Sand Canyon traffic

hey everyone,

i am contemplating buying a home in WB/WBE that backs to sand canyon-- you can definitely hear the noise from the street if the windows are open or if you are outside, but it is pretty quiet with windows shut inside. just wondering:

- if any of you live off a major street and whether you get used to the noise or does it still bother you?
- would the noise be better at night vs. the day at all?
- is there anything else that would be a major factor-- big trucks on the street, burglaries?
- resale value (i assume most people would prefer a quiet, inside location vs. one that is near a major road, just wondering if there is an industry average for how much less a home is worth or how much longer it takes to sell?)

i like almost everything else about this place, and this is my one reservation so i appreciate any thoughts any of you have to share. thanks in advance for the input!

-We used to live right next to Culver, we eventually got used to it and didn't bother us anymore
-For Culver it didn't really get much better until later at night. I would think for Sand Canyon it would be better than Culver on this point. Culver would still get the speeding car or motorcycle off the line of red lights.
-Comparing to Culver, there are a lot more big trucks on Sand Canyon. Don't know much about burglaries.
-I don't know about an average but inside location of our track sells faster than the houses "right" next to Culver. And it's discounted about 20K less for the same exact model.

We lived off of Culver, but near another intersection and the noise was not tolerable for us. Since it was an intersection, not only did you get the full speed noise, but also the noise of acceleration and braking. In addition, there was a bus stop a few houses down and buses are pretty loud.

As for the WB/WBE Sand Canyon traffic, mikeirvine posted a map that shows that Sand Canyon is a truck route so that will have more noise that Jeffrey. However, just remember that right now, there are hardly any other homes built so you can hear them more from the models. Once the rest of the neighborhood goes up, the noise buffering will increase and you will hear less noise from the interior homes.

Even one house in makes a difference. When we talked to our next door neighbor about the Culver noise when we moved out, they said they didn't even notice it... lucky them... our house was absorbing all their noise.

We had a chance to buy one of the early phases in Carmel. It backed up to Jeffrey. We spent quite some time listening to the road noise and it bothered us so we decided not to buy that lot. That location had a stop light close by too, so there was braking and acceleration and the 60mph cars whizzing by.

But if we goto the models at Carmel, you don't hear any noise!

I prefer inside location and would pay a little more for it.

We like Coronado plan 3 but they all are next to Sand Canyon. So we decided not to buy one.

[quote author="irvinefan"]hey everyone,

i am contemplating buying a home in WB/WBE that backs to sand canyon-- you can definitely hear the noise from the street if the windows are open or if you are outside, but it is pretty quiet with windows shut inside. just wondering:

- if any of you live off a major street and whether you get used to the noise or does it still bother you?
- would the noise be better at night vs. the day at all?
- is there anything else that would be a major factor-- big trucks on the street, burglaries?
- resale value (i assume most people would prefer a quiet, inside location vs. one that is near a major road, just wondering if there is an industry average for how much less a home is worth or how much longer it takes to sell?)

i like almost everything else about this place, and this is my one reservation so i appreciate any thoughts any of you have to share. thanks in advance for the input!

[/quote]

I'm sure it would affect the value but I am not sure how much. But I know there are some buyers out there who wouldn't buy on a major road and would settle for a smaller house inside the tract so it would definitely reduce the size of the buying pool (myself included)

We bought a Monterey plan 3 siding to Trabuco. I've been to the lot and checked. The only noise i really hear is the Hum from Freeway 5. Maybe because Trabuco is a quiet street right now. When GP opens up it may get noisy (4-5 years I presume). occasional noise from Sand canyon intersection when you are outside and upstairs. Don't know what to make of it all but that is our home for next 10yrs+.Perfect plan, elevation and bigger side yard than other homes in the tract.




[quote author="StuffIt"]
[quote author="irvinefan"]hey everyone,

i am contemplating buying a home in WB/WBE that backs to sand canyon-- you can definitely hear the noise from the street if the windows are open or if you are outside, but it is pretty quiet with windows shut inside. just wondering:

- if any of you live off a major street and whether you get used to the noise or does it still bother you?
- would the noise be better at night vs. the day at all?
- is there anything else that would be a major factor-- big trucks on the street, burglaries?
- resale value (i assume most people would prefer a quiet, inside location vs. one that is near a major road, just wondering if there is an industry average for how much less a home is worth or how much longer it takes to sell?)

i like almost everything else about this place, and this is my one reservation so i appreciate any thoughts any of you have to share. thanks in advance for the input!

