The Melody Collection at Beacon Park is the fourth and final collection of single family, detached condominiums. Built by Lennar, the collection will have 62 homes, comprised of four different models. The homes are arranged in groups of four. All four homes share a motor court, leading to a two-car garage and two-car driveway for each. The front two homes have their front doors facing the street, while the back two homes have front doors off the motor court. Models 1 and 4 will always be in the front, while 2 and 3 are always at the back. The Melody homes are located in the southwest corner of the neighborhood, with easy access to Ridge Valley and Trabuco Roads. They are also right next to the planned neighborhood park and will be near a future entry into the Great Park. All homes have four bedrooms and 4-4.5 bathrooms, ranging from approximately 2,321 – 2,774 square feet. The elevations include Monterey, St. Augustine, American Farmhouse, Classic Colonial, Spanish, and Santa Barbara.

Included Features
Lennar homes boast an “Everything’s Included” policy, meaning that most of the features seen in the models are included, rather than displaying a lot of upgrades. These features include ceramic tile flooring in entry, kitchen, powder room, baths, and laundry room; Mohawk(R) wall-to-wall carpeting in all living areas and bedrooms; custom-crafted Maple handrail with wrought-iron post-to-post stairway system and lights; California room with LED lights, prewire for ceiling fans/lights, and a multimedia outlet; dimmer light switches at great room, dining room, and all bedrooms, and laundry rooms with Piedrafina(R) engineered stone countertop, cabinetry, and sink. The kitchens include raised panel white Thermafoil or maple cabinetry with soft close hinges; granite countertops with 6″ backsplash; stainless steel GE Profile(TM) appliances including, built-in oven, single wall built-in microwave/oven with Advantium technology, ENERGY STAR(R) dishwasher, and side-by-side refrigerator with ice and water dispensers, as well as a GE Monogram five-burner gas cooktop and professional hood. The master suites have 6 1/2″ Colonial crown moulding; Moen(R) widespread faucets with brushed nickel finish and matching accessories; framed mirrors in metallic finish and adjustable medicine cabinet; granite countertops with top mount sinks; soaking tub with granite deck and tile surround; clear glass shower enclosure with full height tile surround and decorative mosaic tile shower floor; two-sided mirrored French door at walk-in closet; and pre-wire for ceiling fan/light fixture. The secondary baths have Piedrafina(R) countertops; bathtubs with full height tile surround; and the same hardware, accessories, cabinetry and mirrors as in the master bath. The homes also feature a variety of green technology, including options for solar plans and home intelligence; tankless water heater; water conserving faucets and showers; LED lighting; recycled floor covering options; and prewire at garage for electric/hybrid vehicle charging systems.  Some features seen throughout the models are not part of the Everything’s Included program, including paint, wall treatments, ceiling treatments, window coverings, built-ins, specialty door casings, flooring, lighting fixtures, landscaping and surround sound. However, some of the front landscaping is maintained by the HOA.

Schools
Beacon Park is going to have its own K-8 school, called Beacon Park School, which is slated to open in August 2016 as part of the Irvine Unified School District. There will be a new high school, Portola High, opening nearby (also scheduled for August 2016, though possibly not with all grades opening the first year). Until then, students will attend Canyon View Elementary, Jeffrey Trail Middle School, and Northwood High School.

Basic Neighborhood Financial Information
Approximate HOA dues: $141-216 per month, estimated at $184 upon buildout
Base tax rate: 1.0875% plus an annual special assessment of $172
Community Facilities District tax – ranges from $6,592 – $8,190 per year, depending on square footage of the home
Prices start at $944,990 for Residence 1, $989,990 for Residence 2, $1,064,990 for Residence 3 and $1,059,990 for Residence 4

Residence One
2,321 square feet
4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Residence One is shown in the Monterey elevation, with St. Augustine and American Farmhouse options also available. The home has the garage entry on one side and the front door around the corner; these homes are located on the street, rather than at the back end of the motor court.

The home has a small foyer, with the staircase and coat closet on the left and a hallway to the downstairs bedroom and bathroom on the right. The coat closet has extra storage under the stairs. There is space for built-in linen cabinets across from the bathroom. The bathroom has a single sink set into a small vanity. It also has a shower/tub combo.

The main floor bedroom is 12′ x 11′ and has windows facing the street and side. There is a small alcove behind the door with room for a table or bookshelf. It has a two-door, standard closet.

