Who bought the 2010 home?

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Mike, congrats on your new house. You don't have to justify your home purchase to anyone. If you have the money and want to spend it on a house in Woodbury, more power to you. Yay!

I honestly think that anyone who gives you a hard time about it has their own issues to deal with. That, or they are jealous of your money. That's understandable...but even those of us who are regular middle class and upper middle class people still have it better than, say, 95% of the people on earth, so we should be happy about that.

BK, I don't know if you're still posting in this thread, but I gotta say...I'm kind of sick of all your generalizations about Asians and whatnot. Yes, I know you are Asian. Whoop dee da. But all your pronouncements about the "Asian mentality" are stereotypes...generalizations...and assumptions. They don't apply to everyone.

Back when I first started posting at IHB, you did a little "profile" of me and you were wrong about almost everything. I didn't say anything at the time, because I was intimidated by you and all the old IHB'ers, but now I am. How arrogant of you to think you can get an accurate profile of a person from a few posts on an internet forum.

Yes, I admit it, I don't worship BK! Throw me to the hounds!
 
[quote author="zubs"]With all the huge down payments in Irvine, interest rates don't really affect the demand of homes as much as other areas. I think the average down payment in Irvine is 30% isn't it? I think IR2 had that number somewhere.[/quote]
Worse... it was 40% in 2009.
 
[quote author="traceimage"]Mike, congrats on your new house. You don't have to justify your home purchase to anyone. If you have the money and want to spend it on a house in Woodbury, more power to you. Yay!

I honestly think that anyone who gives you a hard time about it has their own issues to deal with. That, or they are jealous of your money. That's understandable...but even those of us who are regular middle class and upper middle class people still have it better than, say, 95% of the people on earth, so we should be happy about that.

BK, I don't know if you're still posting in this thread, but I gotta say...I'm kind of sick of all your generalizations about Asians and whatnot. Yes, I know you are Asian. Whoop dee da. But all your pronouncements about the "Asian mentality" are stereotypes...generalizations...and assumptions. They don't apply to everyone.

Back when I first started posting at IHB, you did a little "profile" of me and you were wrong about almost everything. I didn't say anything at the time, because I was intimidated by you and all the old IHB'ers, but now I am. How arrogant of you to think you can get an accurate profile of a person from a few posts on an internet forum.

Yes, I admit it, I don't worship BK! Throw me to the hounds!
[/quote]

I take that your remodel has not gone well and your Asian husband did not praise you for the outcome?
 
[quote author="graceomalley"]
[quote author="traceimage"]Mike, congrats on your new house. You don't have to justify your home purchase to anyone. If you have the money and want to spend it on a house in Woodbury, more power to you. Yay!

I honestly think that anyone who gives you a hard time about it has their own issues to deal with. That, or they are jealous of your money. That's understandable...but even those of us who are regular middle class and upper middle class people still have it better than, say, 95% of the people on earth, so we should be happy about that.

BK, I don't know if you're still posting in this thread, but I gotta say...I'm kind of sick of all your generalizations about Asians and whatnot. Yes, I know you are Asian. Whoop dee da. But all your pronouncements about the "Asian mentality" are stereotypes...generalizations...and assumptions. They don't apply to everyone.

Back when I first started posting at IHB, you did a little "profile" of me and you were wrong about almost everything. I didn't say anything at the time, because I was intimidated by you and all the old IHB'ers, but now I am. How arrogant of you to think you can get an accurate profile of a person from a few posts on an internet forum.

Yes, I admit it, I don't worship BK! Throw me to the hounds!
[/quote]

I take that your remodel has not gone well and your Asian husband did not praise you for the outcome?[/quote]

Cute edit. I like how you added the part about my Asian husband.

I don't even understand what you are trying to imply here. Is that another stereotype about which I am unaware? That Asian husbands "praise" their wives when house remodels are successful? I'm confused...
 
