Condo Questions in Turtle Rock Pointe

10 Monterey: $775,000

Driving on Ridgeline Drive in Turtle Rock with open fields and views all around, and then entering the gated community of Turtle Rock Pointe, my first question was how this 10 Monterey condo fits into today’s market. Next question: how does it compare with the 33 Valley View condo that I saw last week?

Nicely situated in an elevated area in a quiet cul-de-sac, 10 Monterey has a strong curbside presence backed up with a polished, put together interior. This 3 bedroom, 2.75 bath condo makes the most of 2,104 square feet in a functional and appealing home.

Nicely situated in an elevated area in a quiet cul-de-sac, 10 Monterey has a strong curbside presence backed up with a polished, put together interior. This 3 bedroom, 2.75 bath condo makes the most of 2,104 square feet in a functional and appealing home.

As you enter, there is a sunny open living room with cathedral vaulted ceiling, formal dining room and patio beyond. To the left of the entryway, a plantation shuttered window highlights a small guest bedroom/office that is nearby, but neatly tucked away. There is a bath down the hall.

Next to the dining room, the family room with fireplace and marble floors opens onto a tiled patio and wrap around yard. The raised location turns this area into a private retreat and entertainment asset.

The kitchen pairs with the family room, compact but functional, with recessed lighting, updated granite counters, newer stainless appliances, and a good sized breakfast counter bar. Entertaining here would be easy with the flow of the party moving back and forth from the living room to the family room, and on to the patio.

Upstairs, there are two ensuite bedrooms. Both have good sized walk in closets, and baths with double vanity, shower and tub. The closet in the master bedroom has an opening for a future studio or office addition.

Heating and air have been recently replaced, and there are dual paned windows. There is a double garage and two parking spaces.

Upgrades and Special Details add elegance here. Marble floors and partial carpeting, crown moldings, plantation shutters and recessed lighting blend well with built in cabinets near the dining room, the shuttered interior window for the downstairs bedroom, and built in bedroom bookcases.

Considerations and Comparisons: The specifics show this property has been listed for 114 days and the price was recently lowered $20,000. The location off of Ridgeline Drive in a private gated community in a quiet, elevated cul-de-sac could add long range value. The immaculate condition and quality upgrades count too.

Contrasted with the Turtle Rock condo at 33 Valley View, both properties have secluded locations with city lights, and treetop or tree views, different but equally appealing floor plans, and nice individual helpings of drama. After checking the numbers, the final choice comes down to the buyer’s priorities on age, upgrades, location, floor plan, and that ultimate “when you know it’s right feeling.”

Specifics for these Turtle Rock condos:

	10 Monterey $775,000	33 Valley View $766,000
Built:	1984	1978
Bedrooms	3	4
Baths	2.75	2.5
Square footage	2,104	2,400
$/Sq. Foot	$368	$319
Dues	$487	$450
Views:	Trees/woods	City lights/treetops/woods
Mello Roos	No	No
Schools	Irvine School System	Irvine School System
Location	Turtle Rock Pointe	Turtle Rock

Nearby properties recently sold: 7 San Ramon sold in June for 857,500. 22 San Ramon #72 sold in March for $700,000. Similar listings on the market now: 12 Mirador #5 is listed at $725,000. 12 Monterey #2 is listed at $799,000.

Who will choose this condo? Someone who is drawn to a private location in a gated community will be pleased with this home. Buyers with a need for a home office, or convenient downstairs bedroom for older relatives or frequent guests might choose this home. And someone who wants to move in and start entertaining will do just that.

Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.

Two West Irvine detached condominiums on the market have the same floor plan, and same listing price of $609,900. But, around their listing price is a single family residence with wood flooring, crown molding and other upgrades. At $639,000, it might end up working cheaper to own a single family residence than a condominium. What compels people to buy the overpriced condominiums when the single family residences are listed for a better price? The community is still the same, and the schools are the same.

