Several families toured their new homes at the grand opening of Sage Park, a neighborhood of 68 affordable townhomes for first-time homebuyers in Portola Springs.

The new two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, starting in the low-$400,000s, attracted over 6,000 interested buyers, who then were selected by lottery.

“Utter joy,” is how Sergio Preciado described his feelings after touring his new home with his wife and two daughters.

Built by the Irvine Community Land Trust on land donated by Irvine Company, Sage Park will include a park, community pool and recreation center.

The community will serve essential workers such as nurses, teachers and recent graduates.

“We’re proud we can offer them homeownership for the first time and help them thrive in Irvine,” says Mark Asturias, who runs the nonprofit trust.

A diverse range of homes has always been a part of the Irvine Master Plan.

More than 60 years ago, this pioneering plan promised: “As villages are built, Irvine Company will give careful attention to maintaining a variety of types of housing that will inevitably house a variety of types of people.”

Sage Park is one example of how that commitment has come to fruition today.