Oak Creek

Oak Creek Homes

Oak Creek is one of the newer sections of Irvine developed in the late 90s as part of the Irvine Company’s southern expansion initiative that included the restructuring of what was previously agricultural land in various regions of the city. This was an attempt to satisfy the increased demand for housing in the area and make available more properties for new residents attracted by burgeoning business that has made its home in the central parts of Orange County.

This neighborhood borders the older Woodbridge neighborhood at its northern border (at Jeffrey Rd), the 5 freeway at its eastern border, Sand Canyon Ave at its southern border, and the 405 freeway at its western border. It encompasses both Irvine Valley College as well as the Oak Creek Golf club and is the southernmost Irvine community in between the freeways before you hit the Irvine Spectrum industrial center. (Oak Creek Map).

Oak Creek Homes For Sale

The Oak Creek portion of Irvine is designed to have a southern Mediterranean feel with most properties resembling the villas often found in the coastal parts of Italy, Greece, and Spain. It is adorned with beautiful olive trees and majestic oaks as well as hand-crafted stone work on many of its structures reminiscent of old world European craftsmanship.

Oak Creek homes for sale are reasonably priced across the board and as with all Irvine neighborhoods, are designed with diversity, safety, access to multiple amenities, and several methods of egress to make life here as comfortable as humanly possible.

Taking the time to research each neighborhood is this city is a must before deciding on which part of this highly desirable segment of Irvine to live in. Because the neighborhoods in Irvine can seem similar, it’s imperative to understand the pertinent facts and differences about each so that you can fulfill your priority list and make necessary distinctions when committing to your next home purchase here.

What are the prices of Oak Creek Houses?

Fortunately, Oak Creek was designed with affordability in mind. As master planned communities in Irvine go, this one was envisioned with moderate to high earners as part of the demographic makeup. The median household income here is slightly above the city average at $89K yearly, but far less than more exclusive neighborhoods such as Lower Peters Canyon and Northwood Pointe.

For those looking to buy an attached home, condos and townhomes can be had for as little as $140K right now, garnering you 1 bed, 1 bath, and 500 square feet of floor space. While this may seem small, it’s a great place for a recent college grad or individual to get their start in the real estate market and begin to accumulate some equity. On the higher end of the condo spectrum, one can snag a 3 bed, 4.5 bath, 1,500 square foot unit for around $530K – still very affordable for stats like this in the Irvine area.

Families and those looking for more floor space or a yard will find single family homes beginning around $410K for 2 beds, 2.5 baths, and 1,170 square feet under their roof. Being on a 2,600 square foot lot, this won’t leave you with a ton of yard, but it will give you room for some landscaping and maybe a bit of additional storage space. Larger, more spacious lots with semi-custom homes will run you roughly $1.1M on the higher end, earning you 5 beds and 3 baths inside of 3,600 square feet. This also comes on a generous 8,900 square foot lot with plenty of room for a pool, patio, or lavish backyard entertainment setup.

Whatever you’re looking for, there is definitely a deal to be had in this value-minded segment of the city. Currently, inventory is decent with nearly as many single family homes for sale as there are condos and townhomes.

Schools for Oak Creek Residents

Oak Creek was clearly envisioned with families in mind. 35% of the households in the neighborhood are occupied by couples with children and the median age of adults is 34 years old, making this a perfect place to start a family among other young, community-oriented clans.

Because of this fact, the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) has placed some of their finest schools in this part of the city.

Younger children (grades K to 6) will be eligible to attend Oak Creek elementary school. Scoring an incredible 9 out of 10 on Greatschool.org and a California Academic Performance Index (API) rank of 929 puts it well into the 90th percentile of all elementary schools in the state.

After Oak Creek, early teens will go on to attend Lakeside Middle School. This is the same junior high school that kids in the Woodbridge area attend. It, much like other IUSD institutions, has phenomenal academics, scoring a 10 out of 10 on Greatschools.org and earning a 961 API (one of the highest in the city and the entire state).

Teens, grades 9 through 12, also share Woodbridge High School with residents of that neighborhood. Woodbridge doesn’t disappoint and is heralded for its great sports programs, dedication to community involvement, and exception academics. It posts a 9 out of 10 on Greatschool.org and earns an API of 877 from the state.

Activities and Dining in Oak Creek

As initially mentioned, Oak Creek has within its borders one of the most beautiful golf courses in all of Orange County – the appropriately named, Oak Creek Golf Club. It was recently ranked as one of the top 50 public golf courses in the US by the Golf Range Association of America for its meticulously manicured greens and fairways, it’s breathtaking, well-designed links, its accommodating and relaxing clubhouse, and its beautiful event facilities.

The Irvine Company also made it a point to pencil into the neighborhood design plenty of shopping and dining to make living in Oak Creek a convenient experience for all residents.

Within walking distance there are two shopping centers – the Alton Square shopping center and the Oak Creek Village Center. Each of these marketplaces have a variety of shops containing any sort of consumer good that a local resident could ever need including:

• Gelsons
• Ralph’s
• CVS Pharmacy
• Walgreen’s
• Office Depot
• Verizon Wireless
• The UPS Store
• As well as several banks and credit unions

There is also an impressive handful of fast food and mid-range restaurants to choose from in both plazas including:

• Mustard Café
• Daphne’s California Greek
• New York’s Upper Crust Pizza
• PDM Café
• El Cholo Cantina
• Mooyah Burgers – Fries – Shakes
• Pick Up Stix
• And many more…

It’s easy to surmise that when living in any part of Irvine (Oak Creek included) you can expect a plethora of amenities that will satisfy your every need. And if it’s not just down the street, then you can hop on either the 405, 5, or 133 freeways and find it not too far away.

Will An Oak Creek Home Be Good For My Family?

If you’re looking for moderately priced property where location and accessibility to local travel conduits is a factor, then this area should be on your short list. Homes in this neighborhood have steadily increased in value and held their price points well since this community was developed in the late 90s, meaning that an investment here would be wise.

Families and those looking for a starter house will do well to plant roots in this type of community. Schools, like nearly all others in the city, are second to none. The crime index is low (less than a third of the national average) and the environmental layout is perfect for kids, with plenty of paseos to ride on and multiple parks to play in.

Commuters are perfectly positioned for an easy morning cruise via various routes in and out of the area. And because it was designed this way, Oak Creek is central to any and every product a homeowner could possibly require all within a short 1 to 2 mile radius.

Whether you’re new to Orange County or a long-time resident, Oak Creek offers the right price and mixture of resources to make choosing this neighborhood as your next home a step in the right direction.