Irvine Housing Blog

Open House Review:  52 Secret Garden

Walking into an empty house can make it easier to imagine it as your own than when you see a home filled with someone else’s furniture, photos, and memorabilia.  52 Secret Garden in Northwood II is currently vacant, but I don’t expect that to last very long.  Anyone walking into the house will see that the home is beautiful, move-in ready, and perfect for a family.

Irvine Housing by the Numbers - May 2012 Update

Here is an updated list of the housing numbers for each of Irvine’s neighborhood. Of note, the sold prices per square foot of Quail Hill, Turtle Rock and to a lesser degree Oak Creek show a marked increase. Time will tell if this trend continues.

Paired Living with Privacy in Woodbridge

41 Willowgrove Irvine, CA 92604

This Woodbridge condominium has a whole handful of natural assets, and a few inevitable limitations.  The private lot location at the end of a cul de sac gives the home a generous helping of natural light and privacy.

The location off of West Yale Loop in a secluded part of Woodbridge secures the home’s value in a community that offers a  nearby lake with a beach club and water craft facilities, excellent schools, a senior center, tennis courts, pathways, bikeways, recreational parks, and  pools.  The overall established image of the Woodbridge community is a big plus.

Also, the home is FHA approved, and was recently reduced $20,000.

Beige Ruth Sisters

This week we will look at two houses in North Park Square, the sister of the guard gated North Park community without the gates and guards. They have the same floor plan, they are on the same street, and none of them back major streets like Bryan or Culver. Both are standard sales, and both are in great condition. They are walk-able from Beckman High School, and Hicks Canyon Elementary. Orchard Hills Middle School would probably call for a bike though. The Market Place is within a mile.

Both are “Rutherford” homes, in a different shades of beige.

Closed Sales from 5/3/2012 to 5/9/2012

Discuss below or at Talk Irvine.

Open House Review: 35 Bella Rosa

Today I visited a home in the Bella Rosa community of Northpark Square. This gated community is quiet and nicely maintained.  The realtor described the home as “perfect for empty nesters,” so I went into it with that in mind.  Here’s what I found…

The basics:
Asking Price: $979,800
Bedrooms: 3 (plus office and den)
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 2,600
Lot Size: 4,831
$/Sq Ft: $377
Property Type: SFR
Year Built: 2003
Community: Northpark, Bella Rosa

There are two sets of HOA dues, for a total of $217 per month, plus Mello Roos.

Investors Are Busy in Irvine’s Low-End Housing Market

It looks like investors have been busy in Irvine. Of the over 30 Irvine homes listed on Redfin as “Least Expensive,” over half are “Sale Pending.” In addition, many of the “Least Expensive” Irvine homes that are still available are in The Groves mobile park community.

If you are in the market for an investment property or feel that a small, inexpensive home would suit you just fine, homes that are still available in Irvine’s lower-priced housing market are listed below. However, I have a feeling that you will need all cash to beat any others that might be interested—at least for the condos. But don’t let that stop you from inquiring if you are interested but lack the cash.