Opinion on Portola Springs lower end homes, 700-850k

[moc]

All Plan 3s are end units and all plan 2s are attached on both sides.

I like that we're farther up "front" to the entrance of the community so we don't have to drive far to get to our garage. We also get a little mountain view which is nice.

I don't see any huge difference between the lots within Carissa. As Mety pointed out the hill may have coyotes, but we don't have kids and don't let our cats outside. Haven't seen any yet. The apartment complex at the far side are low income units, so there might be a perception issue with the houses that neighbor that, but we've had no issues with noise or disruptive neighbors from that complex.

@TCT:

For the price difference, I'm still recommending detached over attached.

Did you factor in the additional HOA/interest cost?

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.

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.

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?

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?

 

[moc]

Actually I was wrong that's only true in the six packs (which we are in). In the eight packs they have some 3s that aren't end units.

All Plan 3s are end units and all plan 2s are attached on both sides.

@TCT:

For the price difference, I'm still recommending detached over attached.

Did you factor in the additional HOA/interest cost?

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.

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.

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?

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?

 

[CACowboy]

I was trying to make the same decision as you maybe 8 months ago and ended up going with Brisa over Carissa. Carissa may be closer to the 5 but its proximity to the apartment complex makes for a lot of in and out traffic throughout the day and night. We decided to go with Brisa for a little more quiet. Sure it's 10 mins further from the hwy but we didn't mind the trade off.

 

[paperboyNC]

I'd recommend considering resales in Portola Springs as well. Here's a good value for a detached home:https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/56-Autumn-Sage-92618/home/51681370

 

[moc]

Awesome! Are you happy with the community/floorplan you have?

We do notice heavier traffic in peak times, and a LOT of it is to the apartment complex, but overall we're happy with the neighborhood.

I was trying to make the same decision as you maybe 8 months ago and ended up going with Brisa over Carissa. Carissa may be closer to the 5 but its proximity to the apartment complex makes for a lot of in and out traffic throughout the day and night. We decided to go with Brisa for a little more quiet. Sure it's 10 mins further from the hwy but we didn't mind the trade off.