REAL ESTATE

To Commute or Not Commute? Rudy Svrcek , vice president of sales and marketing at the Irvine Co., thinks he has an answer to that question. Svrcek said bargain-priced new homes in a faraway commuter community may actually cost more than a comparable home closer to work. A recent “Homebuyer Comparison Summary” conducted by the Irvine Co., which sells homes located close to work centers, said that a new home costing $200,000 in a community close to the owner’s work might actually be cheaper in the long run than a new $165,000 home in a commuter community of more than 50 miles away round trip. The monthly payment after taxes and commute costs on the nearby house would be $1,377.26 and a commuting home would be $1,399.25, he said.

“You’re saving just a little, but you avoid a long commute, which is a very valuable thing and lets you spend more time with your family,” Svrcek said.