HB Big Bird, you have mischaracterized me.  I am not negative about the development in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.  The truth is that my expertise doesn’t lie in real estate, and as someone relatively new to the area, I don’t know much about individual communities.

The negativism you saw in my post was simply directed to you.  What can I say other than "I don’t like trolls"?

I know nothing about the community and have no opinion about it, negative or positive.  The only opinion I have is of you.  You, HBBB are a blowhard.

Yes Big Bird. Us poor people are so envious of the likes of yourself. Please do purchase your home when it becomes available, enjoy your view, and be sure to report back a year from now about how great your purchase was and how housing was a great investment.

By the way, this site works perfect for you Big Bird because we don’t know who you are.

awgee,

You are correct, HBBB is a blowhard but I have lived in HB over four decades and these are the best ocean views I’ve seen.  I too, toured the bigger models this week and have to admit that I am very impressed.  By the way, I was told the cliff’s and breaker’s were to be completed in 4-5 years not 2 years like frebay stated.

No_such_reality, that is a perfect name for you.  If the bolsa chica wetlands are such a contaminated sludge bay than why do the birds like it so much?  All you young folks are so bitter!  People used to buy a house to live and raise their family in.  Quit treating your home like a stock and learn to love thy neighbor.  God Bless!

Oh boy… looks like a history lesson needs to be taught by graphrix.

frebay: there are 375 homes planned for here?  that’s a pretty big number of homes. Um… recheck the beginning of this thread, it was originally over 3000 units.

Yes, yes, I am bitter. Doh! Why would I be? I own a home, and an investment property. Here is my advice my grandmother gave me… If you assume, all you have to do is remove the last three letters of assume, and that is what you will look like.

A history lesson, on why this place is cursed, the two other owners of this land, the balance sheet of CALC, and the 30+ years this project has been in the works, will be coming soon.

awgee… how cool is it to be young and bitter? BTW, I have met awgee, and he is one of the most happy, optimistic, and coolest people I have met. The lesson here, don’t judge a poster by their comments, they might be a much cooler person than you think.

"awgee… how cool is it to be young and bitter? "
Graph - I don’t think anyone would be silly enough to call me young.
oldsalt - I like touring model homes.  Where are they?

 
Damn  this dude makes me look mellow!!!!!!!
HBBB
From one who lived on or near the beach most of his life and has owned over 23 homes I say to you buy what you want, live where you enjoy, and be successful and do it quietly without insulting other people. I used to have a shirt that said "There is no life east of PCH"  Man was I tacky!!!!!!!!      I’ll look to see if I can find it for you.
I am somewhat of a realist concerning real estate and there is a great amount of wisdom and knowledge on this board.
After posting here for a while I can assure that there are folks here who can purchase if, where, and when they wish.
There are also some folks who have a bit of a negative attitude and it is always interesting to get their views. Think about the nature of the blog.
Your input would go a lot further without insults.
Regards
 

May I one up’s you on the tacky?  Where I grew up we used to say, "There is no life east of Manhattan Ave.", as a put down to the folks who thought that they were cool because they lived west of PCH.  And we lived in our parents homes.  Talk about moronic.

Models are open.  I may go by on Sunday. I think I’ll bring my camera, get some shots of the neighborhood and beach to contrast with the beautiful Pier shot they use that is six miles away.

Good morning awgee
But we are much older and wiser!!!  LOL And aged like fine wine with a wealth of experiences.
I will go for one up on the "tacky meter". When I had a boat in Dana Harbor I had a shirt printed that said: "Marina hours for non boat owners-2:00 am to 3:00am, Tue and Thur".
Top that one!  
I still owe you those pix of the Fiat, sorry I have been lazy.
Have a fantastic day! (realtor speak)
 
 
 

Morning socal.
You win today’s tackiness contest.  But only because I am old and have selective memory.  Thank goodness.

