The Meadows, Lake Forest by Toll Brothers

[bones]

I'd heard that school district is given 5 years by TB to build the elementary. If the school district fails to delivery in 5 years, TB will take back the lot.

So TB takes back the lot and builds more homes, no chance for a school?  Is the delay game and politics going on the background, most likely.  And there was someone on the TI complaining that you have no say in what MR and HOA goes to, here's what I was talking about, you get no say at all anywhere, even if the land is already paid for.

Right now the current plan is to have a school. If it doesn?t happen, you will need to check the HOA docs before purchasing the home to see what control the HOA will have. Don?t jump to conclusions. Unless you have read the HOA docs itself and can confirm

Oh ya, no control right? If they build a cemetery there let?s see how much people will not go out and prevent that from happening.

No the current plan is there is land for a school. That?s very different than an actual school. SVUSD won?t build a school there  when they are shutting down schools in the district and facing declining enrollment. They took the money and already spent it on other improvements.

 

[Ready2Downsize]

I'd heard that school district is given 5 years by TB to build the elementary. If the school district fails to delivery in 5 years, TB will take back the lot.

So TB takes back the lot and builds more homes, no chance for a school?  Is the delay game and politics going on the background, most likely.  And there was someone on the TI complaining that you have no say in what MR and HOA goes to, here's what I was talking about, you get no say at all anywhere, even if the land is already paid for.

Right now the current plan is to have a school. If it doesn?t happen, you will need to check the HOA docs before purchasing the home to see what control the HOA will have. Don?t jump to conclusions. Unless you have read the HOA docs itself and can confirm

Oh ya, no control right? If they build a cemetery there let?s see how much people will not go out and prevent that from happening.

No the current plan is there is land for a school. That?s very different than an actual school. SVUSD won?t build a school there  when they are shutting down schools in the district and facing declining enrollment. They took the money and already spent it on other improvements.

Yup, not all districts close old schools and build new ones like IUSD. Mello can be used for improvements and even things like police salaries. It's a very loose thing with not much oversight.

 

[bones]

I'd heard that school district is given 5 years by TB to build the elementary. If the school district fails to delivery in 5 years, TB will take back the lot.

So TB takes back the lot and builds more homes, no chance for a school?  Is the delay game and politics going on the background, most likely.  And there was someone on the TI complaining that you have no say in what MR and HOA goes to, here's what I was talking about, you get no say at all anywhere, even if the land is already paid for.

Right now the current plan is to have a school. If it doesn?t happen, you will need to check the HOA docs before purchasing the home to see what control the HOA will have. Don?t jump to conclusions. Unless you have read the HOA docs itself and can confirm

Oh ya, no control right? If they build a cemetery there let?s see how much people will not go out and prevent that from happening.

No the current plan is there is land for a school. That?s very different than an actual school. SVUSD won?t build a school there  when they are shutting down schools in the district and facing declining enrollment. They took the money and already spent it on other improvements.

Yup, not all districts close old schools and build new ones like IUSD. Mello can be used for improvements and even things like police salaries. It's a very loose thing with not much oversight.

And the fight will ultimately be from the homeowners. Toll won?t care and HOA has no power. Svusd has until 2024 to decide. The neighborhood won?t be fully built out by then. Maybe BR residents will get involved because they want to alleviate crowding at foothill ranch elem. But aside from these two developments, no one else has any skin in the game. Old parts of Lake Forest won?t want to pay for a new school.

 

[Ready2Downsize]

I'd heard that school district is given 5 years by TB to build the elementary. If the school district fails to delivery in 5 years, TB will take back the lot.

So TB takes back the lot and builds more homes, no chance for a school?  Is the delay game and politics going on the background, most likely.  And there was someone on the TI complaining that you have no say in what MR and HOA goes to, here's what I was talking about, you get no say at all anywhere, even if the land is already paid for.