You did not marry an Asian from oversea. Your husband is a banana and most likely can't read nor write Asian words. You did not get any money from his folks for your down payment either because they have almost no tie to their native country.

Few Asians like to remodel homes they would buy new or totally reburbished homes.

Foreign Asians are not handy due to their limited exposure during their upbringings in their native land so they are not the demographic buying lumber and simpson brackets from Home Depot.
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Yeah... no hounds here... go trace!

(I'm backing trace here because I like gumption. And cake.)[/quote]

Thanks, IHO.

This year I have been trying to be more open and say what I think, instead of bottling everything up and being afraid of offending people. Not just online, but in my personal life too. It feels really good.

Cake is awesome!
 
[quote author="graceomalley"]You did not marry an Asian from oversea. Your husband is a banana and most likely can't read nor write Asian words. You did not get any money from his folks for your down payment either because they have almost no tie to their native country.

Few Asians like to remodel homes they would buy new or totally reburbished homes.

Foreign Asians are not handy due to their limited exposure during their upbringings in their native land so they are not the demographic buying lumber and simpson brackets from Home Depot.[/quote]

You don't know me. We haven't met. So why do you make these assumptions?

You don't actually know all the Asians on earth either, so you can't really say what "few Asians" and "foreign Asians" would do or not do.

Just to clarify:

1. My husband was born overseas and lived there until he was 11. He is fluent in the language, in both speaking and writing.

2. My husband's mom has a lot of ties to her native country. So many ties, in fact, that she lives there part of the year and doesn't speak very much English.

3. We didn't get money from his parents because they're not in a financial position to offer it. And even if they were, I doubt my husband would accept it because he is of the mindset that children should take care of their parents. If we could afford it, he'd want to buy his mom a house.

Free your mind, BK!
 
[quote author="graceomalley"]You did not marry an Asian from oversea. Your husband is a banana and most likely can't read nor write Asian words. You did not get any money from his folks for your down payment either because they have almost no tie to their native country.

Few Asians like to remodel homes they would buy new or totally refurbished homes.

Foreign Asians are not handy due to their limited exposure during their upbringings in their native land so they are not the demographic buying lumber and Simpson brackets from Home Depot.[/quote]

When my comments does not apply to your husband just move on. There are many who are applicable and over the last 3 years many have come forward.

For every 10 that I hit I missed one or two is good enough for the purpose of product placement.

So calm down relax and don't get bend out of shape. This is only a public forum. For many who agrees with me there are be many who don't.

The chip on your shoulder is not really about my stereotype but how I accurately disclose the flaws of your beloved facade city.
for every one of my comment I have always provided a support and reason.

The only exception is my stereotyping because they are subjective so you started to nick pic there.

This site is sounding like an echoing chamber when you congratulate each other in the herd line. It is not only freaking boring and totally un-insightful.

Without my presence you folks would just died from boredom. A majorities of the posts are useless information and that include yours.

Rather than picking on me spare your time and post something that would benefit me, enlighten me and the others.
 
[quote author="ck"]
[quote author="roundcorners"]man, this thread has turned into a train wreck... BK is relentless... [/quote]

BK knows he needs to be relentless, because the pressure from others is also relentless. For one, I appreciate everything BK has to say. If somone can afford to spend $800k+ on a home, they better also be a big enough boy (or girl) to justify that purchase, and better have thick enough skin to take some feedback on it.

I trust each and every one of these people nutting up to drop that kind of coin on a house have certainly endured their share of hostile meetings and experiences in the workplace --- nobody pulling down $150k+ has a job that is just all butterflies and flowers every day. You don't get to that postion in life by always being nice, and have people be nice to you.

Toughen up, folks. If you believe in it, doesn't matter what BK says. If what BK says gets to you, then maybe you better think about it.[/quote]

Wow, not this thread is beyond a train wreck and is really interesting now... all on a Friday afternoon, looks like peeps will be checking in on TI this weekend...

