Feng Properties
Feng Properties
Quail Hill, Irvine Neighborhood GuideÂ
Updated: June 2026
Quail Hill is Irvine's hilltop village in the southern end of the city, 1,656 homes on 851 acres surrounded by 600 acres of permanently protected open space and directly connected to the 5,200-acre Irvine Open Space Preserve. Built between 2002 and 2007 in Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean styles across 14 tracts by ten different builders, the community offers everything from attached condos starting under $800K to hilltop view estates above $2M. Alderwood Elementary sits inside the community. Laguna Beach is 10 minutes away via SR-133. And unlike Irvine's flat, grid-based interior villages, Quail Hill occupies real terrain at approximately 798 feet elevation, which means panoramic views, trail access from your doorstep, and a seclusion you don't find anywhere else in the city.
At 19 to 24 years old, Quail Hill homes are deep into their first major maintenance cycle. The views are real. The trails are exceptional. The carrying costs and aging systems require eyes-open ownership. This guide covers all of it.
Quail Hill at a Glance
Year Established
2002â2007
number of homes
1,656 across 14 tracts
Price Range
~$750K (condos) to $2M+
(hilltop view estates)
Master HOA
$220â$500+/mo (combined; condos higher)
Mello-Roos
~$1,000â$4,000+/yr
Schools
IUSD (no split)
Overall Niche Grade
A+ (University High)
Quail Hill Loop, Irvine Open Space Preserve (5,200 acres)
trail access
Home Prices & Housing Types
Quail Hill's 14 tracts span a wide range of product types, from 822 sq ft attached condos to 5,000+ sq ft hilltop estates. Understanding which tract you're in matters more here than in most Irvine communities, because builder quality, lot position, and view exposure vary significantly across the 851-acre hillside.
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Attached Condos and Townhomes (Jasmine, Casalon, Ivy Wreath, Ambridge)
Entry into Quail Hill starts around $750K to $950K for attached units. These tracts feature smaller footprints, shared walls, and combined HOA fees (master plus sub) that can reach $500 to $800/month when Mello-Roos is factored in. The trade-off is resort amenity access at a lower price point. Popular with first-time buyers and investors targeting UCI rental demand.
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Detached Single-Family Homes (Sage, Sandalwood, Laurel, Linden, Chantilly, Sienna, Solstice) The core of the Quail Hill market sits from $1.0M to $1.7M for detached SFR without premium lot positions. These homes offer the full Quail Hill lifestyle at a more accessible entry point than the view-premium tracts. Combined HOA for detached homes runs approximately $220 to $350/month plus Mello-Roos.
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View and Premium Tracts (Vicara, Olivos, Tapestry)
These are the tracts that define Quail Hill's reputation and pricing ceiling. Vicara (Richmond American Homes) sits at the hilltop with panoramic views of Orange County and Saddleback Mountain. Olivos (California Pacific Homes) emphasizes contemporary indoor-outdoor living with commanding lot positions. Tapestry (Fieldstone Communities) offers premium hillside lots with significant elevation and view exposure. Homes in these tracts range from $1.5M to $2.5M+ depending on lot position, view line, and renovation level. View lot premiums of $200,000 to $500,000+ over comparable non-view homes in the same tract are real and historically sticky.
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What the data shows:
The 12-month median across all Quail Hill product types is approximately $1.2M with year-over-year appreciation near 4.0%. Price per square foot runs around $720. Average days on market is 34. These are community-wide averages that blend condos with hilltop estates, so the range is significant. A Jasmine condo and a Vicara hilltop home are both "Quail Hill" on Redfin, but they're fundamentally different purchase decisions.
Schools
All of Quail Hill is served by Irvine Unified School District. There is no school zone split here, unlike Orchard Hills. Every address in Quail Hill feeds into the same IUSD pipeline.
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Alderwood Elementary (K-6)
California Distinguished School. Located inside the Quail Hill community, which means children can walk to school without crossing arterial streets. Features a STEAM innovation lab and Gold PBIS Award. This is a genuinely meaningful quality-of-life factor for families.
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Rancho San Joaquin Middle School (7-8)
Part of IUSD. Received science classroom modernization funding under Measure E ($319M bond passed 2016). Serves Quail Hill alongside Turtle Rock, Turtle Ridge, University Park, Shady Canyon, and University Hills students.
