Investors build modern, supersized house in quaint, ’60s Irvine neighborhood
February 13th, 2008, 8:41 am · 82 Comments · posted by Brian Martinez
A newly built mini mansion dubbed “the jewel of Irvine” by its creators has some University Park residents stunned that their homeowners 
association approved the boxy, 3,850-square-foot house in their 1960s tract home neighborhood.
The developers – an Irvine family who has purchased, renovated and resold about 40 homes in this city – are asking $1.47 million for the luxurious, five-bedroom contemporary home at 2 Angell, across the street from Wholesome Choice Market near Michelson and Culver. The median home sale price for 2007 in the ZIP code, 92612, was $605,000.
The lot’s previous house was a 2-bedroom, 2 bath 1,500-square-foot single story. Everything visible, inside and out, is brand new.
“It just kind of sticks out,” front-door neighbor Sarah Bonner said. “It would be a beautiful house in the proper neighborhood, but not here.”
R.B. Singh, who lives two streets down from Angell, disagrees. The house looks better than many older homes in Irvine with million-dollar-plus price tags, he said.
“Now, owners in our neighborhood will start doing the same because they know the potential of what they can do with their lots,” Singh said.
The effects of home expansion and modernization of homes have been a hot topic in several O.C. communities such as Brea, Laguna Beach, Fountain Valley and Seal Beach, where residents want to keep the character of their neighborhoods, protect property values, or both.
And homes are getting bigger. The average house size in the United States increased from 1,700 square feet in 1978 to 2,456 square feet in 2006, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.
Owners of four homes near the 2 Angell house said they were surprised that University Community Association – which has a reputation for being strict – approved the project.
“I was shocked – really shocked – to see that house,” resident Jian Vang said.
The community’s five-member board of directors unanimously approved the project in February 2007. The panel found that the design did not violate any of the association’s Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions, and did not make any special exceptions for the project, site manager Scott Mourer said.
Without speaking directly to 2 Angell, Kathy Gonzales of the Community Associations Institute said boards need to be diligent in reviewing all community documents to make sure individual projects are in line with established rules. There have been cases where projects that violate CC&Rs have been mistakenly approved, she said.
While boards do need to look at what is overall visually pleasing in the neighborhood, they cannot legally reject a project simply because they don’t like it, she said. 
Architect Sean Abaii and his brother, Aboush, purchased the property with their mother in February 2007 for $640,000. They declined to say how much they invested into the reconstruction.
The new home has a full bedroom suite downstairs ideal for grandparents. The master suite upstairs has a flat-screen TV hookup and a fireplace. The home features six- by-six-foot dual-glazed windows to let in the light but muffle the sound of cars whizzing by on Michelson.
There is a waterfall on the wall facing the Michelson Drive exit of University Park Center. Sean said he wanted to give shoppers something beautiful to look at while exiting the retail complex.
The architect has designed about 75 homes. He drew inspiration for 2 Angell from its surroundings, he said. He said the boxy look is a trend in contemporary design that maximizes interior space.
Aboush, a real estate broker, set the price by inviting people to tour the home and asking them what they thought it was worth. The $1.47 million price tag is about $350,000 below market by his 
calculations, Aboush said.
Walter Hahn, a real estate economist who lives in Irvine, disagrees.
“They’ll never get anything close to what they are asking,” he said. “Its the wrong location for a big house like that. It’s on a busy street across from a shopping center. It’s double the size of anything in the area. It’s totally out of character with the neighborhood. They should have built it in Turtle Ridge or near the top of Turtle Rock.”
Sean said 2 Angell is ideal for a family who wants to walk to shopping, enjoy the home’s design and benefit from all that Irvine has to offer.
He also pointed out that progressive architecture has replaced many 1940s homes in Corona del Mar, leading to modern looks, larger homes, better standards and higher property values.
2 ANGELL
5,800 square feet of lot
3,850 square feet of house
5 bedrooms
2 double ovens
MORI Properties International
www.moriproperties.com
714-235-6103
February 13th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I have seen this house, inside and out. This is a VERY nice home.
It is spacious, comfortable, well designed and has a very nice layout.