"If the bolsa chica wetlands are such a contaminated sludge bay than why do the birds like it so much?"
Because birds aren’t that smart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesterson_National_Wildlife_Refuge
I lived through this.  Think three legged birds and birds with no beeks.  Scary stuff.

I think it is rather sad that HBBB’s happiness seems to depend on a feeling of superiority and the desire to make everyone else jealous. I must admit, knowing HBBB is going to endure a protracted equity burn in excess of $20,000 a month, coupled with the character flaws demonstrated, is giving me a major schadenfreude fix.

The Reservoir of Schadenfreude

IR
HBBB  represents one of the reasons that I am XSOCAL!!
People need to understand wealth versus income or buying power.
I say no more about this subject!
Well maybe a couple more posts.
Have a fantastic day!
 

I went through Brightwater today.  Neither  The Breaker nor Cliffs are open with Models yet, March is when they will be according to the on site staff.  The Trails and The Sands were open.
A couple observations:
They had good traffic. Quite a few people walking through.  That’s the good news. The bad news, of the two groups behind us and the two groups in front of us that we kept intersecting with, not one was interested in buying.  One group of all ladies was decorating idea shopping.  The late middle age couple frequently a room or two behind us was regularly crinkling their nose with the wife pointing out the lack of attention to detail.
There was a couple was asking about financing with the agent at The Trails.  The man just about keeled over when the agent said they probably can’t get financing without 10% down.  Maybe if they have really great credit, but even then, probably 10% down…
My third impression is a bit crass.  Granted everybody has different taste, I had to frequently look past the finishing choices to concentrate on the space trying to give the space the benefit of the doubt.   Frankly, I keep feeling like I was looking at a home targeted at Huntington Beach Skate Punk turns 40. 
Stylistic differences aside, what was noticeable was how quickly the model home was showing wear.   The carpet in the stairs showing a path. The rail with hand wear.  Dirt from hands on the wall by the light switch and what look like someone flicked the plaster.  Remember these models all range from $1.05M to $1.25M.  So why was the same bathroom faucet used repeatedly in model after model after model?  Viking range top, check. Viking refrigerator, check.  Viking wall oven, okay, check.  Soft-closing drawers, nope, standard, slams shut and bounces open drawers.
Yards, what yards? It’s all hardscape, for good reason.  it’s too small to be functional. Heck, the one with a grill on it would be claustrophobic to grill on.  The other with the fire pit, looks nice, but four friends sitting around your lava rock fire pit with the inability to move around isn’t going to happen.
Yes, one model is constructed with a non-existent setback.  The neighbors garage wall, electric meter and other stuff all abut your entry walkway.  It’s the same high density as Irvine.
Overall, not what I would consider one million plus.
 

Oh yes, I noticed today that I still have the flyers in my car.  Price sheets for The Trails and Sands included. Here’s the prices from last Sunday:
The Trails
Residence One-R 1710 Sf 3/2.5   2 car garage $1,033,685
Residence Two-R 1755 sf 3/2.5 split 2 car garage $1,088,990
Residence Three-R 1843 to 1953 sf (depends on if you get observation loft)  4/2.5  $1,127,395
 
The Sands
One - R 1927sf 4/2.5   $1,161,965
Two - R 1988sf 4/3 $1,232,735
Three - R 2161sf 4/2.5 $1,256,725
 
Call me old fashioned, but for one million plus, if I’m getting a tract home, I at least expect some sort of stylish name for the model.
 

Call me old fashioned, but I think that trying to sell a million dollar house by sticking fliers in car windshield wipers is ludicrous.  I might be influenced to go to lunch some place if a coupon is stuck on my car, but I can’t see myself buying a million dollar house through the same advertising channel.

I’ve never bought anything stuck to my windshield.  If anything, I have been inclined to make a note of whoever is posting and NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THE LITTERBUG.

