The Meadows, Lake Forest by Toll Brothers

[sleepy5136]

I am looking to upgrade my home, this forum has provided me valuable information while weighing my options (thank you all). I am getting priced out in Irvine but looks like Lake Forest prices are catching up as well.

I moved from Irvine to Lake Forest, I have a Terraces home in Baker Ranch.  We really love it, my wife was initially concerned about being 'far from things' but it turns out it's about 8-10 minutes down to the Spectrum or Costco. 

There's also the nearby shopping center in Foothill Ranch, not exactly a great fine dining destination but lots of good takeout and casual dining options for the family.

We really appreciate the nice pools and parks Baker Ranch has, and if The Meadows is Baker Ranch 2.0 (if not a as big) I think it'll be quite nice for a family.  The downside is the 'new house tax' of them nickle and diming for all the upgrades, but maybe it's not so bad if you think about things in a 10 year timeframe. 

If you're singular focus is % appreciation, I'm thinking a detached condo in Irvine is the best bet.  But if you factor in having more space and neighborhood, I think the Meadows or Baker ranch is a great option.

Also, Irvine is super dense. One can be surrounded by up to 5 homes in Irvine. I don't see this as frequent yet in Bakers Ranch. No mello roos in Lake Forest either and I'm 10mins away from Irvine if I wanted to go to Irvine. 

 

[irviniteeee]

I am looking to upgrade my home, this forum has provided me valuable information while weighing my options (thank you all). I am getting priced out in Irvine but looks like Lake Forest prices are catching up as well.

I moved from Irvine to Lake Forest, I have a Terraces home in Baker Ranch.  We really love it, my wife was initially concerned about being 'far from things' but it turns out it's about 8-10 minutes down to the Spectrum or Costco. 

There's also the nearby shopping center in Foothill Ranch, not exactly a great fine dining destination but lots of good takeout and casual dining options for the family.

We really appreciate the nice pools and parks Baker Ranch has, and if The Meadows is Baker Ranch 2.0 (if not a as big) I think it'll be quite nice for a family.  The downside is the 'new house tax' of them nickle and diming for all the upgrades, but maybe it's not so bad if you think about things in a 10 year timeframe. 

If you're singular focus is % appreciation, I'm thinking a detached condo in Irvine is the best bet.  But if you factor in having more space and neighborhood, I think the Meadows or Baker ranch is a great option.

Also, Irvine is super dense. One can be surrounded by up to 5 homes in Irvine. I don't see this as frequent yet in Bakers Ranch. No mello roos in Lake Forest either and I'm 10mins away from Irvine if I wanted to go to Irvine.

Baker Ranch is definitely just as dense as parts of Irvine. What's nice about BR is that it really is close to a lot of Irvine things. It's quite a ways from the freeway though. Lake Forest also needs more schools. I'm not quite sure how a city can just keep building and building with nowhere for these families to send their kids to school. Maybe BR residents can somehow sneak their kids in Portola High in Irvine down the road LOL.

 

[bones]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

 

[sleepy5136]

I am looking to upgrade my home, this forum has provided me valuable information while weighing my options (thank you all). I am getting priced out in Irvine but looks like Lake Forest prices are catching up as well.

I moved from Irvine to Lake Forest, I have a Terraces home in Baker Ranch.  We really love it, my wife was initially concerned about being 'far from things' but it turns out it's about 8-10 minutes down to the Spectrum or Costco. 

There's also the nearby shopping center in Foothill Ranch, not exactly a great fine dining destination but lots of good takeout and casual dining options for the family.

We really appreciate the nice pools and parks Baker Ranch has, and if The Meadows is Baker Ranch 2.0 (if not a as big) I think it'll be quite nice for a family.  The downside is the 'new house tax' of them nickle and diming for all the upgrades, but maybe it's not so bad if you think about things in a 10 year timeframe. 

If you're singular focus is % appreciation, I'm thinking a detached condo in Irvine is the best bet.  But if you factor in having more space and neighborhood, I think the Meadows or Baker ranch is a great option.

Also, Irvine is super dense. One can be surrounded by up to 5 homes in Irvine. I don't see this as frequent yet in Bakers Ranch. No mello roos in Lake Forest either and I'm 10mins away from Irvine if I wanted to go to Irvine.