The foyer opens up to the great room, which is 24′ x 15′ and includes the dining area. The space for the dining room isn’t specifically defined, leaving plenty of room for a large table and china hutch.

The living area feels spacious as well. A full wall of windows face the side of the home and sliding doors lead out to the California room. It has the option for a wall-mounted TV and pre-wire for a light fixture or ceiling fan.

The California room has the potential to be a true outside living room. The model shows a built-in barbecue and large built-in wall unit with a mounted TV. The home doesn’t have a yard and there isn’t really a lot of space beyond the walls of the room.

The open kitchen is just on the other side of the dining room. It measures 15′ x 15′ and has a u-shaped set up. The center island is long and narrow, with bar seating on three sides. I noticed numerous cabinets and plenty of counter space along all three sides of the kitchen. The refrigerator, oven and microwave are along the left wall, the sink and dishwasher are at the far end, and the cooktop is on the right. The garage access is also in the kitchen.

On the second floor, there is a big landing at the top of the stairs, with all of the rooms coming off of different corners. The laundry room has side by side machines, a sink, and upper cabinets, with built-in linen cabinets just outside of it.

The landing also has a door opening to a deck that runs above the front porch. The deck is only available in the Monterey elevation.

Bedroom 2 is 11′ x 12′ and has windows on two walls. It includes a two-door standard closet and en-suite bathroom. Like the first floor bath, this one has a small vanity and a shower/tub combo.

Bedroom 3 is at the front of the house, with windows facing both the street and side. Like the other secondary rooms, it is 12′ x 11′ and has a two-door, standard closet. It sits directly above the first floor bedroom and has the same basic layout. The key difference is this room has an en-suite bathroom, which includes a slightly larger vanity and a shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom sits above the great room, with windows on two walls. At only 15′ x 15′, the room is not particularly spacious. However, an alcove offers a great space for a dresser or built-in unit and frees up space in the room.

The master bath has two vanities set across from each other. Each has a single sink, three cabinets, four drawers and a medicine cabinet. The bathtub is across from them, set beneath two big windows. The tub deck is shared with the shower to create a seat in the shower. The shower is a really good size and has with two built-in shelves. The walk-in closet is at the end of the suite. It is long and narrow, with Lennar’s custom built-in shoe rack, which is really just a set of shelves and could hold something other than shoes.

This house felt very similar to the other detached condos I have seen, especially Lennar’s Harper Collection. I like that each bedroom has a private bathroom and felt that the living areas were spacious.

Residence Two
2,407 square feet
4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Residence Two is modeled in the American Farmhouse style. The other elevations for this home are Monterey and St. Augustine. Like many of the Beacon Park homes, this one has a front porch. The front door and garage both face the motor court, as this will be a back unit. The other two elevations have a big deck on the second floor, but the Farmhouse style does not.

When I entered the home, it looked almost exactly like residence one. The stairs and coat closet are on the left and a hallway with linen storage leads to the main floor bedroom and bathroom. This model shows the white Thermafoil cabinetry option throughout.

The main floor bathroom has a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The bedroom is 12′ x 11′ with windows facing the front and the porch. There is a two-door, standard closet. It is a basic room that is quite similar to most of the first floor bedrooms I have seen in new homes lately.

The family room, kitchen and dining room are just across the foyer from the front door. Unlike residence one, this model has a designated dining room toward the back. The family room is on the right when you come through the doorway. It is 17′ x 16′ and has windows facing the back and side of the home. It is shown with decorative wall touches and flooring.

The kitchen has a wide center island with seating on one side and the sink and dishwasher on the other. The L-shaped room includes the oven, microwave and cooktop on the longer wall, and the fridge and pantry on the shorter wall. Overall, it seems to have a lot less storage than the kitchen in residence one, though there are still a good number of cabinets and drawers. At 14′ x 12′, it is a lot smaller in area, too. The pantry has two cabinets facing the kitchen and another set facing the dining room. I found that set up to be a bit strange and inconvenient, unless you wanted to use the third set for china storage. The garage access is just between the kitchen and dining room.

The dining room is behind the kitchen, but open to it. The room is bright, with a full wall of windows at the back, a single window on another wall, and sliders to the California room on the third. As it doesn’t have any full walls, only a low hutch would fit beneath the windows.

