Pavilion Park: Hawthorne (Pulte)

Ready2Downsize said:
USCTrojanCPA said:
Ready2Downsize said:
Driveway is going to take up a lot of square footage, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Not really, a normal sized driveway should take up around 500sf +/- 100sf.  It's been documented that a driveway is worth around $40k (based upon new home price price differences of home with and with driveways).
Click to expand...

Are you saying that lot 26 will have additional value because it has a very large (considerably bigger than the rest of the neighborhood) driveway?

I was saying that the lot has more square footage than others but the driveway is going to eat into that lot size.

I was NOT saying anything about the driveway size of the entire neighborhood.
Click to expand...
Lot 26 will have a higher value because it has a larger lot and it doesn't matter that the driveway is bigger and will use up more of the lot.  It doesn't matter if the driveway takes up 400sf of 800sf of that lot, all things being equal that lot will continue to obtain a premium price in the re-sale market.  Heck, I might even think that a driveway were you can fit 4 cars that's 2 cars long will probably have more value for many buyers.  Don't discount the power of a big driveway.  ;)  >:D
 
Well we were looking at a resale and the selling agent told us the house had a bigger lot than other homes in the area. When I looked at the yard, I said, well....... is it USABLE or is it because of this big long driveway that the lot is bigger? Guess what? Took a long time to sell and didn't sell for any more than any other house in the neighborhood.

We always tear the entire driveway out and replace it with bricks or stone, so a long driveway is just more expense in my book.

And you do have a point. There are people who want the driveway to park their multitude of cars. When I saw the lot with the driveway in the corner of  Hawthorn (not up for sale yet), I decided I didn't want to live anywhere near it for that very reason...... who wants to look at cars on a driveway everytime they walk outside and usually the people who do have those type of driveways don't redo any part of the driveway making it just a long blah piece of concrete.
 
@ready:

Ahh... you're talking about that specific lot being chewed up by driveway.

Some people like a large driveway, not just to park cars but for their kids to play or to set up a game of hoops. It can be functional.
 
When my wife and I were buying our place, we loved a flag lot with a huge driveway.  Through discussing with friends, some people complained about how long it would take to walk your trash cans to the curb each week. However, I liked that the driveway was lined with palm trees driving towards a wrought iron gate with a view of OC's western hills.  Yes, I would be able to park 8 cars in it, but I don't have that many cars.  I think street parking is a more visible eyesore.

I still need to go check out these models to see what the "new" is all about. 

 
My sister has a large driveway. They had a three car wide garage and added on to make it a four car wide garage (and added a downstairs bedroom for a home office). So the driveway is kind of long but not as long as the ones in the Pulte flag lots but it's WIDE.

They LOVE it............. my brother in law owns a transmission shop and so guess what is always on the driveway and in the garage? The garage contains cars he is restoring. They'll be able to retire on the those alone. The driveway has old ugly cars that he has stacked up to work on and the neighbors can't do a thing about it. They park their own cars on the street.

ONLY reason they don't sell their 19 year old house and downsize is cuz they can't find a four car wide garage to store their valuable cars and a driveway big enough to hold the uglies.
 
Nope. They have a HOA. They specifically were looking for a lot that would accommodate what they wanted and it took a long time to find one.

They ran huge amounts of high powered electrical in the original garage when the house was built. Soon as it closed they applied to the HOA to add on. My sister needed the home office and he wanted the garage and driveway.

We have people who drive uglies in my neighborhood and park on the street. Some houses in our neighborhood have sold for 2.3 million and yeah.... I live in Irvine and we have a HOA and what can they do? NADA.
 
Must be an Inland Empire HOA. :)

Not sure where your Irvine HOA is but ours is pretty strict. Uglies won't stay in a driveway very long.
 
My sister lives in the OC.

I live in Arbor Crest and the uglies have been here since we moved in 15 years ago, so I do not think they are going away any time soon.

Does your HOA have some kind of rule on what car you can have? Mine doesn't.
 
I don't recall the exact CC&R but it's something about non-functioning vehicles parked for an extended period of time. Covers even ones not in your driveway.

OC huh? Santa Ana? Hehe... I kid.
 
And our HOA can be strict if they want to. Pots without plants in them? Trellis with vines that need painting? Bear spots in your flower beds?

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding..... letter will be coming your way pretty soon.

