This weekend, I visited a condo in the southernmost part of Woodbridge. It is an upper end unit, overlooking a greenbelt, and has some recent updates.

The basics:

Asking Price: $389,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,164

Lot Size: N/A

$/Sq Ft: $334

Days on Market: 14

Property Type: condo

Year Built: 1982

HOA dues are $392 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

This condo is in the Park Vista tract of Woodbridge. As soon as I arrived, I could hear the cars rushing by on the nearby 405 freeway. All of the windows were open in the condo, but I would imagine that it’s close enough to hear the freeway noise even with the windows shut.

There is a small storage closet at the bottom of the outside staircase that leads up to the unit. It’s a great place for storing children’s bikes, scooters, or a stroller, but isn’t big enough to hold much more. The staircase had recently been repainted and there was a balcony at the top with room for a small table and a couple of chairs.

The front door opens directly into the living room. It has newer Pergo floors and recessed lighting. The room is a good size, but with windows only in one corner, probably doesn’t get a lot of light for most of the day.

The dining room and kitchen are on the other side of the front door. It is big enough for a table for eight, but doesn’t have any windows. It leads directly into the kitchen, which has attractive granite counters and brushed nickel hardware. The room is long and narrow, with white appliances and darker cabinets. There is a second balcony off the kitchen that provides space for a grill.

A hallway at the back of the condo leads to the three bedrooms. The master is first, with a big window on one wall and a large mirrored closet on another. The room isn’t very big and doesn’t give many options for arranging furniture, but there is space for a bed and two other pieces (dressers or a comfy chair). The attached bathroom has a single sink and a shower, plus a couple of storage cabinets.

Next down the hall is the second bathroom. This one is bigger than the one in the master, but still only has one sink. There is a shower/tub combo. Though half the bathroom has the same Pergo floors as the rest of the condo, the back half is tiled.

The next bedroom is a good size and has a mirrored closet. It currently has five bigger pieces of furniture in it and still has plenty of open floor space in the middle. The third bedroom is smaller, but still a decent size. It has a nice walk-in closet and sliding doors that lead out to the balcony off the kitchen.

A small closet at the end of the hall (between the two secondary bedrooms) houses the washer and dryer.

The condo is in really good condition and makes good use of the space. It only has one parking spot – a covered carport a bit down the greenbelt. Additional parking is available on the street on the far side of all the carports. The owners can enjoy all of the benefits that Woodbridge has to offer, including parks, lakes, and good schools, but the specific location of this unit is a drawback. The owners will review offers this week, so set an appointment and put your bid in quickly if you’re interested.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3624.0.html

53 La Ronda $549,800

82 Fringe Tree $648,000

Turning off Culver onto Warner and heading up to Harvard in Westpark, I visited two open houses, a single family detached home at 53 La Ronda and a three level plus condo at 82 Fringe Tree. There were different options and prices, but some interesting similarities. And in both cases, there was a steady stream of visitors.

The single family home has been on the market about 35 days. The condo went on the market 8 days ago. As of Wednesday, the condo was listed as sale pending with backup offers accepted.

Significant Numbers:

	53 La Ronda	82 Fringe Tree
Community	Westpark	Westpark
Asking Price	$549,800	$648,000
Style	Single Family Detached	3+ Level Condo
HOA dues	$157	$394
Bedrooms	3	3
Baths	2	2.5
Sq. Ft.	1100 sq.ft.	2125 sq.ft.
$/sq. ft.	$500/sq.ft.	$305/sq.ft.
Lot size	3,146 sq.ft.	———
Year Built	1996	2006
On market	30 days	8 days
Mello Roos Tax	Yes	Yes

Close Up of 53 La Ronda:

This single family detached home is neatly tucked into a private corner in a quiet cul de sac. Stepping inside, the open floor plan utilizes the great room approach, making the most of a slim 1100 sq. ft. space.

On the right of the entry there is an open den that could be converted to be the third bedroom. The open space of living room with a built-in wall and fireplace, dining area and kitchen has laminate wood flooring and a view of the patio. A child’s bedroom is off to the left with bath and the master with walk-in closet, bath and oversized tub is around to the right.

