What about Columbus Square in Tustin ??

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hbunny_IHB

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<p>Hi everyone, this is my first post. Everyone's comments are very informative. There hasn't been too much discussion about Columbus Square in Tustin (at the MCAS redevelopment). I think that portion of Tustin is pretty much considered Irvine...Anyway, this past summer, I compared Portola Springs and Columbus Square and think Columbus Square is ultimately the better choice for me. I'm currently in a Woodbury Apartment and geez, maybe I'm spoiled, but I often feel like I'm in BFE - it sometimes takes 45 minutes to get to my office on Main and MacArthur and forget trying to get to NPB or CM quickly. If anyone is interested in looking into Columbus Square in Tustin, I've done some work. You should really check out this map on the city of Tustin website and here's the link: <a href="http://www.tustinca.org/about/baseplan.htm">http://www.tustinca.org/about/baseplan.htm</a> If it's true, It should be amazing in a few years. The "linear park" will run from the train station to the edge of Barranca and Red Hill, there will be tons of parks and landscaping, new schools, etc. Also, if anyone is wondering what will happen to the blimp hangars, I read that one will be demoloshed and the other just received approval by the Board of Supervisors and will be turned into a 100 million dollar sports and leisure center- I can hardly describe it, but here's a recent article about it in the OC Register: <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1387487.php">http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1387487.php</a></p>

<p>The prices are undisputably cheaper at Columbus Square compared to Portola Springs for the units themselves and the long term plan may turn out well. I understand that there is a grand opening for the "Verandas" neighborhood this Saturday. The are detached homes that are 2100 to 2300 square feet (I think) and they start in the 6 or 700,000s. I would LOVE to get anyone's input on Columbus Square. Thanks!!</p>

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<p>I think the main issue with me, having two kids, is the school district. Call me spoiled, but I would rather have them go to Irvine Unified than Tustin Unified.</p>

<p>Verandas would have looked quite interesting to me but for that fact. </p>

<p>Am I being spoiled??</p>
 
<p>I really appreciate your comment. That is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I know absolutely ZERO about Tustin. I went to college at UCI and since then only lived in Newport and Irvine and only went to Tustin to go the market place. Schools are extremely important to me too (but my hubby and I don't have any kids - yet - maybe 2 or 3 more years) so we don't know much about schools. Other than that Irvine is a better school district, can you tell me anymore about the Tustin Unified school district. Thanks!!</p>
 
<p>Take a look at the OC schools API (academic performance index) at these links</p>

<p dir="ltr"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.csmc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://api.cde.ca.gov/APIBase2006/2006Grth_Co.aspx?cSelect=30,Orange%26c=R">http://api.cde.ca.gov/APIBase2006/2006Grth_Co.aspx?cSelect=30,Orange&c=R</a>


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<p dir="ltr">notice how every school in the Irvine school district is rated an 'A' ... with API scores of the high schools in the 800s. incidentally Beckman and Foothill high in Tustin aren't too shabby either. You can click on each school individually for a report.</p>

<p dir="ltr">you can even see average SAT scores by school</p>

<p dir="ltr"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.csmc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SAT-I2.asp?cChoice=SAT2%26cYear=2004-05%26TheCounty=30%252CORANGE%26cLevel=County%26submit1=Submit">http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SAT-I2.asp?cChoice=SAT2&cYear=2004-05&TheCounty=30%2CORANGE&cLevel=County&submit1=Submit</a></p>

<p dir="ltr"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.csmc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SAT-I3.asp?cYear=2004-05%26cSelect=3073650^--^Irvine^Unified%26cChoice=SAT3">http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SAT-I3.asp?cYear=2004-05&cSelect=3073650^--^Irvine^Unified&cChoice=SAT3</a></p>

<p dir="ltr">Tustin high's API, however, is 100-150 points lower, and that is the HS that the Columbus Square feeds into. Of course, that's a decade away for my kids, so the district lines may be redrawn, but I have no desire to yank my kids out of their friendships midway through junior high (which is what happened to me, quite traumatic) to start over again in High School.</p>
 
IRVINITEE - hi, when you say nicer, do you mean the neighborhood itself? or the area, or the homes? I'm just curious because we are seriously considering buying a unit in the Astoria development. We were pretty much set on buying the Taylor Woodrow Las Colinas, but realized we could upgrade the crap out of the Astoria unit for the same base price for Las Colinas. And I am wishfully thinking that Columbus Square will eventually be a better investment.
 
Yes, I can definitely understand the concern with property taxes - it's a shock. But a lot of people don't clearly understand taxes and Mello Roos (including me) so, I asked the hubby and he clarified for me that the 1.8% property tax INCLUDES the Mello Roos and as for Astoria - which is what we're looking at, the HOA is $110 per month and we are told they will go down. Interestingly, our last condo in Turtle Ridge was something like $235 a month and it was 1100 square feet.
 