Old cars on the driveway? New car on the driveway, not pulled up all the way and blocking the sidewalk? No problem.
 
Nope............... she doesn't live in Santa Ana. She lives on a view lot in fact.

And the cars are FUNCTIONING.......... just old and ugly. Your HOA going to ban them?
 
I don't think people can say anything about old, dirty and ugly.

If you care about not having old dirty cheap cars in your neighborhood, you need to move to Ladera Ranch.  I hear that it is a sin to have an inexpensive car there no matter how  much you earn.  A friend said that she felt like builders were giving away a Mercedez and 50k in landscaping upon purchase because everyone had a nice yard and a benz in the driveway. 

Call the HOA on this car, haha  Dirty old pile of junk.
1804387d1384878245-spotters-thread-imageuploadedbytapatalk1384878242.373257.jpg
 
Since many HOAs have the homeowners as board members... there is a bit of Ratatouille going on.

Not sure if anything in the CC&Rs specifically ban "old and ugly" though... which means it's okay for me to hang out on my driveway. :)
 
You're right about that but in our neighborhood if they could ban old ugly cars they would.

We used to have a guy on the board who came around weekly with a clip board and I'm SURE he was responsible for things like pots without flowers or trellises that need painting so you get a notice. Gees! Give me a break! I took out the flowers to put in new ones and took down the vines to plant new mandevillas. Happened to be raining so I'm sorry....... the plants didn't get put in immediately!

Told my hubby...... it's Mr. so and so, I'm positive who is responsible for this. He lived right across the street from the ugly cars (and ugly landscaping too.......... put in grass seed for Pete's sake!) so for sure they would have been sited for ugliness. When they moved, I said.......... no more notices are coming and sure enough!

Since then we must have a new busy body although not to the extent of the other guy. Got me for shutters on the exterior that were faded.
 
Tyler Durden said:
Ready2Downsize said:
My sister has a large driveway. They had a three car wide garage and added on to make it a four car wide garage (and added a downstairs bedroom for a home office). So the driveway is kind of long but not as long as the ones in the Pulte flag lots but it's WIDE.

They LOVE it............. my brother in law owns a transmission shop and so guess what is always on the driveway and in the garage? The garage contains cars he is restoring. They'll be able to retire on the those alone. The driveway has old ugly cars that he has stacked up to work on and the neighbors can't do a thing about it. They park their own cars on the street.

ONLY reason they don't sell their 19 year old house and downsize is cuz they can't find a four car wide garage to store their valuable cars and a driveway big enough to hold the uglies.
Click to expand...


i think it also depends on how activist the neighbors are.  It sounds like your sister & brother in law have a peaceful existence with their neighbors or they haven't had much turnover in the neighborhood.  That must work for all the neighbors nearby them, or they would have had issues by now.


Several of the homes in my neighborhood have sold recently for large premiums over their price just 1 year before, but i feel that it helped that they had very nice landscaping on the same street as their homes... so they "show" well to potential buyers.


Likewise, potential buyers are going to be somewhat nervous about moving into a situation where there are questions about how committed some neighbors are to maintaining property values via upkeep or "curb appeal".


Our HoA has an item that states you may operate a home business, as long as it is not apparent to residents that a business is operating from your residence.  What that means is no signs, high volume of customers / suppliers coming over, or materials displayed.  So for example, if i owned a landscaping business, i could not stage my equipment and materials in my driveway.


Perhaps the HoA you mentioned does not have such a clause?
Click to expand...

Actually, no. Some of the neighbors have complained but the HOA can't do anything. They don't park their cars in the street. Mostly he works on restoring his own cars at home and uses the hydraulic lift in the garage.

The majority of his paid work he does in his tranny shop but he does have cars that are there to be worked on if they are small jobs or if they are bigger jobs, they are dropped off by the customer.  When he can fit them in, he drives them to the shop, work on them and when the work is done, drives them back home. Saves him from driving his own vehicle, paying for gas and the time to take the car for a test drive before it's given back to the customer.

The driveway is there for parking his cars and any other vehicles.

Those who complained in the past are long gone. Foreclosed on. One new guy moved in and made comments about the cars and then in not so many words threatened to call the sheriff if he ever saw their dogs out without a leash, all the while looking at the driveway. The implication being he could cause problems for my sister and her hubby if he wanted to. But the neighbors like my sister and her hubby. Who do you think works on their cars when he can fit them in?

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top