Irvine Homes blogger buys a home

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stepping_up said:
umm, why didn't she buy in Irvine? It seems hypocrtical to be a blogger about Irvine homes and then to buy a house outside of the city.
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Her decision was price driven like she said. She knows the best value is not in overpriced Irvine. Industry affiliated people mostly lives else where for the very same reason why Farmer John staff don't eat hot dog.
 
ocresident73 said:
Yes, I did mean it, but because I speak from experience, not from some inherent sense of Irvine snobbery. I lived in East Orange for 10 years. I found most of my neighbors, as well as many of the Old Towne historic society people to quite bigoted and intolerable. I attended the raucous school board meetings about 10 years ago, shortly after I moved there, when the El Mo student who tried to start an LGBT club was villified for engaging in beastiality. No, I'm not kidding. I hoped this was just a fluke until I got to know more of my neighbors, and later regretted that, for similar reasons. At the time, Orange Unified teachers were the lowest paid teachers of any district in the county. Now they're about in the middle, but it will take years for morale to improve.

When Steve Rocco was elected to the school board for, as far as anyone can tell, indicating "Educator" as his occupation, I finally knew that Orange residents deserve what they wish for - a poorly run district that thrives on intolerance. While some El Mo parents may very well be involved parents, when they teach their children the kind of horrid stereotypes and ignorance that I heard firsthand, I can only say that I fear for our future, since those kids will be in charge one day.
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Thank you for your expanded response. Not to parse words, but what you wrote here (which I agree with) isn't what you wrote here (which I don't).

ocresident73 said:
The elementary schools in that area rank pretty high, but if they stay through high school, they'll be at El Mo - one of the crappier high schools in the county.
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Bigotry and racism aside (I live in Orange and get the Foothill Sentinel so I know what you are talking about) an 86 is not crappy!
 
no_vaseline said:
ocresident73 said:
Yes, I did mean it, but because I speak from experience, not from some inherent sense of Irvine snobbery. I lived in East Orange for 10 years. I found most of my neighbors, as well as many of the Old Towne historic society people to quite bigoted and intolerable. I attended the raucous school board meetings about 10 years ago, shortly after I moved there, when the El Mo student who tried to start an LGBT club was villified for engaging in beastiality. No, I'm not kidding. I hoped this was just a fluke until I got to know more of my neighbors, and later regretted that, for similar reasons. At the time, Orange Unified teachers were the lowest paid teachers of any district in the county. Now they're about in the middle, but it will take years for morale to improve.

When Steve Rocco was elected to the school board for, as far as anyone can tell, indicating "Educator" as his occupation, I finally knew that Orange residents deserve what they wish for - a poorly run district that thrives on intolerance. While some El Mo parents may very well be involved parents, when they teach their children the kind of horrid stereotypes and ignorance that I heard firsthand, I can only say that I fear for our future, since those kids will be in charge one day.
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Thank you for your expanded response. Not to parse words, but what you wrote here (which I agree with) isn't what you wrote here (which I don't).

ocresident73 said:
The elementary schools in that area rank pretty high, but if they stay through high school, they'll be at El Mo - one of the crappier high schools in the county.
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Bigotry and racism aside (I live in Orange and get the Foothill Sentinel so I know what you are talking about) an 86 is not crappy!
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Point noted. However, while it is true that I noted the ranking of the elementary schools, I wasn't referring solely to academic ranking when I characterized ElMo as "crappy". I'll admit that I have no current knowledge of the school's API rankings, other than what has been cited in this thread. I haven't bothered to check that in several years. My opinion was based more on the social and environmental factors that create the school culture, as noted previously. Frankly, a school like that could rank a 100, but if there is new teacher turnover every 2 years and your parents continue to elect schizophrenics to your school board, your test scores won't do you a whole lot of good when you head off into the world and realize that your community was full of ignorant bigots who intentionally stifled legitimate public discussion of important issues because it didn't jive with their Christian ethos.
 