CK, first I have to disagree with you here... Just because you can pull down $150K and can buy a $800-$1m house doesn't mean that you have character & integrity. A huge example is Tiger; his personal life and marriage is falling apart!

Just because you are a great engineer doesn't mean you know how to console your crying wife; just because you are CEO of a large multi-national corp doesn't mean you can't be a white collar crook.

A lot of peeps in Irvine may do well professionally but their personal lives are a mess. And I am honestly surprised by Mike; welcome again! Yet again, my paradigm is shifting again. And BK, I think people are way too complicated to be put inside boxes. As many Mikes as there are out there in Irvine, I say there are 50+ more families/marriages hanging on by a thread because of the lack of true integrity & character required by the demands of reality, not just work realities but personal & emotional ones...
 
[quote author="traceimage"]
[quote author="graceomalley"]You did not marry an Asian from oversea. Your husband is a banana and most likely can't read nor write Asian words. You did not get any money from his folks for your down payment either because they have almost no tie to their native country.

Few Asians like to remodel homes they would buy new or totally reburbished homes.

Foreign Asians are not handy due to their limited exposure during their upbringings in their native land so they are not the demographic buying lumber and simpson brackets from Home Depot.[/quote]

You don't know me. We haven't met. So why do you make these assumptions?

You don't actually know all the Asians on earth either, so you can't really say what "few Asians" and "foreign Asians" would do or not do.

Just to clarify:

1. My husband was born overseas and lived there until he was 11. He is fluent in the language, in both speaking and writing.

2. My husband's mom has a lot of ties to her native country. So many ties, in fact, that she lives there part of the year and doesn't speak very much English.

3. We didn't get money from his parents because they're not in a financial position to offer it. And even if they were, I doubt my husband would accept it because he is of the mindset that children should take care of their parents. If we could afford it, he'd want to buy his mom a house.

Free your mind, BK![/quote]

Which country? I am curious now.
 
[quote author="roundcorners"]
[quote author="ck"]

BK knows he needs to be relentless, because the pressure from others is also relentless. For one, I appreciate everything BK has to say. If somone can afford to spend $800k+ on a home, they better also be a big enough boy (or girl) to justify that purchase, and better have thick enough skin to take some feedback on it.

I trust each and every one of these people nutting up to drop that kind of coin on a house have certainly endured their share of hostile meetings and experiences in the workplace --- nobody pulling down $150k+ has a job that is just all butterflies and flowers every day. You don't get to that postion in life by always being nice, and have people be nice to you.

Toughen up, folks. If you believe in it, doesn't matter what BK says. If what BK says gets to you, then maybe you better think about it.[/quote]

Wow, not this thread is beyond a train wreck and is really interesting now... all on a Friday afternoon, looks like peeps will be checking in on TI this weekend...

CK, first I have to disagree with you here... Just because you can pull down $150K and can buy a $800-$1m house doesn't mean that you have character & integrity. A huge example is Tiger; his personal life and marriage is falling apart!

Just because you are a great engineer doesn't mean you know how to console your crying wife; just because you are CEO of a large multi-national corp doesn't mean you can't be a white collar crook.

A lot of peeps in Irvine may do well professionally but their personal lives are a mess. And I am honestly surprised by Mike; welcome again! Yet again, my paradigm is shifting again. And BK, I think people are way too complicated to be put inside boxes. As many Mikes as there are out there in Irvine, I say there are 50+ more families/marriages hanging on by a thread because of the lack of true integrity & character required by the demands of reality, not just work realities but personal & emotional ones...[/quote]

I know that. Why do people take my stereotype so seriously. They are not meant for every one.

Just like you said many marriages are hanging by the thread. Buying a house will only temporarily mask the real symptoms thinking a house will change their life and be happy again just like the fairytales depicted in the ads.
 
[quote author="graceomalley"]
This site is sounding like an echoing chamber when you congratulate each other in the herd line. It is not only freaking boring and totally un-insightful.
[/quote]
Not really. I like hearing the reasons why people make the decisions they do... whether I agree with them or not. There is nothing wrong with members congratulating each other... different strokes.