“Oh yes, I noticed today that I still have the flyers in my car.“ Ummm…you people need to read more carefully and not perpetuate false information. I assume No Such Reality left a brochure, just like you would get at any Irvine development, in his car. I have been to this development myself and they do not leave fliers on your windshield. If you think about it, that would be idiotic since the only people parking there would be people seeing the models anyway. The Cliffs and Breakers models are open now, but it is by invitation only. To not view those homes and try to evaluate the development would do it injustice. Additionally, to make false statements that it is next to a sludge bay without even walking the trail to the beach is equally unjustified. frebay, you asked for facts on why this development would fail, but so far I just see a lot of negative opinions. The fact is that last week when I visited 7/10 houses have been sold all to noncontigent buyers. Can you tell me where is Irvine they have had 1.5+ mil houses sell so briskly recently?  If anyone is truely interested in this development, I would suggest taking a visit on their own. That is the only true way to separate fact from fiction.

xanthem is correct, they sold 7 of the 10 homes of the cliffs and breakers to non- contingent buyers.  I’m high on the list and was given the opportunity to purchase, but after reading the comments on this blog, i felt i had to do more due diligence.

i asked the sales people about the smell or what it smells like after it rains, and they said there isn’t a smell.  I will wait for the next rainstorm, go out there and verify myself.

How about we just call you ignorant??!!

No_Such_Reality: Earlier when you had said the birds at the wetlands had “no beaks and three legs” I just figured you hadn’t ever been there, so I let that one go.  Now I read your latest observation and realize that, indeed, all these commentaries and you hadn’t even been to the brightwater neighborhood either - yet you have so much to say. 

It was hard to narrow down my favorite N-S-R quote of sheer genius, but here it is:“The man just about keeled over when the agent said they probably can’t get financing without 10% down.  Maybe if they have really great credit, but even then, probably 10% down…“ 

What planet do you live on?  We have been in a mortgage meltdown crisis for the last year.  The banks finally grew a brain and will not lend to people who cannot afford the payment. I’m glad to hear the agent is being up front and he’s not full of hot air like some people…

WINEX and vaseline:  Clearly neither of you have been to the neighborhood either or you would realize that they hand out very nice brochures with the price list - not flyers on car windshields!

Although the homes are very well done, I do agree that 1 million plus seems a bit too high.  Then again, I thought the same thing when I bought my home at Seacliff in 2001, a decision I do not regret at all.  Sorry to come off stern.  I have a hard time with know-it-all’s that really don’t know very much at all.  I leave you with this: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ~St Matthew 7:15~

Duck and cover, he’s breaking out the Bible !

Oldsalt, your reading comprehension stinks worse than the Back Bay. That’s Back Bay as in Newport Back Bay.
Firstly, I never said the birds have no beaks and three legs, that was No_Vaseline.
Secondly, I surf off of Bolsa, hence, again your reading comp stinks because as I said in the previous post: "Third, it’s not beach.  It’s sludge bay.  Bolsa just got re-opened to ocean water tides for the first time in about 20 years.  That’s 20 years of built up run-off and contamination." IOW, it as stagnant intertidal marsh that was not allowed to flush with the tides for an extended period of years.
As for my comment on the borrowers, it was an observation. The agent said, "maybe if you have great credit"  also, keep it in context of none of group I observed was interested in buying except the one guy that was shocked and despairing at 10% down.
As for 7/10 in Cliffs and Breakers being sold…  maybe, I can look at that map and identify the few true "ocean" view lots that would be worth considering.

Oldsalt, you are correct.  I have never been to Brightwater. 

I never said I have been, and have never said that I had a flier from Brightwater stuck in my windshield wipers. 

Although I could afford to buy a place in that neighborhood given the prices listed in No_Such_Reality’s post using conventional financing, I guess I just don’t have what IR terms "Southern California Pathology".  I can’t see myself buying any house for $1,000,000 (2008) dollars ever.  Though I have never seen the neighborhood, and though I am a renter, I think that real estate prices are completely out of whack.  I’m perfectly content not buying until/unless I see something that I consider to be worth the money.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ~St Matthew 7:15~ "
Who would have guessed that St. Mathew had to deal with an association of realtors in his day!