Monthly Archives: March 2013

Closed Sales from 3/14/2013 to 3/20/2013

Date Sold Address Zip Tract Sold Price Beds SqFt
Airport Area
3/15/2013 3220 Watermarke 92612 Watermarke (WATR) $304,000 1 635
3/15/2013 3335 Watermarke 92612 Watermarke (WATR) $498,000 2 1123
3/15/2013 8059 Scholarship 92612 The Plaza (5000 and 8000) $945,000 2 1790
3/16/2013 3131 Michelson 92612 Marquee at Park Place $595,000 2 1506
Columbus Grove
3/15/2013 27 Snowdrop Tree 92606 Lantana (LANT) $920,000 4 2803
El Camino Real
3/15/2013 15431 Cherbourg 92604 Ranch (RC) $672,000 4 1785
3/18/2013 5 Helena 92604 Heritage Park (HP) $342,000 2 1146
Northpark
3/19/2013 6 Bel Springs 92602 Sonoma (SONM) $792,000 3 1800
3/19/2013 65 Pacific Crest 92602 Alder Creek (ALDC) $841,800 3 2000
3/19/2013 707 Terra Bella 92602 Terra Bella (TERB) $330,000 1 950
3/20/2013 7 Bel Springs 92602 Sonoma $886,000 4 2110
Northwood
3/15/2013 19 Princeton 92620 Woodcrest (WT) $930,000 5 2925
3/15/2013 47 Plymouth 92620 Show Case $840,000 4 2500
3/18/2013 1 Quebrada 92620 Windstream $830,000 4 2492
3/18/2013 5 Calhoun 92620 Shadow Run $846,500 5 2503
3/20/2013 7 Pierce 92620 Courtside $735,000 4 2132
3/20/2013 12 Fort Sumter 92620 La Cuesta (LC) $850,000 4 2967
Oak Creek
3/20/2013 12 Lilac 92618 Montilla (MONT) $575,000 3 1667
Orangetree
3/20/2013 24 Tangerine 92618 Patio Homes (OT) (PH) $427,000 2 958
Portola Springs
3/15/2013 168 Desert Bloom 92618 sage at Portola Springs $720,000 3 1697
Quail Hill
3/15/2013 137 Tall Oak 92603 Ivy Wreath (IVWR) $720,000 3 1800
Rancho San Joaquin
3/15/2013 10 Viejo 92612 RSJ Townhomes (JH) $560,000 2 1645
Turtle Ridge
3/15/2013 35 Rose Trellis 92603 Ledges $1,400,000 4 3400
3/20/2013 25 Tall Hedge 92603 Ledges (LEDG) $1,625,000 3 2650
Turtle Rock
3/15/2013 3 Alejo 92612 Pointe – Turtle Rock $740,000 3 2104
3/15/2013 5 Moon Dust 92603 Ridge Townhomes Bren $560,000 2 1525
University Park
3/15/2013 12 Wintersweet 92612 Village I (V1) $615,000 3 1549
West Irvine
3/14/2013 12 Proclamation 92602 Heritage $795,000 5 2268
3/14/2013 27 Winterfield 92602 Glen Willows (GLNW) $659,800 3 1700
3/20/2013 71 Linhaven 92602 Amberwood (W.I.) $810,000 4 2478
Westpark
3/14/2013 3 Altezza 92606 Trovata (TROV) $698,800 4 1876
3/15/2013 89 Costero Aisle 92614 Tiempo $360,000 2 900
Woodbridge
3/19/2013 2 Melodylane 92614 Cottage Homes (CH) $635,000 3 1571
3/19/2013 24 Eastlake 92604 Gables $1,003,000 4 2261
3/19/2013 46 Eagle Point 92604 $380,000 3 1088

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3648.0.html

Open House Review: 18 Miners Trail

This week, I visited 18 Miners Trail in Northwood. While it has many upgrades, there is also still plenty of room for improvement.

The basics:

Asking Price: $779,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,213

Lot Size: 4,560

$/Sq Ft: $352

Days on Market: 23

Property Type: single family residence

Year Built: 1979

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

The first thing I noticed was a large sideyard leading up to the front door and wrapping around to the backyard. Because it is a smaller lot, it is nice to see a bit of extra space on the side.

Downstairs, the flooring is all new, with a combo of tile in the entry and kitchen and wood throughout the rest of the rooms. In contrast, the upstairs carpet is shabby and needs to be replaced. While the upstairs bedrooms all have new windows, the downstairs windows are original. The ceilings were scraped throughout the whole house.

The living room is just off the entryway and is a step down from the hall. It has a vaulted ceiling and, despite having three windows, feels dark due to all of the trees in the front yard.

