Meatball - 28 October 2008 07:17 PM
I know people here at this board are probably all for Irvine communities, but personally I prefer MV which has more versatile landscapes with rolling hills and lake etc. And I don’t especially care the competitiveness of Irvine schools because I was brought up in similar kind of environment back in Asia. I actually don’t hope my children to be raised the way I was raised. We are actually in the process of buying one house in an old neighborhood which is the first master planned community prior to TIC projects. I hope bkshopr can provide more background to this MV project because I love to know more. According to the information that I have, this project has won many planning awards back in 60s. All three levels of schools are within less than a mile. I see high school kids walking to school from their homes every day. And they are good schools although however they are not to the standards of parents that choose Irvine because of schools. But for me this is an excellent place to raise my family. I also like the charms these older houses have with the care and updates done by the residents. I guess I am one of the odd balls who doesn’t like to send kids to Irvine schools and prefer older homes with bigger space between houses and spacious yards.
We live in the older neighborhood area near MV high school. The cons for the area are:
(1) This is the least expensive neighborhood in MV. So there are some cheap rentals and lower income families moving in, which may not be people that you like.
(2) houses are very old.
(3) Schools will have kids from those cheap rentals and lower income families, reducing test score of the schools, and may have influences you don’t want your kids to be exposed to.
(4) If you work in irvine you have to commute, the commute can be long if you work in the airport area.
The pros are:
(1) This is the least expensive neighborhood in MV. Your mortgage payment may be lower. No Mello Roos or HOA.
(2) Average lot size is 7000-8000 sq ft, so population density is lower, more space between homes. Mature trees, gentle rolling hills with views. Clean and master planned. The new MV library is very nice.
(3) Kids can walk to all 3 levels of schools. MV high school has IB program which is very good (Budget dependent). Teachers are generally as good as those in Irvine.
If your kids stay in honors, AP or IB classes they may find a very competitive environment. (In fact, Newsweek ranked MV High higher than Northwood High based on an index of AP and IB tests)
(4) It is close to freeways and shopping is quite convenient.
(5) Some people like the amenities of lake MV.
In summary I think you get what you pay for. It is cheaper in this area but you will never get the premium Irvine schools and premium prices of a Irvine house. Also the large Asian population and more Asian businesses in Irvine are very attractive to many Asians. On the other hand Asian population is increasing in MV, you may be surprised to find so many of them. On my street of 30 houses already 6-7 are Asian. I know Pacific Hills has quite a lot of Asians too.
But the house we are working on do have HOA fees although it is not significant.
