Beacon Park Vs Stone Gate. Which is worth the buck?

java123

java123

New member
My calculation, it would cost $1000/month more to live in BP(4Bed) than SG(3Bed). Any suggestions on if it is worth? Please share your comments.

Stonegate has various flavors of 3bed SFH/Townhomes with in $800k which has same feel and experience as $900k+MR homes in Beacon park. Which comes like BP price has $100k more compared to SG homes as APPLES to apples (both are apples).

What am I buying in BP for additional $1000/month more. I am thinking of putting it in my 401k that would be around 90k by the time I exit the home after ~6-7 years and still can live in perfect SG community. 90k to pay in installment to experience BP over SG?  worth the buck? any pros and cons in SG vs BP?

Any insight is appreciable...












 
Location: What do you prefer, drive through PP (BP will look similar) and drive through Stonegate.  Both have their adv/dis.  BP will have good access to open space (though does include Veterans cemetery). Then factor in proximity to dump, plume, accessibility etc.  BP will have less apartments than Stonegate, though if you're closer to Portola than Irvine Blvd, probably not worse off. 
Schools:  BP will gave k-8, but if you're too close to the school, might end up being a negative. 
Floorplans: Personal preference.
Value: Depends on many factors, discussed extensively "see searches."


 
@java:

Not sure why you are comparing BP 4brs to SG 3brs. Obviously the larger homes will cost more.

Why not apples to apples?
 
Two words: DOUBLE MELLO!!

Oh but maybe not at the square footages you are discussing... whats the MR for SG 2000sf properties vs BP 2000sf properties
 
As others have said...it is hard to compare specific models unless we know which ones you are looking at.  Price comparison is also important.

IMO, pros/cons are:

BP:
Pros:
New construction/more choices of models
New (better?) amenities
Bigger lots

Cons:
Super high mello roos
Land contamination
Lack of supporting commercial properties
Distances from "central" Irvine (i.e. Jamboree)
Construction issues (dust, noise, construction traffic)
Lack of schools (that is temporary though)

Stonegate:
Pros:

Good supporting commercial structure (Woodbury Town Center/Cypress Village/Orchard Hills)
Neighborhood schools
Regular level mello roos.
Decent amenities (parks, swimming pool)
Relatively close to Jamboree/Jeffrey/Culver
Construction almost done.

Cons:
Smaller lots
Lack of selections depending on size of home you're looking at
Too many stop signs (my own pet peeves)

Personally, I think Stonegate is far superior to Beacon Park.
 
IC listed out most of pros/cons. I disagree with him on some points but that's neither here nor there. I personally think BP and SG are the same. If I was a homebuyer right now, it all comes down to price/lot/floorplan of the specific home when choosing between these 2 villages.  The original post suggests that you think it's a $1000/month delta for same or inferior product. Then that's your answer right there.
 
bones said:
IC listed out most of pros/cons. I disagree with him on some points but that's neither here nor there. I personally think BP and SG are the same. If I was a homebuyer right now, it all comes down to price/lot/floorplan of the specific home when choosing between these 2 villages.  The original post suggests that you think it's a $1000/month delta for same or inferior product. Then that's your answer right there.
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I think the two killers for me in BP are the potential contamination from the military base and the high mellos.  I don't see how you can get a comparable home for significantly less at BP after factoring in the mello roos.
 
Stonegate is way better.  Top school, Jeffrey Space Trail, closer to shops, lots of pools/parks, and value. Beacon park is overpriced for toxic land,cemetery, and only one park/pool.
 
Stonegate offers more amenities, easy access and fewer negative factors compared to BP. Proximity to Jeffrey Open Space Trail is definitely a plus.
 
BP has the k-8, slightly closer to the toll roads, and a different vibe (not cookie cutter with similar designs and color like tic), and less dense, larger lots.

SG has better amenities/more parks, close to JOST, no worries about cemetery and plume, lower MR, basically EW is more of the same. 

