Tustin ranch

[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251017473]OMG. Thank you, Deuce!! Thanks for going to the trouble of locating & posting them all. You are the best.</blockquote>


Was updating the "Turtles" and thought I could add just a bit more for everyone. (TRidge is now complete, and I'm really liking the TRock artistry - many are quite obviously hand-drawn)



-IR2
 
I went to <a href="http://insidetract.biz/it_main_search.cfm">The Inside Tract</a> to find out who the builder is, like I normally do... only to find out they have now changed their site and apparently I can't view it without a subscription. Drats! BK -- by any chance, do you know who the builder is for Sedona in Tustin Ranch? Or, Deuce, does it say anywhere on the info you got for the floor plans? Thanks.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251019909]I went to <a href="http://insidetract.biz/it_main_search.cfm">The Inside Tract</a> to find out who the builder is, like I normally do... only to find out they have now changed their site and apparently I can't view it without a subscription. Drats! BK -- by any chance, do you know who the builder is for Sedona in Tustin Ranch? Or, Deuce, does it say anywhere on the info you got for the floor plans? Thanks.</blockquote>


The 3CWG should be a dead giveaway. Kaufman & Broad (KB Homes)
 
[quote author="IrvineRealtor" date=1251020412]The 3CWG should be a dead giveaway. Kaufman & Broad (KB Homes)</blockquote>


Oh, noooooo. Well, that's a disappointment. Shoot.



I didn't realize the 3CWG is a major clue to who the builder is. I will keep that in mind. Thanks for letting me know.
 
Bk - I thought you'd be happy to see plans like A and C where they have fit a 3rd car without making a 3CWG. (I know the last one is wide, though.) Plan A has the concealed tandem spot and Plan C has it rotated, with windows and blinds street-facing. That seems nice.
 
KB knows its demographic profile. Look at Tremont in FV. It was a big success. KB is not interested in building long term legacy neighborhoods and the bottom line is $$$$$$$$$$$. Give the consumers a third car garage and it will distract the buyers from seeing all other 999 flaws with the homes.



KB is bad news. One of my staff was the former director of product development for KB (He did it for $$$). He knew everything about this company and those are are interested in having KB in their community will be a big mistake. It is like bringing a 99 Cents store to SCP.
 
Thanks for setting me straight, Bk. I appreciate the advice. As interested as I was in them, it would be foolish of me to ignore your advice.
 
[quote author="IrvineRealtor" date=1251018898]Was updating the "Turtles" and thought I could add just a bit more for everyone. (TRidge is now complete, and I'm really liking the TRock artistry - many are quite obviously hand-drawn)



-IR2</blockquote>


BTW - for anyone reading this, you guys should know how much work this man has recently put into his site (<a href="http://www.irvinerealtorsite.com/">www.irvinerealtorsite.com</a>) to add all of these floorplans for all of us. When it is completed, I do believe it will be the most comprehensive, free site available on the net for Irvine floorplans (if it isn't already and from my searches, it appears to be.) Deuce, when it's all done, you'll have to make some kind of announcement so people realize what is available to them. Thanks for going to all this work.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251019909]I went to <a href="http://insidetract.biz/it_main_search.cfm">The Inside Tract</a> to find out who the builder is, like I normally do... only to find out they have now changed their site and apparently I can't view it without a subscription. Drats! BK -- by any chance, do you know who the builder is for Sedona in Tustin Ranch? Or, Deuce, does it say anywhere on the info you got for the floor plans? Thanks.</blockquote>


You can find tract/builder information @http://www.search-ochomes.com/tustin-real-estate.htm(click on Tustin Ranch in bold letters)

The site also has information on Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Dana Point and Ladera Ranch. Hope this helps.
 
BK - I would like your opinion on Lewis Homes. The only mention of Lewis that I have found is <a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/5481/#113494">here</a>, where it looks like you are grouping them with the same quality as Fieldstone and Lyon, so it sounds like Lewis cuts corners. Am I reading that correctly? Thank you. (If you're feeling particularly generous, how about a thumbs up or down on Catelus, who built Vidorra in Tustin Ranch. I have never heard of this builder before and no info on IHB yet.)