The dining room is on the other side of the entry. It has a sliding door out to the sideyard and, like the living room, has a vaulted ceiling.

The dining room leads into the kitchen, which has been nicely remodeled. In addition to the new marble floor, it has granite counters, attractive new cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. A large garden window looks out to the backyard. The kitchen doesn’t have quite as many cabinets as most others I have seen, so space will have to be used efficiently.

The family room is at the back of the house, right off the kitchen. It has space for a breakfast table at the back wall. There are sliding doors out to the backyard and a fireplace in the middle of another wall. It also has a skylight over the breakfast table. Because all of the natural light is at the far end of the room, most of the space is pretty dark.

There is a downstairs bedroom off the family room. It has built in shelves along one wall. Like the family room, it’s only light source is a sliding door to the backyard, so it is a dark room. It is big, but long and narrow, so somewhat awkwardly shaped for a bedroom. The closet is also pretty small, leading me to think it makes a better office or playroom. There is a remodeled en suite bathroom with a single sink and a shower/tub combo. This bathroom also has hallway access (via the laundry room) and is the only downstairs bath.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms. The master is a pretty big room. It has a fireplace and a balcony, along with a vaulted ceiling. The bathroom has been partially redone, with newer counters and tile around the separate shower and tub, but the original cabinets. The old carpet and cabinets make the otherwise nice bathroom look shabby.

The other bathroom upstairs has also been remodeled. It only has one sink, though it’s set in a very long counter. It has a combo shower/tub and newer granite and tile.

The two secondary bedrooms are very typical for an older home in Northwood. They are average sized, each with one window facing the street. One has a standard closet and the other has a walk in; neither is particularly large.

The home backs to Northwood, a somewhat quiet but non-residential street. It is also directly across from the back side of a shopping center, so it probably gets noise from delivery trucks. The outside of the home suffered some damage from termites and dry rot. The owners are willing to fix this at their own expense as long as the clause is included in the offer.

Older homes in Northwood have seen a fairly wide range of prices lately, both in those that have recently sold and those currently on the market. At $352 per square foot, this house is somewhere in the middle of that range. The two biggest drawbacks are the location and the lack of natural light, neither of which can be changed. Which one do you think is keeping it from selling?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3646.0.html

The Irvine Housing Numbers by Neighborhood—February 2013

For a look at what is happening this year in the Irvine housing market, see the following. And for a snapshot of the Irvine housing numbers by neighborhood in 2012, see my previous post.

Area List Price/# Homes Listed Sold Price/# Homes Sold List Per SF Sold Per SF % Chg Y-O-Y Sold Price/SF
Airport/IBC
13-Feb $699K/35 $514K/22 $385 $342 17.90%
13-Jan $694K/40 $440K/13 $398 $333 8.10%
Columbus Grove n/a
El Camino Real
13-Feb $445K/9 $472K/8 $364 $325 8%
13-Jan $535K/17 $555K/12 $366 $380 42.30%
Northpark
13-Feb $569K/19 $628K/22 $352 $347 23.90%
13-Jan $722K/24 $466K/22 $351 $321 15.90%
Northwood
13-Feb $738K/22 $725K/7 $353 $338 15.80%
13-Jan $750K/23 $750K/25 $373 $305 4.50%
Oak Creek
13-Feb $424K/14 $318K/10 $379 $333 26.60%
13-Jan $362K/14 $331K/9 $362 $338 29.50%
Orange Tree
13-Feb $307K/8 $208K/5 $373 $355 61.70%
13-Jan $278K/8 $328K/4 $345 $332 33.30%
Portola Springs
13-Feb $774K/8 $665K/5 $350 $274 -2.50%
13-Jan $1,024K/8 $614K/8 $375 $329 12.30%
Quail Hill
13-Feb $850K/10 $685K/7 $421 $396 29%
13-Jan $790K/10 $600K/7 $414 $341 4.60%
Rancho San Joaquin
13-Feb na/0 $493/3 n/a $242 -28%
13-Jan $564K/2 na/0 $333 n/a n/a
Shady Canyon
13-Feb $5,995K/15 $5,084K/2 $736 $665 10.30%
13-Jan $5,700K/15 $6,675K/1 $736 $668 25.10%
Turtle Ridge
13-Feb $2,355 K/11 $518 K/7 $617 $436 -1.10%
13-Jan $2,302 K/10 $1,295K/6 $605 $532 49.90%
Turtle Rock
13-Feb $1,050K/13 $1,135K/9 $542 $478 -15.20%
13-Jan $949K/13 $946K/8 $434 $466 58%
University Park
13-Feb $675K/7 $395K/2 $313 $318 11.20%
13-Jan $625K/7 $570K/10 $330 $351 26.70%
University Town Center
13-Feb na/0 $555K/3 n/a $366 38.10%
13-Jan $551K/1 $575K/1 $407 $377 19.70%
Walnut
13-Feb $900K/3 $665K/4 $552 $363 17.10%
13-Jan $430K/3 $657K/4 $350 $275 6.20%
West Irvine n/a
Westpark
13-Feb $585K/2 $610K/2 $486 $344 4.60%
13-Jan $589K/4 $745K/6 $486 $340 -4.50%
Woodbridge
13-Feb $584K/30 $648K/14 $381 $357 8.80%
13-Jan $694K/22 $500K/22 $363 $357 30.80%
Woodbury
13-Feb $662K/14 $590K/11 $374 $357 17%
13-Jan $635K/11 $645K/17 $382 $331 13.40%

