JPX, you sure do ask a lot of personal questions…..

JPX - 06 April 2008 06:25 PM

We also believe that the equity of the house will be enough for our children’s college tuition 18+ years from now.

Not to be nosy irvineowner, but can i ask you how old you are? if you are in your early 30s, brother what do you do for a living to be able to purchase a home like Serra at your age? You aren’t one of those chinese or korean immigrants who have a rich dad in Asia who is making a $1M down payment for you are you? I am hearing this is more common than people think in Irvine.

Trooper, I am not a realtor and will never become one. I love my current job too much.

JPX

I have been working hard as a high-tech professional for almost 20 years to earn every penny of my asset.  I can proudly tell you that I didn’t even have more than $500 in my checking account when I graduated from the University.  I had to work as a math/science tutor to suplement my college expenses.  LOL, I don’t think I could have gone to college if I hadn’t had my scholarship.  You got my point?

irvineowner,

I am impressed. I do respect hard working, self made, successful guys like you. I don’t respect the “rich dad in Asia” scenario i told you about   Thanks for letting me know who you used for your lender for best rates. I wish you the best luck on your decision on Serra.

JPX

JPX,
Some builders offer 3% commission for buyer’s agent.  You can get up to 2.5%  from your agent for your closing cost and others.  For my purchase, I’ll get over 32K back from that commission.  So it’s a good idea to get your agent sign you up in your first visit.  Most buyers don’t take advantages of that.

irvineowner, I just asked my agent if she would give me 2 - 2.5% for my closing costs if i buy new construction and she was offended, actually i think she even got mad. Do you know of any agents who are more open to this? Also, if it possible to negotiate with the builders? Did you try negotiating for better prices with the Serra builders, or did they just say, “Take it or leave it” Thanks for the advice.

irvineowner, congratulations on your new purchase. We love 2 of the 3 floor plans. I have a StandPac home, and their customer services has been excellent. Make sure you get the built-in frig from them (similar price to Pacific Sales), otherwise the cabinet won’t be framed right to accommodate a built-in.

JPX - 07 April 2008 12:27 PM

irvineowner, I just asked my agent if she would give me 2 - 2.5% for my closing costs if i buy new construction and she was offended, actually i think she even got mad. Do you know of any agents who are more open to this? Also, if it possible to negotiate with the builders? Did you try negotiating for better prices with the Serra builders, or did they just say, “Take it or leave it” Thanks for the advice.

Get a new agent.

Congratulations on the new home! I absolutely love these homes and would buy one in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

irvine123 - 07 April 2008 01:15 PM

Make sure you get the built-in frig from them (similar price to Pacific Sales), otherwise the cabinet won’t be framed right to accommodate a built-in.

Is the built in fridge not a standard size? So if in the future you want/need a new fridge will it not look nice?

halfnote19 - 07 April 2008 04:06 PM

Is the built in fridge not a standard size? So if in the future you want/need a new fridge will it not look nice?

Refrigerators are available in “cabinet depth” as well as the more common traditional size.  Cabinet depth is a few inches shorter than traditional and is flush w/the kitchen cabinetry.  A cleaner look IMO but you do lose out on some space inside the fridge.

JPX - 07 April 2008 12:27 PM

irvineowner, I just asked my agent if she would give me 2 - 2.5% for my closing costs if i buy new construction and she was offended, actually i think she even got mad. Do you know of any agents who are more open to this? Also, if it possible to negotiate with the builders? Did you try negotiating for better prices with the Serra builders, or did they just say, “Take it or leave it” Thanks for the advice.

JPX, I will send you a PM the name of the agent.  He is a great guy to work with.

irvine123 - 07 April 2008 01:15 PM

irvineowner, congratulations on your new purchase. We love 2 of the 3 floor plans. I have a StandPac home, and their customer services has been excellent. Make sure you get the built-in frig from them (similar price to Pacific Sales), otherwise the cabinet won’t be framed right to accommodate a built-in.

The one I am buying comes with upgraded cabinetry and stainless steel frig/appliances exactly shown in the model home. They are all made by Kitchen Aid.  Good stuffs!

Just received this email today. $306ppsf. What do you guys think?

PANDA - 14 August 2009 01:46 PM

Just received this email today. $306ppsf. What do you guys think?

Yeah, but you aren’t factoring the HUGE Mello Roos and HOA fees.

Panda - I think the pricing is interesting considering the recent auction over on the Quail Hill thread for 508 Luminous that went back to the bank at $1,221,875.  Looking at old IHB posts, IrvineRealtor posted he though 508 Luminous might be a Vicara plan C of 4185 sq. ft.  It is interesting that both prices for somewhat comparable places are so close.

usctrojanman29 - 14 August 2009 01:48 PM

PANDA - 14 August 2009 01:46 PM

Just received this email today. $306ppsf. What do you guys think?

Yeah, but you aren’t factoring the HUGE Mello Roos and HOA fees.

Not sure what the exact upgrades are and the cost of landscaping.  Wasn’t IR saying the cost of new vs old should be 10% less…making this home closer to $335/sf.  Not bad, but not quite there yet (of course).

