Monthly Archives: February 2014

Open House Review: 26 Conservancy

For the third (and final) week in a row, I’m going to review a model on Conservancy in Portola Springs. This one is #26, across the street from 31 and 33 that I profiled earlier this month. Unlike the others, which are detached condos, 26 Conservancy is a true condo with shared walls on one side.

The basics:

Asking Price: $799,888

Bedrooms: 3 + loft

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,262

Lot Size: N/A

$/Sq Ft: $354

Days on Market: 37

Property Type: Condominium

Year Built: 2009

Community: Portola Springs, Paloma

HOA dues are $329 ($195 + $134) per month and there are Mello Roos.

Quickly comparing this to the other homes across the street, the biggest differences are the shared walls vs. detached condos and the number of bedrooms (three in this home, four in the others). It’s about 300-400 square feet smaller and $7-23 more per square foot. It hasn’t been on the market nearly as long, though at 37 days it certainly isn’t getting snapped up as quickly as many other Irvine homes.

The front gate leads into a courtyard with a fountain and a fire pit with bench seating on one side. The attractive stonework, along with the fountain and fire pit, gives a nice backyard feel to the home, when condos generally don’t have any outdoor space.

The front door opens up directly into the living room. Large, neutral tiles cover the floor throughout the downstairs. Two cutout areas, one much larger than the other, line one wall and could easily accommodate built-in units. Two windows face the street and another looks into the courtyard. The room is simple but adequate.

The living room flows directly into the dining room. It has another cut out on the same wall that makes a good spot for a china hutch or a built-in. Another window faces the courtyard. Because the dining room is so open when you first walk in, it doesn’t feel as formal as a more private room, but a large chandelier and fireplace do help provide a more elegant atmosphere.

A large arched doorway leads into the kitchen. It is bigger than the kitchens in many other condos I have seen. A center island has seating and can probably accommodate three chairs. The granite counters coordinate nicely with the neutral floors and the dark cabinets offer a nice contrast. On the right side, a long counter houses the sink and dishwasher in the middle and the microwave and oven on one end. A small built-in desk sits at the other end, beneath a window that faces the courtyard. The wall at the back has a six-burner stove and a few cabinets. The refrigerator sits on the left wall. The full-tile backsplash has a brick-like look. All the appliances are stainless steel. A door leads outside to a small backyard area, which connects to the side courtyard. The yard has space for a barbecue but isn’t big enough for anything else.

Just off the kitchen, a small alcove houses a couple of pantry height cupboards, a coat closet and access to the attached, two-car garage. There is also a half bath with a pedestal sink.

The staircase is in the back corner of the dining room. The top opens up to a loft that, like the rest of the rooms upstairs, has walnut hardwood floors. The loft has windows facing the side of the house and a French door leading to a small balcony that looks to the street. A big cut out area in one corner could easily have built-ins, but also makes a good spot for a desk or toy storage.

A hallway off the loft leads to the master bedroom, which faces the front of the house. The room is a good size and has two windows on one wall, plus windows in the hallway. It has recessed lighting, but no other notable features. An arched doorway leads to the master bath. The first part of the room has two sinks set into a fairly small counter. A second arched doorway leads to the shower and bathtub. The shower is somewhat small and done in plain white tile. The bathtub is a simple oval with a surround that matches the vanity. The closet is smaller than in many masters but still a good size for a condo. It has a single shelf and hanging bar in each wall.

Back in the main hallway, there is a laundry room across from the loft. It has side by side machines on one wall and a small sink on the opposite wall, plus a few cabinets.

There are two additional bedrooms down the hall. The first one is a good size – it has a big bed and large dresser, but still has plenty of floor space. Two windows face the side of the house. A two-door, standard closet takes up most of another wall. A door at the back of the room leads to a Jack and Jill bathroom.

The bathroom has a single sink centered on a long counter. A doorway separates the vanity from the shower/tub combo, which is done in basic white tile. There is travertine flooring throughout the bathroom.

Another door connects the bathroom to the last bedroom. This room is also pretty big and has plenty of floor space. A single window looks to the back of the home. Like the other bedroom, it has a two-door, standard closet.

This is a nice home that doesn’t really feel like a condo. The rooms are spacious and nicely upgraded. Like the other homes on this street, I question why so many houses or for sale and staying on the market for longer than in other neighborhoods.

IRWD’s Leak-Fixing Tips and Contest

Due to the current drought in California, IRWD is asking its customers to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20%. Since 20% of our water overuse is from outdoor watering and sprinkler over spraying, adjusting our habits in regards to these two sources is an easy way to reduce water use.

