The gated Northwood II is getting killed

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I was a stay at home mom for a little while and all I can say is, my life got a whole helluva lot harder when I returned to work. Forget about working out, first of all. All those beautiful, muscular women you see with kids? They don't sit at a desk 9 hours a day. THey drop the kid off at the gym daycare, work out for 90 minutes, then go sit with their other beautiful friends and drink coffee.



No, when you work, you have to be up and awake at the crack of dawn no matter how little sleep your kid allowed you to get that night; you have to get that kid dressed and fed and out the door and dropped off at daycare and be on time at work. THen you have to work all day long, and then race to daycare after. And by that time you're starving, but by the time you get home, the thought of preparing and cooking a healthy dinner is overwhelming 80% of the time, and you just serve cereal or something. THen it's non-stop mom-mode the whole rest of the evening.



Honestly, I don't know many working moms who watch any tv. Personally I haven't had cable in years. I do know that when I stayed at home, I did watch tv,and I did go shopping for fun, and I spent lots of time on the computer. Not that it was at all easy! I was blessed with a baby whose definition of a good night's sleep was only waking up 5 times during the night instead of 10 times, until he was two years old. So I was pretty much a zombie for two years. Then at 2, he started sleeping through the night (from 9pm to about 4am), but that's when he stopped taking naps!



Each person's situation is different, and I'm not saying that everyone's situation is like mine. I just find it hard to understand Socal's comment that staying home with kids can be harder than some full time jobs. That just doesn't compute, since when you leave your job, you have to pick up your kids, go grocery shopping, cook a healthy dinner, run to the post office or cleaners, help with homework, clean the house, and otherwise do all the stuff that you could have been doing all day long if you were a stay-at-home...when I leave work, it's not like my day just ends with my feet up on the sofa!
 
<blockquote> I just find it hard to understand Socal?s comment that staying home with kids can be harder than some full time jobs. That just doesn?t compute, since when you leave your job, you have to pick up your kids, go grocery shopping, cook a healthy dinner, run to the post office or cleaners, help with homework, clean the house, and otherwise do all the stuff that you could have been doing all day long if you were a stay-at-home?when I leave work, it?s not like my day just ends with my feet up on the sofa!</blockquote>
I believe SoCal was trying to say that being a stay-at-home mom can be more difficult than someone who works full time outside the home (not necessarily someone who has kids and works outside the home). It was a compliment to mothers - I think you misinterpreted what she was trying to say. It was a compliment to mothers and how hard they work. We know that it's a 24-hour a day job. Being a mom is never ending. :coolsmirk:



Now someone that is a mom and also works outside the home - well that's working 2 full-time jobs. Hats off to you - seriously. That's a lot of work and I'm sure you don't get patted on the back enough.
 
[quote author="irvinesinglemom" date=1229247674]I was a stay at home mom for a little while and all I can say is, my life got a whole helluva lot harder when I returned to work. Forget about working out, first of all. All those beautiful, muscular women you see with kids? They don't sit at a desk 9 hours a day. THey drop the kid off at the gym daycare, work out for 90 minutes, then go sit with their other beautiful friends and drink coffee.



No, when you work, you have to be up and awake at the crack of dawn no matter how little sleep your kid allowed you to get that night; you have to get that kid dressed and fed and out the door and dropped off at daycare and be on time at work. THen you have to work all day long, and then race to daycare after. And by that time you're starving, but by the time you get home, the thought of preparing and cooking a healthy dinner is overwhelming 80% of the time, and you just serve cereal or something. THen it's non-stop mom-mode the whole rest of the evening.



Honestly, I don't know many working moms who watch any tv. Personally I haven't had cable in years. I do know that when I stayed at home, I did watch tv,and I did go shopping for fun, and I spent lots of time on the computer. Not that it was at all easy! I was blessed with a baby whose definition of a good night's sleep was only waking up 5 times during the night instead of 10 times, until he was two years old. So I was pretty much a zombie for two years. Then at 2, he started sleeping through the night (from 9pm to about 4am), but that's when he stopped taking naps!



