3-Car Garage Homes

irvinehomeowner

Well-known member
With the magic of Scott Gunther's (IrvineRealtor) wonderful email updates and Redfin, I am going to track 3-car garage homes that I would be interested in. There may be some outside of Irvine but this will be mostly focused in Irvine.

The parameters are simple, 3br+, 3-car garage and under $1.1m. I may skirt that price range but personally... I wouldn't want to pay more than $800k for a 3-car garage house.

These first 3 are in Westpark II (as detailed in my Westpark House Battle thread), an area that was built out in the late 90s , and are dear to me because when I owned one there, this was the floor plan I really liked (Vintage Plan D):

5 Cipriani, 2750sft, $1,050,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/5-Cipriani-92606/home/4626422

7 Santa Eulalia, 2750sft, $995,000 (in escrow)
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/7-Santa-Eulalia-92606/home/4628045

22 Santa Rida, 2750sft, $1,100,000 (new listing)
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/22-Santa-Rida-92606/home/4626578

Floorplan (same for all 3)
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestparkII/Vintage/VintageD2750.JPG

Of the 3, I like Santa Rida the best due to the location and lot size.

Also a new listing, in no_vas' favorite area, Columbus Grove:

54 Desert Willow, 3168sft, $950,000 (new listing)
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/54-Desert-Willow-92606/home/7215161

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/ColumbusGrove/Alexandria/AlexandriaC3168.jpg

Despite being in CG, I really liked this floorplan the best out of the Lennar homes that used similar layouts in Rossmoor and Villa Rosa at Woodbury. The 3rd garage was an L garage (not tandem) and the master bedroom had a retreat. The location is a corner lot and far enough from Warner and Harvard but it does side one of the main entry streets for the neighborhood (Juneberry). There are no pictures yet but it's described as being very upgraded. This is $300 per sft which is very cheap for a newer house in Irvine but recent closings in the neighborhood have been low. A similar plan closed in September for $920k but it backed Harvard:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/26-Desert-Willow-92606/home/7219438

So $950k may actually be the correct price point (kudos to the listing agent for not trying to ignore comps).

Another newer home in Portola Springs:

30 Gray Dove, 2717sft, $909,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/30-Gray-Dove-92618/home/7203699

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/PortolaSprings/LasColinas/LasColinasA2717.JPG

This is the Plan 1 in Los Colinas and of the 4 they have, I like this one and the Plan 4. They are the only ones that have upstairs laundry. Just 2 years ago, Los Colinas were listed at 1.2m or higher so the fact that these are selling (and have closed) at $900k is a bit telling. The added cost of Mello Roos (approx $8000 per year) may be a factor of why these have dropped versus the other homes in Irvine. But Westpark II MRs are around $2800 per year so I can't understand why they are listed so much higher.

So what about those homes less than $800k? I have two:

7 Roanne Circle, 2225sft, $750,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/7-Roanne-Cir-92604/home/4680931

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/ElCamino/Ranch/RanchF1950.JPG

It's listed as 2225sft but the floorplan is only 1950sft so they may have done some remodeling for that extra footage. This is an older home (built 1971) in the El Camino / Ranch area bordered by Irvine Center Drive, Jeffrey and Walnut. I actually like the area and this one is located on the end of a cul-de-sac siding a greenbelt. The lot is 7700sft which is pretty big by Irvine standards. But this is a short sale so who knows when this will sell and for how much.

The other isn't actually in Irvine but it's aggressively priced even though it's in Tustin Ranch and most 3-car garage newer homes in that area have typically been above $800k. This one is located in a small gated community called Sedona just off of Jamboree and Tustin Ranch Rd:

11605 Maynard, 2400sft, $777,777
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Tustin/11605-Maynard-Ave-92782/home/4764510

Floorplan (IR2 doesn't have it on his site but he did post it once on the IHB forums... last plan down)
http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/2591/#123848

I like this floorplan, has an upstairs laundry, 3-car wide garage, a vaulted ceiling and in addition to the 4 bedrooms, a downstairs den/home office and an upstairs loft area.

The bad news for this listing is the same exact model closed for $685k last week:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/Tustin/2942-Humeston-Ave-92782/home/4764589

It looks like Humeston was a Short since it originally listed in July for $699k so I can't imagine a normal sale would have taken that long to close. It does back Tustin Ranch Road but I'm not sure if that's enough to justify a $90k difference in price. I like the lucky number 7 listing price though.

So that's it for now, this was a long post but it was fun analyzing these homes.
 
There is going to be an issue with the one on Humeston. It got foreclosed on this week, and someone "bought" it for $640k. Not much profit in there if you have a buyer at $685k. And I have been inside that house, and there might be another issue to worry about.
 
[quote author="daedalus"]Somewhere out there BK is suffering a terrible migraine.[/quote]
Heh... if it makes him post here... then mission accomplished!
 
So IrvineRealtor gracefully showed me the Maynard house in Tustin Ranch.

