16 Comments

1. 

   tj & the bear on June 7, 2011 at 8:40 pm

   IMHO if it doesn’t take at least a half-hour then the yard’s too small, but that’s just me. 😉

2. 

   big perm on June 7, 2011 at 8:52 pm

   3K-4K Sq Feet…Note to builders, throw in a 3rd car garage!!! Need to store our junk indoors!

3. 

   Daniel(theotherone) on June 7, 2011 at 9:47 pm

   Aqualung- one of the best.
   Are these homes LEEDS compliant?
   Could I get a carbon credit if I promise not to buy one?

4. 

   ewhac on June 7, 2011 at 11:25 pm

   “That’s not me singing.”

   Heh!

   [shot of Einstein] “Thanks, Al. That’s my middle name, by the way…”

   So, when did you ascend from Jim A. Realtor to Jim The Realtor?

5. 

   Jakob on June 8, 2011 at 8:08 am

   Looks pretty good. I don’t mind the fiberglass shower tub enclosure, looks fine and easier to maintain with no grout or caulking.

   Agreed on the third garage needed for that size casa.

6. 

   sdnerd on June 8, 2011 at 8:43 am

   Second time my house has been captured in one of your videos during a drive by.

   I personally didn’t care for the layouts of either new development; also think their asking price is too high. Prices are quite a bit higher then adjacent (sold out) Monteluz and Andelusia. I haven’t seen the same levels of model foot traffic either.

   In regards to the noise, it’s very quiet here. No motorized gliders, that’s far on the South side of 4S. Only an occasional helicopter or single prop plane.

   That particular model with the loud music – I can see that one being very noisy. That sand playpen essentially in their back yard is packed during the weekend with kids. I wouldn’t want that house.

   Around the corner and about 3 streets down is that very popular splash park. Elementary school and the very large park are both walking distance as well – but you don’t hear any of that noise.

   As for being out in the boondocks, it is to a degree. We love it, but if you are looking for being in the heart of town this is not the area for you. The hills are great, and it’s very quiet at night time. From that second model in your video there’s a trail head to Lake Hodges about 45 seconds walking down the road. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the Lake – really beautiful.

   The shopping center, library, etc is about 30 seconds away if you take the street without any stop signs. It’s about 2 minutes away if you do. It’s really not that far.

   In terms of commute to Qualcomm, it’s about 20 minutes door to door with no traffic. Tack on another 10-20 minutes if you are trying to go during prime time. All of the traffic is centered in the CV freeway onramps so I’d say the difference in commute between here and a house in CV itself is an additional 10-15 minutes.

   Those ~15 minutes cut the price of housing a couple hundred grand though. So there’s a trade off.

   We’ve only been here a year, but we love it so far.

7. 

   Mojo on June 8, 2011 at 10:05 am

   Love 4S Ranch, but hate the ridiculously high MR fees. For that reason, I refuse to buy there.

8. 

   Former RB Resident on June 8, 2011 at 12:31 pm

   The ratio of house size to lot size is too big.

9. 

   College Joe on June 8, 2011 at 12:32 pm

   Wasn’t it known as “foreclosure ranch”?

   So, from the looks of it, it seems like it’s one community…with everything in it. Stores, schools, houses, boys & girls club….everything.

   Personally, I’m not too big of a fan of the tract-home look…but I will say that this looks a lot better than say, San Elijo Hills. I’m sure in a couple years when the trees & plants have grown in, it won’t look as stark.

   Glad you like it, SDNerd! How are prices holding up?

10. 

    Mozart on June 8, 2011 at 1:39 pm

    Tract schlock. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much stupidity in a floor plan.

11. 

    Amy P on June 8, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much stupidity in a floor plan.”

    I was thinking something similar. You come in and there’s that dining room and then there’s a second dining area (not a breakfast nook) near the kitchen. I was OK with the den (if it were closed in with a door), the study nook, the large closets and the storage in the laundry (although I’d want that to be closed cabinets), but I wouldn’t want that large upstairs media area. Maybe in a house with a lot of teenagers and entertaining? I wouldn’t want it, though. With younger school age kids, I like to keep closer tabs on media consumption. I’m OK with fiberglass tubs and surrounds because of the practicality (I HATE mildewy sealant around sinks and tubs), but the fake tile look is a little tacky and defeats the purpose of easy cleaning.

    Any one thing is defensible, but on the whole, it’s a really wasteful, lumpy floorplan. You get the feeling they just wanted to run the clock out to 4k square feet.

12. 

    sdnerd on June 8, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    >>Glad you like it, SDNerd! How are prices holding up?

    Apparently they are doing OK.

    I paid in the 710’s for >3500sq ft on an 8-9K lot. I think the final phase of my development ended in the 760-770K range and apparently these new developments are going beyond that.

    Be curious to see how they sell.

13. 

    Mostly An Observer on June 8, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    I rent in this area, and am quickly learning tract housing is really not for me.

    The houses are packed in so tightly, that your next door neighbor is literally a stone’s throw away. Think “Grey Poupon” commercial. Not really exaggerated.

    I can hear all the drama of the neighbors even with the windows closed. Imagine what it’s like when it’s open.

    Lots of Asians in the communities and very family oriented.

14. 

    Locomotive Breath on June 9, 2011 at 7:52 am

    Thanks for the plug, yo.

15. 

    Peter on June 9, 2011 at 8:23 am

    OUCH!! Those M-R fees are a deal breaker.

    Jim, You’re right. That bathroom as soon as one walks-in is an unfortunate placement.

16. 

    James D on June 9, 2011 at 9:05 am

    With those MR fees and tacking on the basic upgades to 850ish, why not just buy in Santaluz? Same MR fees.