The California room is quite nice, shown with an optional built-in cabinet unit that includes a mini fridge. A narrow space behind the house offers room for a built-in barbecue and even a small pond.

Upstairs, the layout is also similar to residence one, with rooms in three of the corners. The laundry room comes off the main landing, with side by side machines, a sink, and upper cabinets. Off the landing, there are also two full linen closets with shelving included. It appears that access to the deck in the other elevations is also off the landing.

Bedroom 2 is located at the front of the house, and is slightly larger than the other secondary rooms at 12′ x 13′. It has windows on three walls, so it probably gets light throughout the day. Again, this room has a standard closet and an en-suite bathroom. The vanity offers a little more counter space, still with one sink, and there is a shower/tub combo.

Bedroom 3 is at the far end of the hall. Like the room downstairs, it is 11′ x 12′. However, this one has a walk-in closet instead. There are windows on two walls and an en-suite bathroom. The vanity here is a little smaller and, like the other secondary baths, it has a shower/tub combo.

 

The master bedroom is at the back of the house. It is 16′ x 14′ and has a full wall of windows facing the backyard. There are two additional windows on the side. This room doesn’t have space for a built-in dresser, but it’s slight rectangular shape gives enough space for a bench or couch at the foot of the bed.

The master bath has a single vanity with two sinks. It’s on the smaller side, with just a little space between the sinks and only one set of drawers. The bathtub sits next to the vanity and has a wide deck at each end. The shower sits alone on the other side. It has a built-in seat on one side with shampoo shelves above it. The closet wraps around behind the shower, with doors on each side of it. There is a built-in shoe rack just inside each door.

This house felt very similar to Residence One. The key difference is the separate dining area. I also really like the dual linen closets in the upstairs hall.

Residence Three
2,678 square feet
4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Den

Residence Three is shown in the Classic Colonial elevation, with a Monterey elevation also available. A second elevation is also listed as Classic Colonial. The model is the only one that does not have a large second floor deck.

When I entered this home, it felt quite different than the other two. This one has a long hallway just inside the door and doesn’t have a staircase or coat closet near the front entry. It has a den on the ride side with windows facing the street and another on the side. The decorator’s paneling adds a nice touch.

Across the hall from the den, there is a linen cabinet, bathroom and bedroom. The bathroom has a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The main floor bedroom is 10′ x 11′, making it the smallest room I have seen so far in the Melody collection. Its windows face the front and side of the home and it has a two-door, standard closet.

As I walked down the main hallway, I came to the stairs on my left and the kitchen on my right. There is a large closet under the stairs.

The kitchen feels very open. It has a very large center island with seating on two sides and the sink and dishwasher on another. There are numerous drawers in the island as well. The room is L-shaped, with the oven, microwave and fridge on the near wall. The cooktop is along the long wall, surrounded by plenty of counter space, cabinets and drawers. There is a set of pantry-height cupboards next to the fridge, and also adjacent to the garage door. Overall, this kitchen is sized in between those of Residences One and Two, at 13′ x 16′.

The dining room sits behind the kitchen. It has three windows facing the backyard along one wall and sliders opening to the California room on the other. The table in the model is pretty big, so it gives a good idea of how to fit a larger table in the space. A low hutch could sit beneath the windows.

The great room is 17′ x 17′, making it slightly larger than the one from Residence Two. It has windows facing the back and side of the home. Even though the kitchen, dining room and great room all have their own defined spaces, the whole area still has a great, open feel.

The California room shows a full brick wall with a fireplace and mounted TV, as well as a fountain with a brick base. A freestanding grill sits just outside the room. There is a very narrow stretch of yard running behind the house that could make a good garden, but isn’t really big enough for anything else.

Upstairs, the two secondary bedrooms sit at the front of the house, while the master suite stretches across the back. Two sets of linen cabinets sit on the main landing, across from the laundry room. As in the others, there are side by side machines, upper cabinets, and a sink.

Bedroom 2 is the smaller of the two rooms at 12′ x 11′. It has windows on two walls and a two-door, standard closet. This room has an en-suite bathroom. The vanity is bigger than in the other secondary rooms I’ve seen and, as usual, it has a shower/tub combo.

