Opinion on Portola Springs lower end homes, 700-850k
- Thread starter TCT
- Start date
We?re definitely leaning toward Brisa/Carissa plan 3 after seeing the areas again. The two story end unit. After looking at the move in ready homes at Montara we just didn?t like how cramped you felt. No view, right out your window is the next house, less light coming in as well. We like the design of Montara inside a lot better, but that?s likely due to them being larger. The non stacked laundry is a big plus though, but stacked and upstairs is still not bad.
Problem is Carissa is March move in and Brisa is December and Brisa has a higher base price, they said because the land was more expensive there. It would give us more time to save up for move in costs, but we?d also have to stay with one of our parents longer than expected.
The thing is if we get an attached home Brisa/Carissa will likely be it since they?re the only ones offering us a rate in the 3.5% range. Other lenders either won?t lend at only 10% down on an attached condo or rates in the 4.15-4.25 range. Also about 10k in rebate from our agent which helps with the down payment. The rate is partially why we were looking at detached condos since we could get a good rate on those.
Problem is Carissa is March move in and Brisa is December and Brisa has a higher base price, they said because the land was more expensive there. It would give us more time to save up for move in costs, but we?d also have to stay with one of our parents longer than expected.
The thing is if we get an attached home Brisa/Carissa will likely be it since they?re the only ones offering us a rate in the 3.5% range. Other lenders either won?t lend at only 10% down on an attached condo or rates in the 4.15-4.25 range. Also about 10k in rebate from our agent which helps with the down payment. The rate is partially why we were looking at detached condos since we could get a good rate on those.
marmott said:
We did actually. There were a couple small SFR we liked, but didn't like the area that much. We also looked at Laguna Woods, but for the money also didn't like the area. Laguna was getting far from our families and work as well.
I think also a big factor is financial security, in that out of all the areas we feel the most comfortable putting a huge chunk of our income into a house there. Orange or Lake Forest we'd be a bit scared.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
@TCT:
For the price difference, I'm still recommending detached over attached.
Did you factor in the additional HOA/interest cost?
For the price difference, I'm still recommending detached over attached.
Did you factor in the additional HOA/interest cost?
irvinehomeowner said:
Definitely, it?s the main reason why we are leaning toward attached there.
1. Cal pacific and us bank are offering us the same rate on attached and detached. We were quoted 3.5% on Sunday.
2. The HOA is $120 more a month, but since the HOA has insurance that apparently covers the house we only need standard homeowners insurance for inside belongings, liability etc we were told. So this balances out as we were planning on about that for hazard insurance on the SFR. Correct me if this sounds wrong.
3. Mello roos is about 500/yr less on attached. No much, but something.
You could also factor in exterior maintenance as well, but that?s different for each person.
So basically we are getting the same ?extra? costs as a SFR, HOA and loan rate. That eliminates the savings we?d get on these things by going detached vs attached. That?s why earlier I said if we do get attached it?ll be in PS. Resale would be a detached due to these extra costs.
TCT - we bought at Carissa and are very happy. The neighborhood is quiet and nice. We don't have kids so the three story is no issue for us, but the two story option on the plan 3 sounds good for you.
I see a lot of less than positive things about PS on here but we like it!
We picked Carissa over Brisa because Brisa is so close to the toll road. The views from Brisa are really nice, and that area feels secluded (in a good way), but the unit we were considering was SO CLOSE to the toll road and we did not like it.
I see a lot of less than positive things about PS on here but we like it!
We picked Carissa over Brisa because Brisa is so close to the toll road. The views from Brisa are really nice, and that area feels secluded (in a good way), but the unit we were considering was SO CLOSE to the toll road and we did not like it.
TCT said:
Very good reasons listed.
Detached homes WILL cost extras in long runs. Sure, they tend to sell quicker and better, but at the same time you put in that much more money to start with so it's not like you're getting anything EXTRA more in return. Attached homes especially new ones from CalPac and IP are pretty good choices. There ARE some attached homes you definitely want to avoid, but these homes you're looking for are fine IMHO. The key is in the LOT LOCATION rather than attached vs. detached for these new homes.
HOA is cheaper in West Irvine and very little MR, about 2-3k less and expires soon, that should more than cover any additional costs for detached. I will always be in the detached camp if you can afford or stretch a bit. But some people do like the new home smell, just hope your attached neighbors don't ruin it 8) You'll find multiple horror stories on Nextdoor and some here on the forums. Not to say you can't have horrible neighbors in a detached home, but being attached makes things a lot worse.
Some cons to PS since there have been some pros listed
Selling detached is easier anywhere, not just PS
PS is considered a value village to most on the forums so will sell less than other comparable homes (I know ppl who would never buy in PS and others regretted it and sold)
Some people think PS is in the boonies and too far from everything
No retail close by are complaints by others
Coyote issues with pets/young ones
Is PS close enough to the hills for potential wild fire problems
Close to the landfill, odor issue, some say yes, some say no, there was a street near the toll road in one of the first PS villages where 5 or 6 homes on the same street were on sale, potential issue or coincidence
Some cons to PS since there have been some pros listed
Selling detached is easier anywhere, not just PS
PS is considered a value village to most on the forums so will sell less than other comparable homes (I know ppl who would never buy in PS and others regretted it and sold)
Some people think PS is in the boonies and too far from everything
No retail close by are complaints by others
Coyote issues with pets/young ones
Is PS close enough to the hills for potential wild fire problems
Close to the landfill, odor issue, some say yes, some say no, there was a street near the toll road in one of the first PS villages where 5 or 6 homes on the same street were on sale, potential issue or coincidence
TCT said:
Mety said:
Not that these are available, this is an old site plan I have. We?d prefer an end unit, I remember there definitely being a premium on the end units. It seems like the obvious choice would be the side circled in red right? There is a hill there with vegetation, no homes except up over the hill I think Altair.
Are there any downsides to the red side other than maybe closer to a wildfire?
Edit: sorry image didn?t attach
Attachments
TCT said:
Yes, an end unit is the way to go. The only downside for some of these would be if it's on a street, there might be some car noise/pollution, but a small street might be ok except you might hear some teens with Ferrari and some douche with Mustang/Cobra roaring. This is common in anywhere in Irvine especially for newly built.
On a hill with vegetation, I can imagine some coyotes sneaking in and out, but since PS has many people now, they might have already been scared away. I don't live in PS so I can't speak for it. Maybe someone who lives there can answer?