I think OCRes and no_vas have turned a corner and are now essentially on the same page. Thanks for the clarifications OCres
 
tmare said:
I think OCRes and no_vas have turned a corner and are now essentially on the same page. Thanks for the clarifications OCres
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Agreed. I certainly didn't mean to start a war of words over whose schools or community are best - particularly since I greatly respect the IHB community and the vast knowledge base that is so generously shared here. Everyone makes their housing decisions based on many factors, and I'm sure that Erika at the Register felt that her and her husband's decision was best for them at this time in their lives. I simply wanted to point out, given my own personal experiences, that she and her family may later decide that this community is not for them for the reasons I shared. And, I suppose to a certain extent, I too, am guilty of employing stereotypes of my own, since I clearly haven't met every single resident of Orange. I'm sure there are some very nice people who grew up there or are current residents there that are wonderful people. Unfortunately, I can't honestly say that the vast majority of the people I've met from there have fallen in that category. I wish I had had a different experience, and I sincerely hope that Erika and her family don't have a similar experience.
 
We haven't lived in a house for more than 6 years... so even though Erika and family bought in Orange, they may end up somewhere else down the road.

As long as you can afford it now and you don't mind taking a hit in equity... or can hold out for maybe 10 years... it's okay to buy if it's a place you can be happy with for a while. That's why I'm thinking about South OC... but I know I'll still end up in Irvine eventually.
 
ocresident73 said:
tmare said:
I think OCRes and no_vas have turned a corner and are now essentially on the same page. Thanks for the clarifications OCres
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Agreed. I certainly didn't mean to start a war of words over whose schools or community are best - particularly since I greatly respect the IHB community and the vast knowledge base that is so generously shared here. Everyone makes their housing decisions based on many factors, and I'm sure that Erika at the Register felt that her and her husband's decision was best for them at this time in their lives. I simply wanted to point out, given my own personal experiences, that she and her family may later decide that this community is not for them for the reasons I shared. And, I suppose to a certain extent, I too, am guilty of employing stereotypes of my own, since I clearly haven't met every single resident of Orange. I'm sure there are some very nice people who grew up there or are current residents there that are wonderful people. Unfortunately, I can't honestly say that the vast majority of the people I've met from there have fallen in that category. I wish I had had a different experience, and I sincerely hope that Erika and her family don't have a similar experience.
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Your experience in Orange was similar to my Irvine experience. We expressed our personal subjective experience on this board. Many members here love Irvine including you. Others like me and Erica view Orange with a different perspective.

We all agree Irvine has the best school attributes but the housing stock is not worth its price. The right price for Irvine should be the mortgage cost of a neighboring community such as Costa Mesa and private school tuition. Irvine’s convenience to work is no different in commute time than CM. Irvine home prices is 50% higher than neighboring cities and that is too high. Even with private school tuition many homeowners are saving a bundle of money in surrounding communities unless they have more than 3 kids going to private schools but many households have just one kid.

Safety from what has been happening lately should not be rewarding Irvine with sky high home prices. Will TMare, Erica, Novas, and me die from a strayed bullet living outside of Irvine? It is very unlikely and the odds are very infinitesimally small.

What am I blabbering about here than other than Irvine has artificially inflated prices not worth the quality of the products and its land.

I just love my handbag/Irvine analogy. Many loves the vinyl LV handbags and it is not even real leather. They are 15 times more than a leather handbag but serve an exact function. A leather handbag will definitely outlast an LV bag. It is all about carrying it and feeling good psychologically by knowing others are envious.

This is a huge brand association and companies like LV and TIC spent millions to advertise. Trust me the wear and tear is not 15 times better. Living in Irvine is a brand status just like a fancy bag. Whether Irvine residents admitted or not they like the admiration when people perceive Irvine residents make good money and can afford to live there. Then “making good money”= intelligent, educated, career driven and etc.

That is kind of pretentious and egotistic. Then the residents to disguise their arrogance and use the excuse that I have no pretention what so ever and my decision was totally based on good schools and safety. Some of them are single and married with no kid. Crime is just another excuse. The statistic of actually becoming a crime victim is very low in OC when one has no gang affiliation and enemies.

I would rather have a leather bag and save the money to indulge in other things. When money is tight one can’t afford to do anything but to turn their family shopping errands in Target and Costco into a family outing and entertainment.
 
Eh... poetaytoe poetahtoe.

I'm sure CK, myself and bunch of Irvinites (even Zovall) can shoot holes in your handbag theory... for most of us it's personal preference not brand status.