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University High School (9-12)
National Blue Ribbon School, California Distinguished School, A+ on Niche, ranked #37 nationally for STEM by U.S. News and World Report. The same school assignment as Turtle Ridge. University High is one of the primary value drivers in south Irvine real estate, and it anchors Quail Hill's resale appeal for family buyers.
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IUSD overall is consistently ranked among the top school districts in California. For buyers relocating from out of state who are used to researching school quality, IUSD compares favorably to districts in comparable income bands anywhere in the country.
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Always verify current attendance boundaries with IUSD directly before writing an offer. Boundaries can shift with enrollment changes. That said, Quail Hill has fed into this IUSD pipeline consistently since 2002.
HOA Fees & Mello-Roos
Quail Hill operates under a two-tier HOA structure. Understanding both layers is essential to modeling true carrying cost.
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Master HOA (Quail Hill Community Association)
Managed by FirstService Residential. Covers the three community pools, fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, five parks, and the SWA Group-designed landscape including tree-lined courtyards and canopied walkways. This is a resort-level amenity package, and the HOA fees reflect that.
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Sub-Association HOA
Each of the 14 tracts has its own sub-association below the master. Sub-HOA covers tract-specific common areas and, for attached units, building exteriors, roofs, and shared landscaping. For detached homes, the sub-HOA is typically lower. For attached condos, the sub-HOA can be substantial.
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Combined monthly HOA:
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Detached SFR (Sandalwood, Sage, Laurel, etc.): approximately $220 to $350/month combined
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Attached condos and townhomes (Jasmine, Casalon): approximately $350 to $500+/month combined
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Mello Roos
Quail Hill falls under Assessment District No. 00-18, the same district shared with Turtle Ridge and Shady Canyon. Annual Mello-Roos ranges from approximately $1,000 to $4,000+ depending on lot size and tract. Combined with the base ~1.05% property tax, the effective total rate runs 1.3 to 1.7% of assessed value.
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On a $1.5M home, that means $19,500 to $25,500 in total annual property taxes and assessments, or roughly $1,625 to $2,125 per month before mortgage, HOA, or insurance. This is notably lower than Great Park (1.8-1.9% effective rate) and on par with Turtle Ridge.
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For attached condos specifically:
Combined HOA plus Mello-Roos can exceed $700 to $800 per month total. Factor this into your mortgage qualification and monthly budget before falling in love with a condo listing price.
Always pull the actual tax bill for the specific parcel. Do not estimate from Zillow or from a neighboring property's figures. Mello-Roos varies by lot size even within the same tract.
Amenities & Lifestyle
Three Pools and Fitness Center
The master HOA maintains three Olympic-size community pools. One is heated through winter; two are seasonal. A fitness center, tennis courts, basketball courts, and five parks with BBQ areas round out the community's amenity package. These are resort-style facilities maintained by the HOA and exclusive to Quail Hill residents.
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Quail Hill Loop Trail and Open Space Access
The Quail Hill Loop Trail connects directly from the community into the Irvine Open Space Preserve, over 5,200 acres designated a Natural Landmark by both California and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The ecosystem spans coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, and grasslands. Hiking, mountain biking, and guided programs through the Irvine Ranch Conservancy are all accessible on foot from your front door. The preserve connects further toward Bommer Canyon and Crystal Cove State Park. Trail access at this scale, from an urban neighborhood, is genuinely rare in Orange County.
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Laguna Beach in 10 Minutes SR-133
Laguna Canyon Road runs from Quail Hill to Laguna Beach with no stoplights through a scenic canyon drive. That is a 10-minute door-to-beach transit time, shorter than almost any other Irvine community. Laguna's beaches, art galleries, restaurants, and the Festival of Arts are weekend-easy from here. SR-133 does get congested during summer and Pageant of the Masters season (July-August), but the access is structurally better than what north or central Irvine provides.
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Quail Hill Shopping Center Walkable from the community. Anchored by Albertsons with a CVS and a mix of restaurants and daily convenience retail. Sufficient for most daily needs. Broader grocery options and major retail require driving to Irvine Spectrum or the Culver Drive corridor.
