Soylent Green Is People said:
To compare - Rancho Santa Margarita was built using an extraordinarily tight floor plan design and color scheme spectrums required to be used on every home constructed. This resulted in a uniform blandness in the community. After a while sales stalled out partially due to disinterest in the look and feel of the area. The Rancho Mission Viejo Company adjusted what could be built, and the community rebounded. They took that lesson to heart when building just south in Las Flores, and providing an even wider range of design in Ladera Ranch.
TIC won't stop people from buying new, but home "sameness" will have an impact on resales at some point. If there are 5 of the same floor plans for sale on the same 3,500 SF lot, the spread in price between them will remain pretty narrow - unless the unit has some genuinely fancy shmancy stuff in it, not just granite countertops.
My .02c
To follow up further to what you say about "sameness" I have stopped looking at new homes built by Irvine Pacific years ago, because there are nothing new to look at. Occasionally, when they do have the grand openning, I might swing by, suppose for the freebies. By the time I drive there, I soon realize that it would be a complete waste of time for me to stand in line for 45 minutes to get what,,,an 85 degree pastries dried out and a cup of coffee. No thanks, I will pay for it for if I ever crave it that bad.
Second, the neighborhood layout by Irvine Pacific is to cram as many homes as they can. You think you will get a view for the elevation at Orchard Hills Reserved, with the million dollar price cramp recycled box design. Dream on. Alta Vista is bold and unique, and will be true luxury with premium price tag. Toll design is unique, but you better shell out at least 3.5 - 4 Mil. to beggin to feel grand.