Buyers Factor in Quality of Life Issues

DANVILLE, CA—Landsea Homes is currently building homes in four Silicon Valley and East Bay markets, including The Vale in Sunnyvale, Sienna in Milpitas, Stoneyridge in Walnut Creek and the master-planned community of Sanctuary Village in Newark. On the heels of those developments comes another East Bay acquisition, Abigail Place, Landsea’s first community in Danville.

Abigail Place includes approved plans for 17 single-family homes located along Old Blackhawk Road and Camino Tassajara. Land development is expected to begin in late 2018, and the first new homes are expected in spring 2019.

In this exclusive, Peter Beucke, division president, Northern California, Landsea Homes, discussed the wide range of developments and some of the highlights, as well as the mission critical housing situation in the Bay Area.

GlobeSt.com: How similar or different are the five developments you are building in the Bay Area?

Beucke: Each of our developments and product offerings are different from one another. In several cases, we are developing in-fill sites that have had their original use changed to residential. This is very common in the Bay Area and especially the South Bay/Silicon Valley. Land is scarce and in-fill opportunities provide a way for cities to address housing shortages while allowing the land to shift to its current highest and best use scenario.

The architecture ranges from three-story townhomes to single-family detached homes. Buyers’ lifestyle and housing choices are different as well. Some homeowners prefer a low-maintenance attached product offering that allows them to spend their extra time on activities away from the home or with friends. Others prefer the more traditional type of homeownership that a single-family detached home provides.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the highlights of each development?

Beucke: Echo and Nexus at the Vale, located in Sunnyvale, provide amenities within the development with a recreation center that can be used for resident gatherings or reserved through the homeowners association for private events. A wonderful park is built into the neighborhood which allows for physical activities for all ages.

Siena in Milpitas will provide a location that is adjacent to an existing neighborhood recreation facility available for residents of the city. It’s also minutes from the new Milpitas BART station to provide easy access for commuters. Its location is ideal for those looking to live in Milpitas and close to work.

Skylark at Sanctuary Village is a unique master-planned community of single-family detached homes that includes a park and a sought-after location in Newark.

Stoneyridge and Stoneyhill in Walnut Creek are an in-fill community that is being built within a well-established neighborhood. The walkability and access to downtown and the Broadway Plaza make this a very unique project. The modern architecture in both Stoneyridge and Stoneyhill mimic the modern approach that the city has established with the recent commercial and retail building that has recently been completed in the downtown corridor.

GlobeSt.com: Two of the developments are in the East Bay and two in Silicon Valley. Would you say those are the areas with the most critical housing needs?

Beucke: They definitely fall within the list of critical housing need locations as do many other locations in Northern California. From a demand standpoint, they certainly address the need based on location and proximity to the workplace and shopping. Our buyers are not willing to trade location for commute times. It is a quality of life issue.

GlobeSt.com: How critical is the housing need overall in the Bay Area from your vantage point?

Beucke: There is a large housing shortage in the Bay Area driven by the strong economy and employment. The concentration of large corporations and the high-tech community create opportunities that constantly draw people to the Bay Area. As traffic becomes more and more of an issue, location becomes more and more important.