Baker Ranch is definitely just as dense as parts of Irvine. What's nice about BR is that it really is close to a lot of Irvine things. It's quite a ways from the freeway though. Lake Forest also needs more schools. I'm not quite sure how a city can just keep building and building with nowhere for these families to send their kids to school. Maybe BR residents can somehow sneak their kids in Portola High in Irvine down the road LOL.

Irvine is way denser than BR.... I'm in Serrano Summit myself and the houses are way more spaced out than Irvine.

 

[ThirtySomethingWEquity]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

Yeah but the largest floorplans in Meadows are nicer than the large summit floorplans in Baker Ranch.  5 bedrooms + an office is certaily the dream.  And I only have one kid haha. 

As for Irvine vs Baker Ranch, I was able to get a ~4500 sq ft lot, 3 years old,  and almost 2900 for 1.2 last fall.  I think you're looking at what, 1.8 for that in Irvine?  By all means if you can afford Cetara in Irvine go buy that, but if you're like me looking for the right house for the right price then it's worth looking hard at the options in Lake Forest.

 

[bones]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

Yeah but the largest floorplans in Meadows are nicer than the large summit floorplans in Baker Ranch.  5 bedrooms + an office is certaily the dream.  And I only have one kid haha. 

As for Irvine vs Baker Ranch, I was able to get a ~4500 sq ft lot, 3 years old,  and almost 2900 for 1.2 last fall.  I think you're looking at what, 1.8 for that in Irvine?  By all means if you can afford Cetara in Irvine go buy that, but if you're like me looking for the right house for the right price then it's worth looking hard at the options in Lake Forest.

More SF, better lots and better views in summit though.

 

[irviniteeee]

I am looking to upgrade my home, this forum has provided me valuable information while weighing my options (thank you all). I am getting priced out in Irvine but looks like Lake Forest prices are catching up as well.

I moved from Irvine to Lake Forest, I have a Terraces home in Baker Ranch.  We really love it, my wife was initially concerned about being 'far from things' but it turns out it's about 8-10 minutes down to the Spectrum or Costco. 

There's also the nearby shopping center in Foothill Ranch, not exactly a great fine dining destination but lots of good takeout and casual dining options for the family.

We really appreciate the nice pools and parks Baker Ranch has, and if The Meadows is Baker Ranch 2.0 (if not a as big) I think it'll be quite nice for a family.  The downside is the 'new house tax' of them nickle and diming for all the upgrades, but maybe it's not so bad if you think about things in a 10 year timeframe. 

If you're singular focus is % appreciation, I'm thinking a detached condo in Irvine is the best bet.  But if you factor in having more space and neighborhood, I think the Meadows or Baker ranch is a great option.

Also, Irvine is super dense. One can be surrounded by up to 5 homes in Irvine. I don't see this as frequent yet in Bakers Ranch. No mello roos in Lake Forest either and I'm 10mins away from Irvine if I wanted to go to Irvine.

Baker Ranch is definitely just as dense as parts of Irvine. What's nice about BR is that it really is close to a lot of Irvine things. It's quite a ways from the freeway though. Lake Forest also needs more schools. I'm not quite sure how a city can just keep building and building with nowhere for these families to send their kids to school. Maybe BR residents can somehow sneak their kids in Portola High in Irvine down the road LOL.

Irvine is way denser than BR.... I'm in Serrano Summit myself and the houses are way more spaced out than Irvine.

I guess it depends what communities you're comparing. Some part of Baker Ranch are overwhelming... I forget all the different tract names now but the area with the 3 level townhomes is packed and the streets are loaded with cars.. Then there's the area across Alton where the Eclipse street is. The homes on that Eclipse side are motor court homes that you can fully drive through then when you get to the row of homes along the back, they are never-ending. It's just kind of odd.

Love Serrano Summit! But, also don't see it super spaced out compared to most areas of Irvine. Soria especially with every home being a 3 level back to back. Castellon seems similarly spaced out too. I really do feel like the newer areas of both cities have comparable densities. That being said, I still like both BR and SS. I think Serrano Summit is nice and will probably be super safe being next to the new city hall and police station.

