New Construction  |  Side-by-Side

Varsity View vs. Irish Quarter: Same Stretch of South Bend Avenue, Very Different Deals

By Tim Vicsik, Broker Associate, Trueblood Real Estate  ·  Updated October 2026

This post is only about how the two differ. For everything else, see my full guides to Varsity View and Irish Quarter. (If you're here looking for Sideline Flats: that stalled project's site is where Varsity View now stands.)

Side by Side

From each building's recorded declaration and the Varsity View purchase agreement, reviewed October 2026. Dues change every year; confirm the current figure for any unit.

The Question That Sorts Most Buyers First

Do you want the place to earn anything on football weekends?

If yes, the answer is Irish Quarter. Both declarations ban Airbnb-style renting, but Irish Quarter carves out up to 12 rentals a year tied to Notre Dame events: home games, move-in, Junior Parents Weekend, Commencement. Each one needs a written agreement on the association's form at least seven days ahead, and anything longer than three days needs board approval. It's a narrow window, not a rental business, but it's a window. Varsity View's declaration requires a six-month minimum lease and doesn't make an event exception.

If no, turn the question around: would you rather your neighbors couldn't? At Varsity View, nobody's rolling a suitcase past your door on a Friday night in October. Some owners care about that a lot.

Why Would Anyone Pay More Per Square Foot Across the Street?

This is the question I'd ask first if I were buying. Varsity View's published developer pricing has run roughly $570 to $670 per square foot. Irish Quarter's closed resales have mostly landed in the mid-$400s per square foot. On a 1,600-square-foot three-bedroom, that gap is real money.

Here's what the Varsity View premium buys, honestly stated:

• Brand-new everything, with a builder warranty and a 12-month warranty review.

• Plans Irish Quarter doesn't have: a four-bedroom, plus more one- and two-bedroom choices than the West building's handful.

• A gym, storage lockers and an association that maintains windows and doors. At Irish Quarter, replacing a window is your bill.

• A building with no short-term guests. For some buyers that's worth more than all of the above.

And here's what Irish Quarter gives you for less:

• Two garage spaces in the East building, versus one assigned space at Varsity View. On a game-day weekend with family in town, that's not a small thing.

• Event-rental income, within the 12-a-year limit.

• A track record. The building is done, there are closed resales to compare, and the HOA has a couple of budgets behind it.

• A normal resale contract, which brings us to the next difference.

Both buildings' live listings and sales are on their guides. Price per square foot is a starting point, not a verdict. Compare the same bedroom count, floor and parking before you decide one is "cheaper."

How You Buy Is Different, Too

At Varsity View, you sign the developer's contract. Financed buyers put 20% down at signing. Cash buyers put 25% down at signing and another 35% at drywall. The agreement says those deposits aren't held in escrow and can be spent on construction. You can't resell for 18 months without the developer's consent. The recorded declaration adds that, until the developer turns over the association, nobody resells until every unit has sold once. The developer picks the title company, and the buyer pays the closing costs, including the owner's title policy.

At Irish Quarter, you're usually buying from an owner. Earnest money typically sits with a title company or broker. There's no resale lockout on the unit you buy, and you have closed sales to measure the price against. Two things still deserve a question. First, until the developer hands over each association, the declaration requires resales and rentals to go through an agent the developer approves, so ask who's on that list and whether the handover has happened. Second, a transfer assessment goes into the reserve fund on each resale; ask who pays it in your deal.

Two Young HOAs, Run by Their Developers (For Now)

Neither association has a long history, and in both, the developer controls the board for a while. Varsity View's developer runs it until five years after the last unit sells. Irish Quarter's declaration ends developer control on November 1, 2028, or sooner once two-thirds of the units have sold, which may already have happened. Ask.

Both declarations cap developer-era dues increases at 15% a year. The difference is structure: Varsity View is one building and one budget, with every unit paying the same. Irish Quarter is two separate associations, so East and West owners have different dues, different reserves and different boards. Don't assume a number you hear about one building applies to the other.

For how these dues compare with older buildings near campus, see Notre Dame condo HOA fees compared.

Financing and Taxes

Most units in both buildings land above the conforming loan limit, so plan on a jumbo loan. Lenders review the condo project as well as you, and both buildings share a ground floor with commercial space: one commercial unit at Varsity View, about 9,700 square feet of retail under Irish Quarter West. Ask your lender early how that affects project approval. At Varsity View, there's also no closed-sale history yet, and the purchase agreement requires a lender the seller approves. Local lenders who know these buildings are here.

Taxes work the same in both: Indiana caps property taxes at 1% of assessed value for a homestead and 2% for a second home or rental. Event-rental income at Irish Quarter doesn't change that cap, but it does make the place a rental for some tax purposes. Talk to your accountant. More on St. Joseph County property taxes.

Lean This Way If…

Varsity View or Irish Quarter: Quick Answers

If Neither Fits

• The other new building on the avenue: The Parisi vs. Varsity View covers the one building that's marketed with nightly rentals allowed.

• A shorter walk: Eddy Street Commons is about half a mile from the stadium, though listings are rare.

• An established HOA with decades of history: Oak Hill is under a mile out, at a lower price point.

• Everything at once: the comparison chart and walkability map line up 30 communities.

Based on the recorded declarations for Varsity View and both Irish Quarter condominiums, the Varsity View purchase agreement form, and closed MLS sales, reviewed October 2026. Terms, dues and pricing change; verify everything in your own contract and the current recorded documents. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.