Recent content by joe33

I would recommend Ladera Ranch.  Very family friendly and social with neighborhood events and BBQ's. Tons of families with young kids.  Schools are still very highly rated, but not at the level or Irvine. Biggest drawback to Ladera is usually the commute to Irvine is 35 to 40 minutes, but if...

We had a general contractor who was doing a larger backyard project for us.  I think he brought in a sub-contractor to install the sail shades and i don't know how the sub was.

The trellis structure was already there when we bought the house, so we just paid to put the sail shades in.  We had 4 panels about 4 to 5 feet wide and 20 or so feet long.  We used a sunbrella fabric.  The fabric cost $4/SF and the installation cost another $4/SF.  So all in cost was about...

We have young kids too and did a trellis type structure and then put retractable sail shades underneath.  Provides full shade coverage during the summer and can be retracted during the winter to provide more light.  We've been very happy with them so far.

The 'Tuscan' style is falling out of popularity in all aspects of home/design.  Even more than the exterior architecture is the interior design.  Interior design was all Tuscan 5 and 10 years ago but now when you see a house with the sponge applied yellow paint and heavy wood furniture it looks...

Our fly problems seem to run from June/July to about September/October.  So hopefully they'll be going away soon.  We already have fewer than we had a month ago.

I would say that if you want to live in Talega, you should probably work no further north than the Spectrum.

I moved to Covenant Hills about a year ago and we looked at Coto as well.  We ended up choosing Covenant primarily due to the young families living there.  We have 2 young kids and Covenant feels more like a neighborhood than Coto.  We're on a cul de sac with tons of kids outside playing all the...

I think the price of these houses is very attractive compared to anything else in that area and the lot sizes are fantastic.  That price discount is definitely attributable to that location as there needs to be a discount due to the proximity to the dump and the high school.  If those things...

It is by the Ortega Highway/Antonio Parkway interchange......just past the equestrian center where they have the rodeo.  Take Ortega east from I-5 to Antonio and go right....should be right there.  Even though they just built that High School there, the biggest issue is the dump that is just...

Couple of points: 1) Condo HOA dues already include insurance, so you can take out the $100 for insurance.  You'll still need to carry the equivalent to renter's insurance for your belongings, which might be $25 per month, but you won't need that if you are renting it out. 2) Gen Y folks prefer...

Seems like they are trying to replicate the UTC area of San Diego......make Jamboree Rd be like La Jolla Village Drive.  It seems to work down there, but they do have more retail support with that big Westfield mall right there.

There are 2 HOA's that you have to pay at CPW.  My guess is that the $150/month is the general HOA for the whole development that gets you access to the clubhouse/amenity area and maintains the roads, etc.  The 2nd HOA will be your project specific HOA that will cover whatever happens in your...

Skyline is an easy conversion to rental because no units have been sold. Once some units have been sold (as has happened at Astoria), the value of it as an apartment building goes way down. Once condo units have been sold, the apartment buyer can no longer get Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac financing.

Thanks Graphrix. Essex had been circling on this one for quite a while. They did a good job of waiting it out and letting the price drift down some. I still think they paid a lot for it though.