New Features in the Works for the Orange County Great Park

“In addition to expanding the Great Park’s current footprint by 15 percent, the construction of the South Lawn will generate more than 50 full-time equivalent construction jobs for the Orange County economy.

‘The Great Park is proud to move forward with latest phase of the Park, but also proud to contribute to the local economy,’ said Mike Ellzey, Chief Executive Officer, Orange County Great Park Corporation. ‘The development will substantially increase our active space at the Great Park and create badly-needed construction jobs, which will have an important positive economic impact in Orange County.’”—Orange County Great Park

In June, the Orange County Great Park announced the plans for the next building phase at the park. Allocated for this phase of development is $22.8 million of the $200 million in developer fees paid by Lennar in 2005. Beginning construction for this stage of the project was scheduled for July and is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

Here is a breakdown of the planned expansion features.

South Lawn

  • Four tournament-quality soccer fields (two will be synthetic grass and lighted for evening use)

  • Four full-size basketball courts

  • A new restroom and operations facility building

  • Jogging and exercise trail

  • More than 400 tree plantings

Replace the Temporary Visitors Center with a Permanent Visitors Center Pavilion

  • New 5,000-square-foot Visitors Center Pavilion (This will be the Great Park’s first new permanent building and will be located near the Great Park Balloon.)

  • A larger lobby

  • Restroom facilities

  • Concession area

  • Exhibition areas

  • Office space

Walkable Historical Timeline (currently includes a 750-foot walk through history)

  • Timeline expanded to 2,604 feet

  • An additional 100 historical details

  • Timeline will act as a natural connection between the existing Great Park Balloon and the South Lawn.

Water features

  • Six new ponds (the first Great Park water features)

  • A connection from one of the ponds to the Walkable Historical Timeline

  • A viewing pier near the entrance to the Great Park

Community Garden (adjacent to the existing Farm + Food Lab)

  • Ninety-nine plots including six Americans with Disability Act-compliant plots

  • A community gathering area (consists of an open turf area with a large shade tree and picnic tables)

Storm Water Collection System: (state-of-the-art storm water management system designed to offset up to 40 percent of the South Lawn’s irrigation needs)

  • Storm water captured, filtered, and stored in the new South Lawn ponds

  • Storm water mixed with reclaimed water from the Irvine Ranch Water District

Infrastructure: (These construction features will enable future Great Park development.)

  • Underground utilities

  • Electrical equipment and lighting

  • Drainage improvements, irrigation systems

  • Asphalt and concrete

  • Fencing and landscaping

  • The foundational backbone for the future electronic security system

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3091.0.html

Open House Review: 21 Whitewood Way

Parkside Find in University Park

21 Whitewood Way, $525,000 Sale Pending

This home is a surprise on many levels. The minute you approach the home you know a gardener lives here. Thriving plants line the walkway, and accent the inside/outside garden spots throughout the home. This is topped off with the lush greenbelt that is just over the wall from the back patio. I am sure the owners chose this single family home with this location in mind. As you step out the back gate, the park is yours to enjoy.

New to the market, this home is now listed as “sale pending, with backup offers accepted.” When I attended the open house, there were a lot of lookers and I thought the property might move quickly.

As you enter the home, overhead a sparkling chandelier shines down on polished wood floors that lead you to the rest of the home. There soaring ceilings, a towering fireplace and clerestory windows move this house beyond the ordinary.

You can sense the owner’s pride and enjoyment of their home. In the living room, the wood is carefully stacked in a fireplace niche, ready for a winter evening. On the patio, all is ready for a relaxing barbeque.

This three bedroom, one and three quarter bath home makes the most of its 1,493 square feet, utilizing space to the best advantage. The inside/outside views, immaculate condition and natural light make it seem larger than it is.

I could see a family happily navigating through daily tasks and special weekend events using this home as their base. The home is well planned and ready to handle a family’s busy schedule.

Off of the main hall there is a special little garden room that can be reached from one of the bedrooms too. The remodeled kitchen is compact and efficient with granite counters and a greenhouse window. A nice sized, light filled dining room sits between the kitchen and the living room, off of the main hall. There are double vanities and skylights in the bathrooms and the living room fireplace is set up for gas or wood.

Specifics:

Bedrooms: 3

Baths: 1.75

Square Ft.: 1493

$/Sq.Ft.: $352

Lot Size: 3200 sq.ft.