Without my presence you folks would just died from boredom.
Click to expand...
I admit you bring spice to a conversation... but TI was doing okay while you were on hiatus. I think you missed us more.

A majorities of the posts are useless information and that include yours.
Click to expand...
Only SPAM is useless. Every member contributes to this forum in their own way, not everyone is an expert in certain fields but that doesn't mean their opinions don't matter.

To get back to Switzerland... while BK's observations don't necessarily apply to EVERYONE, each of us can acknowledge some truth behind it, whether it's on a "I know someone exactly like that" level or more of a wider philosophical approach.

After all, that's what stereotypes are... generalizations of commonalities.

And whether you agree with BK or not... it's an interesting read.
 
[quote author="traceimage"]
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]Yeah... no hounds here... go trace!

(I'm backing trace here because I like gumption. And cake.)[/quote]

Thanks, IHO.

This year I have been trying to be more open and say what I think, instead of bottling everything up and being afraid of offending people. Not just online, but in my personal life too. It feels really good.

Cake is awesome! [/quote]

Are you feeling better now that I became your punch bag?
 
[quote author="traceimage"]

I honestly think that anyone who gives you a hard time about it has their own issues to deal with. That, or they are jealous of your money. That's understandable...but even those of us who are regular middle class and upper middle class people still have it better than, say, 95% of the people on earth, so we should be happy about that.

[/quote]

No, trace. I do not have issues and I am not jealous of Mike or anyone else with an $800k down payment, good for them. Trace, I have NO desire to have a lot of money --- I love my middle class lifestyle. A wise man once said "mo money, mo problems". My *issue* is that this city which was formerly a safe haven for upper middle class people is now being bid up to ridiculous levels, therefore leaving myself and presumably you unable to buy a reasonable home consistent with our hard work. Maybe you are ok with that, I don't feel like I should have to settle.

I know what I want out of life, and its actually quite simple --- about 2,000 sq ft, and a little backyard to entertain my middle class friends, and a driveway to wash my Honda's. I want to leave work by 5pm most days (you are making me late). And if damn near $200k/yr won't buy that in Irvine, then its time to move along. But no harm or foul. Like I said earlier --- Big Mike does not sound like my kind of neighbor, and the rest of the 2010 buyers probably are not, either. So in reality, I have realized that what I wanted all along I really don't want anymore...
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]
[quote author="graceomalley"]
This site is sounding like an echoing chamber when you congratulate each other in the herd line. It is not only freaking boring and totally un-insightful.
[/quote]
Not really. I like hearing the reasons why people make the decisions they do... whether I agree with them or not. There is nothing wrong with members congratulating each other... different strokes.

I admit you bring spice to a conversation... but TI was doing okay while you were on hiatus. I think you missed us more.

A majorities of the posts are useless information and that include yours.
Click to expand...
Only SPAM is useless. Every member contributes to this forum in their own way, not everyone is an expert in certain fields but that doesn't mean their opinions don't matter.

To get back to Switzerland... while BK's observations don't necessarily apply to EVERYONE, each of us can acknowledge some truth behind it, whether it's on a "I know someone exactly like that" level or more of a wider philosophical approach.

After all, that's what stereotypes are... generalizations of commonalities.

And whether you agree with BK or not... it's an interesting read.[/quote]

Sorry, I don't miss you more.

Just look at the threads with the longest pages like this one and see who wrote in them to gauge blog activities.
 
Wow - great group of posts! I want to throw my hat in the ring as a person interested in Irvine and the new home collection. I'm currently living an American living in Tokyo (Yes, I'm aware of the cliche) and have been for the last 12 years. It is a great place to live but I'm looking for a change. I started out with a Hawaii search, now Hawaii is great and a wonderful place to live (lived there for 10 years too) but it doesn't have the right stuff for me now that I have 2 children to take car of and nurture as well as ensure they can have a good future (low paying jobs, low access and high real estate costs are a bad combination)

So I decided on the US Mainland because it does have everything I think they will need to live, work and pursue their dreams AND not have to travel 3000 miles from home (as I and my brother have done) to pursue them.

