I agree Irvine is a fantastic place to live, but there are considerable difference between neighborhoods. Most of the housing, however, in the newer neighborhoods is very similar, and sometimes even the exact same.
It really depends on what you are interested in. If you really enjoy the hills or some incline/decline to the terrain you may really prefer Quail Hill or Turtle Ridge over something flat like Woodbury. On the other hand, if you like to be able to walk directly from your home to shopping or Starbucks then forget about Turtle Ridge. Want to be closer to the beach?… Think University/Turtle Ridge/Turtle Rock or Quail Hill. It depends on what you like…
Irvine for the most part is more enjoyed by people with families and up – there is not much to do here as a young single. My wife and I have a 2 and a 4 year old, and for our family I could not think of a better place to live, period. The tower construction at Jamboree will probably change the single’s situation and make it more “happening” for that crowd.
As far as prices go, they are coming down and will continue to come down – I don’t think it will be as dire as what Mr. IrvineHousingBlog thinks, but there will definitely be some “giving back” by the market. Ultimately, after it is all said and done, price will still be “High”, if you want to live in a perfect place then you have to pay appropriately. in the very early 1980’s new 1BR condos were selling here for about $100,000, during that same period of time my father bought a 1600 square foot home in Michigan for $30K – prices are always going to be “high”. I expect a turn around in late 2008 to early 2009. Keep an eye on the average market time and where it’s going, that will tell you everything you need to know.
