Stonegate Vs. Pavilion Park

[paperboyNC]

I'm with paperboy, I also believe in the more land equals more value but that has to be tempered with the location.

A 1 acre lot in Riverside is worth less than a detached condo in Irvine.

But since Stonegate and PP are very close to each other... land > location on this one.

If you look at an appraisal...the large lot adds something like $10K to $20K difference.

A large lot gives you a lot more flexibility to add-on to the house, build a storage building, guest house and when you eventually tear down the house and re-build - a lot more land to build on.

If you keep it outdoor space, you might have room for a pool, spa, fire pit, outdoor stove, California room, etc. etc.

Sure a bigger lot that is just grass might not score high on an appraisal, but land gives you a lot of flexibility.

 

[Goriot]

Bones - How is your home shopping going? Are you leaning towards Sagewood PP or Arcadia SG? 

At this point, I think Arcadia is pretty much out.  Can't justify the price tag.  Yes, would love to walk my kids to elem school but not at that premium.  Waiting to see what else is getting built at Stonegate. 

Also, not down with my potential neighbors at Arcadia - not my crowd.  The folks at the Sagewood releases are much more my type.  Yes, many Asians with unpronounceable names but many are Asian Americans with young families and "seem" friendly.

Perhaps, you should wait out for other neighborhoods to open next year (OH, New Development on Jeffrey, etc.).  But if you are financing with loan, not sure where the rates would be next year.... a big question mark.  I think only thing left to get built out at SG are Arcadia, Sausalito, Mendocino II, and Saratoga. 

 

[rube77]

At least one of the flyers they were handing out at PP said that the Mello Roos could increase by up to 2% per year. Not sure if this is the case at Stonegate.

I don't really understand how your mello roos can increase.

 

[bones]

.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

I'm with paperboy, I also believe in the more land equals more value but that has to be tempered with the location.

A 1 acre lot in Riverside is worth less than a detached condo in Irvine.

But since Stonegate and PP are very close to each other... land > location on this one.

If you look at an appraisal...the large lot adds something like $10K to $20K difference.

A large lot gives you a lot more flexibility to add-on to the house, build a storage building, guest house and when you eventually tear down the house and re-build - a lot more land to build on.

If you keep it outdoor space, you might have room for a pool, spa, fire pit, outdoor stove, California room, etc. etc.

Sure a bigger lot that is just grass might not score high on an appraisal, but land gives you a lot of flexibility.

LOL add-on in an Irvine HOA.  You can't even paint your house to the color of your liking

 

[Irvinecommuter]

I think only thing left to get built out at SG are Arcadia, Sausalito, Mendocino II, and Saratoga. 

What about the piece of land sandwiched between Sausalito and Saratoga?  Also, what about the larger piece of land on the other side of Arcadia and Swallows Park?  Arcadia may build on the piece between current Arcadia and Portola Parkway but there's still a big piece of land to the north.
http://www.villagesofirvine.com/Villages-and-Neighborhoods/Stonegate/Village-Map

I think that piece of land between Sausalito and Saratoga is going to be Saratoga II.

 

[ak]

IMHO, I think WB is still the best village so far in Irvine's newer northern sphere in terms of location and overall amenities that it provides.  It is better located and has a lot more amenities than SG, PS, PP, CV, LR, PA5. 

 

[Irvinecommuter]

IMHO, I think WB is still the best village so far in Irvine's newer northern sphere in terms of location and overall amenities that it provides.  It is better located and has a lot more amenities than SG, PS, PP, CV, LR, PA5.

WB is definitely the best location and the shopping center is great.  Only issue is the school zoning...still zones into Irvine High.

 

[paperboyNC]

A large lot gives you a lot more flexibility to add-on to the house, build a storage building, guest house and when you eventually tear down the house and re-build - a lot more land to build on.

If you keep it outdoor space, you might have room for a pool, spa, fire pit, outdoor stove, California room, etc. etc.

Sure a bigger lot that is just grass might not score high on an appraisal, but land gives you a lot of flexibility.

LOL add-on in an Irvine HOA.  You can't even paint your house to the color of your liking

My HOA specifically says that SFRs can do add-ons with the HOA's permission. It also says that Detached Condos can never add-on but they let one of my neighbors with a detached condo extend his great room / dining room "since he has a huge lot".

Some of the larger lot SFRs in Portola Springs have built guest houses.

 

[Ready2Downsize]

What kind of guest houses? Were they detached units with pluming and cooking facilities?

 

[bones]

.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

If they built them, it can't be the casitas that came with the house.

 

[bones]

.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

A large lot gives you a lot more flexibility to add-on to the house, build a storage building, guest house and when you eventually tear down the house and re-build - a lot more land to build on.

If you keep it outdoor space, you might have room for a pool, spa, fire pit, outdoor stove, California room, etc. etc.

Sure a bigger lot that is just grass might not score high on an appraisal, but land gives you a lot of flexibility.

LOL add-on in an Irvine HOA.  You can't even paint your house to the color of your liking

My HOA specifically says that SFRs can do add-ons with the HOA's permission. It also says that Detached Condos can never add-on but they let one of my neighbors with a detached condo extend his great room / dining room "since he has a huge lot".