I can see why some choose one over the other, it's not as if one is clearly better than the other as different people have different priorities.
 
There's a necessary "Goldilocks" distance from freeways - not too far, but certainly not too close. You don't want the freeway(s) closer than a mile, but it's nice if it's only a couple miles away. BP is awfully close to a toll "freeway." The gated side of Orchard Hills is too close to a toll road too.

If you're a runner or have kids with whom you ride bikes, being close to the Jeffrey Trail is very attractive. Orchard Hills offers great running loops and trails too.
 
Perspective said:
There's a necessary "Goldilocks" distance from freeways - not too far, but certainly not too close. You don't want the freeway(s) closer than a mile, but it's nice if it's only a couple miles away. BP is awfully close to a toll "freeway." The gated side of Orchard Hills is too close to a toll road too.

If you're a runner or have kids with whom you ride bikes, being close to the Jeffrey Trail is very attractive. Orchard Hills offers great running loops and trails too.
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And thus, the non gated side of OH is the best. Ever. End of story.
 
I find that there's significantly more traffic on Jeffrey and sand cyn which makes the toll roads a time saver. 
 
When I lived in Woodbury I would rarely take the 133 as it seemed like backtracking having to leave Woodbury then go left up Sand Cyn and right on Irvine Blvd only to pay $ to come halfway back down to where I just came from.

Living in PP I take the 133 all the time, it's only like .80 to get to the 5 in 2min or the 405 in 5min.  Sure I pay around $20-$30 month on tolls but I save tons of time - well worth it IMO.

I think I found my Goldilocks.
 
aquabliss said:
When I lived in Woodbury I would rarely take the 133 as it seemed like backtracking having to leave Woodbury then go left up Sand Cyn and right on Irvine Blvd only to pay $ to come halfway back down to where I just came from.

Living in PP I take the 133 all the time, it's only like .80 to get to the 5 in 2min or the 405 in 5min.  Sure I pay around $20-$30 month on tolls but I save tons of time - well worth it IMO.

I think I found my Goldilocks.
Click to expand...

Yea ditto.  When I lived in Woodbury, I tried taking the toll road but it didn't make sense for reasons you described.  But then I always got so impatient driving on Sand Canyon and/or Jeffrey.  Now I just take the toll road to get anywhere, even the 5.  My toll bill is $70 per month of 133 usage.  Worth every penny.
 
bones said:
aquabliss said:
When I lived in Woodbury I would rarely take the 133 as it seemed like backtracking having to leave Woodbury then go left up Sand Cyn and right on Irvine Blvd only to pay $ to come halfway back down to where I just came from.

Living in PP I take the 133 all the time, it's only like .80 to get to the 5 in 2min or the 405 in 5min.  Sure I pay around $20-$30 month on tolls but I save tons of time - well worth it IMO.

I think I found my Goldilocks.
Click to expand...

Yea ditto.  When I lived in Woodbury, I tried taking the toll road but it didn't make sense for reasons you described.  But then I always got so impatient driving on Sand Canyon and/or Jeffrey.  Now I just take the toll road to get anywhere, even the 5.  My toll bill is $70 per month of 133 usage.  Worth every penny.
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You guys do the bay area fasttrak?
 
So living in SG, especially towards the Jeffrey/portola side, that's a good 5-10+ (rush hour) mins extra just getting to the toll entrance. 
 
AW said:
So living in SG, especially towards the Jeffrey/portola side, that's a good 5-10+ (rush hour) mins extra just getting to the toll entrance. 
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Or maybe you just don't take it. I made the mistake of taking the toll road during rush hour needing to get to WTC from 405.  It took forever to make that left turn onto Irvine Blvd. Irvine Blvd was so backed up that only 1 or 2 cars could turn left at that light. Then it took forever to get to the sand canyon intersection.  But not sure if taking sand canyon all the way is any better. Lose lose.
 
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