<p>About a year ago I wrote about the branding of a community and compared it to the Irvine Villages. The promotional aspect and marketing a brand is extremely important. People want expensive brand for a cheap price. Expensive brands are never on sale. When an expensive brand has a sale of 5% a line is formed out the door. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel stores at South Coast Plaza are the examples. A little discount of an excellent brand could get the consumer excited vs the weekly sale over at Walmart.</p>
<p>There is a brand perception difference for Tustin Field and Irvine Villages. The word “field” subliminally conjured images in my head of a place of tents for temporary holding of refugees and concentration camp for political prisoners (Japanese American during WWII). Residents of Tustin Field are not proud of the place that they live in because I seldom heard them mentioning “I live in Tustin Field”. This thread could be called the Killing Fields like the movie from the 80’s about Cambodian refugees. Slashing prices would attract the first wave of the knife catchers. Further slashing of prices turns the first wave of knife catchers into angry home homeowners. Vultures are waiting for the weak and bleeding homeowners before going in for the kill. </p>
<p>When Aliso Viejo started in the 80’s developer were hoping that it can become the expensive neighbor to Laguna Beach since it is practically located on the other side of the hills. Shoppers can sense quality when they see it. Now that Aliso Viejo is built out after 28 years there is not much to show for. The element of prestige is not there. Prestige is not by adding fake stones to the neighborhood sign with gold letters. It takes good design with restraints. </p>
<p>Tustin Fields and the surrounding area are excellent locations with good schools, shopping, and freeway access. However, the formula is not complete when it is missing the element of prestige. Flight path, train noise, and land toxicity may have also contributed a negative effect on the quality perception. Bargain shoppers care about the brands just as much as the wealthy shoppers. I drove through the Tustin Airbase neighborhoods and they reminded me the infancy of Aliso Viejo. I do not think the design and its infrastructure would age gracefully into a classic community that can stand the test of time. I have case studied classic neighborhoods of America and I have not seen one yet survived near the landing strip of a flight path. </p>
<p>Once the brand is ruined it is hard for its recovery. I think home buyers are willing to pay more to live in a Irvine Village knowing that the comp is less likely to erode. In the case of Tustin Fields Lennar has shut down many of their divisions due to financial strain and the goal is to flee like a war torn country where the government is the first one to bail out and leaving the people to defend for themselves.</p>