Roo - 14 August 2009 03:42 PM

usctrojanman29 - 14 August 2009 01:48 PM

PANDA - 14 August 2009 01:46 PM

Just received this email today. $306ppsf. What do you guys think?

Yeah, but you aren’t factoring the HUGE Mello Roos and HOA fees.

Not sure what the exact upgrades are and the cost of landscaping.  Wasn’t IR saying the cost of new vs old should be 10% less…making this home closer to $335/sf.  Not bad, but not quite there yet (of course).

I saw the Serra houses a few weeks ago.  I thought the houses are decent, but layouts might not suit everyone’s taste.  The model 3 listed in the email at $1.289 million has no view and some basic upgrades, such as library with fireplace in lieu of garage storage, granite counter with backsplash, spanish scroll iron on the staircase handrail, but nothing major.  No flooring upgrade, bathroom upgrade, etc.  For a house that big, you are probably looking at another $100k.  You probably want to throw in another $100k for the landscaping unless you want the most basic front yard and back yard that will probably look out of place with your $1.4 million dollar home.  The way I see it, it’s most likely going to cost you at least $1.5 million after everything.  I think this particular house won’t be completed until November, and based on what they told me, the price is not all that negotiable since it’s still under construction.  You might be able to squeeze some upgrade incentives out of them, but not sure how much.  If you are really interested in the Serra houses, you might want to check out the two quick-move-in homes on their website, a model 1 listed at $1.367 million and a model 3 listed at $1.427 million.  Both are already built homes that fell out of escrow.  Upgrades are pretty much done, but you’ll still need to do the landscaping yourself.  Based on what they told me, you might have some negotiating room on these houses since they fell out of escrow and the builder wants them sold ASAP.  If you don’t mind having the master bedroom on the first floor and all the other bedrooms upstair, then I think you might want to check out the model 1 house.  It sits on the top of hill on Smallgrove, and has a large lot with great view of Irvine and Newport.  In my opinion, those houses on top of the hill on Smallgrove are the only ones worth buying at Serra since they are the only ones with any view.  The rest of them just have a small yard with either neighbor houses or the fire hazard hill next to your backyard. 

I personally like Vista Vallarta down at Aliso Viejo better, slightly cheaper, and better floor plans, but of course it’s not Irvine even if it’s only 15 minutes away. 

Also if you are thinking about buying a $1.5 million dollar home, you are getting into the range of Turtle Ridge and Newport Coast, which to me are still much nicer areas than Portola Springs or Woodbury.

happybob - 15 August 2009 07:50 AM

Roo - 14 August 2009 03:42 PM

usctrojanman29 - 14 August 2009 01:48 PM

PANDA - 14 August 2009 01:46 PM

Just received this email today. $306ppsf. What do you guys think?

Yeah, but you aren’t factoring the HUGE Mello Roos and HOA fees.

Not sure what the exact upgrades are and the cost of landscaping.  Wasn’t IR saying the cost of new vs old should be 10% less…making this home closer to $335/sf.  Not bad, but not quite there yet (of course).

I saw the Serra houses a few weeks ago.  I thought the houses are decent, but layouts might not suit everyone’s taste.  The model 3 listed in the email at $1.289 million has no view and some basic upgrades, such as library with fireplace in lieu of garage storage, granite counter with backsplash, spanish scroll iron on the staircase handrail, but nothing major.  No flooring upgrade, bathroom upgrade, etc.  For a house that big, you are probably looking at another $100k.  You probably want to throw in another $100k for the landscaping unless you want the most basic front yard and back yard that will probably look out of place with your $1.4 million dollar home.  The way I see it, it’s most likely going to cost you at least $1.5 million after everything.  I think this particular house won’t be completed until November, and based on what they told me, the price is not all that negotiable since it’s still under construction.  You might be able to squeeze some upgrade incentives out of them, but not sure how much.  If you are really interested in the Serra houses, you might want to check out the two quick-move-in homes on their website, a model 1 listed at $1.367 million and a model 3 listed at $1.427 million.  Both are already built homes that fell out of escrow.  Upgrades are pretty much done, but you’ll still need to do the landscaping yourself.  Based on what they told me, you might have some negotiating room on these houses since they fell out of escrow and the builder wants them sold ASAP.  If you don’t mind having the master bedroom on the first floor and all the other bedrooms upstair, then I think you might want to check out the model 1 house.  It sits on the top of hill on Smallgrove, and has a large lot with great view of Irvine and Newport.  In my opinion, those houses on top of the hill on Smallgrove are the only ones worth buying at Serra since they are the only ones with any view.  The rest of them just have a small yard with either neighbor houses or the fire hazard hill next to your backyard. 

I personally like Vista Vallarta down at Aliso Viejo better, slightly cheaper, and better floor plans, but of course it’s not Irvine even if it’s only 15 minutes away. 

Also if you are thinking about buying a $1.5 million dollar home, you are getting into the range of Turtle Ridge and Newport Coast, which to me are still much nicer areas than Portola Springs or Woodbury.

You can get a house 1/2 of that price in Floral Park and exactly 7 minutes 25 seconds to Bank of America in Irvine Market Place where my ex-buddy was requesting some cash advance yesterday.