<p>Oh, and also, there is only a single layer of HOA - I think some places have 2 layers...</p>

<p>I'm not trying to plug VoC, just want to share what I know for those in the market like me.</p>
 
ummm there are two master associations that you have to pay for at the VoC. You have to pay for both Square and Grove. IIRC, the total HOA I was quoted came out to approximately $260/month. I may be wrong, but I'm almost positive you have to pay association dues on both developments.
 
Nope - I am 100% positive that at least in Astoria (Columbus Square in Tustin), there is only 1 layer of HOA. We're almost in contract there.
 
That's interesting. Could it be that all tracts in Columbus Square is only managed by one association? We're looking at both VoC and Portola Springs, but the Mello Roos and HOA aren't quite justifying the purchase in this market. With the glut of inventory we will probably see in the next few months, I would not be surprised if prices of the homes in VoC and PS go down.
 
Many of the neighborhoods in Villages of Columbus have 2 HOAs: a Master and a Sub.





Astoria is a detached single family home tract and from what I've gathered on the <a href="http://forums.irvinehousingblog.com/discussion/28/villages-of-columbus-columbus-square-astoria/">Astoria thread</a>, it appears there is only one HOA for $110/month.
 
<p>Yes, the property tax makes me a little sick, but I figure it's tax deductible which means I can put at least 1/3 of it back in my pocket. The other amazing this is that interest rates are still at a record low - we qualify for a 30 year fixed (I won't consider anything but a 30 year fixed) at like 6.75 (something like that). Finally, I think what if this is really a dip? I would hate to one day say, I should have bought in 07...</p> <p>Worst case scenario, I wouldn't be able to sell and would have to live there....which would not be so bad as long as remain employed :o)</p>
 
hbunny.. for a 30 year fixed, check out www.mtgcapital.com they're rates are really low if everything else is good (credit, income, etc)... the drawback there is that they really don't hold your hand through the process.. but if you are comfortable with the whole loan/home buying process, you might be able to save some money
 
<p>Sorry for the delay! I LOVE Astoria. It's funny, I truly enjoy seeing the amazing progress every morning when I leave for work in the moring and when I come home at the end of the day. I can't help but think that all the contractors are working for me! This is a sore spot for a lot of people, but I love the location (a lot of people despise the location and will bad mouth the hangars, the train, the fact that there is a homeless sheltor not too far away). But that's just urbanism...In my opinion, living in the boonies so far away from everything is worse. I could not stand woodbury. When we did not feel like cooking, we were always stuck at the same shopping center where Kohls is. Now, I am super close to work (I don't even need to set an alarm!!), I am super close to court (I'm a lawyer), super close to my friends in Irvine and Newport (I went to UCI) and super close to my parents who live in Anaheim). But more imporantly, I love my house. We we got more house than anwhere else we looked for the same price and were able to upgrade a lot. I am obssessed with all things pottery barn, z gallerie and restoration hardware. I also like the alley loaded garages. A lot of people don't like this. But I prefer the garage being in the back so that the whole front of your house is not all garage (although it would be nice to have a driveway in the back too...). I recently had a nice conversation with some high up person at the Tustin Unified School District (can't remember his name now). He said the plan is that the high school that will be built in Columbus Square on the marine base witll be "state of the art" and even better than Beckman. I don't have kids and I'm not planning on going anywhere soon, so I think it's a good investment. There is still SO MUCH that needs to be done, you know what I mean? </p>

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<p>hbunny- nice to hear that you are loving your purchase. Astoria is definitely one of the communities on our radar. I agree that there are many people who dislike VoC unnecessarily. I love the central location and ability to get to many places within a short drive.</p>

<p>From the other posts, it sounds like you landed in a plan 1 right? How are the prices now compared to when you bought? </p>
 
<p>Lyon did the right thing and reduced the price almost 100k - AFTER we signed and I should know, they didn't have to do that. But again, it was the "right thing to do" in light of the significant price reductions on the homes that were for the sale while our place was being built. So the price ended up being roughly comparable to where it is now (only slightly higher) (although you have to factor in the price variation depending on the lot size and we have a failrly large lot compared to other lots I think). My expectation is that the prices won't go down much more (at least I hope they don't). There are not too many empty houses anymore. There were a few (built) empty houses, but they all recently sold. I think the Plan 2s are having problems. You can read about why I think so in my other post. We're stil working on our front and backyard landscaping, but as soon as that's done, it will truly be my dream house. You know what's really great about the Plan 1? My in-laws who live in NY want to visit for the holidays this year. They want stay for a month! Yikes. But since the master bedroom is on the first floor, they get the whole upstairs (both bedrooms and the loft) and it's like they have their own apartment up there. Can't beat that.</p>

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<p>i think columbus square is ok. the homes are nice, and the neighborhood looks better each day as the construction progresses. but i definitely think that columbus grove is in a better location - it's more lush and closer to the rest of Irvine.</p>

<p>what's good about columbus square is that the place can only get better with time... the parks, the schools, and the stores that will be built will add much value to the homes. and it's in the 92782 zip rather than the 92780.</p>

<p>but right now, since it's surrounded by an empty base, there's absolutely nothing within walking distance. </p>

<p>i think it has a lot more potential than portola springs or woodbury though.</p>
 
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