Open House Review: 7 Firestone

Woodbridge Condo in Windsor Estates

7 Firestone #8: $749,900

Turning off West Yale Loop and onto Firestone, I found a single family detached home that raises a few questions and comes with a mix of answers. The home is located in Windsor Estates in the South Lake area of Woodbridge.

Approaching the home from the rear entrance on Firestone, the area is quiet and well maintained. The main door of the home faces out onto busy West Yale Loop and is almost lost from view with the overhanging trees in front, which may absorb some of the traffic noise.

Significant Numbers: This single story 3 bedroom 2.5 bath condo was built in 1983 and has 1860 sq. ft. with a $/sq.ft at $403. It has been on the market about 60 days. HOA dues are $427.

CloseUp: As I roamed through this good sized, light, airy home I was mentally filling in the vacant spaces with furnishings and activities.

Some strategic staging might really bring the home’s assets to life, starting with the two sided fireplace with custom mantel that sits between the living room and family room. The fireplace uses both gas and wood.

The family room also has a vaulted ceiling and wet bar. Ceramic tile floors, partial carpet, and French doors accent the areas. There is a nice flow through the home and a good separation of space between bedrooms and the formal dining room, living room, and family room areas.

There is access from the garage to the kitchen, an inside laundry room and a sliding glass door to the patio. The wrap around brick lined patio has planter boxes and lattice cover, and could easily be a family retreat and party spot.

The remodeled kitchen has recessed lighting, maple cabinets, custom tile backsplash, corian counters, greenhouse window and breakfast area.

The 3 bedrooms include a master suite with walk in closet and large bath with separate shower and tub. There are 2 full baths and one half.

Specifics:

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 2 full, 1 half

Detached, no common walls

Double Detached Garage

Two parking spaces

Forced air heating, central air.

Association pool and spa

What will be considered here? All of the draw of Woodbridge with its top schools and outstanding recreational facilities, paired with a roomy single level detached home, will be considered. The location fronting onto West Yale Loop will also figure into the discussion, along with the price and some of the special details within.

Who will move in? An active family looking for the Woodbridge location might choose this home. Others looking for a single level detached home with enough space to entertain and room for overnight guests or senior members might see the possibilities here.

Recent listings: 3 Willowgrove, $648,000; 128 West Yale Loop, $668,000.

Recent sales: 49 Rushingwind, $725,000; 59 Coral Lk., $760,000.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3643.0.html

Solar Workshop on March 28th

Press release below

SOLARCITY SPONSORS LECTURE ABOUT SOLAR POWER AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

SolarCity, one of the country’s leading clean energy providers, will sponsor a free public lecture for Irvine homeowners by career and personal performance coach Bob Davies, titled “Identifying Your Path to Personal Achievement.” Davies will also present a special case study: “Converting to Clean Energy,” reviewing his personal experience about making the switch to better energy and converting his home to solar. It is an enlightened look at how the human mind is built to resist change. The Irvine Chamber Green Business Certification Program encourages homeowners to consider solar as a viable energy option. Utilizing renewable resources is part of the city’s ongoing goal of being one of America’s leading residential communities.

This program may help:

· Health and energy improvement

· Overcome procrastination

· Recovery and positive thinking during times of rejection and bad news

· Enhanced ability to “tap into” the talent you already have

· Accountability to improve performance

What: “Identifying Your Path to Personal Achievement,” lecture by Bob Davies

When: Thursday, March 28, 10:30 a.m. to noon

Where: Irvine Chamber of Commerce, 2485 McCabe Way Suite 150, Irvine, CA

Cost: Free

RSVP: http://www.SolarCity.com/seminars, or Tina Magana: (909) 618-6937

Sponsored by SolarCity: Bring a copy of your utility bill and receive a free $25 restaurant.com gift card.