Each person's situation is different, and I'm not saying that everyone's situation is like mine. I just find it hard to understand Socal's comment that staying home with kids can be harder than some full time jobs. That just doesn't compute, since when you leave your job, you have to pick up your kids, go grocery shopping, cook a healthy dinner, run to the post office or cleaners, help with homework, clean the house, and otherwise do all the stuff that you could have been doing all day long if you were a stay-at-home...when I leave work, it's not like my day just ends with my feet up on the sofa!</blockquote>


I would argue that you are doing two full-time jobs, however so is the stay at home mom. When I go to work, at least I know I get to eat lunch in peace with adult conversation. I actually think I'd go crazy if I didn't go to work, I know a few stay at home moms in my neighborhood who ARE going crazy. We have a nanny so we don't have to deal with the day care issues The nanny arrives when I leave for work and leaves when I come home. Yes, my second unpaid job starts the minute I walk in the door. When I'm home with both of them (ages 3 and 4), getting anything productive done is impossible. If I try to get something done, it is negated by the mess being created at the same time. Please don't tell me anymore that it doesn't get easier, it HAS to! %-P
 
ISM: Long time no see. It is great hearing from you. Please don't take my comment personally. I am not drawing a comparison to the role of a single parent who works full time and then has all the child responsibilities when they come home. That is without a doubt, one of the hardest situations for a person to be in. I am only comparing being a full-time-mom to a person having a 9-5 job (with no child responsibilities afterwards.) I put "break" in parenthesis because that is what my friend said who went back to work. I didn't understand either how that is easier but she tells me she really wanted to go back to having her one-hour lunch breaks without interruptions, the chance to go out with colleagues (and even be able to pee without a child -or two- pounding on the door. TMI!) She is also married so when she comes home her husband shares the family responsibilities with her. The other friend just told me after about six months that she felt like she was going crazy at home and wanted so bad to go back to work. So I'm just saying BV's wife isn't going to have any cake-walk at home. I know that my pre-kid life where I worked, came home, and called it a day was a lot easier than it is now. I hope this helps explain what I was trying to say. I feel really bad for taking part in the hijack of this thread. Maybe we should have a parenting forum!
 
Yikes - I was on a tear when I posted that, huh? Definitely not wanting to start the Mommy Wars on this forum. Sorry! I just had walked out of a local business that I frequent occasionally, along the lines of a spa/salon, and there were three thin, well-dressed, fully made-up women there in a clique a-la junior high school, giving me the dismissive once-over (I was wearing sweats, no make-up, the weekend usual). They were talking about their kids and their husbands and I overheard at least one of them talking about her "friend who works." Arrghhh!



The thing is, when I was alone, I also spent two hours a day at the gym, and I had no respect whatsoever for the frumpy, dumpy, overweight, frazzled-looking women who showed up occasionally. Clearly they were deficient human beings, not even being disciplined enough to stay in shape. Then fast-forward 10 years and, bam!!! I am that woman!



Anyway, back to NWII. I like some of the houses but am not a big fan of the gate (I consider gates to be useless hassles), and after enjoying the Woodbury Commons, the multiple fabulous parks, and looking forward to next year in first grade at Woodbury's own elementary school within walking distance, would just find it hard to consider ever living in NWII for our "forever home."



I am one of the many patiently waiting for my little piece of heaven to be built on the "right-hand side" of Orchard Hills (the tracts that will feed into NWHS instead of Beckman. Not because I don't think Beckman is a great school, but because I have a dream of my son riding his bike through a local neighborhood, no major roads, to school!).
 
I hate this neighborhood... I think that occasional Irvine hobo wouldn't lay his tick/lice infested hat here. And I know this schmuck that lives on Secret Garden... Dick.
 
<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/22-Antique-Rose-92620/home/5930991">This house on Antique Rose</a> is on the market for $1,135,000. 4110 ppsf $276.15? Wow! Prices are now really starting come down to reality. IPO and Ten, what are you guys waiting for? Auntie Rose is calling your name.



Too bad this bad boy is out of my price range.

~Panda Still Dreaming of Irvine~
 
Seriously that house is weird from every angle on the outside...



<img src="http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/46/bigphoto/969/S571969_1_0.jpg" alt="" />



It reminds me of the village in the 'Popeye' movie:



<img src="http://www.travelpix.nu/Malta/bilder/250.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="NewToOC" date=1241052020]Seriously that house is weird from every angle on the outside...



<img src="http://media.cdn-redfin.com/photo/46/bigphoto/969/S571969_1_0.jpg" alt="" />



</blockquote>


I think the second floor and the first floor are reversed.
 