Cameray - thanks for the link with the builder info I was looking for.
 
Lewis was KB's competition for many years in the Inland Empire. KB is the 99 cents store and Lewis was the former PIc N Save. KB bought out Lewis many years ago and I believe Lewis under the agreement could not build homes but the language does allow the Lewis family to develop and entitle remaining family own land to builders. Most of its family inventory is located in Upland /Rancho Cucamonga foothill corridor.
 
Bk - would it be possible to buy a lower quality home and bring it up to par? For example, the last home I owned, was by all accounts, a subpar product. (I do not know who the builder was.) One thing it had was extremely cheap siding that was composed of a type of low grade particle board. It suffered moisture issues whereas it swelled with water and it lead to other problems. What we did is replace the siding with better quality. It is an expense but done easily enough. However, this is on the exterior. Would there be too many inefficiencies in a KB / Lewis / similar home that would be impossible or difficult to fix to make the house adequate? (I think you mentioned bracings once so that sounds impossible.)
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251075689]Bk - would it be possible to buy a lower quality home and bring it up to par? For example, the last home I owned, was by all accounts, a subpar product. (I do not know who the builder was.) One thing it had was extremely cheap siding that was composed of a type of low grade particle board. It suffered moisture issues whereas it swelled with water and it lead to other problems. What we did is replace the siding with better quality. It is an expense but done easily enough. However, this is on the exterior. Would there be too many inefficiencies in a KB / Lewis / similar home that would be impossible or difficult to fix to make the house adequate?</blockquote>


You can dip a rotten strawberry in chocolate or marinade expired chicken from the grocers freezer. It may look good but still taste bad.



Truly amazing structure is the bone and waterproofing. Cosmetic is only a cover up.



#1 mistake for a consumers is to think the quality of a home is based on finishes. All builders know that and they know how to cut the bones to pay for the skin. The only way to know is to purchase a home with help from someone with construction experience.
 
[quote author="bkshopr" date=1251076912][quote author="SoCal78" date=1251075689]Bk - would it be possible to buy a lower quality home and bring it up to par? For example, the last home I owned, was by all accounts, a subpar product. (I do not know who the builder was.) One thing it had was extremely cheap siding that was composed of a type of low grade particle board. It suffered moisture issues whereas it swelled with water and it lead to other problems. What we did is replace the siding with better quality. It is an expense but done easily enough. However, this is on the exterior. Would there be too many inefficiencies in a KB / Lewis / similar home that would be impossible or difficult to fix to make the house adequate?</blockquote>


You can dip a rotten strawberry in chocolate or marinade expired chicken from the grocers freezer. It may look good but still taste bad.



Truly amazing structure is the bone and waterproofing. Cosmetic is only a cover up.



#1 mistake for a consumers is to think the quality of a home is based on finishes. All builders know that and they know how to cut the bones to pay for the skin. The only way to know is to purchase a home with help from someone with construction experience.</blockquote>


Isnt all new home construction not up to par these days? The builders who are public have a tremendous amount of pressure on earnings so it makes sense that they cut corners. I guess if you buy a new home you just hope it holds up till you pass it along to the next sucker.
 
Regarding earthquakes many homes in Socal have not experienced the first devastating earthquake. Homes that survived a few big earthquakes will likely to withstand some future ones. I do not see too many problems with structures but the major failure I predict will be on the land settlement.





Todays land cost is so high that moving mountains and chopping hills to maximize lot count is profitable. Land normally would require years to compact itself and allowing years for rainfall to set proper drainage course were prematurely set out for building in just a matter of days. Concrete foundation requiring at least 90 days to cure was set for framing just after 2 days may likely develop many future issues.



Post tensioned concrete slab will hide many problems and when the symptoms do show up its often too late.
 
