Orchard Hills Update Website

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
bk,

slimmer, smarter, and store more...would this equate to smaller floor plans? Also, will the outside of these new homes be more modern? As oppose to the current Tuscany...Santa Barbara...Spanish design?
 
Janet,

We had a home with interior court yard. We were so excited having this court yard before we moved in. However, once we moved in, we seldom use it. Actually when I talked to my neighbours about this, we all kind of laughed together! I guess it wan't just us!

The interior court yard gets dirty very very easily. So it became a hassle for us to go outside since we have to clean it everytime we want to go out and sit there.

Funny enough, my current landscape contractor told me that most of his clients doens't use the court yard.
 
Irvine123,

Isn't that the case with all outdoor spaces?

My husband has the same complaint - mainly that outdoor furniture gets dirty. He is, of course, correct.

However, I don't mind brushing off furniture when I want to be outside.

I could see myself using it, but understand your point nevertheless.
 
I have an interior courtyard, and amazingly enough, we hardly ever use it too. We have the stamped concrete design with those etchings in the concrete (I forget what they call it) that criss cross the concrete for expansion reasons, and the courtyard concrete gets so dusty, much dustier than the backyard concrete. I wash it off and it takes forever because there is only one small drain in the middle that I need to direct the water and dirt to flow down. Next time I would use a smooth surface so it's easier to wash the dirt down. But the great thing about the courtyard is you can open the windows into the courtyard for airflow and not worry about people breaking in through open windows!
 
I think the interior courtyard "traps" dust and dirt, thus make it extra difficult to keep clean. I noticed that when it is windy, all the junk from my roof goes into the court yard. For a regular backyard, at lease dust and dirt "spreads" with wind to the grass, plants, etc. There were so many times that I wanted to go to the court yard after getting a glass of wine, but once I opened the french door and saw the dust on the floor, and my outdoor furniture, I turned around and went to the backyard instead.

Also, for those of you like interior courtyards, make sure you install enough drains, and the drains are well connected to the drains outside the house. If you don't, water will rise when it rains really hard (doens't happen often, but all it takes is once)
 
I still love our courtyard, it impresses people who visit (even though I have to painstakingly wash it down before guests come otherwise it's embarassingly dirty), and it makes our house more light and bright. Even though I don't use it all that much, it's nice to have, and I can't imagine buying another house without a courtyard. In fact I wouldn't buy a house if it didn't have a courtyard. Especially single story floorplans without courtyards seem so 70s and 80s vintage to me. I would make some changes though, like leave a border that I can fill up with gravel so I can wash the dust off the concrete into the borders so cleanup is a lot easier. I would think courtyards would continue to be even more common in new home floorplans.
 
I like the interior courtyards. We don't have one and have always wanted a home with one. I never realized that it would accumulate more dirt than the backyard. However, thinking about it, it does make sense that dirt would have less place to escape, it funnels down into the courtyard with no where else to go.

I always wanted a zen-like japanese garden in the courtyard. Well, I guess that's why we're saving our pennies for, an upgrade to a better layout.
 
I, too, like bringing natural light into the center of the home.

I also really like that they are usually somewhat shady, except at high noon.

I come from northern/central European stock, and the sun and I are not friends.

Of course, I guess you won't get good breezes, but that's OK.

Shea's "Costa Azul" has a gorgeous courtyard plan (if you have $3 million). So does Lyon's "Ciara". Both also have very wide, sweeping hallways - which I loved (ok, wasteful).

Lennar's "La Casella" also has a very cute miniature version. I thought it was a great unit for a single person or couple. Unfortunately, that one is way more psf than its sister units.
 
Was searching around google on orchard Hills, came across a couple of PDF's

Irvine Co's Demographic profile for Orchard Hills Shopping Center 5.5MB download

Snippet from Slide 2:

2006 Average Household income $144,180 2011 estimate $183,489

2006 Median Househould Income $107,636 2011 estimate $128,995

2006 Avg Home Value $917,576 2011 estimate $1,033,289

Presentation by JZMK Partners at UC Riverside (5/2006) starts at slide 25. 9MB download

The JZMK presentation also talks a bit about Tustin fields, tustin legacy, Woodbuy, Stonegate, and Orchard Hills, plus a few other communities outside of Irvine.
 
Interesting info.

2006-2011 avg home value +11.2% or 2.2% a year. Which is less than inflation.

2006-2011 median HH income +16.6% or 3.3% a year.

2006-2011 avg HH income +21.4% or 4.3% a year.

I think the home price appreciation is a bit optimistic but it does show that in a few more years you will get more home for your income.
 
I am in OH withdrawal so I brought this topic back up to the top. Does anybody have any news or construction updates? TIC hasn't updated the website (or the Laguna Crossing website either) in like, forever. So, anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
 
I went to see models at Woodbury and one of the builder agents told me that OH and LC won't start selling for another 2-3 years. So I think TIC is trying to wait out the downturn and planning on starting to sell in 2009 or 2010.
 
Since 2009/2010 is the timeframe I plan to buy in, this is not such a bad thing. I just would like to see neighborhood plans, etc., just for fun. I know, that's not realistic but hey, I can dream same as the FBs dream about getting their wishing prices, no?
 
would be great to see prices 20% to 30% lower than originally planned prices, we are waiting eagerly too. it's a really nice location, centrally located yet not so busy.
 
Went to Zovs at OH this am for breakfast around ten am. The place is about 85% packed. Lots of cars in the parking lot. Good food...but the coffee is horrible and they charge $2.95 for their coffee Next time I will go to Peets next door first!
 
Check out the Orchard Hillsand Laguna Crossing (PA18) information websites. It had been forever and a day since TIC updated them. Well, now, they are officially gone as separate sites. The former links bring you instead to TIC's main website.

They are still making progress on the Irvine Blvd. wall to Stonegate, however no signs of houses going up. Anybody know of any status updates for Stonegate?
 
I, also, have seen the wall at Stonegate. But surprisingly, there's no mention of the community on the Irvineranch.com site.
 
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