HOA Dues: $179/month

Property: Residential, Single Family

Year Built: 1968

Double Garage

One common wall attached

No Mello Roos Tax

Community: University Park

County: Orange

Considerations and Comparisons: Very new to the market, a sale pending is now listed for the property. The smart use of space, and desirable location on the greenbelt in a top flight community has made this a winner. The immaculate condition and landscaping add points too. The mural wallpapers in the bedrooms could be updated, and the atrium off of the bedroom could be filled with more low light plants and a fountain for an even more dramatic inside garden room.

Who will move into 21 Whitewood Way? With a sale pending we will soon see. It could be a young family who will love having a park right outside their gate and benefit from the community’s excellent schools might settle here. Professionals who work in or near Irvine, and appreciate the immaculate condition and appealing landscaping might see this as the perfect home retreat. A mature couple with older family members or visitors who need bedrooms on the first floor will appreciate the details of this home and the convenience.

Nearby homes recently sold and new listings: 27 Meadowsweet Way sold for $520,000; and 57 Alder sold for $525,000. 32 Mayapple Way is currently listed at $550,000 and 10 Senisa is listed at $599,000.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3088.0.html

The Village and the Budget

You know you want to buy in Irvine, and you know how big of a house you want. But what you pay for the property, and what kind of property it will be depends on the village you will buy in. Today, I searched for a Single Family Residence between 2000 SF and 2250 SF in Irvine, on the other side of Freeway 5, away from the beach.

Here are the results:

North Park: 15 River Oaks, Irvine CA 92602

Listing price: $859,000

Beds/ Bath: 3 Beds/ 2.5 Bath

Area: 2,200 SF

Lot Size: 5,076

Price/ SF: $390

Mortgage(3.625%): $3,134

HOA Dues: $217

Tax + Mello Roos: $12,119 Annually

Tax+ Mello Roos Monthly: $1010

Monthly Cost of Owning in North Park: $4,361

Northwood: 34 Mount Vernon, Irvine CA 92620

Listing price: $815,000

Beds/ Bath: 4 Beds/ 2.5 Bath

Area: 2,173 SF

Lot Size: 3,000

Price/ SF: $375

Mortgage(3.625%): $2,973

HOA Dues: $133

Tax + Mello Roos: $10,706 Annually

Tax+ Mello Roos Monthly: $892

Monthly Cost of Owning in Northwood: $3,998

Portola Springs: 95 Keepsake, Irvine CA 92618

Listing price: $625,000

Beds/ Bath: 4 Beds/ 3 Bath

Area: 2,056 SF

Lot Size: Not listed

Price/ SF: $304

Mortgage(3.625%): $2,280

HOA Dues: $232

Tax + Mello Roos: $10,871 Annually

Tax+ Mello Roos Monthly: $906

Monthly Cost of Owning in Portola Springs: $3,418

(I have a feeling this is a detached condominium, but the MLS says it’s a Single Family Residence)

West Irvine: 9 Carriage Dr, Irvine CA 92602

Listing price: $735,000

Beds/ Bath: 4 Beds/ 2.5 Bath

Area: 2,237 SF

Lot Size: 3,740 SF

Price/ SF: $329

Mortgage(3.625%): $2,682

HOA Dues: $0

Tax + Mello Roos: $9096 Annually

Tax+ Mello Roos Monthly: $758

Monthly Cost of Owning in West Irvine: $3,440

Which one would you buy?

Will the age of the home matter more, or the real estate conditions in the area?

Do HOA Dues and Mello Roos influence your decision?

Discuss on Talk Irvine.

