Arcadia have any "big" lots?  I thought everything was 50x80 except for a few streets that had like 60x90 or something and they decided to add an extra bedroom to the first floor to eat up the extra yard space.
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All their lots are the same, so my statement was redundant.  You are right, they did have some bigger lots on the property edge, which they sold as "Y" lots, which included an additional bedroom (for $150-200K more), but the rear setback was about the same.
 
Zippohunter said:
Really seriously considering Messina plan 2.  The are a few things that we do not like but overall the house is just a dream.

Don't like:
The cramped stairs
Entry into a wall
Limted seating at kitchen island
Okay but a bit small nook

We like to spend a lot of time out in the yard and our jaws dropped when we saw the flow from formal dining to courtyard to outdoor kitchen and loggia to backyard.  The sliding glass doors between the great room and loggia makes that indoor/outdoor living seamless.  The model had the same travertine flooring in and out which made for a great experience.  If you had a lot like number 21 which is double the depth of the model it could be fantastic.

The inner courtyard allows a ton of natural light to fill the whole house.  The upstairs hallways have a very bright and open feeling which i really like. 

Lot 21 has 4 bedrooms and a huge bonus room upstairs.  A good size downstairs bedroom that has ample additional storage space in the closet make it a perfect home office/man cave.  Thats what I intend haha if my wife lets me.  Very functional for us, a family with three children.  Two girls will share the one bathroom and my son will have his own bathroom...perfect!  Prefer it to the way the model is laid out with the guest suite.

Location is good.  Close to settlers park, shopping strip, and school.  Too far from resort but thats ok.  Most of all it is far enough from the toll road.  We could not hear anything at 6 pm on a thursday evening from the models.  The construction was done so it was quiet and I know it was rush hour.

Good schools.  Hicks canyon, orchard hills and beckman high are outstanding schools.  Some may argue iusd but my two older kids went to sierra vista and let me tell you that school has some awful teachers.

Oh my wife did not like the smallish closet for a 3800 sf home.  I sorta agree but my infatuation with the outside area blinds me of any logic centered around closet space.  Call me what you want.

Wish it had a 3cwg but even Trevi does not have that. A view would be nice but only Trevi has that and I do not want to pay another $800k.  La Vita plan 4 is a winner but the shared front courtyard or motorcourt is a big risk.  Also it backs into the apartments which I really do not like.

Who knows maybe on Saturday lot 21 may be mine.
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Best of luck. Plan 2 of Messina was my fave of the 3 models. Except for the entry into the wall, really liked most everything else about the floor plan. One minor quibble is TV placement in the great room is not opposite the kitchen (my ideal) but is opposite some windows which is always bad for glare.
 
I think TV placement is a non-issue.  Maybe cuz I don't watch TV that often.  And glare can be easily fixed with curtains.
 
Zippohunter said:
Ok gonna do it.  Take off from the office early tomorrow and head straight for the sales office.  Hope lot 21 is still available.
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Good luck!

How does Tri Point determine who have the first dip on the lot choice?  Whoever show up in the sale office first, time stamp on the registration/pre-qualify, lottery, or whoever bring the most cash? :)
 
lnc said:
Zippohunter said:
Ok gonna do it.  Take off from the office early tomorrow and head straight for the sales office.  Hope lot 21 is still available.
Click to expand...

Good luck!

How does Tri Point determine who have the first dip on the lot choice?  Whoever show up in the sale office first, time stamp on the registration/pre-qualify, lottery, or whoever bring the most cash? :)
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See page 2
 
OCgasman said:
I think TV placement is a non-issue.  Maybe cuz I don't watch TV that often.  And glare can be easily fixed with curtains.
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TV placement is so hugely important for me. It was a big consideration in the purchase of my new home. As Joey from Friends would say, "Without a TV, what are you going to point all your furniture at?" (quoting loosely). Yup, you can fix glare with curtains, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. But, I like being able to look outside AND be watching TV at the same time.
 
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