BR vs Serrano Summit vs Meadows in LF

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YMMV said:
In my opinion, public preferences for housing have changed dramatically over the past five years, especially since the pandemic. Today's buyers place much greater value on open layouts, flexible living spaces, home offices, indoor-outdoor living, larger kitchens, and homes that better accommodate family life.

Meadows - the whole community from houses to amenities - was designed with many of these modern lifestyle trends in mind. That's why I believe it is better positioned than many older communities to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's families. Looking ahead over the next decade, I expect Meadows to remain one of the most desirable communities in Lake Forest, with floor plans and home designs that continue to appeal to a broad range of buyers.
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All of the Baker Ranch single family homes have indoor/outdoor layouts very similar to the meadows. Extra large sliding glass doors for indoor/outdoor living, open floorplans, huge kitchens (mine is probably larger than any in the meadows!). and flexible living spaces.

The one place the meadows wins is the largest houses have downstairs offices *in addition* to downstairs bedrooms for the Evergreens tract. Then, yes, I think the floor plans are better, if you're gonna spend 2.5m+.

But otherwise it's really just community preference when it comes to floor plans.
 
Just neighborhood and future resale wise, do you guys think you’d rather buy in Great Park (IUSD zoned) with the mello Roos or in BR/Meadows? Don’t have kids. Just wondering about resale in future.
 
newhomebuyerscared101 said:
Ugh would love to do that and stay in an apt and not worry about any household maintenance stuff. But the family wants a house so a house we must buy
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Irvine is going to appreciate more/hold value better than Lake Forest. However, that mello roos is going eat up your gains unless you're crazy leveraged and sell at the top IMO. If you want the Irvine name and have the money, Portola Springs has much more reasonable mello roos, and is probably slightly better appreciation wise than Foothill Ranch.

I would not factor in minor single digit gains at all in picking a primary residence. This is going to be your kid's childhood home. This is the house you'll presumably be coming home to (or working out of!) after a hard day's work for the next 10-20 years. Don't pick a house you don't love just so you can bank an extra 100k 30 years from now.
 
Lake Forest faces an uncertain future without a long-term stewardship plan. The community's land supply is limited and rapidly shrinking as Toll Bros and Shea Homes — pressured by investor demands — struggle to sustain sales in a declining market. Baker Ranch may be forced into fire-sale conditions as the economy weakens, though that scenario is still possible. This contrasts sharply with Irvine Ranch, where Bren’s patience is renowned. He patiently waited 18 months, holding his land inventory during the last recession, observing an unusual situation where Chinese wealth was fleeing via RMB laundering amid Xi’s crackdown on corruption. The economic boost from the 2010 Collection built by his resurrected company Irvine Pacific, creating a buying frenzy, helped jump-start the market, but Bren’s strategy remains cautious. Once BR built, Toll Bros and Shea Homes are likely to move on elsewhere, leaving Baker Ranch’s land to weeds. Conversely, Irvine Ranch is different. Bren maintains all existing communities as pristine green pastures, carefully manicured, with high home values helping set benchmarks for future home prices. The Irvine School District outshines Saddleback, guaranteeing students a pathway to Titan admission, unlike Saddleback, which offers no such assurance, may be to Saddleback.
 
It seriously depends on entry price and not necessarily the area itself. When we compare Irvine/LF we aren't comparing Compton vs Beverly Hills. People that bought Cetara view lots during the pandemic are far ahead compared to people buying homes in The Summit in OH. Same as people that bought Teresina vs The Meadows.

With rates being where it is currently and potentially going up in the near future, it's a great cash buying environment and I would negotiate very hard as a buyer in this environment
 
irvinehomeshopper said:
Lake Forest faces an uncertain future without a long-term stewardship plan. The community's land supply is limited and rapidly shrinking as Toll Bros and Shea Homes — pressured by investor demands — struggle to sustain sales in a declining market. Baker Ranch may be forced into fire-sale conditions as the economy weakens, though that scenario is still possible. This contrasts sharply with Irvine Ranch, where Bren’s patience is renowned. He patiently waited 18 months, holding his land inventory during the last recession, observing an unusual situation where Chinese wealth was fleeing via RMB laundering amid Xi’s crackdown on corruption. The economic boost from the 2010 Collection built by his resurrected company Irvine Pacific, creating a buying frenzy, helped jump-start the market, but Bren’s strategy remains cautious. Once BR built, Toll Bros and Shea Homes are likely to move on elsewhere, leaving Baker Ranch’s land to weeds. Conversely, Irvine Ranch is different. Bren maintains all existing communities as pristine green pastures, carefully manicured, with high home values helping set benchmarks for future home prices. The Irvine School District outshines Saddleback, guaranteeing students a pathway to Titan admission, unlike Saddleback, which offers no such assurance, may be to Saddleback.
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Here's what you miss: Irvine prices are largely propped up by insane marketing spend on the mainlanders in China. It keeps Irvine very popular. Once Orchard Hills IV sells out though, do you think The Irvine Company is incentivized to keep up that marketing budget? Nah, and then the neighborhoods will have to speak for themselves, value wise.

Some places in Irvine are great, and have plenty of advantages over Foothill Ranch or Tustin Ranch. However, you can go see the overcrowded boxy houses in newer neighborhoods of Portola Springs or Orchard Hills and see that this is not as desirable as a place for families. No sidewalks, no street parking, some of these 2M dollar houses look like a concrete ghetto...

Then look at The Gove in Orchard Hills or some of the nicer homes in Woodbury, and those are going to continue to be gems.
 
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