Closed Sales from 8/30/2012 to 9/5/2012

Date Sold Address Zip Tract Sold Price Beds Sq Ft
Airport Area
8/30/12 2446 Scholarship 92612 Avenue One $310,000 2 850
8/31/12 1152 Scholarship 92612 Avenue One $340,000 2 1037
8/31/12 3131 Michelson Dr 1405 92612 Marquee at Park Place $725,000 2 1347
El Camino Real
8/30/12 5132 Greencap Ave 92604 El Camino Glen $532,000 3 1482
8/30/12 15425 Eiffel Cir 92604 Ranch $690,000 4 2011
8/31/12 7 Elfin 92604 Irvine Groves $475,000 4 1897
9/4/12 24 Snapdragon 14 92604 Deerfield Townhomes $375,000 3 1561
9/5/12 110 Kazan St 1 92604 Walnut Square $285,000 2 1046
Northpark
8/31/12 33 Monrovia 92602 Miramar $1,130,000 5 3100
Northwood
8/30/12 33 Lee 92620 Greenfield $686,400 3 2211
8/30/12 60 Essex Ln 92620 Carlyle at Lanes End $630,000 3 1900
8/30/12 9 CANYON SAGE 92620 Tremaine $801,000 4 2158
8/31/12 30 BAMBOO 92620 Camellia $820,000 4 2315
8/31/12 6 Monticello 92620 Camden Corners $645,000 4 2520
8/31/12 14 Pleasonton 92620 Fieldstone Classics $495,000 3 1350
8/31/12 935 Somerville 92620 Greystone Villas $427,000 2 1300
9/3/12 24 Ericson Aisle 92620 Northwood Villas $365,000 2 1279
Oak Creek
8/30/12 42 Daisy 92618 Montilla $466,000 3 1525
8/30/12 63 Wellington 92618 Kelsey Lane $727,500 4 2100
Orangetree
8/31/12 186 Tangelo 414 92618 Lake Condos $160,000 1 662
Portola Springs
9/5/12 54 Gray Dove 92618 Las Colinas $986,000 4 2741
Stonegate East
8/31/12 1001 Elmhurst 92618 Capistrano $400,000 3 1360
Turtle Ridge
8/30/12 47 Shady Ln 92603 Bontanica $2,200,000 6 4071
8/31/12 23 Gardenpath 92603 Arborel $860,000 3 1665
9/2/12 37 Woods Trl 92603 Arezzo $2,250,000 4 3480
9/4/12 29 VILLAGE WAY 92603 Amberhill $2,351,000 5 4333
Turtle Rock
8/30/12 20 Vernal Spg 92603 Sycamore $2,400,000 3 4097
8/31/12 4 Flintridge 92603 Highlands Lusk $1,430,000 5 3142
9/5/12 12 La Quinta 92612 Pointe – Turtle Rock $740,000 3 2104
University Park
8/30/12 71 Oak Tree Ln 92612 Park II (In Village Park) $540,000 2 1500
9/4/12 5 Holly St 92612 Parkside – Deane $687,000 3 2456
University Town Center
8/30/12 35 Lehigh Aisle 92612 Oxford Court $488,000 2 1682
9/4/12 96 Stanford Ct 48 92612 Princeton Townhomes $425,000 2 1200
9/4/12 75 Exeter 33 92612 Columbia Square $428,000 2 1344
Walnut
8/31/12 14221 Wyeth Ave 92606 Colony 1 $610,000 4 2268
West Irvine
8/31/12 19 Moonstone 92606 Mandeville $379,000 3 1500
Woodbridge
8/31/12 125 Greenmoor 54 92614 Laurels $325,000 2 1080
8/31/12 3 Seadrift 78 92604 Cove $660,000 3 2287
9/1/12 49 E Yale Loop 26 92604 Jefferson $550,000 2 1500
9/4/12 61 Greenfield 68 92614 Alders $302,000 2 1060
9/4/12 7 Bluebird 92604 Creekside $645,000 4 1888
9/5/12 49 Sparrowhawk 92604 Patio Homes (WB) $540,000 4 1662
9/5/12 14 Partridge 92604 Patio Homes (WB) $800,000 4 2200
Woodbury
8/31/12 175 Intrigue 92620 Stonetree $605,000 4 2104

Discuss on Talk Irvine.

Canstruction 2012 – Supporting the Orange County Food Bank

I received an email from a long time IHB reader, Chuck Darrow, regarding an organization he is involved with, Canstruction. Sounds like many of the companies in the housing and residential development industry participate in this event where they create twenty structures using canned food.

From their PR:

The premise is this: local architects, engineers, community groups, and students formed twenty teams that include at least one architect. They then designed a structure, gathered all the food items necessary to build it (over 80,000 cans!!), then constructed their visually and structurally stunning canned art structures during an overnight build commencing the night of Friday, August 31 2012 The structures will be on display and open to the public on both sides of South Coast Plaza from September 1 – 23 in conjunction with the Festival of Children.

2009 Build Night Video:

At the end of the event, all of the canned food will be donated to the Orange County Food Bank. We did an IHB volunteer event here a few years ago and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Very cool to see these local companies make these donations to the food bank! Fluor, Inc is this years major financial sponsor.

Have you seen these in the past? We will try to check them out this weekend. Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.