It's pretty nice, new paint, new carpet and I believe one of the previous owners put traverting and granite everywhere. It's got most of everything we are looking for and even the ability to
expand internally without much cost (extend the loft, maybe add rooms)... it's just the whole "Do you want to buy new or pre-owned?" question.

If it was fixed up to the point where it seemed brand new, that might make the decision harder but after looking at a few more things (which IR is excellent at pointing out) it makes you wonder if it's worth even $750k.

I'm pretty sure someone will buy it for around that price (2 other parties were there while we were there) but with a $685k comp, I think this is probably more looking at $715k just to count in the location and several upgrades premium.

The neighborhood is nice but it is a bit north for me. I wish my wife liked West Irvine because it's still Irvine, it's close enough to the 5 and it's still Irvine (did I say that already?).

I really do think that 3-car garages are a premium in Irvine... why can't I find a newer one less than $800k?
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Have you ever had one? [/quote]No, but my detached 4-car tandem does OK <!-- s:) -->:)<!-- s:) -->. Since I'm the only driver in the household (and no kids) cars don't need to get in and out too much. The lift in the back half means I can really only get 3 cars in there at a time (2+1) with a good amount of work area and storage space for my tools. The next house we buy (hopefully within 3 years) will probably only have a 2-car garage...but it will have at least 800 square feet of space for the mini Garage Mahal that will be built in its place <!-- s;) -->;)<!-- s;) -->. That's my only requirement.
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Have you ever had one?

Once you go 3CWG... you're never the same.[/quote]

I'd be happy with a BK 2.5 garage. Plenty of space for two full size cars and even storage space to boot.
 
4-car tandem makes me jealous too. Now I know what you mean by "settle".

So you want a 2-car garage house with 800sft of Garage Mahal space? See... it's an addiction I tell ya'.
 
[quote author="IACRenter"]
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Have you ever had one?

Once you go 3CWG... you're never the same.[/quote]

I'd be happy with a BK 2.5 garage. Plenty of space for two full size cars and even storage space to boot.[/quote]
That would be fine for me too. But if you're gonna get 2.5 bathrooms... you might as well get 3... heh.
 
I'm still trying to learn Americanisms, what is a Tandem Garage?

Along with the amount of Garages a House has, just as important to me would be access to them, I would want a fairly flat driveway too...not one of those where you have to use a Handbrake and locks your Transmission into the Pawl...maybe an 8 degree slope away from the Garage max?
 
Tandem means in a line, one behind the other. You might see rentals that have tandem parking for 2 cars, which means you can park 2 cars, but for many couples involves a frequent hassle of trying to get 1 car out with another car blocking it. In my case I have a 4 car tandem, so it's 2 cars deep and 2 cars wide (though it could also have been 4 cars deep and 1 car wide--a horrific nightmare). The garage/workshop has been my favorite part of the house since I was a little kid.
 
Thank You Daedalus.....

A Friend of mine has a nice set-up, it's kind of an L shaped garage, it's a regular two-Car with a large workshop about half the length of the Garage and a descent width towards the Back...
 
2 more homes, one is a brand new listing, in WestPark I:

23 Laconia, 2000sft, $800,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/23-Laconia-92614/home/4660876

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestparkI/Barcelona/BarcelonaD1910.JPG

The listing says it's 2000sft but the floorplan says 1910sft. However, it does have a 3-car garage so there may be some added internal square footage there. This is a nice location in the older Westpark I (built in 1988). The laundry is downstairs in a closet-type area and it does look like they upgraded the kitchen countertops and appliances (black). It's hard to tell from the pictures, I really wish they took closer ones of the kitchen and some of the upstairs, master and master bath (instead of the community pool and tennis court).

This is the newest 3-car garage house in Irvine at or below $800k.

The next one is at $849,000 in West Irvine and has a huge lot but unfortunately it backs Jamboree:

50 Millgrove, 2700sft, $849,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/Undisclosed-address-92602/home/5768371
(the address may not show up for you)

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestIrvine/SheridanSquare/SheridanSquareE2698.JPG

From the pictures, it looks like they have the downstairs bedroom option instead of the Super Family Room and the bedroom count on the listing indicates they may have done the master retreat instead of bedroom 2. The lot is over 9000sft and that's because it's turned so that the side faces the cul-de-sac and you have a sort of motor court before you hit your driveway... it's like your own Montecito-style entrance.

I like the general layout of the floorplan and the cul-de-sac but being next to a major road is a bummer for me. It sides the OC Fire Authority training facility which may be a negative for some. It looks like Corian countertops and like the Laconia property, no pictures of the master and master bath.