 

[irviniteeee]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

Yeah but the largest floorplans in Meadows are nicer than the large summit floorplans in Baker Ranch.  5 bedrooms + an office is certaily the dream.  And I only have one kid haha. 

As for Irvine vs Baker Ranch, I was able to get a ~4500 sq ft lot, 3 years old,  and almost 2900 for 1.2 last fall.  I think you're looking at what, 1.8 for that in Irvine?  By all means if you can afford Cetara in Irvine go buy that, but if you're like me looking for the right house for the right price then it's worth looking hard at the options in Lake Forest.

Meh yeah people just like what they like. I see you on here promoting BR a lot and I agree, you get a of house for your money ... er you used to at least haha. But, as we've all seen, there are people who have no problem paying more to live in Irvine and won't even consider other cities. I don't think I would consider BR and other LF communities at the current prices since they're starting to be very similar to Irvine, but that's just me. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of LF.

 

[Kanasai]

It's good to hear many good things about LF.
How is the Meadows compared to Teresina by Shea? Teresina's floorplan is very nice, but they lack community amenities.

 

[irviniteeee]

It's good to hear many good things about LF.
How is the Meadows compared to Teresina by Shea? Teresina's floorplan is very nice, but they lack community amenities.

I like the Teresina plans and exteriors, but I don?t think they really have any amenities. There?s the park right below the neighborhood, but I don?t recall seeing any pools or additional amenities they have access to. The Meadows will be a fully master planned community while Teresina is a small cluster of homes built above existing neighborhoods.

 

[ThirtySomethingWEquity]

It's good to hear many good things about LF.
How is the Meadows compared to Teresina by Shea? Teresina's floorplan is very nice, but they lack community amenities.

I like the Teresina plans and exteriors, but I don?t think they really have any amenities. There?s the park right below the neighborhood, but I don?t recall seeing any pools or additional amenities they have access to. The Meadows will be a fully master planned community while Teresina is a small cluster of homes built above existing neighborhoods.

Think it really depends on lifestyle.  With a little kid having lots of park options and pools is fantastic, that is definitely a 'must have' for me and a lot of families.  I have some friends without kids who never use community pools or whatnot so they probably wouldn't even notice.

 

[ThirtySomethingWEquity]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

Yeah but the largest floorplans in Meadows are nicer than the large summit floorplans in Baker Ranch.  5 bedrooms + an office is certaily the dream.  And I only have one kid haha. 

As for Irvine vs Baker Ranch, I was able to get a ~4500 sq ft lot, 3 years old,  and almost 2900 for 1.2 last fall.  I think you're looking at what, 1.8 for that in Irvine?  By all means if you can afford Cetara in Irvine go buy that, but if you're like me looking for the right house for the right price then it's worth looking hard at the options in Lake Forest.

Meh yeah people just like what they like. I see you on here promoting BR a lot and I agree, you get a of house for your money ... er you used to at least haha. But, as we've all seen, there are people who have no problem paying more to live in Irvine and won't even consider other cities. I don't think I would consider BR and other LF communities at the current prices since they're starting to be very similar to Irvine, but that's just me. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of LF.

I think between my requirements (open floor plan, downstairs bedroom or office) + my wifes (separate dining room + at least 12 ft setback in the backyard) finding the right house in the right neighborhood was hard to do, so I'm glad I looked at BR even though I was initially only looking in Tustin Ranch and Irvine.

Certainly not an issue everyone has.  I think Irvine is great.  I see a lot of people who relocate to irvine who don't realize you can get more for your money looking in Tustin or Foothill Ranch/LF so I like to promote that as an option is all.  Also *some* of Irvine is a total ripoff, like anything in eastwood. 

 

[usctrojancpa]

Does anyone know where Meadows is zoned to for schools? I looked quickly but didn't see any mention of it. The one good thing about SVUSD is you can school choice into other schools - just have to be willing to drive there. A good number of kids from BR go to Oxford, Santiago STEAM and some of the other magnets.

I think BR > Meadows in terms of feel, location, elevation, amenities.

Yeah but the largest floorplans in Meadows are nicer than the large summit floorplans in Baker Ranch.  5 bedrooms + an office is certaily the dream.  And I only have one kid haha. 