Personally, I think I would want to make the downstairs suite my own entertainment room - but that’s just me!
The kitchen is just something you must see. Very nice cabinets, dual ovens and dishwashers, so it’s perfect for entertaining.
Then there’s the front door. You can leave it open on nice summer nights without risk. It’s very neat!
Frankly, I think that in the near future a lot of these old houses with their asbestos and lead pipes will be rebuilt just like this home was. People want more than 1500 square feet of living space and they actually like things such as insulation.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Well, it’s a big improvement over the other homes. Look at the one to the left? It looks rundown.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:37 am
This house looks ridiculous in this setting. A remodel not only needs to tak into account the needs of the homeowner, but also the character of the neighborhood. I’m not going to lie and say that the 1960’s architecture in this tract is at all appealing or historically significant (except as an example of unattractive lack of attention to facades rampant during the 60’s/70’s), but it is possible to upgrade and beautify without creating a sore thumb.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Good luck getting a $1.5 million loan in a neighborhood where the comps are half that. Besides, that kind of Palm Springs architecture has a very limited appeal in OC. Add to that the worst RE market in a decade and I would say these guys are going to learn a very tough lesson in investing.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:00 am
This house sticks out like a sore thumb in that neighborhood. It is far to modern… I can’t believe the HOA approved it.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Obviously the interrior has first rate materials and ammenities - looks nice. But I’ve never cared for that ‘boxes-inside-of-boxes’ design, no matter how artsy you describe it. I also agree with Kate and have always hated 60’s architecture.
I’m very surprised the HOA approved it - must have been wined, dined and BS’d over their heads. But then again Irvine had that 10-year+ Ganesh ‘refurbishment’ job a while ago too. Whatever happened with that?
They can use artsy-fartsy words like ‘juxtaposition’ but it really is the wrong house in the wrong place. Move it to Palm Springs.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Wow what a beautiful house they have built. It may seem to be out of place considering the rest of the neighborhood but I’d much rather see houses like this being built than the eyesore next to it. The asking price might seem high but like they say, “you get what you pay for” and I think you get alot of great features for your money with this house. Kudos to the builders and to the architect that designed it. I wish I had $1.47 million to buy it for myself!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Well- you can live frozen in time, or move forward. I see the innovative remodel as a gutsy step out in front of the pack. So what if some think the home is priced too high or that financing will be difficult. Of what concern is that to anyone but the owners - and they don’t seem all that concerned.
The architecture is striking, the style looks forward, the use of materials and methods all top-end. So these guys are the first in the neighborhood and they designed-built all on their own dime. Have you taken a drive through West L.A. lately. Beautiful, eco-efficient, well-designed homes slowly replacing 800 sq. ft. wood-rot eye-sores. Kudos to them.
Don’t forget that most of Newport Beach was nothing but tiny bungalows (and dirt-floor tents before that). Was that cute? Sure. It was also destined to be elegantly gentrified. The bungalows were slowly being reclaimed by the elements - and the termites. When the shack has lived out its life-expectancy an incoming landowner has a decision to make: The most prudent decision is to bring the parcel to it’s highest and best use. If conforming to building code, aesthetically pleasing, functional, and useful - who are we to say the neighborhood should never be improved upon. You can only hold back the sands of time for so long.
Irvine has an eye on the future. So do these bold developers. If I was a neighbor on this street I would be ecstatic. When gentrification like this shows up it means there is interest in improvement. Demand will follow the supply. Take a walk down some dilapidated old streets in the “Rust Belt” where interest has died along with values decades ago - with no hope of returning. I have no intention of moving there and improving anything - do you?
Congratulations to these forward-thinking, enthusiastic innovators. I’d much rather have this kind of “problem” in my neighborhood than the one that seems to be getting worse daily right next door.