[/quote]

I'm sure it would affect the value but I am not sure how much. But I know there are some buyers out there who wouldn't buy on a major road and would settle for a smaller house inside the tract so it would definitely reduce the size of the buying pool (myself included)[/quote]

I lived next to Irvine Blvd for 3 years and it didn't bother us at first, but after a while I got REALLY tired of it. The most annoying thing is the bearking/starting late at night.

You may tolerate it, but it will get annoying after a while, mainly in the summer when you'd rather have your windows open.

IMO, it's worth it if you can wait 1 or 2 phases to get better location.

One thing people don't usually test (and that was us) was what does it sound like at 11pm when you are trying to go to sleep, at 2-3am when you are in the middle of your sleep or at 5-6am when you want to stay asleep before you wake up.

It was a shock to us the first few months but I think we tried to get used to it. Like mogul, as we reached the 2nd and 3rd year... we realized it was just not something we could live with for the next 10-15 years.

A question most buyers asked when were selling was what street was that was and how was the noise. The people who ended up buying said they didn't mind the street noise but maybe it was our travertine floors, designer carpet and Pottery Barn paint that hypnotized them.

If you're questioning resale value, it depends, we bought it for almost 10% less than comps with a huge lot... but in the end... it just wasn't worth the savings and it probably did turn off prospective buyers.

HI

I'm currently renting next to sand canyon in WB for almost 2 yrs now. I didn't notices the noise indoor and the worse time of the traffic is in the morning around 7am to 9am you can hear it, but not bad.

I was offer one of sonoma big home 8600 SF lots next to sand canyon .... I went to the lot and stand for 2 hrs. The noise is a problem when I was outdoor. I decided to pass as with such a big lot I won't be able to enjoy the yard. The problems of sand canyon is not so much with the normal cars ..... It's the garbage trunks and the container trunks band sound when it pass by "band Kong kong kong".... also vibrate the walls.

The trabuco RD is not bad if you are further away from sand canyon and Jeffery, I stand there for many times.... as there is not much car and no trunk, as it's in the trunk restricted RD. The great park entrance is nearer to WB east and the intersection will be the wost.

But some people don't mind as all the home are sold near the RD in sonoma and I have friends that bought the WBE home next to sand canyon. They don't have a problem with that .....

If you grow up in the city, LoL this is nothing and some people like it. FCB won't mind as in many Asia cities you can't avoid noise. When I was in LA my apt is next to traffic and never bother me, even now in WB next to sand canyon ..... but if you are planning to open the windows or outdoor, you might need to avoid the morning rush hours.

I'm upgrading my new home with ceiling speakers and surround sound .....but it cost about 8k. I will have music playing most of the times when I'm at home and water features in the yards with jacuzzi <!-- s --><!-- s -->. with a bit of traffic noise it feel more like a city living experiences = priceless. "NO TRUCK"

Noise is a problem if you never experience living in major cities or RD. But I feel Irvine RD is far better than other places I had experienced. Everyone have different noise torrance, it hard to know what is yours or others that will buy your home later. Go stand there in the morning rush hours ....

Most importantly, buy a home that you like rather than what others like .....

Avoid sand canyon, intersection on sand canyon and Trabuco as that is the worse for noise .... it will be harder to sell later for sure.

ssssssssssSSSsssssss......mmmMMMMmmmm, Bang Kon Kong Kong ...... I will go crazy if I'm outside = sand canyon rush hour. But I sleep like a baby or pig when I'm indoor. zzzZZZZZZZZzzzzz.

Mike

I agree - it definitely lessens you buyer pool. I would wait to get a better lot. I know that when I am buying a new or resale home, if it backed to a large street (culver or sand canyon), I would not buy, no matter what the savings is. Not only will you have lots of noise, but I think it will be much harder to sell in the future.

Do any of you remember these 2 listings over in University Park (I believe it was 2 and 4 Cypress Tree Lane) that backed to 405? Whew. Even inside, you hear 405. The minute you open the sliding door onto your backyard, you wouldn't even be able to talk. Those 2 homes stayed on the market forever. Not sure if it sold or not, I haven't been monitoring it....