[quote author="qwerty" date=1251077384]Isnt all new home construction not up to par these days? The builders who are public have a tremendous amount of pressure on earnings so it makes sense that they cut corners. I guess if you buy a new home you just hope it holds up till you pass it along to the next sucker.</blockquote>


Yeah, I'm sort of wondering the same thing... these days, aren't they all of modest quality? Does any builder ever let the foundation cure properly before framing? If we buy in a flatter part of the city that is not in a liquefaction zone or cut and fill pad on a slope, are chances on our side that we could be ok structurally for 15-20 years until we flip to the next sucker? ;-) (Sorry, I don't mean to give you need for Tylenol today, Bk.)
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251085126][quote author="qwerty" date=1251077384]Isnt all new home construction not up to par these days? The builders who are public have a tremendous amount of pressure on earnings so it makes sense that they cut corners. I guess if you buy a new home you just hope it holds up till you pass it along to the next sucker.</blockquote>


Yeah, I'm sort of wondering the same thing... these days, aren't they all of modest quality? Does any builder ever let the foundation cure properly before framing? If we buy in a flatter part of the city that is not in a liquefaction zone or cut and fill pad on a slope, are chances on our side that we could be ok structurally for 15-20 years until we flip to the next sucker? ;-) (Sorry, I don't mean to give you need for Tylenol today, Bk.)</blockquote>


Staying off the production home lots on hillside is a good start. Taylor Morrison Newport Coast project is one good example of a very expensive lawsuit on cracked walls, leak and mold problems. Any place where extensive contour modification was involved it is subject to some sort of land movement in the future. Anaheim Hills neighborhood built in the 70s and Laguna Niguel neighborhoods built in the 80's and cracked walls in the Taylor Morrisson neighborhood in Newport Coast built in the 90s being one of the most expensive class action lawsuit in OC. All of the problem neighborhoods were built by reputable builders like Baldwins, JM Peters, and Taylor Woodrow. If the very top tier builders were having problem then what are the chances for the less well known builders.



Some neighborhoods the developers delivered graded lots to the builders. If the lots were failing then the developer is potentially accountable for not delivering properly graded lot and proper drainage hydrology that might have caused saturation to slope. It is usually a big can of worm as many will begin to wonder whether other older hillside terraces graded with the same methodology will be subject to future land settlement. Only time could reveal the answer.



Like I said, before buying a hillside property ask for a grading plan to compare the "before and after" contour lines. Never buy a property with filled grade and avoid properties at close proximity to a catch basin or drainage swale because these will be the area of the highest moisture saturation from rain and everyday nuisance water run off.



Old school hillside development like Villa Park, Fullerton, and oldest part of Tustin Hills are less likely to have settlement issues because gradings were kept to a minimal and vegetation and natural slopes were left alone to absorb water vs new developments where the hillside is totally manufactured with very little green space to percolate and to dissipate the speed of drainage. Asphalt streets and concrete roofs preventing water from absorbing into the ground and this accumulation of water in conjunction with the downhill streets increase the drainage velocity and water pressure that lead to extreme erosion and weaken the base that is supporting the hillside.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1251085126][quote author="qwerty" date=1251077384]Isnt all new home construction not up to par these days? The builders who are public have a tremendous amount of pressure on earnings so it makes sense that they cut corners. I guess if you buy a new home you just hope it holds up till you pass it along to the next sucker.</blockquote>


Yeah, I'm sort of wondering the same thing... these days, aren't they all of modest quality? Does any builder ever let the foundation cure properly before framing? If we buy in a flatter part of the city that is not in a liquefaction zone or cut and fill pad on a slope, are chances on our side that we could be ok structurally for 15-20 years until we flip to the next sucker? ;-) (Sorry, I don't mean to give you need for Tylenol today, Bk.)</blockquote>


The first and second generations of production homes in Garden Grove and Cypress has already proven to be a total disaster in construction defect and inferiority. Estimated life span of the structures should be less than 70 years.



Yes, to answer your question is when you discover the defects patch it up cosmetically and pass the problem to the next buyer.
 
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