Yeah, and if we had more alternatives to transportation then maybe we could pull off the high-density thing without the car clutter… but we can’t, or at least - we haven’t yet.

skek - 26 March 2009 08:10 PM

Maybe this discussion is indicative of the fact that lot sizes are too small in new OC communities?  8k sq ft minimum.  Problem solved.

8k lot at about 60% floor area ratio is the no profit scenario. That is a 4,800 sf house assuming a value ratio of $275/sf for Orchard Hills. The price tag is still $1.32 million far from reality.

Many builders rather shut down their home building division and do nothing right now. Cal Pac being the most “favored” builder also shut its door on home building and laid off staff.

New home projects are risky even the most insulated companies are feeling the pinch. I do not see bargain new Irvine homes in the horizon the next few years except for just one coming up at the former Woodbury school site. Since the release will be very limited the novelty of a new home may still attracts certain cash buyers willing to be the knife catchers.

.

skek - 26 March 2009 09:27 PM

bkshopr - 26 March 2009 09:17 PM

skek - 26 March 2009 08:10 PM

Maybe this discussion is indicative of the fact that lot sizes are too small in new OC communities?  8k sq ft minimum.  Problem solved.

8k lot at about 60% floor area ratio is the no profit scenario. That is a 4,800 sf house assuming a value ratio of $275/sf for Orchard Hills. The price tag is still $1.32 million far from reality.

Many builders rather shut down their home building division and do nothing right now. Cal Pac being the most “favored” builder also shut its door on home building and laid off staff.

New home projects are risky even the most insulated companies are feeling the pinch. I do not see bargain new Irvine homes in the horizon the next few years except for just one coming up at the former Woodbury school site. Since the release will be very limited the novelty of a new home may still attracts certain cash buyers willing to be the knife catchers.

I understand the financial realities in SoCal, but in a normative, aesthetic sense, SFRs should not be jammed on lots smaller than 8k.

I agree with you totally. The fault were the homebuyers willing to accept sub-standard lots and TIC exploited it to the max. For good charm the lot sizes must be at least 8k. The consumers spoiled the developer. Why not just boycott the compact lots? I did and chose to move away from Irvine.

How many home shoppers can really kick the Irvine home addiction? I did.

As long people are willing to buy houses on compact lots then stop complaining about the small lot sizes.

I live only 8 minutes from Irvine and I do not have to pay Mello roos and HOA. I still have the Fab keys and transponders to most gated communities just in case I want to use the pools and club houses. I keep a dirt cheap investment property less than $200k just for the duration of my daughter going to school there.

I do not have to deal with garages in my neighborhood. No one parks their cars along the curbside ever and my commute to work is only 2 minutes.

I have the the best of Irvine without having to paying for it. I paid too much already for 20 years.

But some of us don’t mind smaller lots, garages and HOAs that keep the neighbors in check (although that other thread about their abusive HOA is scary).

Irvine (and a garage w/ driveway) rules!

irvine_home_owner - 26 March 2009 11:39 PM

But some of us don’t mind smaller lots, garages and HOAs that keep the neighbors in check (although that other thread about their abusive HOA is scary).

Irvine (and a garage w/ driveway) rules!

You can take a small lot out of Irvine but not Irvine out of a small lot.
You can take the boy out of the garage but not the garage out of a boy.
You can take HO out of Irvine but not I out of HO.
You can take HO out of HOAs but what is left behind is still an As.
No matter how you arrange the letters it is still an As HO