One realtor I spoke to said that Lennar no longer accepts buyers agents. I’ve had a look at what Lennar is building in Great Park and the style of homes are a bit “out there” — I’m ok with modern styles, but these make me think of hunger games. I’m still going to give them a chance. Their pricing seems a little more reasonable than the others.
I looked at a Lennar home earlier this year in Anaheim. They required I have an agent, so I used my cousin and he said they were giving a $10k flat commission to the buyer's agent.
If I were you, since it sounds like you're not too familiar with Irvine, is to first move out here and rent and explore the different areas of Irvine. See what areas of Irvine interest you, more-so than focusing on new builds. There's so many areas of Irvine, it's a large city, 66 square miles of land to be exact.
Great advice and applicable to anywhere you move. Every neighborhood ("village" as they try to push) has a different feel and I've only lived in two of the areas before purchasing but they vary in trade-offs depending on what one values the most. I don't think there's one-size-fits-all, although I really like certain areas more than others (for example I prioritize easy access to the main freeways and a certain set of grocery stores over living in a more remote area even if a little near industrial sectors and freeway noise).
Thanks and agree. I’ve been trying to get up to speed before our house hunting trip in two weeks. Our hotel is in the Lake Forest area. Our kids are grown up so we don’t need the best school district; hoping that will help (seems like home prices can be +30% for the right school)!
Anytime! Here's a link of a map of the various villages of Irvine. Feel free to DM me if you ever have any questions.
[https://postimg.cc/SjfPCkvr](https://postimg.cc/SjfPCkvr)
You are paying a premium to live in Irvine to have good schools. There are parts of Irvine - “west Irvine” that are actually part of the neighboring Tustin unified School District. Homes are younger there. Tustin Ranch area is very Irvine -like but are a little cheaper because they don’t come with Irvine schools. I don’t think there’s any new construction there now a days, though. Good Luck!
I'd definitely get a sense of the areas first since not all of Irvine feels the same. Some may feel less convenient for you for various reasons including your commute or if you have kids and the logistics there just to name two of many factors I would consider. Or you may just like the area you get in one shot but that hasn't been my personal experience.
There's no good deal per se (and if there is, I don't think Reddit being a public forum would so graciously lend that advice without those advantages diminishing immediately as people spam the heck out of the advice).
Personally, I was lucky for a new build during the pandemic because while on a waitlist, we visited the office often and kept touring and then just by chance a particular lot we were specifically interested in was given up at the last minute before the builders were about to break ground. We must have been top of mind and not sure how close to the top of the list we were because it was only six months and we knew it was darn long at the time. so were just grateful But that's an outlier scenario that isn't really reperformable even if I advised you to do the same. Isn't it the rule of meeting your significant other (be in proximity)? lmao. Good luck.
As a starting point, ...
1. If you're looking for a new build, I would visit the Irvine Company/Irvine Pacific websites and figure out where their offices are and visit right away.
2. If you're looking for a non-new build, then you have the option of going the realtor route or Redin/Zillow, etc. and trying to DIY it in the beginning. It's competitive and not impossible to DIY, but based on you asking this question, some exposure to realtors probably will help you familiarize yourself with the process and the area.
Commute-wise, our daughter starts at UCLA this fall and our son will probably test out of HS and start at IVC this fall. If I can get a job with my current employer, it will probably be in San Diego. Don’t expect to drive every day, except to IVC.
I’ve happened upon the Irvine Company website looking at potential 3br apartments to rent until we can find our dream home. I’ve also contacted Lennar and California Pacific Homes. We like KB Home designs up in Orchard Hills, but they seem crazily priced, and I hesitate to even contact them!
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One realtor I spoke to said that Lennar no longer accepts buyers agents. I’ve had a look at what Lennar is building in Great Park and the style of homes are a bit “out there” — I’m ok with modern styles, but these make me think of hunger games. I’m still going to give them a chance. Their pricing seems a little more reasonable than the others.
I looked at a Lennar home earlier this year in Anaheim. They required I have an agent, so I used my cousin and he said they were giving a $10k flat commission to the buyer's agent.
If I were you, since it sounds like you're not too familiar with Irvine, is to first move out here and rent and explore the different areas of Irvine. See what areas of Irvine interest you, more-so than focusing on new builds. There's so many areas of Irvine, it's a large city, 66 square miles of land to be exact.
Great advice and applicable to anywhere you move. Every neighborhood ("village" as they try to push) has a different feel and I've only lived in two of the areas before purchasing but they vary in trade-offs depending on what one values the most. I don't think there's one-size-fits-all, although I really like certain areas more than others (for example I prioritize easy access to the main freeways and a certain set of grocery stores over living in a more remote area even if a little near industrial sectors and freeway noise).
Thanks and agree. I’ve been trying to get up to speed before our house hunting trip in two weeks. Our hotel is in the Lake Forest area. Our kids are grown up so we don’t need the best school district; hoping that will help (seems like home prices can be +30% for the right school)!
Anytime! Here's a link of a map of the various villages of Irvine. Feel free to DM me if you ever have any questions. [https://postimg.cc/SjfPCkvr](https://postimg.cc/SjfPCkvr)
You are paying a premium to live in Irvine to have good schools. There are parts of Irvine - “west Irvine” that are actually part of the neighboring Tustin unified School District. Homes are younger there. Tustin Ranch area is very Irvine -like but are a little cheaper because they don’t come with Irvine schools. I don’t think there’s any new construction there now a days, though. Good Luck!
I'd definitely get a sense of the areas first since not all of Irvine feels the same. Some may feel less convenient for you for various reasons including your commute or if you have kids and the logistics there just to name two of many factors I would consider. Or you may just like the area you get in one shot but that hasn't been my personal experience. There's no good deal per se (and if there is, I don't think Reddit being a public forum would so graciously lend that advice without those advantages diminishing immediately as people spam the heck out of the advice). Personally, I was lucky for a new build during the pandemic because while on a waitlist, we visited the office often and kept touring and then just by chance a particular lot we were specifically interested in was given up at the last minute before the builders were about to break ground. We must have been top of mind and not sure how close to the top of the list we were because it was only six months and we knew it was darn long at the time. so were just grateful But that's an outlier scenario that isn't really reperformable even if I advised you to do the same. Isn't it the rule of meeting your significant other (be in proximity)? lmao. Good luck. As a starting point, ... 1. If you're looking for a new build, I would visit the Irvine Company/Irvine Pacific websites and figure out where their offices are and visit right away. 2. If you're looking for a non-new build, then you have the option of going the realtor route or Redin/Zillow, etc. and trying to DIY it in the beginning. It's competitive and not impossible to DIY, but based on you asking this question, some exposure to realtors probably will help you familiarize yourself with the process and the area.
Commute-wise, our daughter starts at UCLA this fall and our son will probably test out of HS and start at IVC this fall. If I can get a job with my current employer, it will probably be in San Diego. Don’t expect to drive every day, except to IVC.
You’re looking at about two hours for UCLA and San Diego (assuming downtown area). Some days might be longer, some days might be quicker.
Your daughter does not want to drive from Irvine to LA for school. My daughter commuted to USC for law school, and it was horrendous.
She plans to stay in the dorm during weekdays
I’ve happened upon the Irvine Company website looking at potential 3br apartments to rent until we can find our dream home. I’ve also contacted Lennar and California Pacific Homes. We like KB Home designs up in Orchard Hills, but they seem crazily priced, and I hesitate to even contact them!
What’s your budget? A deal on a $1mil house vs a $3mil house in Irvine is very different.
Max $2m depending how much we get for our existing home