Where to live in Irvine?

IrvineNewby

New member
We are moving to Irvine (for the public schools) from the midwest.  We are looking for a SFR up to 1mill.  We are willing to do some work if we must.  We would like an area where people come out of their homes and has a real neighborhood feel.  Next year the kids will be in 5th and 8th grade it would be great if the neighborhood had kids around their age (not all older folks or new couples).  Any help would be appreciated. 
 
This is Irvine.  The only time the kids come out of their homes is to be driven to tutoring or piano lessons.  I live next to a park and it's always empty, even on weekends.  I don't even see kids walking to school, only a line of 300 cars lining up to drive their kid three blocks away.
 
Depends on how large of a home and what age of a home you are looking at.  Also, are you dead set on living in a home that is zoning for the Irvine school district or are you ok with the good schools in the Tustin school district?  What are you thoughts on paying Mello Roos and a higher HOA?  My recommendation would be to rent a home in a village that you like the best and really get a feel for it to see if it is the one that you want to buy a home in.  The worst thing you could do is rush or force anything, especially with the low inventory levels that we are experiencing now.  Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
Locolocal - might be true for your particular community but irvine is huge and your statements is simply not true. 

IrvineNewby - check out Woodbury.  Tons of parks with kids playing all the time.  And as its a very large community, you will find kids of all ages there. 

Here are some example SFRs:http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/23-Chimney-Rock-92620/home/5958718http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/55-Gentry-92620/home/5950631http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/12-Ingleside-92620/home/5958626

totally agree with USCT - rent for a bit and get a feel for where you want to be.  And if you dont already have an agent, USCTrojanCPA & IrvineRealtor are the resident agents on TalkIrvine
 
I hope you're picking Irvine for more than just schools.

While they are excellent... they are not perfect, and as USC says, other school districts are just as (maybe even better) like TUSD that serves the Tustin Ranch area.

As for your not too old, not too young, neighborhood feel... that's subjective. Even within the same tract, some streets might be more "social" than others. Like USC, since you are not from this area, it may be best to come out, visit certain areas, and spend some time figuring out what works best for you. An SFR rental may be a good way to "try before you buy" but I understand the pain of moving, changing schools etc.

The older neighborhoods tend to be more "social", but then the demographic might be older. The brand new ones also have good "neighborly" communities... but then they might be too young. There are some members here who feel that Irvine typically is anti-social and neighbors don't talk to each other... but I find that more reflects individuals than the entire neighborhood... people respect your privacy... but if you want to be more "neighborly", they will be.

Of the new neighborhoods... I recommend Woodbury (because of the proximity of amenities) and Quail Hill. Of the older neighborhoods... I like Turtle Rock, Woodbridge and Westpark II. I also like some parts of Northwood and recently have begun to get an appreciation for University Park (although I don't like their home architecture). For not so old, not so new areas, you should loo at West Irvine and Oak Creek. Tustin Ranch is also a nice area, although not Irvine. It might also behoove you to see what area of Irvine is closer to where your jobs are at because as the city gets more crowded... traffic turns a cross city trip into a lengthy one.

Good luck and welcome to Talk Irvine.
 
Where in the Midwest are you from?  I moved out here from the Midwest as well and it was a large adjustment.  How much of a backyard do you want?  THat was a huge shock for me.  Woodbury and newer developments would be a huge adjustment- with little privacy.  Did you live in the Midwest where it was more SFRs?  Here in Irvine there are areas that are all types of housing- apartments, townhomes, SFR homes- all together.  You may not be used to that- I wasn't.  It made the neighborhoods I was looking at feel more transient to me- as families "moved up" to better houses and kids were leaving schools more often.  I wanted an area that seemed more stable, where the kids would most likely not be moving all the time.  I had that growing up the midwest.  Give us more of your situation in the Midwest. 
 
Also- where will you/husband/wife be working? 
I have never been used to commuting.  Walked to the train and took a train downtown- could work, read, sleep on an express 20-minute train ride home.  I have been here 7 years and still would never want to drive more than 25 minutes to work.  Some parts of Irvine are further than going to another town.  And other towns have great schools as well.
 
I have come out and looked at different towns.  I really liked the feel of Irvine compared to some others.  I like the parks, paths, proximity to the ocean, etc.  We also don't want to pay for private school.  My husband will be working inland and driving to various areas.  We currently have a home built in 2001, 4300sft and a .33 yard.  We have seen the home sizes, yard sizes and prices and understand the insanity that is the Irvine market. 
The thought of renting and moving twice kind of puts me over the edge.  This is hard enough, I don't think we could do that to the kids unless we were waiting on a new build.  Plus this may not be our home forever, so we are looking for a good value and resale as well.