As for Irvine vs Baker Ranch, I was able to get a ~4500 sq ft lot, 3 years old,  and almost 2900 for 1.2 last fall.  I think you're looking at what, 1.8 for that in Irvine?  By all means if you can afford Cetara in Irvine go buy that, but if you're like me looking for the right house for the right price then it's worth looking hard at the options in Lake Forest.

You sure you don't want to buy one of those brand new shiny Toll Bros homes at The Meadows once you hit your 2 year mark and book some more tax free gains?  haha

I'm actually gonna get on the list to buy one of those new Meadows homes depending on the pricing.

 

[fatduck]

I'm considering an LA to OC move and Lake Forest is tempting but I would have to commute to NB which seems a bit far.  Or maybe we'll never go back to in-office work again and I can just enjoy my 5th bedroom permanent office...

 

[qwerty]

I'm considering an LA to OC move and Lake Forest is tempting but I would have to commute to NB which seems a bit far.  Or maybe we'll never go back to in-office work again and I can just enjoy my 5th bedroom permanent office...

Unless you buy south of the 405 I don think lake Forest to Newport is all that much farther than say orchard hills to Newport. All of the new construction in Irvine is in the northern part. The meadows is close to the toll road so 241 to the 133 puts you at the 405 perhaps faster than taking culver/jeffrey to the 405

 

[fatduck]

I'm considering an LA to OC move and Lake Forest is tempting but I would have to commute to NB which seems a bit far.  Or maybe we'll never go back to in-office work again and I can just enjoy my 5th bedroom permanent office...

Unless you buy south of the 405 I don think lake Forest to Newport is all that much farther than say orchard hills to Newport. All of the new construction in Irvine is in the northern part. The meadows is close to the toll road so 241 to the 133 puts you at the 405 perhaps faster than taking culver/jeffrey to the 405

Yeah that's probably true re north Irvine. I was thinking in comparison to Aliso Viejo or parts of Laguna Niguel where you can just hop on the 73.

 

[usctrojancpa]

I'm considering an LA to OC move and Lake Forest is tempting but I would have to commute to NB which seems a bit far.  Or maybe we'll never go back to in-office work again and I can just enjoy my 5th bedroom permanent office...

Unless you buy south of the 405 I don think lake Forest to Newport is all that much farther than say orchard hills to Newport. All of the new construction in Irvine is in the northern part. The meadows is close to the toll road so 241 to the 133 puts you at the 405 perhaps faster than taking culver/jeffrey to the 405

Yeah that's probably true re north Irvine. I was thinking in comparison to Aliso Viejo or parts of Laguna Niguel where you can just hop on the 73.

The drive from Lake Forest will be easier with less traffic versus from Aliso Viejo or Laguna Niguel if you need to head in to the office in Newport (unless you take the pricey 73 toll road).

 

[fatduck]

I'm considering an LA to OC move and Lake Forest is tempting but I would have to commute to NB which seems a bit far.  Or maybe we'll never go back to in-office work again and I can just enjoy my 5th bedroom permanent office...

Unless you buy south of the 405 I don think lake Forest to Newport is all that much farther than say orchard hills to Newport. All of the new construction in Irvine is in the northern part. The meadows is close to the toll road so 241 to the 133 puts you at the 405 perhaps faster than taking culver/jeffrey to the 405

Yeah that's probably true re north Irvine. I was thinking in comparison to Aliso Viejo or parts of Laguna Niguel where you can just hop on the 73.

The drive from Lake Forest will be easier with less traffic versus from Aliso Viejo or Laguna Niguel if you need to head in to the office in Newport (unless you take the pricey 73 toll road).

Wow you're not kidding. It's almost $20 RT in peak hours. Didn't realize it was that expensive.

 

[The Motor Court Company]

Irvine is flat with the exception of few high end neighborhoods and boring overall. Tustin Ranch and Aliso Viejo you get better bang for your buck, without too much compromise on school.

 

[Kick53rv3]

Irvine is flat with the exception of few high end neighborhoods and boring overall. Tustin Ranch and Aliso Viejo you get better bang for your buck, without too much compromise on school.

Are they going to add schools though? With baker ranch, serrano summit and now the meadows all in close vicinity will overcrowding be an issue for schools?