Here’s a tip: If you want to complain to the HOA - get them to have that guy next door AT LEAST fix his garage door, clean the yard, and maybe slap a fresh coat of paint on - has it even been painted since the 60’s? Now that would might help your neighborhood a bit. If I lived there, I might even offer to buy the paint… Now there’s energy better spent…
P.S. Love that interior detail work. True craftsmanship - elegant, but tastefully done…
February 13th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I think it is awesome!!! We are moving into a house off of Walnut and there are quite a few homes in our neighborhood that have been re-built. I will probably do the same to mine in the future.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
I completely agree with Kate and Tom. In fact I would go so far as to say the outside of the house is ugly. When I first looked at the picture of the two side by side homes, it took me a second to figure out which one this “giant mansion” was!
No one’s going to be admiring the modern architecture of it when they’re coming out of a retail complex (one brother says he wanted to give shoppers something beautiful to look at as they exit the complex). The inside is quite nice, I admit, but totally improper. The whole idea isn’t so great. They’re not making astronomical profits and in this market, not many people are willing to take risks and buy homes like this. So much for trying to think “out of the box”!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:52 am
This house in my neighbor hood in TX would go for about $350,000 max. It is a beautiful house and the architecture would fit perfect in New Mexico and south TX. I agree that these guys will never get even 1 million for the house, even in a good housing market, way overbuilt for the area!
February 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Remember the Developer and Agent’s names…and if they ever approach you to “do a deal” , run away as fast as you can. Also memo to the patient real estate investor: Swoop in and buy this “Jewel of Irvine” in the next 6 to 12 months for somewhere between high 900’s to low 1 million..
P.S. That waterfall isn’t the only thing falling…
February 13th, 2008 at 11:57 am
The house looks great, and a first step in renovating the neighborhood. Old neighborhoods don’t have to remain old forever. Hopefully, more and more home owners will start remodeling their homes, and beautifying the neighborhood.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Interesting article. This is a very lovely house. It’s unfortunate that not everyone knows how to appreciate it. If I was in a position to purchase this marvelous house I would do so because it is unique to the neighborhood and that makes it more appealing, in my eyes. Kudos to everyone involved - especially the architect. He did a wonderful job.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I drive past this house every day on my way home from work. While it was being built I thought it was an office building. I can’t BELIEVE it’s a home, not in that neighborhood. It may be beautiful or striking or whatever positive descriptions have been used, it’s just TOTALLY out of place in that neighborhood. I too am shocked that the HOA would approve it, knowing how “cookie cutter” those groups usually are.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I still don’t understand why anybody would buy this home. Spacious, beautiful, eye-catching homes are a dime-a-dozen in this county folks! There’s nothing particularly unique about this one, unless you count the SPECTACULAR view of cars whizzing by in and out of Wholesome Foods on one side and the view of junky old houses on the other…
Total waste of money, time, and effort on the builders part!
February 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
When you drive by the place it looks like an office building. Why would you spend so much money to fix a home in such a bad location? It is right at the corner of a VERY busy street.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I am all for rebuilding on the older lots with a more modern house if that is what you are looking for in a home. I live off of Trabuco and there is a VERY nice house in our older neighborhood that was rebuilt from scratch on the lot recently. While it is modern, however, it DID take in to account the houses around it. The house is obviously newer and a more modern structure but it does not seem horribly out of place, as this house here does.
It may sell, it may not, but what these architects probably did (unintentionally?) with this build was to decrease the value of the surrounding properties. If they ever want to sell their houses “as is”, they will have to come down on price because more people will be looking to rebuild over the older structure. This, of course, is a problem for the seller, not the buyer. The HOA won’t care about that- they will just want the fees from the new buyers.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
If Christopher Columbus had sat home and did nothing we would not have what we have today…..Same goes with Bill Gates, Tom Edison, Graham Bell, and many others…..Although we should not compare this project to any of the events in the history, but the point is that someone took the gutsy FIRST STEP and the initiative to start something and break the mold……This is a GREAT departure from the old homes in the neighborhood. Someone with guts like the developer and the architect has made a great service to improve the neighborhood. Only time will tell and the history will show and appreciate these peoples efforts. The adjoining homeowners will also tremendously benefit from the sale of this home, as it will no doubt increase their property values. Also thanks to the HOA and the architectural review board for taking a positive step in realizing that it is time to improve the neighborhood. My hat’s off to them…..Great job to all parties involved…..