Mello Roos and HOAs will be factored in to the cost of the homes as we decide, so we aren't strongly against them.

Do people not use the fabulous "resort like pools and amenities" in the neighborhoods that I read so much about?

 
homer_simpson said:
I would move to Johns Creek instead for the schools... Irvine? pffft

Not only the schools...think about the weather!  Its mid 60's and cloudy in Irvine right now yet mid 80's and sunny in John's Creek.  Seems like a no brainer to me.
 
Let's keep it real here. If i was in a market to buy a million dollar SFR... I would buy in Irvine, not in Johns Creek :)

$300k - $400k buys you a nice house in Johns Creek while a $1M buys you a real SFR in Irvine.  If i had a choice of buying in Johns Creek or Irvine with a $300 - $400k budget... It would be a no brainer to me.


A small guy needs to build from somewhere right? :)

26inirvine said:
homer_simpson said:
I would move to Johns Creek instead for the schools... Irvine? pffft

Not only the schools...think about the weather!  Its mid 60's and cloudy in Irvine right now yet mid 80's and sunny in John's Creek.  Seems like a no brainer to me.
 
IrvineNewby said:
We are moving to Irvine (for the public schools) from the midwest.  We are looking for a SFR up to 1mill.  We are willing to do some work if we must.  We would like an area where people come out of their homes and has a real neighborhood feel.  Next year the kids will be in 5th and 8th grade it would be great if the neighborhood had kids around their age (not all older folks or new couples).  Any help would be appreciated. 

Northwood 2. The best high school, great middle school, lovely houses.
Northpark. Great schools, guard gated complex, nice neighborhood.
Woodbury. New schools, new homes.
All three neighborhoods have kids, and middle aged couples.
 
For up to 1 million dollar budget and SFR, in Irvine (and IUSD), this is my recommendation, in order:
New/Newer:
1. Northwood Pointe
2. Cortona at Laguna Altura
3. Maricopa at Stonegate
4. The Field at Lambert Ranch (if you don't mind the Landfill, cell tower and toll roads)
5. Northwood II
6. Northpark (TUSD though)
7. Woodbury (if you don't mind the worst schools in IUSD and live with section 8 housing residents)

Old:
1. Turtle Rock, upper fixer
2. West Park I that is zoned to University HS but not too close to 405
3. Woodbridge (for the fake lakes)

Outside of Irvine, I will look into Tustin Ranch. I did not include Quail Hill or Turtle Ridge because decent SFR under 1 mill are hard to find in those areas.

In general, SFRs that are in good location and updated, zoned to University HS or Northwood HS, are in high demand in Irvine.


Avoid these areas at all cost
1. El Camino Real
2. Walnut
3. Deer Field
4. College Park
 
My choices would be Stonegate and Lambert Ranch.  Both zoned to much better schools than Woodbury.  TMCC is correct that it would be difficult to find a Large SFR in Quail Hill for your budget.  Woodbury has awesome amenities with all the pools, parks and the Town Center, but Woodbury elementary is not good.  I know a fair amount of ppl that live there and they are putting their kids in private 20k/yr private elementary schools.
 
The Motor Court Company said:
Avoid these areas at all cost
1. El Camino Real
2. Walnut
3. Deer Field
4. College Park

May I ask why?  I thought the poster was looking for an area where there will be a sense of community and where the kids will be able to be kids.  Most of the newer communities in Irvine seem to lack that.  She wanted a place where "where people come out of their homes".  Honestly, for that a better choice would be an apartment community (not near UCI though) or somewhere where there's a large Latino community. 
 
I would have said Turtle Rock, but $1 million doesn't get you much there.  You have a large home in the Midwest, and what you could get in TRock for $1 million would be a much smaller home + all the remodelling that needs to be done.

Since the job is inland- I would say somewhere in Northwood/Northpark Square/Tustin Ranch or North Tustin.

Why hasn't anyone said Tustin Field as that goes to Stone Creek/Woodbridge
 
Also, I believe the new apartments in Cypress Village along Jeffrey will be zones to Canyon View Elementary because it's less impacted than Stonegate Elementary.  I know some parents in the Canyon View neighborhood that are very unhappy about that.  Keep this in mind when looking for a home in that area.
 
IrvineNewby said:
We are moving to Irvine (for the public schools) from the midwest.  We are looking for a SFR up to 1mill.  We are willing to do some work if we must.  We would like an area where people come out of their homes and has a real neighborhood feel.  Next year the kids will be in 5th and 8th grade it would be great if the neighborhood had kids around their age (not all older folks or new couples).  Any help would be appreciated. 

in irvine, that "real neighborhood feel" or neighbors who come out of their homes decreases home values, not increase them...
 
Back
Top