@peteruk: Your friend's set-up sounds like a 2+tandem garage (nowadays they are calling them 2+storage/workplace because you can't really fit a 3rd car back there... unless it's a Smart or maybe one of your Scions).
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]2 more homes, one is a brand new listing, in WestPark I:

23 Laconia, 2000sft, $800,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/23-Laconia-92614/home/4660876

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestparkI/Barcelona/BarcelonaD1910.JPG

The listing says it's 2000sft but the floorplan says 1910sft. However, it does have a 3-car garage so there may be some added internal square footage there. This is a nice location in the older Westpark I (built in 1988). The laundry is downstairs in a closet-type area and it does look like they upgraded the kitchen countertops and appliances (black). It's hard to tell from the pictures, I really wish they took closer ones of the kitchen and some of the upstairs, master and master bath (instead of the community pool and tennis court).

This is the newest 3-car garage house in Irvine at or below $800k.

The next one is at $849,000 in West Irvine and has a huge lot but unfortunately it backs Jamboree:

50 Millgrove, 2700sft, $849,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/Undisclosed-address-92602/home/5768371
(the address may not show up for you)

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestIrvine/SheridanSquare/SheridanSquareE2698.JPG

From the pictures, it looks like they have the downstairs bedroom option instead of the Super Family Room and the bedroom count on the listing indicates they may have done the master retreat instead of bedroom 2. The lot is over 9000sft and that's because it's turned so that the side faces the cul-de-sac and you have a sort of motor court before you hit your driveway... it's like your own Montecito-style entrance.

I like the general layout of the floorplan and the cul-de-sac but being next to a major road is a bummer for me. It sides the OC Fire Authority training facility which may be a negative for some. It looks like Corian countertops and like the Laconia property, no pictures of the master and master bath.

@peteruk: Your friend's set-up sounds like a 2+tandem garage (nowadays they are calling them 2+storage/workplace because you can't really fit a 3rd car back there... unless it's a Smart or maybe one of your Scions).[/quote]

That Laconia's price seems high at $400/sqft. Although you get 3CWG, there is NO driveway. That would be a no no for me.

The Millgrove property on the other hand is all driveway. Wish it had more side/backyard. But you are right--the biggest negative would be backing to the busy Jamboree Rd. I couldn't buy a property like that.
 
Another Vintage plan hits the market:

9 Pompeii, 2550sft, $1,100,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/9-Pompeii-92606/home/4629505

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestparkII/Vintage/VintageC2535.JPG

Plan 3 is okay, not an upstairs laundry but at least it has a sink and its own separate area instead of part of the garage walk-thru. No pictures yet but the descriptions claims it has upgrades.

Still, at $1.1m, I don't think it will sell before the other Vintage Plan 4 models that are nominally better locations (they aren't near Irvine Center Drive).

This next one I've seen on Redfin before because it's in Turtle Rock which is another area of Irvine I like:

6002 Sierra Siena, 2516sft, $899,900
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/6002-Sierra-Siena-Rd-92603/home/4740998

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/TurtleRock/Broadmoor/BroadmoorG2459.JPG

This has the master downstairs which is becoming popular again. It doesn't have enough pictures again, so I have no idea what the master+bath looks like. A negative for this house is it backs Shady Canyon which has become busier in the last decade or so.

This seems like a good price for Turtle Rock but this listing has been listed/delisted a few times so there may be some issues here.
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Another Vintage plan hits the market:

9 Pompeii, 2550sft, $1,100,000
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/9-Pompeii-92606/home/4629505

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/WestparkII/Vintage/VintageC2535.JPG

Plan 3 is okay, not an upstairs laundry but at least it has a sink and its own separate area instead of part of the garage walk-thru. No pictures yet but the descriptions claims it has upgrades.

Still, at $1.1m, I don't think it will sell before the other Vintage Plan 4 models that are nominally better locations (they aren't near Irvine Center Drive).

This next one I've seen on Redfin before because it's in Turtle Rock which is another area of Irvine I like:

6002 Sierra Siena, 2516sft, $899,900
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/6002-Sierra-Siena-Rd-92603/home/4740998

Floorplan
http://floorplans.irvinerealtorsite.com/TurtleRock/Broadmoor/BroadmoorG2459.JPG

This has the master downstairs which is becoming popular again. It doesn't have enough pictures again, so I have no idea what the master+bath looks like. A negative for this house is it backs Shady Canyon which has become busier in the last decade or so.

This seems like a good price for Turtle Rock but this listing has been listed/delisted a few times so there may be some issues here.[/quote]

Based on the photos, that Pompeii house must have been modified a lot from the original floor plans. Those stairs in the photos look like they start at the rear entrance of the home and the family room fire place is oriented toward the side yard. Not a big fan of all those columns but it does look like they spent some money on the place. I like the relatively big yard. Would gut the outside fountains--but I imagine they are needed to cover up the road noise from Irvine Center Drive.

The Sierra Siena home backs to Shady Canyon--not sure how busy that road would be. I do like how it is situated across from the park. Interior photos show they updated the kitchen. I have young kids so I can't have the MB downstairs for another decade <!-- s:) -->:)<!-- s:) -->
 
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