Irvine Housing Blog

A Review of the Saratoga Tract at Stonegate

A week ago, I toured the new Mendocino neighborhood in Stonegate.  Today, I visited the models in Stonegate’s other new neighborhood, Saratoga.  Located adjacent to Sand Canyon and close to Portola, Saratoga will have 91 homes and is currently in phase 5 of 15.  The nearest schools are Stonegate Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School and Northwood High School.  Jeffrey Trail Middle School, scheduled to open in September 2013 will serve Stonegate in place of Sierra Vista.  Residents will have access to all of Stonegate’s swimming pools and parks, including Mockingbird Park, which is right next to the neighborhood and boasts Stonegate’s biggest swimming pool, plus a tot lot, bbq facilities and basketball courts.

As in Mendocino, none of the homes have a traditional formal living room or dining room.  Each provides a choice of indoor or outdoor living in the form of a conservatory (fully indoors), California Room (partially enclosed outdoor room), or the standard trellis outdoor area.  All homes have a two-car garage.  In general, these homes average 200-300 square feet smaller than the Mendocino homes and only have lot sizes of about 2800 square feet.

Base Property Tax: 1.05%
AD Tax: $2,126 per year
CFD Tax: $1,700 per year
Other Taxes: $160 per year
Overall Effective Tax Rate: Approximately 1.6% (amounts are estimates based on info currently available from the City of Irvine and Irvine Unified School District)
Homeowners Dues: $110 per month (proposed)

Link to Saratoga Floor Plans (PDF 8MB)

A Review of the Mendocino Tract at Stonegate

The models are open at Mendocino, one of Stonegate’s newest communities.  Located at the westernmost end of the village, Mendocino will have 133 homes and is currently in phase 3 of 20.  The earliest move-in dates are April/May 2013.  The nearest schools are Stonegate Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School and Northwood High School.  Jeffrey Trail Middle School, scheduled to open in September 2013 will serve Stonegate in place of Sierra Vista.  Residents will have access to all of Stonegate’s swimming pools and parks, including two planned future parks located just north and just west of the Mendocino homes.  The neighborhood is a short walk from Stonegate Elementary School and is located about halfway between Irvine Blvd and Portola Parkway.

None of the homes have a traditional formal living room or dining room.  Each provides a choice of indoor or outdoor living in the form of a conservatory (fully indoors), California Room (partially enclosed outdoor room), or the standard trellis outdoor area.  Each model shows a different option, so I will discuss them in more detail below.  All homes have a two-car garage.

Base Property Tax: 1.05%
AD Tax: $2,246 per year
CFD Tax: $1,700 per year
Other Taxes: $160 per year
Overall Effective Tax Rate: Approximately 1.6% (amounts are estimates based on info currently available from the City of Irvine and Irvine Unified School District)
Homeowners Dues: $110 per month (proposed)

Link to Mendocino Floor Plans (PDF 11MB)

A Review of The Hill Tract at Lambert Ranch

This week, I will review the third and final tract in Lambert Ranch, The Hill.  This is the mid-range tract, with large (but not enormous) homes and gorgeous views all the way to the coast on a clear day.  Like the other tracts, The Hill offers a bathroom in every bedroom, options for private quarters, and a lot of flexibility in how the rooms are used.  Click here to see my first review of Lambert Ranch, which includes general information about the community.

The Hill Spec Sheet

A Review of The Grove at Lambert Ranch

A couple of weeks ago, I presented a review of The Field, a tract in the new community of Lambert Ranch.  This week, I had the pleasure of visiting The Grove, the largest of the three tracts.  Since the previous review gives a general overview of Lambert Ranch, I will jump right into my review of The Grove.

Lambert Ranch - The Grove Pricing 5/13/2012 (PDF)

A Review of The Field Tract at Lambert Ranch

Today, I start a series highlighting the three tracts within Lambert Ranch (community overview), a brand new gated community in the hills above Irvine, bordered by Portola Springs and the 133 and 241 toll roads.  Catering to families, the community has numerous parks, pools, and the Ranch House recreational center to allow members of the community to come together.  It even features a Children’s Adventure Park, a new .75 acre park designed for children by children.  The nearest schools are Stonegate Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School, and Northwood High School.  Lambert Ranch will have 169 homes.

Lambert Ranch is promoting what they call “life space.”  This offers flexible living situations such as adjacent plots, separate guest houses, or private quarters within a home.  This flexibility makes it easy for multi-generational families to live together, or to set up a private home office or studio.

What sets Lambert Ranch apart from every other new community in Irvine is the absence of Mello Roos taxes.  This is a huge annual savings and may make a brand new home affordable for a family that can’t manage the extra tax in other communities.

I have the pleasure of visiting each tract and giving you the scoop on the different homes.  This week, I’ll review The Field.

Base Property Tax: 1.05%
Overall Effective Tax Rate: Approximate 1.09%
Homeowners Dues: approx. $300/month

A Change in Trend for Irvine Housing: No New Mello Roos?

An IHB post from last week was about one of Irvine’s most recent housing development, Lambert Ranch. As Zovall stated in that post, a sneak preview of the homes in this new development occurred recently. Some TalkIrvine participants attended the preview and gave some interesting and differing opinions. You might want to take a look at their comments.

Today's post is another twist on this new housing development in Irvine.

A Review of San Carlos Court at Portola Springs

Recently I was driving through the Laguna Niguel community. I was on my way to a friend’s house, but decided to take a detour and scope out some of the neighborhoods. As I poked around several neighborhoods, I noticed the friendly atmosphere. People waved at me as I drove by. They smiled—even though I was a complete stranger. I know they didn’t recognize my car, but they still made me feel welcome. It was an amazing feeling that I haven’t felt since I was a kid growing up in the Orange Hills area. Neighbors interacted with each other—it was a novel concept. I’ve lived in Irvine for nearly fifteen years, and not once did I really know my neighbors. Most of the time I didn’t want to know my neighbors (and I’m a highly sociable gal). This got me to thinking: what is so different about Portola Springs versus this little neighborhood in Laguna Niguel? My answer was simple: The neighbors weren’t on top of each other. There may not have been a lot of space in between the houses, but there was enough comfortable distance that created privacy. Some neighborhoods in Irvine have this aura—but Portola Springs seems lacking.

I visited San Carlos Court (Overview) on the same day which reaffirmed my observations. San Carlos Court at Portola Springs is a collection of eight different residences centered around a common courtyard. The set up in theory would be cute and has the potential to be family oriented, but my primary concern was privacy. It felt too close for comfort. If anyone remembers the television show Melrose Place back in the 90s, the residents could never seem to hide secrets from each other. That’s how I imagine these places—particularly since new developments seem to be built with paper thin walls. Hopefully you’ll have mild mannered neighbors and this won’t be a problem, but I’m guessing that you’ll be able to hear every party, every dog barking, and every stereo blasting within the walls.

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