Stonegate: Irvine Homes for Sale

Like all homes for sale in Irvine, Stonegate is a master-planned community.

Stonegate is a community covering one square mile that is part of the Villages of Irvine, bounded by Irvine Blvd to the South, San Canyon to the East, Jeffrey Blvd to the South, and Portola Parkway to the North.

The Villages of Irvine, by the Irvine Company, consist of separate contained villages, each with a huge shopping center, plenty of trails and open space, and are close to roads that lead to major job centers.

Home Prices in Stonegate

Homes in Stonegate start in the low to mid $400,000s, and that is typically for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condominium or townhouse in the 1,000 to 1,200 square foot range, while 3 bedroom condos in Stonegate sell in the low $600,000s to about $700,000. 4 Bedroom condos up to 2,000 or so square feet are also available and range from $800,000 to $900,000.

Above $1,000,000 are single family homes. Single family homes in the Stonegate neighborhood generally range in size from 2,300 to 3,200 square feet on lots of 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, at prices from the low $1,000,000’s to $1,300,000.

Another important factor when looking at the Stonegate real estate costs is additional mello roos, which is typically .4% to .6% annually based on your home value plus association dues that typically range from $125 to $300 monthly depending on which neighborhood of Stonegate you purchase in.

Living in the Stonegate Area of Irvine

The Stonegate area, like almost all of Irvine, is a very much a family-oriented community. There are 7 parks within Stonegate’s borders – the largest of which is Stonegate Park, which includes full basketball and tennis courts, a tot lot, sand volleyball courts, and numerous barbeques and picnic tables.

Also in Stonegate are:

• Egret Park, which includes a junior Olympic swimming pool with a spa and wading area, tennis, basketball, table tennis and bocce, along with a tot lot and picnic area
• Hummingbird park, which has a lap pool, spa, wading pool, tot lot, and picnic area
• Mockingbird Park, featuring junior Olympic swimming pool with a spa and wading area, half basketball court, tot lot, and picnic tables
• Swallows park, another junior Olympic pool, tot lot and bocce court
• Meadowlark and Goldfinch parks, which are just parks.

This is an amazing amount of amenities for a housing development that covers only one square mile. Also close by is the Jeffrey Open Space Trail which currently runs from Trabuco to Irvine Blvd, but when completed will run 5 miles from Portola Parkway in the North all the way to Quail Hill in the South.

Also nearby is the Woodbury Town Center, a huge shopping center consisting of big box stores, restaurants, and other conveniences that are less than 5 minutes away.

Schools in Stonegate

The vast majority of homebuyers in Irvine are either parents or planning to be parents, and the top reason most cite for buying a home in Irvine is the schools.

Parents will be happy to send their children to schools that are part of the Irvine Unified School District, and those with teens will send kids to Northwood High, which is ranked 59th in California and is #310 nationwide in terms of school rankings by U.S. News and World Report. An astounding 34% of Northwood High Students are part of the G.A.T.E. program, a special program for the best and the brightest of students whose acronym stands for Gifted and Talented Education.

Those with little ones will send elementary school students to Stonegate Elementary, ranked 10 out of 10 by school-ratings.com and middle schoolers will attend Sierra Vista Middle school, also ranked 10 out of 10.

Pros and Cons of Living In Stonegate

While Stonegate is a great area, and many would choose both the development and the city of Irvine as their #1 choice of places to live, like any area, it’s not for everyone.

While many other areas in Orange County are considered beach towns, Stonegate is a 20+ minute drive to the beach and certainly does not carry the “beach-town” vibe of Orange County’s other high-priced neighborhoods. Also, as one of the “newer” developments, it’s more dense with smaller lots than “old Irvine” so those that want a large backyard will have to look elsewhere.

The Irvine neighborhood is often described as best for those for whom their children’s education is the absolute #1 priority, with Irvine perhaps having a higher concentration of tutoring franchise businesses to population than any other neighborhood in the area. And- let’s be clear – these are not “hooked on phonics” type places, these are SAT prep and “how to get your kid into Stanford” type places.

For that reason, many parents who realize their child is brilliant end up relocating to the area, and those who have children with less than stellar aptitudes may find that their child doesn’t “fit in” as most of their peers are likely to be both very motivated and competent.

Also, the whole area is planned around families, with many outdoor activities and businesses catering to this vibe – there isn’t a whole lot to do nearby once it gets dark. Singles or those that are not yet “settled down” are likely to find the area out of the way and stifling.

For those with families, however, the area is one of the best possible places to live in the entire county. Geographically, it’s very likely to be one of the closest places you can be in terms of distance to your job, as it is bounded by all the major streets in Irvine.

Overall, if you’re looking for a quiet family oriented neighborhood with lots of kids, lots of parks, and some of the best schools you can find anywhere in California, Stonegate might be an excellent choice.