71 GLEN ARBOR #126

Listing Price: $609,900

Beds: 4

Baths: 2.75

Sq. Ft.: 1,730

$/Sq. Ft.: $353

Property Type: Residential, Condominium

Style: Two Level, Mediterranean

Year Built: 2001

Community: West Irvine

Builders Tract Name: Wisteria

Builders Tract Code: WIST

Builders Model Code: Cabrillo, 4

Monthly expenses:

HOA Dues: $174/month ($119+$55)

Property Tax ( 1.0595%): $6462 Annually

Mello Roos: $1383 Annually

Monthly Property Tax+ Mello Roos: $654

Monthly Mortgage (30 YR Fixed, 3.5%): $2,191

Monthly Fixed Expenses: $3,019

165 CHURCH PL, IRVINE CA 92602

Listing Price: $639,900

Beds: 4

Baths: 2.5

Sq. Ft.: 1,755

$/Sq. Ft.: $364

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: Two Level, Traditional

Year Built: 1998

Community: West Irvine

Builders Tract Name: Liberty

Builders Tract Code: LIBT

Builders Model Code: C

Monthly expenses:

Property Tax ( 1.0595%): $6780 Annually

Mello Roos: $1147 Annually

Monthly Property Tax+ Mello Roos: $660

Monthly Mortgage (30 YR Fixed, 3.5%): $2,296

Monthly Fixed Expenses: $2,956

Owning a single family residence with its own lot is cheaper than owning a condominium in West Irvine. Which one would you? What justifies your decision? Do you think an HOA will keep the community in a better shape than a community without one? If given a choice, I would pick the Single Family residence over the condominium in this case.

Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.

Today I visited 12 Crosskey, a five bedroom home with two bonus rooms, both additions to the original house.

The basics:

Asking Price: $959,000

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 3,100

Lot Size: 4,550

$/Sq Ft: $309

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1977

Community: Woodcrest

This home has no HOA dues and no Mello Ross Tax.

The house is in great condition, with many recent upgrades, including new wood floors downstairs and new carpet upstairs, new vinyl windows, and new tile floors and showers in the bathrooms. Other upgrades include new mirrored closet doors, recessed lighting, new fixtures, and a new wood patio.

The first rooms I saw when I walked into the house were the living room and dining room, both on the left. Oddly, the living room still had furniture in it, though the rest of the house is completely vacant. It is nice and bright, with an attractive fireplace and high ceiling. The living room is two steps down from the hallway and one step below the dining room, so there are several different levels within the downstairs of the home.

Continuing down the hallway, I passed a large, wide staircase and entered the great room – a family room and a fully remodeled kitchen. The great room is very spacious, with a fireplace in one corner, a bay window in the breakfast nook and pretty wood floors. It has a walk-in bar and an open storage area under the stairs.

The kitchen has brand new stainless steel appliances (no fridge), new granite countertops, maple cabinets, and a large breakfast bar with bookshelves on one side. It’s a fairly small kitchen in terms of floor space, but it does seem to have ample counter and cabinet space, including a pantry.

A bonus room was added on downstairs, behind the dining room. It’s a triangular shaped room, fairly narrow at one end, with doors to close it off from the dining room if desired. It also has sliding doors to the backyard. This would make a great playroom for little kids and could also be used as an office or exercise room. Its size, shape and lack of closet wouldn’t make it ideal for a bedroom.

There is also a full bedroom downstairs with mirrored closets and a ceiling fan. The full bath downstairs has two sinks and a shower.

Upstairs, I found three more secondary bedrooms. Each has mirrored closets and they share a bathroom featuring two sinks and a tub/shower combo. One has a ceiling fan. They are average size and don’t have any special details.

The master bedroom is a big room with a ceiling fan and high ceilings. Two tall, narrow windows overlook the backyard. It has two cedar-lined walk-in closets, providing ample storage and a nice aroma. Past the closets is a remodeled bathroom, with a separate tub and shower and two sinks. The floors and shower are beautifully retiled and all of the fixtures are new. The cabinets appear to be original but are in good condition.

The other addition to the house is upstairs through the master bedroom. It is approximately the same size as all of the secondary bedrooms but it lacks a closet. Because it is only accessible through the master bedroom, it somewhat limits what you would use it for, but it would make a nice office, exercise room, or private sitting room. It’s a nice extra space to have.

The home’s biggest downfall is a fairly small backyard, partly due to the downstairs bonus room. However, it does still have a grassy area, a patio, and a fenced-in spa.

I like this house a lot. It is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and all of the upgrades are attractive and well done. There is plenty of living space for a large family and it has a three car garage. The house has only been on the market for about a week and I imagine it will sell fairly quickly.

Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.