Fixing leaks is another way that can help to save water as well as reduce our water bills. The Irvine Ranch Water District in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Watersense program is sponsoring Fix a Leak Week. If you enter this contest by March 30, you will be entered in a drawing to win gift cards valued at $500, $300, or $100 from IWRD’s WaterSense partners, Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Here are the details from the IRWD website:

  1. Enter this contest only if you are an IRWD customer.
  2. Enter the contest by March 30. Note that mailed-in entries will be accepted through April 7.
  3. Send a photo or short video to calscape@irwd.com that shows your Leak Detective skills. Include your mailing address. Some sample of the type of pictures that you might submit:

  4. If supplies are still available, IWRD will mail you an IRWD CALscape Kit.
  5. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your CALscape Kit.

To view some videos on fixing sprinkler leaks, toilet leaks, checking your water meter and identify where a leak is coming from, click on the videos at the bottom of the IRWD webpage. Also note that IRWD offers free in-home water-use audits.

For additional information or questions: See the IRWD website, email calscape@irwd.com, or call 949-453-5322.

Additional post on IRWD and water-saving tips: Water-Saving and Bill-Reduction Tips from IRWD and IRWD CALscape Workshops Available Soon.

Open House Review: 4942 Persimmon

University Park Remodeled Parkside Single Family Home

4942 Persimmon $935,888

Turning off Culver onto Michelson and winding all the way back to Royce Drive provides a taste of the University Park neighborhood atmosphere. Early afternoon on Friday, there were clusters of school kids on the tree lined street with many headed to the library, and neighbors out walking. Turning onto Royce and then onto Persimmon puts you in the Parkside Deane community in a quiet area well insulated from urban traffic.

This specific two story single family home also provides a glimpse of one aspect of Irvine investing. The home was sold in August of 2013 for $755,000, upgraded throughout and listed for $945,000 in December, 2013. In January it was reduced to $935,888. Almost everything has been redone, except the windows. New wood flooring, carpeting, remodeling of kitchen, and baths, along with designer paints and staging are all in place. The broker also emphasized it is the only detached single family home currently for sale in the area.

Significant Numbers: This two level, single family four bedroom, 2.5 bath home has 2,289 sq. ft., at $409 a sq. ft. The lot size is 4,356 sq. ft. HOA dues are $173. There is no Mello Roos. The home was built in 1974 and it has been on the market a little over 50 days.

Close up: Curbside, professional landscaping leads to a gated entry courtyard, and double doors open into the living room with fireplace. The formal dining room overlooks the patio and good sized windows throughout the home capitalize on natural light and views of the landscaped patio with raised brick planters.

To the left of the entry the family room opens to the kitchen and also has garage access. The kitchen has new espresso cabinets, quartz counters, stainless appliances and recessed lighting.

To the right of the entry, stairs lead to the home’s four bedrooms with large master suite with enclosed balcony, raised ceilings and mirrored closet doors. Baths have quartz counters, new tiled showers and floors. There is a remodeled half bath on the main floor.

Engineered hardwood floors are used throughout the main level, with new carpeting upstairs.

More specifics:

Single family home

Bedrooms, 4

Baths, 2 and a half

Two car garage

Two parking spaces

Laundry in garage

Central furnace, central air

Tile roof

Association pool, spa

Completely detached

Irvine Unified School District

Overall Evaluation: As a single family, detached home in a prime location in Parkside in University Park, away from traffic noise and within easy reach of parks, tennis courts and schools, this home may have strong family appeal. Nearby there are new million dollar homes, and other homes overlooking University Park’s central park system, that offer competition. As a remodeled two story, four bedroom home, it will be interesting to see how options and price play out.

Who will move in? Families looking for exceptional schools like University High School, a regional park, and a well established community atmosphere near the University of California Irvine, might put this home on their list to consider. All bedrooms are upstairs which works for children, but may not work for more mature buyers.

Recent nearby listings: 19 Queens Wreath Way, $838,000; 45 Redwood Tree Lane, $759,000

Recent nearby sales: 13 Ash Tree Lane, $849,000; 21 Aspen Tree Lane, $989,000.

Open House Review: 197 Pineview

Last week I reviewed 193 Pineview in The Lakes tract of Northwood, which sits 4 units down from today’s 197 Pineview. They are the same layout, but today’s review looks at an end unit, so the home only shares one wall. The end unit has the advantage of having additional windows and light flooding the house, as well as a more private patio. The middle unit at #193 is asking $399,900 while this end unit is asking $394,900. Although #193 has more upgrades, it is interesting to compare the upgrades of one unit versus the location of the other.