Put it this way, Newport Coast has that "status" air about it... but if I had a choice of similarly priced homes... I would probably stick with Irvine. It's central to our friends, family and places we like to meander about... 3Ls rules.
 
irvine_home_owner said:
Eh... poetaytoe poetahtoe.

I'm sure CK, myself and bunch of Irvinites (even Zovall) can shoot holes in your handbag theory... for most of us it's personal preference not brand status.

Put it this way, Newport Coast has that "status" air about it... but if I had a choice of similarly priced homes... I would probably stick with Irvine. It's central to our friends, family and places we like to meander about... 3Ls rules.
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Try to explain your FCBs who is willing to buy at any price but then priced you, CK, and other Irvinites out of the market. I am sure none of the FCBs are brand conscientious and don't brag about where they live. They just love pocket parks, HOA and sidewalks like you.
 
Yeah... but like you said, FCBs don't read the IHB... so you are addressing the IHBers... and those of us from Irvine don't really subscribe to the LV bag theory.

But then again... you pay for what you get... even if it is a bit higher... at least that what my wife tells me about her handbags (she's more reasonable, as she likes Coach bags) and clothes.

Like I love Toyota, but I do see the appeal of the Lexus or MBZ brand... and not because what other people think but because I think they look good and have nice amenities. I can afford one, and maybe one day I'll drive one... but only because it's what I want... not because of what other people think about me. It's all relative... just like you said yourself, you think you overpaid for your house... but you love it... so I overpay in Irvine... because... IHO is the only way to go (for me).
 
irvine_home_owner said:
Yeah... but like you said, FCBs don't read the IHB... so you are addressing the IHBers... and those of us from Irvine don't really subscribe to the LV bag theory.

But then again... you pay for what you get... even if it is a bit higher... at least that what my wife tells me about her handbags (she's more reasonable, as she likes Coach bags) and clothes.

Like I love Toyota, but I do see the appeal of the Lexus or MBZ brand... and not because what other people think but because I think they look good and have nice amenities. I can afford one, and maybe one day I'll drive one... but only because it's what I want... not because of what other people think about me. It's all relative... just like you said yourself, you think you overpaid for your house... but you love it... so I overpay in Irvine... because... IHO is the only way to go (for me).
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I agree with you for overpaying if there is a higher quality. The homes are not higher quality with vinyl windows and concrete roofs. If you tell me the environment is what you are paying for then I will tell you renting is the best choice.

I don't object renting in Irvine but I object to stupidity overpaying for a house at this market climate. I overpaid mine in the ghetto and it was a mistake during the bubble era. Let my mistake be your savior.

You are entitled to everything as a renter even the top schools. Save your money for the kids Harvard education it would be a shame with 12 years of good Irvine school education and not having enough to pay for their Ivy League tuition.
 
bkshopr said:
I don't object renting in Irvine but I object to stupidity overpaying for a house at this market climate. I overpaid mine in the ghetto and it was a mistake during the bubble era. Let my mistake be your savior.
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Wow that was big.
 
bkshopr said:
I agree with you for overpaying if there is a higher quality. The homes are not higher quality with vinyl windows and concrete roofs. If you tell me the environment is what you are paying for then I will tell you renting is the best choice.

I don't object renting in Irvine but I object to stupidity overpaying for a house at this market climate. I overpaid mine in the ghetto and it was a mistake during the bubble era. Let my mistake be your savior.

You are entitled to everything as a renter even the top schools. Save your money for the kids Harvard education it would be a shame with 12 years of good Irvine school education and not having enough to pay for their Ivy League tuition.
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I would guess that it is the Asians are driving up the price in Irvine. Irvine is a much better city (in every regard) than the other popular Asian areas: Rowland Heights, Garden Grove, Alhambra, etc. It's relatively new, has great schools, is safe, and you can still go get dim sum, Korean BBQ, and Japanese Ramen for dinner... all the in the same shopping plaza. Asians have a very high avg income and to recent immigrants, homes in California are cheap compared to what it costs to live in other parts of the world. Plus, if you just brought money from overseas, the declining dollar has given you substantially more purchasing power.

It has very little to do with the quality of the home, or real "value". All you need is demand to be Supply + 1 to have price competition. If you think it's worth X and 10 others think it's worth Y... then, well, what you think is irrelevant to that market. There doesn't have to be anything rational about it. We aren't rational beings and there is very little rationality in anything we buy.
 