The other bedroom is a lot bigger. It is 13′ x 12′ and feels more spacious throughout. It also has windows on two walls. However, this one has a walk-in closet, freeing up even more wall space in the bedroom. The vanity in the en-suite bathroom is much smaller and there is a shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom is 16′ x 17′, so it is a lot bigger than in the previous two models. It also has an alcove for a dresser or built-in unit. There is space for a seating area as well.

The master bath has sinks in separate vanities, perpendicular to each other. The shower and tub sit side-by-side, with the tub deck serving as a seat in the shower. The closet isn’t quite as large as in the others, but still has some built-in shelves.

The den is a great addition to this home. It offers a really nice, flexible space downstairs. I also thought it was great to have a bigger secondary bedroom upstairs, but wished the other was equal in size.

Residence Four
2,774 square feet
4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms
Dual Master Suites
Bonus Room

Residence Four is another front, corner unit. It is shown in the Spanish elevation, with Classic Colonial and Santa Barbara options also available. The Santa Barbara home has a small balcony on the second floor. None of the homes have a front porch. The Melody sales office replaces the garage in the model.

This home has a small foyer with a u-shaped staircase that offers a space for a small table. There is also a coat closet, though it is smaller than in the other three homes.

As you pass through the foyer, you walk directly into the kitchen. The island is smaller than in the other models, with just two seats on one side and drawers along two others. Everything is set up in a u-shape. The fridge and pantry are on one wall, sink and dishwasher on another, and cooktop, oven and microwave on the third. The darker cabinetry makes the room feel dark overall, but it’s actually a good size with a lot of storage. Access to the garage is right next to the oven.

The dining room is next to the kitchen. This one has a full wall, allowing for a taller china cabinet. A second wall provides space for a smaller hutch, too.

The great room is 19′ x 15′, so it is quite large. The ceiling has exposed beams. Windows face the side of the home and a sliding door leads to the California room at the back.

The California room has a built-in barbecue and mini fridge. It also has a wider yard than the other three models offered. The model shows a small grassy patch and a fountain.

A short hallway between the great room and dining room leads to a powder room and a downstairs master suite. The powder room has a pedestal sink.

The downstairs master is only 13′ x 13′, so it isn’t as large as a regular master. It has a big window facing the street and a smaller one on the side. There is a walk-in closet, though it’s closer in size to that of a secondary room than a master.

The master bath only has one sink, but the vanity is a bit bigger than in the secondary bedrooms. It has a good-sized shower, but no tub.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms and a bonus room. The bonus room is right at the top of the stairs. At 16′ x 16′, it provides a great game room or play room, though it doesn’t really have the privacy to make a good office. Windows face the side and back of the house.

There is a hallway in the back corner of the bonus room that leads to bedroom and bathroom 3. This is the only upstairs bedroom in the entire collection without an en-suite bathroom. Rather, it is in the hall and shared with the bonus room. It has a single sink, larger vanity, and a shower/tub combo. A set of linen cabinets sits outside it.

Bedroom 3 is the bigger secondary bedroom at 13′ x 11′. It has a three-door closet, though it isn’t really much bigger than most two-door closets, as the doors themselves are smaller.

A longer hallway off the front of the bonus room leads to the rest of the rooms. The laundry room comes first, again with side-by-side machines and a sink.

Bedroom 4 sits across from the laundry room and is the smallest bedroom in the home at 10′ x 12′. It has a single window facing the front of the home. This is the room that has a balcony in the Santa Barbara model. Its two-door closet is about the same size as the one from Bedroom 3. The en-suite bathroom has a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The master suite is at the end of the hall. It is 15′ x 16′ and windows on two walls make it very bright. The walk-in closet is in the main room, rather than the bathroom, and is pretty big. The built-in shoe rack is taller than in the other models.

The master bath has both sinks set into one long vanity, with two sets of cabinets and drawers. The shower and tub are next to each other, with the shared deck creating a seat in the shower.

This home felt a lot bigger than the other three models. I think having both a downstairs master suite and an upstairs bonus room will make it a very popular home.

Overall, the Melody Collection homes are laid out well and have great storage throughout. They don’t feel at all like condos, aside from the shared motor court. Unlike many new collections, none of these models have any optional changes to the floor plans, so the setup of the rooms is exactly as they are in the models. They don’t even offer the increasing popular bi-fold doors found in so many new homes. With the Everything’s Included policy, the majority of what you see in the model is what you get when you buy a Lennar home.