The kitchen has remodeled granite counters and recessed lighting. There is a double garage.

Close Up of 82 FringeTree: Located in the popular Columbus Grove neighborhood, this spacious condo works with an open floor plan too. Walnut hardwood floors lead into the living room with a soaring ceiling, plantation shutters, & custom built in bookcases flanking the gas fireplace.

One flight up, the family room overlooks the living room and leads to the dining room and kitchen. The kitchen area has granite counters with coordinating stone back splash, a good sized center island, upgraded cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. There is ample room for a large dining table.

Next flight up, the master bedroom has plantation shutters and a master bath with upgraded back splash and tile flooring, large oval tub and separate shower. The walk in closet has custom built in organizers. There is an inside laundry on the upper level.

The 2.5 car attached garage features built in storage cabinets, and an area for kids’ playtime, a home gym, or hobbies. The Columbus Grove Association include 2 pools, a clubhouse, and park with kids’ playground equipment.

What should be considered here? Both homes have special appeals and have been used by current owners with families. Both show well. The condo is sleekly done and ten years newer, and the single family home was originally a model home.

The condo has more space and a higher asking price with rooms arranged on three plus levels, while the single family detached home is snug, but open and airy and nicely positioned in a secluded area. The realtor at La Ronda said she has seen the single family Westpark homes jump about $50,000 in last few months, and they now seem to be on a plateau.

Who will be moving in? The condo has an offer pending. The space lends itself to entertaining and family events if you are up for the vertical arrangement. A small family, single couple or individual might elect to invest in Irvine and choose the detached single family home. Both have award winning schools and outstanding recreational options.

Recent listings for the area: 128 W. Yale Loop, $668,000; 7 Firestone #8, $749,900.

Recent sales for the area: 27 Juneberry, $570,000; 6 Salviati Aisle, $549,900.

Condos listing for $400+/SF are becoming a new normal in Irvine. People are flocking to see these homes, and without a second thought, are putting in offers with more than the usual twenty percent down payment. I talked to a Realtor friend of mine recently, and asked him if people were throwing in all cash offers to these overpriced condos since the appraisals might not even be favorable for loans. He said it's a combination of down payments in excess (to cover if the appraisal came in lower than the purchase/listing price) and appraisals done to suit current market conditions. As an Irvine home owner, and as a buyer to upgrade, it's confusing to me as well. At this point, I am not sure if we should sell and get out before the water gets murky, or buy another one before I get priced out! (I am sure all the Realtors have started using the legendary threat “Buy now, or be priced out forever” again!)

Things are getting so crazy, the house with this MLS picture (only picture) sold at $363/SF!

I had written about “Campaniles of North Park” and wondered if the unexciting exclamations and the use of teenage jargon had decreased interest in one of the properties. Turns out we are at a point where everything sells, and everything sells for more! I think busy Realtors can start employing their Kindergarten children to take pictures and write property descriptions, and still mint money.

Here is a picture from a property listed at $599,999 (pending sale, back-up offers accepted!).

Topsy-turvy market? Agreed.

Topsy-turvy world? Maybe.

Topsy-tuvry backyard? Oh, must be a new phenomenon, inspired by the topsy-turvy tomato plants!

Many pictures in this listing are blurry. But this one has a certain spooky element to it.

Here is a listing by another Irvine Realtor. Although there are a couple of very professional Realtors on Talk Irvine, I didn't want to choose their listings – a good listing is a good listing, but I don't want to play favorites. (6 Night Bloom listing description and pictures/ staging were very professional in my opinion, and so was 95 Waterman). In a day and age where technology has advanced so much that you can point and shoot great pictures with your cell phone, and spell-check what you write using almost any tool you are using to write, it's a turn off to look at blurry pictures and read incomplete property descriptions. An average buyer spends one third of his pay check on his house. If my department store can send a glossy catalogue to lure me into buying a $50 sweater, I think my Realtor can at least spend a few minutes to present the house in a decent manner.

Do you scan a property via MLS listing before you visit the property?

What are your thoughts? Do the blurry pictures and incomplete information bother you?

When you hire a Realtor, what are the qualities you look for?

Discuss on Talk Irvine