Right now the current plan is to have a school. If it doesn?t happen, you will need to check the HOA docs before purchasing the home to see what control the HOA will have. Don?t jump to conclusions. Unless you have read the HOA docs itself and can confirm

Oh ya, no control right? If they build a cemetery there let?s see how much people will not go out and prevent that from happening.

No the current plan is there is land for a school. That?s very different than an actual school. SVUSD won?t build a school there  when they are shutting down schools in the district and facing declining enrollment. They took the money and already spent it on other improvements.

Yup, not all districts close old schools and build new ones like IUSD. Mello can be used for improvements and even things like police salaries. It's a very loose thing with not much oversight.

And the fight will ultimately be from the homeowners. Toll won?t care and HOA has no power. Svusd has until 2024 to decide. The neighborhood won?t be fully built out by then. Maybe BR residents will get involved because they want to alleviate crowding at foothill ranch elem. But aside from these two developments, no one else has any skin in the game. Old parts of Lake Forest won?t want to pay for a new school.

Talk to qwerty about how long the district can drag out a new school. And that was after TUSD dragged out TR for at least five years and gave up school sites near the original TR neighborhoods. Homeowners had nothing to say.

 

[qwerty]

I moved in to the neighborhood in 2012 and the school was already built, it was repurposed into an administration building.  Eventually the school opened up to students in September 2016. Then there was a separate struggle to build the Legacy magnet academy. My kids were young enough that their ability to attend a local school was not impacted but there were plenty of parents making the trek to Tustin ranch schools.

Good luck with the school getting built. You are definitely going to need it. From the sound of it, you probably are not going to get it.

 

[talkirvine]

I moved in to the neighborhood in 2012 and the school was already built, it was repurposed into an administration building.  Eventually the school opened up to students in September 2016. Then there was a separate struggle to build the Legacy magnet academy. My kids were young enough that their ability to attend a local school was not impacted but there were plenty of parents making the trek to Tustin ranch schools.

Good luck with the school getting built. You are definitely going to need it. From the sound of it, you probably are not going to get it.

TB may not have a skin in the game, but they definitely have a benefit in it. It is actually to their benefit if the school district failed to build the elementary. In that case, TB can take back the lot for free, and build more houses and make more money. No one can blame TB for building too many homes. TB has be generous and given the local school district the opportunity.

 

[talkirvine]

As far as what I heard, local school district did not receive any cash from TB; they only got the lot for free, contingent on that they would build the elementary on the lot. So there is nothing they can spend somewhere else. If they fail to build the elementary in 5 years on the lot they got for free from TB, TB will take that lot back for free, and build more homes.

 

[usctrojancpa]

Land is the most valuable part of building a school, the district should really build it given how many new homes are coming at The Meadows and then all those homes at Iron Ridge and The Oaks.

 

[bones]

As far as what I heard, local school district did not receive any cash from TB; they only got the lot for free, contingent on that they would build the elementary on the lot. So there is nothing they can spend somewhere else. If they fail to build the elementary in 5 years on the lot they got for free from TB, TB will take that lot back for free, and build more homes.

That?s right. It was a land donation. No money exchanged. I confused it with BR. So SVUSD has land but no money to build the school. Measure M didn?t past last time. Good luck convincing the rest of SVUSD parents and taxpayers that the new homeowners in their $1m+ homes need a school within walking distance.

 

[CalBears96]

As far as what I heard, local school district did not receive any cash from TB; they only got the lot for free, contingent on that they would build the elementary on the lot. So there is nothing they can spend somewhere else. If they fail to build the elementary in 5 years on the lot they got for free from TB, TB will take that lot back for free, and build more homes.

That?s right. It was a land donation. No money exchanged. I confused it with BR. So SVUSD has land but no money to build the school. Measure M didn?t past last time. Good luck convincing the rest of SVUSD parents and taxpayers that the new homeowners in their $1m+ homes need a school within walking distance.

