[Poll] Spending $1mil in Irvine

[irvinehomeowner]

@akim:

I would take perfect location + perfect house or perfect location + perfect price for my 2 out of 3. That's what I've been saying all this time.

 

[usctrojancpa]

Unfortunately, akim is right.  Unless you have an unlimited budget ($1.5m+) then you won't find that "perfect" home.  It's all a balancing act of what the most important things are (the "must haves") and what you can live with (not having all of the "would like to haves").  I know that the home that I bought is not perfect by any means, but it hit the mark in a lot of the things that I was looking.

 

[Grayston]

Like I mentioned in a previous thread, I've lived in five diff. neighborhoods in Irvine and the last couple of homes we bought were $1 million plus.  It really depends on if you're buying for a "neighborly" feel, for hopes of investment, etc.  My answer would change depending on the goal.  Our last place in QH was over $1.5 but we moved to Woodbury because we have two kids under 2 yrs old and there was absolutely no neighborly feel where we were.  While now I live in a similar size house with smaller lot, I feel that my kids will have a much better experience growing up with their neighbors.  If I didn't have kids, I would still be in QH since it's close access to the freeways, lots have views, houses retain the values better, etc. My aunt lives in TR in a $2million plus house and I would never chose to live there, everytime I visit it's totally dead on her street.

 

[usctrojancpa]

Like I mentioned in a previous thread, I've lived in five diff. neighborhoods in Irvine and the last couple of homes we bought were $1 million plus.  It really depends on if you're buying for a "neighborly" feel, for hopes of investment, etc.  My answer would change depending on the goal.  Our last place in QH was over $1.5 but we moved to Woodbury because we have two kids under 2 yrs old and there was absolutely no neighborly feel where we were.  While now I live in a similar size house with smaller lot, I feel that my kids will have a much better experience growing up with their neighbors.  If I didn't have kids, I would still be in QH since it's close access to the freeways, lots have views, houses retain the values better, etc. My aunt lives in TR in a $2million plus house and I would never chose to live there, everytime I visit it's totally dead on her street.

You've gone through Irvine houses like I go through cars, every 2-3 years I'm craving a change.  haha

 

[rkp]

USCT - you should connect with grayston...his changing houses every 2-3 years will fund you a new car every 2-3 years

 

[usctrojancpa]

USCT - you should connect with grayston...his changing houses every 2-3 years will fund you a new car every 2-3 years

hahaha  My guess is that he probably anticipated that and he has his own license. 

 

[ninja88]

Like I mentioned in a previous thread, I've lived in five diff. neighborhoods in Irvine and the last couple of homes we bought were $1 million plus.  It really depends on if you're buying for a "neighborly" feel, for hopes of investment, etc.  My answer would change depending on the goal.  Our last place in QH was over $1.5 but we moved to Woodbury because we have two kids under 2 yrs old and there was absolutely no neighborly feel where we were.  While now I live in a similar size house with smaller lot, I feel that my kids will have a much better experience growing up with their neighbors.  If I didn't have kids, I would still be in QH since it's close access to the freeways, lots have views, houses retain the values better, etc. My aunt lives in TR in a $2million plus house and I would never chose to live there, everytime I visit it's totally dead on her street.

which other neighborhoods did you lived in? like to hear your thoughts on it. thanks

 

[Grayston]

USCT - you should connect with grayston...his changing houses every 2-3 years will fund you a new car every 2-3 years

hahaha  My guess is that he probably anticipated that and he has his own license.

Ha ha, no I don't have my license but my dad does and he's my realtor so I don't pay any fees. And BTW, I'm a "she".  I know, I have a sickness with moving much to my husband's dismay, I get the "itch" within a year and a half of living in one place. So far I'm a year into my current house, let's see how long this lasts!

 

[usctrojancpa]

USCT - you should connect with grayston...his changing houses every 2-3 years will fund you a new car every 2-3 years

hahaha  My guess is that he probably anticipated that and he has his own license.

Ha ha, no I don't have my license but my dad does and he's my realtor so I don't pay any fees. And BTW, I'm a "she".  I know, I have a sickness with moving much to my husband's dismay, I get the "itch" within a year and a half of living in one place. So far I'm a year into my current house, let's see how long this lasts!

I was close. 