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Commute and Freeway Access
I-405 (north), SR-133 (east), and I-5 are all a short drive from Quail Hill. Commute to Newport Beach is approximately 12 minutes. Irvine's tech corridor along Jamboree and Alton is 15 to 20 minutes. The "island" geography, bounded by I-405, SR-133, Shady Canyon, and Jeffrey Road, creates one significant caveat: there are limited ingress and egress points. A road closure or accident on Jeffrey Road or the primary entry can meaningfully affect commute timing. Test your morning drive from the specific address before purchasing.
What Buyers Should Know Before Purchasing
The 20-year maintenance cliff is here and it's expensive.
Quail Hill homes built 2002 to 2007 are now 19 to 24 years old. That means HVAC systems (15 to 20-year lifespan) are at or past end-of-life. Concrete tile roof underlayment (20-year felt paper) is failing on homes that haven't been addressed. Original water heaters, if never replaced, are 19 to 24 years old and at significant risk of catastrophic tank failure. Exterior paint on hilltop homes, exposed to Santa Ana winds and direct UV, degrades faster than interior Irvine neighborhoods. If you are buying a Quail Hill home that hasn't been updated, budget $25,000 to $50,000 for near-term system replacements: HVAC ($8,000 to $15,000), roof underlayment ($8,000 to $18,000), water heater ($1,500 to $3,500), and exterior paint ($5,000 to $12,000). This is not a reason to avoid Quail Hill. It's a reason to price it correctly into your offer. homes built during this era carry a small but non-zero risk of Chinese drywall installation, which was common in 2002 to 2007 production construction across the Sun Belt. Signs include sulfur odor, premature copper corrosion on plumbing, and AC coil failures. Request a drywall disclosure and inspection if you are buying any Quail Hill home that hasn't had a full renovation since construction.
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View lot vs. non-view lot is not a matter of preference.
It's a market segment. Within any tract, view lots command $200,000 to $500,000+ over otherwise comparable non-view homes. This premium has historically held through market cycles because view lots on the Quail Hill hillside are finite and the view corridor is protected by permanently designated open space. If you are buying a non-view home, model your resale pool as non-view buyers. Do not assume you will capture view-lot appreciation at exit. If you are buying a view lot, verify the view is protected by open space designation, not just current development conditions. A promised view blocked by future construction is a permanent value impairment.
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Freeway noise and access bottlenecks are real on specific tracts.
Northern tracts closest to I-405 and eastern tracts adjacent to SR-133 experience meaningful freeway noise during commute hours. Landscaping berms were installed, but attenuation varies by lot. Visit the specific property during rush hour with windows open before committing. Southern and interior tracts are significantly quieter but trade noise for more wind exposure at elevation. On access: Quail Hill's "island" geography has limited entry points. The community does not have through-traffic, which is a lifestyle positive, but it means peak-hour bottlenecks at the Jeffrey Road entry. For buyers who are highly commute-sensitive, test ingress and egress at 7:30am and 5:30pm from the specific address.
Who Lives in Quail Hill
Approximately 7,668 residents across 2,898 households. Median age 37. The community skews toward dual-income professional families in their 30s and early 40s who prioritize trail access, school quality, and views over the larger lots of older Irvine villages.
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The walkable elementary school, University High School pipeline, and nature-adjacent setting create a resident profile that values outdoor lifestyle and IUSD outcomes over proximity to Irvine's central retail corridors. Many residents chose Quail Hill specifically over other Irvine villages because of the open space access and the Laguna Beach proximity, not just because of price point.
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Crime is extremely low, consistent with Irvine's overall safety profile and the community's controlled-access design.
Is Quail Hill Right for You?
Quail Hill is the right fit if:
You want trail access from your doorstep to one of Orange County's largest open space preserves, without leaving Irvine. You value the University High pipeline and want Alderwood Elementary within walking distance. You're buying a long-term family home (seven to ten-plus years) and the carrying cost math works cleanly with room for the deferred maintenance budget the age of construction requires. You're a buyer coming from a higher-density urban market who wants a genuine nature-adjacent lifestyle within 10 minutes of Laguna Beach and 30 minutes of the airport. You understand that view lot and non-view are different market segments and you're buying accordingly.