I also live off Culver but can't really complain about traffic noise. There is a house between us and the street so maybe we're getting buffered. Occasionally we hear sirens and a few annoying cars with fixed up exhausts. If you have small infants, this might be an issue. But then I wonder how people in urban cities deal with this. I myself lived in SF for 3 years and was a few houses away from the N Judah turnabout. Nothing like the squeal of train brakes in the morning to wake you up. Like nails on chalkboard.

thanks for all the feedback everyone! i know at the end of the day it comes down to what my own tolerance level is, but it's definitely helpful to hear all your experiences and opinions!

A few other things to consider when choosing to live near a busy road like Sand Canyon:

The traffic along that route will only get worse as TIC builds out Portola Springs, Stonegate, Woodbury II, and eventually Lennar starts on the Great Park homes.

Future resale will most likely suffer. Given a choice of a home backing to a busy road and similar one on an interior street, most would chose the latter.

Beyond the issue of noise, there are possible health issues as well. If you have any kids, this may be an important issue. There have been studies showing proximity to a freeways decreased lung capacity of children, worsens asthma, and increased risk for lung infections. Exposure to the air around freeways is equivalent to living in the most air polluted portions of California.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/10/health/he-smog10?pg=3

Granted, Sand Canyon is NOT the same as living near the I5 but the preponderance of commercial trucks spewing diesel exhaust doesn't help air quality.

[quote author="mikeirvine"]
I'm upgrading my new home with ceiling speakers and surround sound .....but it cost about 8k. I will have music playing most of the times when I'm at home and water features in the yards with jacuzzi <!-- s --><!-- s -->. with a bit of traffic noise it feel more like a city living experiences = priceless. "NO TRUCK"
[/quote]

Mike,

Your post reminds me of my initial home search. My wife and I would have fun (or maybe it was just me) looking for outdoor water features at any home that backed to a major road. I would say 90% of the time we would find one.

As a prospective buyer, I initially interpret all outdoor water features as a marker for ongoing noise problems. I would then press my RE agent about how busy the surrounding streets are or if there is a school nearby (kids screaming in yard carries a good distance).

I don't think, water feature will covers the noise on sand canyon during rush hours or near a school ...... You need to look for a water fall <!-- s --><!-- s --> LOL

The best way to know, just stand at the location at rush hour and hear for yourself. I will trust my eyes and ear more than the RE agent.



Mike,

Your post reminds me of my initial home search. My wife and I would have fun (or maybe it was just me) looking for outdoor water features at any home that backed to a major road. I would say 90% of the time we would find one.

As a prospective buyer, I initially interpret all outdoor water features as a marker for ongoing noise problems. I would then press my RE agent about how busy the surrounding streets are or if there is a school nearby (kids screaming in yard carries a good distance).[/quote]

Now that people have moved into many homes in WBE is there more update on how this issue is
working out. For us we are adjacent to Trabuco in Monterey. So Sand Canyon noise is negligible especially
with windows closed. With windows open is quite loud. I have been trying to judge this in the past few days
with morning traffic especially since I've been getting up early to watch soccer games.

We do get noise from Trabuco when occasionally some small truck goes by or the strawberry farm
tractors go by. I guess untill great park builds out and Trabuco becomes crowded we will be fine.

irvinefan said:

hey everyone,

i am contemplating buying a home in WB/WBE that backs to sand canyon-- you can definitely hear the noise from the street if the windows are open or if you are outside, but it is pretty quiet with windows shut inside.  just wondering:

- if any of you live off a major street and whether you get used to the noise or does it still bother you?
- would the noise be better at night vs. the day at all?
- is there anything else that would be a major factor-- big trucks on the street, burglaries?
- resale value (i assume most people would prefer a quiet, inside location vs. one that is near a major road, just wondering if there is an industry average for how much less a home is worth or how much longer it takes to sell?)

i like almost everything else about this place, and this is my one reservation so i appreciate any thoughts any of you have to share.  thanks in advance for the input!

Click to expand...

I would also be one worrying more about pollution than noise.

All those trucks put out a lot of exhaust, as well as particulate from tires and cargo.

fyi, we recently moved into an apartment near sand canyon and the noise is really loud... there are big construction trucks carting materials into/out of the towngate entrance and they start around 7am (no beauty sleep for me).