The City of Irvine boasts nearly 20,000 tall Eucalyptus trees forming a series of windbreaks. Today’s owner from 4 Windrow thinks the market winds have changed and people are ready to pay $500K for old condos.
Irvine Home Address … 4 WINDROW Irvine, CA 92618
Resale Home Price …… $498,000
{book1}
Dust in the wind,
all we are is dust in the wind
[Now] Don’t hang on,
nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away,
and all your money won’t another minute buy.
Dust in the wind,
all we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind,
everything is dust in the wind.
Dust in the Wind — Kansas
Have you noticed the rows of Eucalyptus trees crossing Irvine in many places? According to Wikimapia:
In Irvine, there are currently about 12,500 eucalyptus trees on private
property (either The Irvine Company land or HOA property) and about
5,700 trees on public property. These are arranged in 38 windrows,
stretching predominantly in northwest-southeast direction, parallel to
Santa Ana Mountains. The trees were originally intended as windbreakers
to protect the citrus groves from the Santa Ana winds blowing from the
mountains. As of today, the windrows have no agricultural use since the
citrus growing industry that gave name to Orange county has left Irvine.
The
oldest of Irvine’s windrow eucalyptus trees were planted by George
Irvine in the late 1800s. Another round of planting occurred between
1920 and 1940, again for agricultural purposes. As of 2009, the trees
are roughly between 70 and 100 years old. The lifespan of Eucalyptus
globulus, which are native to Australia and had to be imported, ranges
from 50 to 150 years, dependent on growing conditions, soils, and
overall care.
Irvine windrow trees were generally neglected for
their first 30 to 60 years. As agricultural windbreaks, they received
minimal care. When orchards were replaced with row crops, the
eucalyptus trees were considered to block sunlight and reduce harvest.
They were, as a result, routinely damaged from improper pruning
practices. The trees were not provided supplemental irrigation, but
opportunistically took advantage of crop irrigation. As agricultural
fields were converted to urban development, the trees again were often
damaged or encroached upon during grading and construction. Following
development, the trees have been provided a much higher level of care
and maintenance.
The City ordinance prohibits removal of any
eucalyptus trees that are part of the windrows, whether on public or
private property, without an explicit permission from the City.
These Eucalyptus tree windrows are one of the few pre-development features that still exists in Irvine. Just as the trees briefly slow the dust in the wind, people come and go from Irvine houses. In the bigger picture of cosmic time, our moment in these houses is just as ephemeral.
Irvine Home Address … 4 WINDROW Irvine, CA 92618
Resale Home Price … $498,000 
Income Requirement ……. $102,647
Downpayment Needed … $99,600
20% Down Conventional
Home Purchase Price … $530,000
Home Purchase Date …. 11/29/2004
Net Gain (Loss) ………. $(61,880)
Percent Change ………. -6.0%
Annual Appreciation … -1.2%
Mortgage Interest Rate ………. 4.96%
Monthly Mortgage Payment … $2,129
Monthly Cash Outlays ………… $2,780
Monthly Cost of Ownership … $2,230
Property Details for 4 WINDROW Irvine, CA 92618
Beds 2
Baths 1 full 1 part baths
Size 1,450 sq ft
($343 / sq ft)
Lot Size 2,739 sq ft
Year Built 1977
Days on Market 2
Listing Updated 11/25/2009
MLS Number S597251
Property Type Single Family, Residential
Community Orangetree
Tract Ph
According to the listing agent, this listing may be a pre-foreclosure or short sale.
Best of both worlds… detached homes with low maintenance yards and HOA ammenities … less land but well used so yard and patio are enclosed for privacy while grassy front yard is rolling lawn maintained by HOA. Living room with vaulted cathedral ceilings has double patio doors overlooking the rose garden and yard. Spacious kitchen has remodeled Euro-style cabinets with big island cooking area and breakfast bar. Direct access to laundry in garage and dining room/family kitchen with corner windows onto yard. Master suite is the only room perched above overlooking living room and corner windows over the yard. 2 Bedrooms down and next to bath. One has double door entry for use as work at home office or den or library.
Worst of both worlds… small and expensive.
Is this what affordability in Irvine is about? Should a family making $100K a year with $100K in savings be content to live here? Is every other buyer looking at nicer properties making more money and have more savings? I find it incomprehensible that a small, old condo in a spotty neighborhood (by Irvine standards) should cost a half-million dollars.