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Quail Hill is not the right fit if:
Your monthly budget doesn't have room for both the HOA/Mello-Roos and a deferred maintenance reserve for 20-year-old systems. You're buying primarily on list price without modeling total carrying cost including HOA (two-tier), Mello-Roos, property tax, and near-term maintenance. You need walkability scores above 50 for daily life without a car. You're buying a condo and haven't factored in that combined HOA plus Mello-Roos can reach $700 to $800/month before mortgage and property tax. You want brand-new construction with no maintenance horizon, which points you toward Great Park or Portola Springs instead.
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Quail Hill is one of the best-positioned communities in south Irvine for buyers who want the combination of IUSD schools, trail access, and hilltop lifestyle. The maintenance age is manageable with correct underwriting. The view premium is real and defensible long-term. Buy here with accurate numbers, and it's a strong hold.
Quail Hill FAQ
What schools serve Quail Hill, Irvine?
All of Quail Hill is served by Irvine Unified School District. There is no school zone split. The pipeline is Alderwood Elementary (K-6, California Distinguished, located inside the community), Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, and University High School (National Blue Ribbon, A+ on Niche, #37 STEM nationally). Verify current boundaries with IUSD before writing an offer, but this pipeline has been consistent since 2002.
Does Quail Hill have Mello-Roos?
Yes. Quail Hill is within Assessment District No. 00-18, shared with Turtle Ridge and Shady Canyon. Annual Mello-Roos ranges from approximately $1,000 to $4,000+ depending on lot size and tract. Combined with the 1.05% base property tax, total effective rates run 1.3 to 1.7% of assessed value. Pull the actual tax bill for your specific address before making an offer. Do not rely on estimates.
How much are HOA fees in Quail Hill?
Quail Hill has a two-tier HOA. For detached single-family homes, combined master plus sub-HOA runs approximately $220 to $350/month. For attached condos and townhomes, combined fees run $350 to $500+/month. When Mello-Roos is added, attached condo owners can face $700 to $800+/month in total assessments before mortgage and property tax.
What is the price range in Quail Hill?
Entry-level attached condos start around $750K to $950K. Detached SFR homes range from $1.0M to $1.7M for non-view positions. View and premium lots in Vicara, Olivos, and Tapestry run $1.5M to $2.5M+. The community-wide median is approximately $1.2M. View lots command premiums of $200,000 to $500,000+ over comparable non-view homes in the same tract.
What tracts are in Quail Hill?
Quail Hill has 14 tracts: Ambridge, Casalon, Chantilly, Ivy Wreath, Jasmine, Laurel, Linden, Olivos, Sage, Sandalwood, Sienna, Solstice, Tapestry, and Vicara. Jasmine and Casalon are primarily attached units. Vicara, Olivos, and Tapestry are the premium hilltop tracts with the strongest view positions and highest prices.
How close is Quail Hill to Laguna Beach?
Approximately 10 minutes via SR-133 (Laguna Canyon Road), a scenic no-stoplight canyon drive. This is one of the shortest drives to Laguna Beach of any Irvine community. Expect congestion on summer weekends and during Pageant of the Masters season (July to August).
Is there hiking in Quail Hill?
Yes, and it's exceptional. The Quail Hill Loop Trail connects directly from the community to the Irvine Open Space Preserve, over 5,200 acres of coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, and grasslands, designated a Natural Landmark by California and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Additional access to Bommer Canyon and routes toward Crystal Cove State Park are available through the preserve trail network. Managed by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy with guided programs, wildflower walks, and seasonal events.
Is there freeway noise in Quail Hill?
Yes, on specific tracts. I-405 runs along the northern edge and SR-133 runs along the eastern edge. Tracts closest to these freeways experience commute-hour noise. Landscaping berms provide some mitigation, but attenuation varies by lot. Southern and interior tracts are significantly quieter. Visit the specific property during rush hour before committing.
What makes Quail Hill different from other Irvine villages?
Four things distinguish Quail Hill: the hilltop terrain with panoramic views, direct trail access to 5,200 acres of protected open space from inside the community, the 10-minute drive to Laguna Beach, and Alderwood Elementary located within the community itself. These are structural advantages, not amenity add-ons. Most Irvine villages are flat, grid-based, and car-dependent for any nature access. Quail Hill is the exception.