 

[traceimage]

USCT - you should connect with grayston...his changing houses every 2-3 years will fund you a new car every 2-3 years

hahaha  My guess is that he probably anticipated that and he has his own license.

Ha ha, no I don't have my license but my dad does and he's my realtor so I don't pay any fees. And BTW, I'm a "she".  I know, I have a sickness with moving much to my husband's dismay, I get the "itch" within a year and a half of living in one place. So far I'm a year into my current house, let's see how long this lasts!

Always nice to have another girl around.

 

[Grayston]

Like I mentioned in a previous thread, I've lived in five diff. neighborhoods in Irvine and the last couple of homes we bought were $1 million plus.  It really depends on if you're buying for a "neighborly" feel, for hopes of investment, etc.  My answer would change depending on the goal.  Our last place in QH was over $1.5 but we moved to Woodbury because we have two kids under 2 yrs old and there was absolutely no neighborly feel where we were.  While now I live in a similar size house with smaller lot, I feel that my kids will have a much better experience growing up with their neighbors.  If I didn't have kids, I would still be in QH since it's close access to the freeways, lots have views, houses retain the values better, etc. My aunt lives in TR in a $2million plus house and I would never chose to live there, everytime I visit it's totally dead on her street.

which other neighborhoods did you lived in? like to hear your thoughts on it. thanks

Westpark, never again! Although we made great money on our place since we bought in 2002 and sold in 2005 for double the price but just hated the neighborhood. For some resson our block in westpark were all seniors.  QH would move back once my children are older, perhaps when we're in our late thirties. Our neighbors were all at least 10plus years older than us with high school or college age children and we wanted a more "neighborly" feel where the kids were young.  Turtle Rock, great place but didn't want to deal with remodeling and at that time we were in our twenties so we were way younger than everyone. Northwood, we lived in an older house so again didnt want to deal with a remodel. Woodbury, perfect for us now since almost all the houses on our block have kids under 7 yrs old so they all play together. The issue in Woodbury are the lower performing schools that we feed into.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

You went from QH to Woodbury? I find that move strange because I would think the age demographics of the adults/kids would be similar.

 

[OCgasman]

You went from QH to Woodbury? I find that move strange because I would think the age demographics of the adults/kids would be similar.

My guess is that younger families or couples that want children move to WB cuz it's more affordable.  Plus, not everyone knows knows about the API scores of all the schools.  I didn't, I just assumed all the IUD schools were good.  It wasn't until my wife started talking to other parents at my daughter's preschool that we realized there was a discrepancy in the schools.  I always said the kid matters, not the school, in fact my high school in northern CA is so bad that it doesn't even deserve a mention in most ranking of high schools.  It's so easy to get caught up in the school hype.  But, sometimes I think it's better to be a big fish in a small pond. 

 

[traceimage]

It's so easy to get caught up in the school hype.  But, sometimes I think it's better to be a big fish in a small pond.

So true.

 

[Crispy3]

I don't know about anyone else.. but part of the reason I'm looking for a good school for my kids is for the type friends they would make, not necessarily for the academics or the API. 

It's so easy to get caught up in the school hype.  But, sometimes I think it's better to be a big fish in a small pond.

So true.

 

[OCgasman]

All schools have their own set of problems.  I hear some ppl call Northwood High "Northweed" High.  No school is immune to drugs, violence, alcohol, "friends with poor character"...as parents we just try to do the best we can.  Like Chris Rock said...I'm just trying to keep my girl off the stripper pole.

I don't know about anyone else.. but part of the reason I'm looking for a good school for my kids is for the type friends they would make, not necessarily for the academics or the API. 

It's so easy to get caught up in the school hype.  But, sometimes I think it's better to be a big fish in a small pond.

So true.

 

[usctrojancpa]

I don't know about anyone else.. but part of the reason I'm looking for a good school for my kids is for the type friends they would make, not necessarily for the academics or the API. 

This is a good point, but I think in Irvine, regardless of API scores, your kids won't have problems making friends with good people.  But ultimately, I think this is most important in college.  Every job I've ever gotten was through my college network and people I've met in college.  This is why even though I knock USC (only because I don't get the overabundance of school pride) and it is overpriced (as is most private colleges these days), there is value in a strong alumni network.

Go Trojans! 

 

[rkp]

fight on!  i am alum, my bro is alum, my dad is prof...so yah, we have a lot of trojan pride