850-950k Budget - Where would you buy for primary home in 92602/92620?

850-950k Budget - Where would you buy for primary home?  Schools look good on all the options and not worried of TUSD/IUSD, primary home for 5-10 years, not investment. In a move up situation and have a primary home now.

Fwiw I liked Terrazza but decided against the lots zoned for TUSD... Potential resale stigma for buyers fixated on IUSD. Also Hicks Canyon Elementary is ~0.25 miles from the 261. Not good for little lungs.

Rizdak said:

Also Hicks Canyon Elementary is ~0.25 miles from the 261. Not good for little lungs.

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The 261 is not a freeway and doesn't have the same level of air pollution like 5 or 405. I would be more worried about Cypress Village elementary and Jeffrey Middle School. The future Irivine HS #5 might also have nearby ground contamination depending who you believe.

Eventually, Orchard Hills School will expand from grades 5 - 8 to K-8 making the location unbelievable for Terrazza residents.

@yes2

Is a driveway important to you?

Driveway is nice to have
I drove by the orchard hills homes the likes of corte bella did not have driveways .

yes2 said:

850-950k Budget - Where would you buy for primary home?  Schools look good on all the options and not worried of TUSD/IUSD, primary home for 5-10 years, not investment. In a move up situation and have a primary home now.

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yes2,

I'm in a similar boat as you but with around $850k budget.  Terraza starts at $860k or $870k and plan 2 or 3 are $million.  So with upgrades and options, you'll reach that $950k very fast...  Piedmont in Eastwood starts at low millions.  So that pretty much leaves SFR in West Irvine and condo in North Park.  They are not necessarily cheaper for the size, layout, and neighborhood plan.  The homes between $850k ~ $900k in those two areas tend to be lower ceiling, non-open layout, some don't have nice community amenities like swimming pool which could be very handy when you have kids, and homes are as dense as some of the new villages in Irvine that many have complained on the board...  Just my two cents.  I voted "Hold off on move up - see how 2016 plays" even though I may trigger before summer if I see something I like.  However, most likely, I'll go with resale sacrificing the age of house and modern gourmet kitchen layouts for the value, land size, and less dense village layout.