Why Irvine - over any other place. Well I'm looking for 3 things - access to great schools, walkability and a strong asian/Japanese community as frankly, it's what I'm comfortable with. After searching and speaking with people - Irvine (as you all know) does have all this.

i'm not sure what I'll be buying but whatever it is, it will be new - I prefer new - as does my wife since our first home together in Tokyo was a nice condo in a new high-rise. This time - we both want a house. On a per square foot basis - irvine is quite cheap. The same house in Tokyo would easily cost my 1.5 times more than the highest priced homes in Carmel and PS.

Another factor is walkability - the area must be walkable or bikeable - living in Tokyo for 12 years - I've become used to walking or bicycling to get to most places including my office. I think Irvine has this too!

So - I'll be coming to Irvine in the next few weeks to examine the area, look at the new home collection and perhaps buy - that is unless during my trip I find a location in Southern Calif with the same benefits.
 
BK, I don't have a chip on my shoulder about Irvine. You do! You had a bad experience living here, you hated your neighbors, etc and now you have issues.

Irvine is not my "beloved facade city." I just happen to live here. To be honest, I would rather live in Laguna Niguel, but Irvine is closer to the things we need to be close to.

I'm not congratulating anyone on buying in Irvine in particular. I would congratulate someone on buying a house regardless of where it was. If it's a goal for someone to buy a house and they achieve it, then that's great. I don't care what city the house is located in.

If you are making assumptions specifically about me and my husband, I'm not going to just move on. I'm going to respond. Just because your silly assumptions might apply to some people in the world doesn't make them any more valid. What, you just throw it out there and figure it'll stick to something? And then everyone will think you're a genius?

My husband is from Taiwan. I'm sure you'll have some exception/disclaimer about people from Taiwan to explain why your earlier proclamations about Asians don't apply.
 
[quote author="ck"]
[quote author="traceimage"]

I honestly think that anyone who gives you a hard time about it has their own issues to deal with. That, or they are jealous of your money. That's understandable...but even those of us who are regular middle class and upper middle class people still have it better than, say, 95% of the people on earth, so we should be happy about that.

[/quote]

No, trace. I do not have issues and I am not jealous of Mike or anyone else with an $800k down payment, good for them. Trace, I have NO desire to have a lot of money --- I love my middle class lifestyle. A wise man once said "mo money, mo problems". My *issue* is that this city which was formerly a safe haven for upper middle class people is now being bid up to ridiculous levels, therefore leaving myself and presumably you unable to buy a reasonable home consistent with our hard work. Maybe you are ok with that, I don't feel like I should have to settle.

I know what I want out of life, and its actually quite simple --- about 2,000 sq ft, and a little backyard to entertain my middle class friends, and a driveway to wash my Honda's. I want to leave work by 5pm most days (you are making me late). And if damn near $200k/yr won't buy that in Irvine, then its time to move along. But no harm or foul. Like I said earlier --- Big Mike does not sound like my kind of neighbor, and the rest of the 2010 buyers probably are not, either. So in reality, I have realized that what I wanted all along I really don't want anymore...

[/quote]

CK,

Few really come to a realization that the compromises you have to make to live in Irvine come out from your family's expense.

Working longer hours for that freaking mortgage and missing time with your daughter and In-laws. I can't write missing time with your wife.

No backyard for your quality of life. Pocket park can't solve the privacy entertaining need.

Most importantly time for each other is the crucial element for a good marriage regardless of how strong the foundation is.

Buyers seem to think after buying that expensive house family will only automatically get better and grow stronger from there just like their kids will automatically advance to Harvard after Irvine schools. Tension and finance often are the immediate problems right after a home purchase.

Some couples end in divorce after a custom home or remodels.

You are very wise my friend.
 
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