JCie said:
bkshopr said:
I agree with you for overpaying if there is a higher quality. The homes are not higher quality with vinyl windows and concrete roofs. If you tell me the environment is what you are paying for then I will tell you renting is the best choice.

I don't object renting in Irvine but I object to stupidity overpaying for a house at this market climate. I overpaid mine in the ghetto and it was a mistake during the bubble era. Let my mistake be your savior.

You are entitled to everything as a renter even the top schools. Save your money for the kids Harvard education it would be a shame with 12 years of good Irvine school education and not having enough to pay for their Ivy League tuition.
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I would guess that it is the Asians are driving up the price in Irvine. Irvine is a much better city (in every regard) than the other popular Asian areas: Rowland Heights, Garden Grove, Alhambra, etc. It's relatively new, has great schools, is safe, and you can still go get dim sum, Korean BBQ, and Japanese Ramen for dinner... all the in the same shopping plaza. Asians have a very high avg income and to recent immigrants, homes in California are cheap compared to what it costs to live in other parts of the world. Plus, if you just brought money from overseas, the declining dollar has given you substantially more purchasing power.

It has very little to do with the quality of the home, or real "value". All you need is demand to be Supply + 1 to have price competition. If you think it's worth X and 10 others think it's worth Y... then, well, what you think is irrelevant to that market. There doesn't have to be anything rational about it. We aren't rational beings and there is very little rationality in anything we buy.
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Demographic targeting is an excellent way to raise product value without any extra investment. Price is relative to perception. Cities like El Monte, Rosemead, Baldwin Park were once in a lower economic strata until the city gave incentive to promote Asian businesses thus in term raising home prices and demand in the area. Hispanics were driven out of their homes to the Inland Empire.

Irvine was no different. Home prices were average in the late 70's and early 80's. Chinese was the reason for high home prices in Irvine. From a city wide perspective developers did very little in promoting Chinese amenities. Luckily the original Irvine family during early 20th century distributed land as bonuses rather than cash. Todays company distribute stock shares. Those land were sold and got developed with retail centers currently owned by others where Chinese lease their retail and restaurant spaces. The benefactor is the The Irvine Company. Total monopoly would not have resulted in the current Asian amenity dynamic.
 
bkshopr said:
I just love my handbag/Irvine analogy. Many loves the vinyl LV handbags and it is not even real leather. They are 15 times more than a leather handbag but serve an exact function. A leather handbag will definitely outlast an LV bag. It is all about carrying it and feeling good psychologically by knowing others are envious.

This is a huge brand association and companies like LV and TIC spent millions to advertise. Trust me the wear and tear is not 15 times better. Living in Irvine is a brand status just like a fancy bag. Whether Irvine residents admitted or not they like the admiration when people perceive Irvine residents make good money and can afford to live there. Then “making good money”= intelligent, educated, career driven and etc.
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I disagree. My LV wallet is holding up amazingly well after almost 2 years. Much better than the previous leather Coach wallet I had. And when I pull that LV wallet out to pay at any IHB event (even though it usually only contains $5), I can see the envy in the eyes of others. Especially Graphrix.
 
graphrix said:
Oh great... see what you did IHO? Now CK has to bust out the LV wallet. Last time it got so bad him and BK got into a murse fight!
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Just as long as BK doesn't pull up his pant leg to reveal he is wearing Louboutin stilettos. Those can poke an eye out!
 
I agree with BK's view. I think he is talking about diminishing returns. I used to view Irvine as THE place to be. Thanks God it was just a phase. I don't make any judgement about those who love Irvine. More power to them. To me, Irvine is Plasantville. Life is more interesting when there are a bit of colors. My significant other used to say to me, "Do you really want to like in a Disney-like place?" A lots of people put a huge premium on schools in Irvine. It takes more than good schools for kids to do well in life (at least admissions to good universities). I have family members who moved to Irvine (Turtle Rock to be exact) so their kids can go to good schools and ultimately attend great colleges. To their disappointment, the older kid could not even make it into Cal States Long Beach. There is nothing wrong with Cal State Long Beach if that is where you want to go. My family members were hoping that the kid would at least make it to UCI. This same family member recently told me that they will move back to Fountain Valley (or somewhere else) when their younger kid enters college.
 
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