Some of the larger lot SFRs in Portola Springs have built guest houses.

Yes...but trying to get it approved by the HOA is going to be insanely difficult.

 

[Ready2Downsize]

Most cities have very specific rules on what they will allow.

From what I have seen, they usually require a lot to be xxx size and the granny unit would be max sq footage depending on the size of the house.

 

[Mandy]

We picked a house in SG after much debate because it's far enough from freeways/toll roads, the train track, and the landfill. And it's not too new like CV or PP waiting for a school and the bigger rest of the community to be built and not too gigantic and loaded with features like Woodbury attracting too many non-residents. Also it has the lowest HOA+Mello Roos compared with others obviously offering the least community features which I didn't mind at all. I'd rather spend money on the house than on clubhouses and etc. Having said that, I actually like PP offering bigger lots and different looks than Spanish stucco homes. So had we not already been in contract, I'd have totally twisted my hubs' arm to buy in PP. Hubs prefers traditional Spanish homes to those east-coast mimicking homes. We wanted to get into LA, but by time we sold our old home and got on the priority list, they were all sold out. But thinking back, being that close to the freeways would have bugged us forever though it's a coastal community.  To me entire Irvine is still fairly close to the ocean anyways. I thought about waiting for that area between Jefferey and Culver on Irvind Blvd opens up, but then realized facing Woodbury shopping ctr would be nicer than facing mobile home parks. Now I'm not writing to be mocked or ridiculed by those who bought a house in the said communities... Just sharing my experience on how I landed in my choice of community. With so many new homes coming to town, I just hope that Irvine lives up to its home prices without fail from this point on.  There goes my the first TI posting, yay!

 

[Bennyboy]

Saratoga vs Springhouse by Taylor Morrison.

What are your guys thoughts? I'm planning to head over to Springhouse again tomorrow to find out more about their latest phase release and more details. I'm already locked into a home at Saratoga, but it may be worth my while to sell the house and move on over to Springhouse when considering the $/sqft over there. I understand the pros of being in SG vs PP and vice versa, I just think that you're getting more bang for your buck out there.

For a model 2 at Springhouse, $800k takes you pretty far. The model 1 Saratoga property I bought into has all the amenities as the Springhouse product, but everything seems to be much smaller hence the 2000 sq ft at Saratoga vs 2350 at Springhouse...

 

[OCgasman]

We picked a house in SG after much debate because it's far enough from freeways/toll roads, the train track, and the landfill. And it's not too new like CV or PP waiting for a school and the bigger rest of the community to be built and not too gigantic and loaded with features like Woodbury attracting too many non-residents. Also it has the lowest HOA+Mello Roos compared with others obviously offering the least community features which I didn't mind at all. I'd rather spend money on the house than on clubhouses and etc. Having said that, I actually like PP offering bigger lots and different looks than Spanish stucco homes. So had we not already been in contract, I'd have totally twisted my hubs' arm to buy in PP. Hubs prefers traditional Spanish homes to those east-coast mimicking homes. We wanted to get into LA, but by time we sold our old home and got on the priority list, they were all sold out. But thinking back, being that close to the freeways would have bugged us forever though it's a coastal community.  To me entire Irvine is still fairly close to the ocean anyways. I thought about waiting for that area between Jefferey and Culver on Irvind Blvd opens up, but then realized facing Woodbury shopping ctr would be nicer than facing mobile home parks. Now I'm not writing to be mocked or ridiculed by those who bought a house in the said communities... Just sharing my experience on how I landed in my choice of community. With so many new homes coming to town, I just hope that Irvine lives up to its home prices without fail from this point on.  There goes my the first TI posting, yay!

Thanks for posting your opinion and welcome.

 

[jerometl]

IMHO, I think WB is still the best village so far in Irvine's newer northern sphere in terms of location and overall amenities that it provides.  It is better located and has a lot more amenities than SG, PS, PP, CV, LR, PA5.

WB is definitely the best location and the shopping center is great.  Only issue is the school zoning...still zones into Irvine High.

Another concern I have with WB is few years down the road, when all of Irvine empty lots are converted to residential, it is basically "sandwiched" by the other villages on all 4 sides, thus the traffic to just get out of the villages to the freeway or toll road or wherever.... Also, if say the major roads are getting full, people might start using the inner streets of Woodbury as alternative routes to go from one village to another ..

 

[paperboyNC]

IMHO, I think WB is still the best village so far in Irvine's newer northern sphere in terms of location and overall amenities that it provides.  It is better located and has a lot more amenities than SG, PS, PP, CV, LR, PA5.

WB is definitely the best location and the shopping center is great.  Only issue is the school zoning...still zones into Irvine High.

Another concern I have with WB is few years down the road, when all of Irvine empty lots are converted to residential, it is basically "sandwiched" by the other villages on all 4 sides, thus the traffic to just get out of the villages to the freeway or toll road or wherever.... Also, if say the major roads are getting full, people might start using the inner streets of Woodbury as alternative routes to go from one village to another ..

Woodbury has this tackled by not having thru streets. Cypress Village on the other hand has Roosevelt that goes straight all the way through.