So it really was just a ploy by TB. TB "donated" the land to SVUSD, but SVUSD has no money to build the school and TB will just get the land back to build more homes.

 

[freedomcm]

But...TB got the current and future buyers to pay using their MR for the land for houses in the final phase...profit!

As far as what I heard, local school district did not receive any cash from TB; they only got the lot for free, contingent on that they would build the elementary on the lot. So there is nothing they can spend somewhere else. If they fail to build the elementary in 5 years on the lot they got for free from TB, TB will take that lot back for free, and build more homes.

That?s right. It was a land donation. No money exchanged. I confused it with BR. So SVUSD has land but no money to build the school. Measure M didn?t past last time. Good luck convincing the rest of SVUSD parents and taxpayers that the new homeowners in their $1m+ homes need a school within walking distance.

So it really was just a ploy by TB. TB "donated" the land to SVUSD, but SVUSD has no money to build the school and TB will just get the land back to build more homes.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I missed this somewhere... is there MR in The Meadows?

 

[eddieuclabruin]

A little off-topic from the current elementary school discussion, but just to add another data point for people who are following this thread: I am a contingent buyer with an agent that submitted the pre-application worksheet the first day it was available for willows/oaks back in September. At this point we are pretty certain we will not get an opportunity to purchase a home here as we have had zero communication from TB ever since they replied back in September saying they received our worksheet.

 

[talkirvine]

A little off-topic from the current elementary school discussion, but just to add another data point for people who are following this thread: I am a contingent buyer with an agent that submitted the pre-application worksheet the first day it was available for willows/oaks back in September. At this point we are pretty certain we will not get an opportunity to purchase a home here as we have had zero communication from TB ever since they replied back in September saying they received our worksheet.

There are a lot all cash buyers who have no preferences on floor plan, directions, et al. I think they have priorities.

 

[CalBears96]

I missed this somewhere... is there MR in The Meadows?

No, all Lake Forest homes don't have MR.

 

[CalBears96]

A little off-topic from the current elementary school discussion, but just to add another data point for people who are following this thread: I am a contingent buyer with an agent that submitted the pre-application worksheet the first day it was available for willows/oaks back in September. At this point we are pretty certain we will not get an opportunity to purchase a home here as we have had zero communication from TB ever since they replied back in September saying they received our worksheet.

I had a long conversation with sales consultant at Oaks back in October after submitting pre-application worksheet toward end of September. I pretty much had to follow up with them (quite often) after the replied back saying they received my worksheet. Basically, this is what she told me in terms of priority:

1. Non-investor cash buyers with no agent.
2. Non-investor borrowers with no agent.
3. Non-investor cash buyers with agent.
4. Non-investor borrowers with agent.
5. Investor.

Of course, that's just a general outline. It also depends on how motivated you are to buy and your floorplan preferences.

Also, when you said "contingent buyer", do you mean selling your current home as contingency? If so, that might make it a bit more difficult also.

 

[bones]

I know someone in the (4) category that bought in Phase 1. It was one of the middle tier tracts (don?t remember all the names). I think ?the list? can be a crapshoot.

 

[CalBears96]

I know someone in the (4) category that bought in Phase 1. It was one of the middle tier tracts (don?t remember all the names). I think ?the list? can be a crapshoot.

I was in category 4 too. The lady told me that if I was very motivated, she would work with me. We went out the next day to look at the site (by ourselves), but we didn't like it, so we decided not to move forward.

 

[aquabliss]

I missed this somewhere... is there MR in The Meadows?

No, all Lake Forest homes don't have MR.

You said all homes don?t have it, but you meant no homes do have it?

 

[CalBears96]

I missed this somewhere... is there MR in The Meadows?

No, all Lake Forest homes don't have MR.

You said all homes don?t have it, but you meant no homes do have it?

I meant to say the new homes in Lake Forest won't have MR. Like the ones at Meadows, Serrano Summit, BR, Teresina, etc.