I get the view argument for a 3rd floor great room but for the majority of irvine developments, there is no view and for the ones that do have a view, the view isn't that great. In terms of the NYC penthouse argument, sure, elevator living is a part of everyday life. But so is a concierge that schleps your stuff/packages to your door and various delivery services that bring your groceries, meals, dry cleaning etc. Here in Irvine, that person is called MOM. So no, I don't think Irvine is ready for the switch.
Obsidian by Lennar at Parasol Park
- Thread starter lnc
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I will say this, if I didn't have a good view, then I lean towards having the kitchen on the 1st floor. Again though, I wouldn't take my opinion too strongly as I'm not in the market for this particular style of home and would much prefer a standard house with a larger yard and in general, I have no desire to live the penthouse style.irvinehomeshopper said:
I think the question is more of for those that would buy this style home, with the rooftop deck, would they prefer one vs. the other. I fully agree with you, if you didn't have a great view, any pluses of kitchen and main living area on 3rd floor get negated (especially given downside of it being hotter up there, general pain of hauling things up, etc). Then again, I think the reason I wasn't a huge fan of the rooftop homes I walked in to in Irvine is that their isn't any "special" view where you really get a benefit. I felt like your rooftop was squeezed right on and looking directly into another place (vs. having a peekaboo ocean view you'd get if you were near the coast) or the type of view you'd get from a big skyscraper.bones said:
I might be old school, but I prefer the standard home with a larger yard...albeit my dream would be a single story with a view on a nice size lot (not happening if I live in Irvine though, haha).
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
Turtle Rock? Quail Hill?Bullsback said:
id_rather_be_racing
New member
irvinehomeshopper said:
Why not add a Kitchenette+ Option? I'm assuming there is also space for a BBQ grill on the outdoor deck?
capboba said:
You'r right about the Obsidian getting a really good lot at Parasol Park. And the home next to the Bosque are going to get a really good view of the entire Great Park. I guess if you want these, better get pre-qualified now.
Here's another map of Obsidian I've found.
Attachments
qwerty
Well-known member
IHS - I think all three floor plans are awesome - great job bringing something unique to Irvine. Something for everyone. My favorite is the plan 3. I would leave plan 3 as is. You can eat where the kitchen is at now then have everyone go to the third floor to hang out. I would buy one of these if they were in Columbus square in Tustin 
Cornflakes
Active member
IHS,
IMHO the views are overrated, specially in Irvine. The decks in Ellwood was all the rage and they sold like hotcakes. Now that Ellwood is mostly built out, I have been to few of the decks. Yes, some of them have decent (not great) view , most decks are looking at other people's roofs. I wonder how much of a view would remain once the condos on Mongoose are built out.
Having said all that, If I were a buyer at Obsidian, I would much rather have kitchen on the first floor. That's where we spend lot of time, kids do hw on dining table, crafts, and I have easy access to secondary fridge/freezer in the garage.
IMHO the views are overrated, specially in Irvine. The decks in Ellwood was all the rage and they sold like hotcakes. Now that Ellwood is mostly built out, I have been to few of the decks. Yes, some of them have decent (not great) view , most decks are looking at other people's roofs. I wonder how much of a view would remain once the condos on Mongoose are built out.
Having said all that, If I were a buyer at Obsidian, I would much rather have kitchen on the first floor. That's where we spend lot of time, kids do hw on dining table, crafts, and I have easy access to secondary fridge/freezer in the garage.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
qwerty said:I would buy one of these if they were in Columbus square in Tustin
Lies. It doesn't have a 3CWG.
irvineshadow
New member
Some of those inspections are every few years. Plus new homes tend to come with long warranties.
ps99472
New member
Here's the deal breaker:
$11,212 per year for the mello alone not counting the 1% property tax on the purchase price. Assuming $400/sq ft, making it a $1.2 million purchase resulting in a $12,000 tax bill. So ~$2000/month just for the mello and tax. Same old 2% compound annual increase sweetens the deal.
How much was Trellis Court again? $10k cheaper per year? That's some decent vacation money you're forking over year over year. Of course Trellis and Obsidian will get different buyers, but the tax picture is oceans apart.
$11,212 per year for the mello alone not counting the 1% property tax on the purchase price. Assuming $400/sq ft, making it a $1.2 million purchase resulting in a $12,000 tax bill. So ~$2000/month just for the mello and tax. Same old 2% compound annual increase sweetens the deal.
How much was Trellis Court again? $10k cheaper per year? That's some decent vacation money you're forking over year over year. Of course Trellis and Obsidian will get different buyers, but the tax picture is oceans apart.
id_rather_be_racing
New member
ps9 said:Here's the deal breaker:
$11,212 per year for the mello alone not counting the 1% property tax on the purchase price. Assuming $400/sq ft, making it a $1.2 million purchase resulting in a $12,000 tax bill. So ~$2000/month just for the mello and tax. Same old 2% compound annual increase sweetens the deal.
How much was Trellis Court again? $10k cheaper per year? That's some decent vacation money you're forking over year over year. Of course Trellis and Obsidian will get different buyers, but the tax picture is oceans apart.
$1,700 annually w/ no 2% annual increase. HOA a bit high with 2 total @ $252, but the MR is nothing compared to BP and now Parasol Park (PS2?).
I love the modern elevations and floorplans, but there's no way I could stomach a 2k/mo. tax bill.
We're perfectly happy with our Trellis Court unit and being able to walk to Great Park within 5 minutes.