San Marcos Plan 3 vs Las Ventanas Plan 2

[irvinehomeowner]

With San Marcos and San Mateo being just the detached versions of Los Altos and Capistrano, I doubt I'll be falling in love anytime soon. ???

Same for Altura... if they are recycling those then it's back to QH resale for us.

And we're actually thinking about just staying put, saving more money and just buying our forever home (well... until the kids are out of the house... which will probably be forever) in an older 'hood that has the izz-O floor plan.

 

[fishfinder333]

With San Marcos and San Mateo being just the detached versions of Los Altos and Capistrano, I doubt I'll be falling in love anytime soon. ???

Same for Altura... if they are recycling those then it's back to QH resale for us.

And we're actually thinking about just staying put, saving more money and just buying our forever home (well... until the kids are out of the house... which will probably be forever) in an older 'hood that has the izz-O floor plan.

yes i googled it as well and the tank looks like its almost self contained. If it does break it looks like the water is channeled between the toll road and the homes making the danger of flooding very minimal. I'm just curious if the lender will require flood insurance.

 

[akim997]

Without a doubt in my mind, I believe that Las Ventanas 2 is far superior to San Marcos 3. 

I personally believe, at least based on the floorplan, LV2 is pretty well executed.  I like the fact that they turned the bathtub sideways so it doesnt jut out into the master bath.  I think the great room layout is a bit more effective in making a 2100 sq ft home look bigger.  With the fireplace (option)/media niche on the inside wall, you can L-shape your seating without cutting off the dining area.  Makes it look more open.  Its a small place, so if you want a fireplace, you can do the fireplace/tv over the fire place/ and equipment in the niche.  You get the downstairs BR4, upstairs laundry w/ sink, and what looks to be a fairly generous walk in closet off master bath.  The only thing you don't get is the cali room... but who cares.  buy one of the nice $800 super-umbrellas - now you have shade (Asians hate sunlight it seems). 

San Marcos is the high-maintenance twin sister on the better side of the street (than Capistrano)...  Dining area looks cramped.  It's bigger, but did you see what it looked like in Capistrano?  It'd barely fit 4...  they did add the walk-in pantry.  The upstairs laundry is tiny, and did you see how small the closet is in the master?  My wife's crap errr... clothes and accessories... would relegate me to a closet in another bedroom.    Lastly, in agreement with scCPA, I'm not a fan of the motorcourt. 

People are selective now regarding the 133, but I think it is something you will get over, and also get used to.  I also wouldn't be that worried about cars launching themselves through the barriers and down into the neighboorhood.  Noise?  I'm not sure.. but again, I think you can get used to it.  I live really close to the the 261, and I never notice it.  In the summertime we leave all of our windows open, and I've never had one complaint.  My patio gets dirty from the trees, but there isn't any ancillary polution from toll road.  I also agree with the comments of people hating on PS, but saying Stonegate is okay.  Really?  It's seriously a 2 minute drive from one place to the other.  I also don't see hoards of family walking from Woodbury to the town center to eat dinner.  I also wouldn't buy a house based on walking my kids to school for the 6 yrs they are in elementary.  Heck, I'm lazy, get in the car kids... 

 

[qwerty]

People are selective now regarding the 133, but I think it is something you will get over, and also get used to.  I also wouldn't be that worried about cars launching themselves through the barriers and down into the neighboorhood.  Noise?  I'm not sure.. but again, I think you can get used to it.  I live really close to the the 261, and I never notice it.  In the summertime we leave all of our windows open, and I've never had one complaint.  My patio gets dirty from the trees, but there isn't any ancillary polution from toll road.  I also agree with the comments of people hating on PS, but saying Stonegate is okay.  Really?  It's seriously a 2 minute drive from one place to the other.  I also don't see hoards of family walking from Woodbury to the town center to eat dinner.  I also wouldn't buy a house based on walking my kids to school for the 6 yrs they are in elementary.  Heck, I'm lazy, get in the car kids... 

I hope none of these developments (Las Ventanas, Sevilla, Ironwood, North Casero) charge a premium to be further away from the 133. everywhere you stand out there in one of these developments you can hear the 133, its not bad though. you wont be able to hear it with the windows closed and but you will hear it with the windows open.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I also wouldn't buy a house based on walking my kids to school for the 6 yrs they are in elementary.  Heck, I'm lazy, get in the car kids... 

I'm sure you are familiar with morning drop-off traffic. I challenge you to drive from Las Ventanas to Stonegate Elementary in "2 minutes" during rush drop off time.

Once or twice it doesn't seem that far but over time it piles up. In the last month or so, I've been doing that drive from PS to Stonegate and Woodbury quite a bit (and this is on weekends with zero traffic) and it takes me more than 2 minutes. Just recently, we were at an open house in Portola Springs and my kid was thirsty, so with the intent to come back to look at new homes, we left, drove down to the Starbucks in Woodbury and by the time we were done... we felt it was too much back and forth and just went home. Now that's lazy... not to mention gas is $4 a gallon.