As luxury homes in Blackstone’s Coral Ridge continues to sell like hot cakes, Standard Pacific homes is looking to offer another luxury product to fill the void left by the build out of Montserrat.

When I first received word about this community that will be North-West of the communities named above, a representative from Standard Pacific described the new development as “Castilian on Steriods.”

Avignon will feature 93 homes with floor plans from 4,570 to 5,485 square feet. Full backyards and some with canyon and city views are expected.

Just like the other luxury homes in Blackstone that were recently sold, expect outdoor living spaces optimized through “California Rooms” and Panoramic Doors. 

I’m just guessing here, but I think prices will start at $1.65M for a view home. Non-view homes likely about $1.3M.

A builder trailer and sales office may be built as soon as early April. Stay tuned.

After meeting with an agent, comparing other available new homes, viewing the models, and getting pre-approved, you decide you want to purchase a home in a new community.

Then you discover there are 30 people on the list ahead of you.

Should you move on? Or figure it’s worth a shot?

Here are few questions to ask in order to know if you should proceed:

1. When did the list start? I just visited the sales office of Paseo at La Floresta and someone “in the know” informed me that there are over 130 people on the list. However, we both agreed that with the list over 1 year old, there are many that have either found another home to purchase or no longer interested.

2. How many are on the list? It’s tough to get a straight answer if you’re a prospective buyer. The sales reps might be trained to not disclose this information due to the risk of scaring away a buyer. On the other end of the spectrum, disclosing a low number might make a buyer suspicious of the current pricing. From my experience, the builder’s representatives are more willing to give this information to agents.

3. Are you flexible on floor plan and lot location? Many buyers forget that if you’re eyeing the corner lot with a panoramic view, it’s likely the buyers on the list will be hot after it, too.  Having flexibility will increase your chances tremendously.

4. How much have prices changed since the prior release? Now we’re entering forecast territory. If prices have risen significantly (and you still can afford it), it may eliminate some of your competition.

Even if the questions above are not looking good in your favor, you’d be surprised how many on the list are “market watchers.” In other words, they went through all the hassle of getting pre-approved only to “defer” their home choice to the next phase.

During Coral Ridge’s last phase release in Blackstone, there were over 30 people in the room and 3 homes remained unsold.

 

With every visit to each builder office, you hope to collect floor plans, community information, and pricing with the hopes of staying focused. Often, you’ll arrive home confused and not knowing what just happened.

Why not start with a plan?

This guide compares square footage, schools, prices, location, HOA dues, and even addresses to the sale offices. Included in the report are the following communities:

Serrano in Blackstone

Coral Ridge in Blackstone

Emerald Heights in Blackstone

Avenida in La Floresta

Paseo in La Floresta

Ventanas in La Floresta

Compass Walk in Placentia

Summerwind in Brea

Cortile in Colony Park

Casita in Colony Park

Cortese in Amalfi Hills

Palisades in Vista Del Verde

 

Report will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

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In 2008, I was first introduced to the concept of a “disappearing wall” when viewing Toll Brothers’ “Legends” community in Yorba Linda. In their flagship model called the Ironwood, visitors entering the front door were given the ultimate first impression: an outdoor courtyard with multiple entrances to the home and a guest suite.

With many features and decor outside that were usually associated with indoor spaces, the transition between going outdoors to indoors was seamless. Upon further inspection, I realized the large openings to the courtyard were accordion-type doors that folded against the frame.

Later designs such as the smaller homes in The Preserve and carriage-style homes in Heritage featured similar doors facing the backyard.

The effect on a room is dramatic. Although the designs of Avenida and the Preserve were around 2,400 square feet, family room spaces felt much larger due to the door’s ability to instantly make the backyard part of the room.

In the master-planned community of Blackstone, Shea’s Coral Ridge Community takes full advantage of the their views with the panoramic door feature available in their Plans 1 & 2.

Although it’s considered an option, Standard Pacific looks to be building every home in the Avenida community with this feature.

From what I’m told from multiple sources, the entire frame design is affected by this feature and must be incorporated in the construction in the very beginning. Once the frame goes up, it’s too late to add the feature.

Many existing homeowners who were interested in adding this feature quickly ended the fantasy once they heard the price tag: over $25,000 due to the structural changes needed to a home.