Overview

Asking Price: $394,900

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1.5

Square Footage: 1,202

Lot Size: 871 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $329

Property Type: Condominium

Style: Two Level

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood, The Pines

HOA Fees: $310

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 17

The home is the end unit so there are additional large windows in the dining area and secondary bedroom. It is a bit of a walk from its designated carport and parking space, but sits nicely across from the tennis courts. The kitchen, dining area and living room are downstairs and the two bedrooms are upstairs. Unlike last week’s move-in ready home, this home needs some work to be in the same condition. It does has scraped ceilings, Spanish tile throughout the home, clean paint and a remodeled kitchen, but the bathrooms are original and in need of some deep cleaning or updates. All windows are original.

Upon entering, you have the view to the over-sized sliding glass door at the back end of the condominium. Unlike Unit #193, the wall at the end of the kitchen peninsula is gone, so this opens the room up. In addition, an extra large window in the dining area brings in a lot of natural light and creates an open feel.

Immediately to the right, behind the open front door is the half bathroom. The location is awkward if you like to keep the front door open, since you will have to close the front door in order to access the bathroom door. The vanity was original and it would desirable to do something with that area since it is very worn. A coat closet is next to the bathroom.

Immediately to the left is a small functional kitchen with updated cabinets and plain counters. I like how the pantry is located in the kitchen instead of on the outside wall of the kitchen peninsula. To the left of the kitchen entrance are a set of cabinets with some counter space and a pantry. A large window looks out to the front of the home. On the other side of the window, along the perpendicular wall are the refrigerator and electric range with a white microwave hood vent. The peninsula contains the double sink and white dishwasher. The kitchen offers an open view to the rest of the first floor with space for some bar seating. Under the peninsula countertop, on the bar seating side are cabinets that can be used for additional storage.

The dining room is on the other side of the bar seating. It can fit a good size dining table. The extra window in the dining room makes a big difference with the feel of the room. The window looks out to a small bridge and walkway. The living room is a couple steps down from the rest of the first floor, which clearly defines the areas. The step is a small size, only running a small portion on the right hand side. A white wood border helps accentuate the areas, but the wood was messily placed and looks unfinished. The living room is a nice size with a fireplace and built in bookshelves.

The living room opens up to the patio, which has an outdoor closet area for laundry. At the end of the patio slab are plants which borders along the man-made stream running down between the buildings. The patio is defined by a square concrete slab, but it does not hinder you from walking across the plants to your neighbors’ patios. However, this unit being the end unit the patio sits at an angle in front of the other patios down along the building, which creates more of a private area with a nicer view.

Coming up the tiled staircase, I noticed that the balusters were removed from the original staircase railing. If someone wants to prevent children from falling through the gap, new balusters need to be installed.

One of the home’s two large skylights sits in the ceiling above the staircase, which brings in a lot of light. The high vaulted ceilings provide an open spacious feel. The tiled floors continue throughout the second level.

The first bedroom is a regular size, but the vaulted ceilings and a good sized closet create a spacious feel. The window faces out towards the front of the home. This particular end-unit model has additional windows that reach up to the cathedral ceiling on the perpendicular wall which brings in an abundance of light.

The hall bathroom separates the two bedrooms. Since it is the only area to bathe or use the toilet upstairs, it also has an entrance into the master bathroom vanity area. Like downstairs, the cabinets are original and the fiberglass tub/shower combo needs to a good cleaning or needs to be resurfaced. Since the fiberglass tub material does not reach the ceiling, wood boards were placed above the top of the fiberglass. Perhaps it was due to water splashing or some other reason unknown to me.

The master bedroom is a decent size with built in cabinets and walk-in closet. The large set of windows and the skylight from the master bathroom’s vanity area bring in a lot of natural light. The large windows overlook the patio and creek. The vaulted ceilings and space at the top of the wall separating the bathroom brings in light from the bathroom skylight. The master bathroom, unlike the home I wrote in a previous review at 3 Lakepines, does not have a private toilet or shower. The area has another mirrored closet and dual sinks. The tracks on the mirrored closet doors are dirty and did not easily roll. I definitely prefer the layout at 3 Lakepines, with a single sink, shower and toilet.