February 13th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
If you gave the local residents a choice of theirs or building one this size (no money worries) I wonder which one they would pick. We are regulated how far from the perimeter and how high you can build, take advantage of it. This is like shipping a box half full when you could have loaded it due to weakness on the other end picking it up.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Irvine isn’t Corona Del Mar. CDM homes were largely built by individual architects, and many homes are built up. Irvine was built on a single set of cookie-cutter plans. Uniformity was the watch-word.
They can ask whatever price they want. What they’ll get in today’s uncertain market, with no comps, is anyone’s guess. I doubt they’ll break a million, though. I would estimate they spent about $350K on building it, so they’re looking at a possible loss here.
It’s a bad time for speculators, especially ones who hope to take extravagent advantage of the market.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Yuck. Will the poor saps next door ever see the sun again?
February 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
interior is gorgeous, the rest is completely hideous. I know the architect and rest of the family involved were only seeing dollar signs, but they should have sought a better compromise. looks like someone accidentally dropped some huge Legos on that lot and even the old homes look better than this. what Tanya V said is most accurate, why not make it blend in and be completely modern at the same time?
worse, it’s not even the proper setback from the street. wonder how that permit slid thru. even a housing neophyte can see that.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
These days RE and OC/Irvine property values needs any catalyst toward higher valuations it can…given the price of new million homes with 25 years of Mello Roos supplemental tax attached to it, I think these older non-Mello Roos communities in Irvine are rip for tear downs. Generally, it is within the spirit of the HOA; them were ugly track homes to being with. The new $1.5 million house is a bargain relative to others in newer communities. If I was the neighbors, I would be estatic that there is now a catalyst on our block for higher valuations on my block. The re-gentrification of Irvine with tear downs and McMansion could be the catalyst for the micro economy in areas like University Park, Turtle Rock, Northwood and others who didn’t really experience the full upside of the rest of OC since new home construction seems to be clearly out of favor.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I have seen the building inside and out. It is a masterpiece and best use of the space possible…. so open… the design was the best to bring light inside the house…. the land scape and water fall… the flow of the structure is in such a harmony that it makes you want to sit there for hours… the material used are all high quality and beautiful earth tone colors…. you will never be bored because the shopping center across is so alive…. is the best thing that has happened to the neighborhood. I hope it will be an inspiration for everyone to upgrade and go modern. I liked the building so much that I have hired the architect to do my project already… He does such a nice job and so fast… has great and elegant taste… I know he has done 40+ homes in Irvine already and hope he gets to do as much as possible to make Irvine all that it can be… why not?
February 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Amazing Architecture and the interior is fabulous! Love the waterfall. Most people may not appreciate the location, but it might work for my family. This would be perfect, my elderly parents live with us they can enjoy the views and walk across to the center for shopping and exercise. I will contact my agent to view the home this weekend.
P.S. I guess everyone who has something negative to say must be ENVIOUS (deep inside).
February 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
…seem as canned as the denials by Roger Clemens. Remodels in aging neighborhoods are fine and the architecture in this neighborhood is horrible but this house is not only out of place but it is bland to boot. Same type of interior as thousands of other homes with no originality. The exterior looks like an office building too.
And to compare this remodel to what happened in CDM or Beverly Hills or Newport is a joke. I know CDM. And this location next to a busy intersection, an aged, mediocre shopping center and the 405 is no CDM. Nice try guys. I’ll give you $799K for it.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I would like to know if the term “over-improved” means anything to this investor.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
If you have not seen the inside … you really should…..
February 13th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
The Persians are coming
February 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Jeff - So I have ‘no money worries’ and I have to chose between the 2 - a 60’s piece of junk and someone’s artistic expression? Yeah right. Could you make it tougher by adding an igloo option?
February 13th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
This home is just plain odd. The HOA should be recalled. I got a letter from my HOA for painting the wrong shade of grey and they approve this? The huge waterfall? 1.4 million? Goofy comes to mind.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Marble floors are somewhat ‘Persian’ but you’d need to complete the decor with over-ornate gold everything everywhere.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I think the house looks nice. It’s too bad it’s in a neighborhood full of the old 60’s era homes that in some cases are not ma