I like the long driveway too but I think the driveway needs to be longer until the garage is out of sight. Fieldstone is a builder that prevailed in function and failed in aesthetic. Fieldstone during the last 15 years was allowed 2 projects on the Ranch. Quail Hills and NWII. The reason is obvious. Concordia is not on the Ranch.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1241059237]I like the long driveway too but I think the driveway needs to be longer until the garage is out of sight. Fieldstone is a builder that prevailed in function and failed in aesthetic. Fieldstone during the last 15 years was allowed 2 projects on the Ranch. Quail Hills and NWII. The reason is obvious. Concordia is not on the Ranch.</blockquote>


Actually, they built homes in Northwood, Harvard Square, and West Irvine too.
 
[quote author="ipoplaya" date=1226659746]Is Northwood II really getting killed?



52 Secret Garden just closed for $1,018,000, which is $10K more than their late 2005 purchase price of $1,008,000...



52 Secret is the same plan as 59 Fire Thorn with a worse location but better upgrades.



<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/27-Antique-Rose-Irvine-CA-92620/63114345_zpid">This house on Antique Rose</a> just closed for $100K more than their mid 2005 purchase price of $1.284M.



At least on larger homes in NWII, the bubble appears to be alive and well.</blockquote>


Wanted to bump this tread again after realizing <a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/25-Grape-Arbor-92620/home/5931555">25 Grape Arbor</a>, a <a href="http://www.catrinarealty.com/pdf/northwood2/floorplans/camellia-calfpachomes-136sfd/Model E, Plan 4 Alt 1 - 3069.pdf">plan 4 Camellia</a> closed recently: peak price of $1.18M and closed at $855K (thanks IPO for your site). A recent comp at 59 Fire Thorn (same floor plan, not sure of upgrades) closed in February for $940K. Things are going down quick in NWII...down to ~$275/sqft now. Columbus Grove/Tustin Fields prices here we come...
 
<blockquote>I think the second floor and the first floor are reversed.</blockquote>


No, I'm from the South and it's not too unusual to see fronts like that. They do sometimes have part brick/part siding building and the bricks (heavy) go on the bottom.



Now the Frankenstein combination of the Southern-style front and the California tract house stucco of the rest - yergh, that's hideous!
 
<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637">http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637</a>



This is exactly the type of property i would like to get at the bottom of the market. IPO, what is your best guess where this home will close at? It would be so sweet if you can buy this property for $650k in 2012.



I think this home will probably close today for $799,900.
 
[quote author="PANDA" date=1250113904]<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637">http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637</a>



This is exactly the type of property i would like to get at the bottom of the market. IPO, what is your best guess where this home will close at? It would be so sweet if you can buy this property for $650k in 2012.



I think this home will probably close today for $799,900.</blockquote>


I saw that one too Panda. That is a very nice home. If it could drop another 10% from the $719k asking price, I would like to buy one as well.



Maybe we could be neighbors and play tennis.



BTW..I am sure someone will come in and buy this baby at about $750k.
 
[quote author="optimusprime" date=1250115428][quote author="PANDA" date=1250113904]<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637">http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637</a>



This is exactly the type of property i would like to get at the bottom of the market. IPO, what is your best guess where this home will close at? It would be so sweet if you can buy this property for $650k in 2012.



I think this home will probably close today for $799,900.</blockquote>


I saw that one too Panda. That is a very nice home. If it could drop another 10% from the $719k asking price, I would like to buy one as well.



Maybe we could be neighbors and play tennis.



BTW..I am sure someone will come in and buy this baby at about $750k.</blockquote>


Hey Optimus, it is good to see you back. I love tennis, but not as much as I love fishing. Dude, I really think this home will trade for $650k sometime in 2012.
 
[quote author="PANDA" date=1250116503][quote author="optimusprime" date=1250115428][quote author="PANDA" date=1250113904]<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637">http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Teak-Brg-92620/home/5931637</a>



This is exactly the type of property i would like to get at the bottom of the market. IPO, what is your best guess where this home will close at? It would be so sweet if you can buy this property for $650k in 2012.



I think this home will probably close today for $799,900.</blockquote>


I saw that one too Panda. That is a very nice home. If it could drop another 10% from the $719k asking price, I would like to buy one as well.



Maybe we could be neighbors and play tennis.



BTW..I am sure someone will come in and buy this baby at about $750k.</blockquote>


Hey Optimus, it is good to see you back. I love tennis, but not as much as I love fishing. Dude, I really think this home will trade for $650k sometime in 2012.</blockquote>


Exactly, the 10% discount I am hoping for but I think I may be biting the bullet sometime next year.
 
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