The condominium has a great open layout and I definitely prefer this end-unit home for its location and extra windows. Having laundry on the property is another big convenience. After seeing how 3 Lakepines converted their master bathroom into a full private bathroom, it was hard for me not to be disappointed with the original layout found in this home. But if someone takes this property and renovates the original bathrooms, then it might be a great opportunity to add in a private shower and toilet in the master bathroom. The home is walking distance to Santiago Hills Elementary School and close to the walking paths. Would you prefer a move-in ready home or one that needs improvements but has a better location?

Open House Review: 31 Conservancy

Last week, I presented 33 Conservancy, a detached condo in Portola Springs. As I mentioned then, several other homes on the same street are for sale, including the home next door. This week, I’ll show how 31 Conservancy compares to its neighbor.

The basics:

Asking Price: $869,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3.5

Square Footage: 2,625

Lot Size: 2,817

$/Sq Ft: $331

Days on Market: 90

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2007

Community: Portola Springs, Manzanita

HOA dues are $270 ($134 + $136) per month and Mello Roos totals approximately $4,500 per year. ***HOA fees are per Redfin, which lists the dues at #33 as $256 ($134 + $122)***

At a quick glance, #31 is $10,000 less and about 90 square feet bigger than #33, so the price per square foot is about $16 less in #31. There is an additional half bath in #31. While #33 has a downstairs bedroom, all of the bedrooms in #31 are on the second floor. There is an extra living area downstairs, though.

When you enter the home, you see a long hallway with numerous doors and alcoves on both sides. At the front of the house, there is a room on the right and a room on the left that are about the same size. According to the realtor, some people with this model make one a formal dining room, though it isn’t really that close to the kitchen. Both rooms have wide, arched doorways that are open to the hall, so neither would work as a private bedroom or office. The room on the left is brighter, as it has windows on three sides, including one that looks to an interior courtyard.

As you move down the hall, French doors on the left lead to a courtyard. Another wide, arched doorway on the right leads to a small coat closet and the half bathroom. The bathroom has a pedestal sink and tile floors (the rest of the downstairs has wood flooring).

The hall opens up at the end into the living room, with the kitchen off to the left. The living room has a fireplace surrounded by white molding next to a large alcove that could house a TV or built-in unit. There is a second, smaller alcove next to the big one. A large window looks out to the side of the house.

The kitchen has tile floors, darker granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and white melamine cabinets. The center island is a smooth countertop with cabinets and drawers on two sides. The rest of the kitchen forms an L around it, with the fridge and sink overlooking the inner courtyard and the stove and ovens along the side wall. The back of the kitchen has space for a dining table and French doors leading to a small back patio. The door to the garage is in the back corner. It has one set of pantry-height cupboards and a full granite backsplash.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, the laundry room and three baths (including the master). The laundry room has side by side machines, a sink and four upper cabinets.

The master bedroom is at the back of the house. Deep grooves in the Berber carpet from the previous furniture will be extremely hard, if not impossible, to remove. Buyers will almost definitely need to replace the carpet. A set of French doors lead out to a small balcony. Windows on two additional walls help bring in light throughout the day. The room is a good size with ample walls pace. An arched doorway leads to the master bath.

The bathroom has two sinks, split by a bathtub in the middle. The counters, tub deck and shower are all done in simple white tiles, though there is a decorative backsplash on the vanities. The cabinets are white melamine. There is an additional vanity on one side, designed for a chair or stool. The shower has a built in seat and a small band of decorative tile. The closet is long and narrow, with just one bar and shelf.

The secondary bedrooms in this home are pretty small. The first one I came to has dark wood floors that match the downstairs. It has a single window and solid, French-style doors leading to a small walk-in closet. This room has a small en suite bathroom containing a single sink and a stall shower.

The hallway bath is done in the same style as the en suite one, with a solid white counter, white melamine cabinets and a tile floor. A door separates the two sinks from the toilet and shower/tub combo.

The next bedroom I saw faces the street. A single French door opens to a very small balcony. This room has the same wood floor as the other. It has more windows, so it gets a lot more light. The closet is a standard, two-door slider.

The final bedroom is similar to the second –windows on two walls and a French door on a third that leads to a much bigger balcony. The wood floors in here are more of a medium brown color and aren’t distressed as in the other rooms. The closet has solid French-style doors.

Overall, I didn’t love this house. I thought the bedrooms were too small and the downstairs was too broken up. None of the rooms really flowed together to create a bigger space. I think 33 Conservancy is definitely a better buy.

Both properties have been on the market for quite a long time. It should be interesting to see what happens and whether additional homes on the same street are put up for sale.