Monthly Archives: May 2013

Summer Activities in Irvine

Summer will be here soon, and Irvine has some activities available for you and the family. They are listed in Irvine’s summer 2013 edition of Inside Irvine.

“The summer edition of Inside Irvine is available online and was mailed the week of May 6. This features information about the Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO; City summer concerts and activities; an article on the Irvine Open Space Initiative; our annual summer safety tips; summer camps and more!”

—City of Irvine

Upcoming Events

May 6 Summer Inside Irvine mailed; – registration begins

May 18 Runway Dash: 5k/Run Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run (OK, it’s too late for this one, but if you are interested in this event, you can look for it next year.)

May 19 Learn to Swim Registration-Session 6, 7 & Saturdays in July

May 27 Memorial Day Ceremony

June 1 Studio Arts Festival

June 1 D.A.R.E. Event & Movie (Wreck-It Ralph) Heritage Park-6 p.m.

June 2 Orange County Super Pet Adoption

June 15 Parking Lot Rummage Sale

June 24 Summer Camps begin

June 28 Senior Fitness Expo

July 13-14 Bommer Canyon Family Campout

July 28, August 4 & August 11 Sizzlin' Summer Concerts

You can view Inside Irvine online as well as pick up a printed copy at any City facility, such as any City of Irvine library or City Hall.

To register online for the summer programs and activities, go to irvinequickreg.org.

Open House Review: 12 Silkleaf

Woodbridge Single Family Home – Nice Mix of Assets

12 Silkleaf $881,000

The South Lake area of Woodbridge is known for exceptional properties. And recently there has been a steady stream of million dollar plus single family homes and condos appearing there in open houses as the market goes up. Some have swooped in and out of the market at a record pace.

Thinking about this, I was curious to see this Woodbridge single family home, a little farther from the lake but still within the loop, in a lower price range. What I found was right in line with Woodbridge’s pattern. The home has a distinct charm and covers a lot of ground.

Significant Numbers: Built in 1980 this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is 2,050 sq. ft. on a 4,356 sq. ft. lot. The home is $430/ sq. ft. and HOA dues are $137. There is no Mello Roos. It has been on the market about 12 days.

CloseUp: From the curb this two story home has a strong presence. Inside, the entry opens to a good sized living room with vaulted ceilings and fireplace off to the left and a stairway straight ahead. The home has been upgraded and remodeled with travertine tile, partial carpet and laminate wood floors.

Moving through the home, the formal dining room leads to a side patio. Next comes an ample family room and gourmet kitchen.

The kitchen has granite counter tops, and stainless appliances and works as a unit with the family room which also leads to the patio. This is obviously a key area for family time and casual parties.

All of the bedrooms are upstairs, including an upgraded and expanded master suite that has a nursery/den/study room. It is currently being used as a nursery, which looks like a perfect solution for infant care. Later it could work as a home work/library retreat.

Specifics:

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 2.5

Detached, no common walls

Double attached garage

Central heating and air

Association pool and spa

Irvine Unified School District

What will be considered here? The desirable Woodbridge area with key recreation and top schools paired with a comfortably sized, upgraded two story home will be weighed against the price. Other Irvine areas such as Quail Hill and Turtle Rock will compete, and the buyer will have to weigh individual priorities.

Who will move in? A young family will be attracted to the comfortable layout of this home which functions well for guests and family. They will also be drawn to top notch schools and the lake facilities. This home would also work for an active professional couple seeking a convenient Irvine location. Extra bedrooms might be used for guests, and the master suite would be an excellent retreat.

Recent listings: 2 New MDWS, $879,270; 15 Toscany, $899,000.

Recent sales: 31 Silkleaf, $725,000; 6 Fairdawn, $708,000

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3885.0.html

Million Dollar Condominiums

The stock market and Irvine Housing Market are scaling new heights, setting a new normal each week. A year ago, I wrote about half-a-million dollar condominiums of Irvine, and today, I will list three condominiums that are almost a million dollars.

37 Canopy, Irvine CA 92603

Listing Price: $999,888

HOA: $207/ Monthly

Price/ SF: $476

Tract: Laurel, Quail Hill

This is a two level property. The main entry to the house is via formal living room. It leads to the dining room, which is attached to the kitchen and family room. The three garage opens to the family room. The staircase in the dining area leads to the four bedrooms upstairs. SMS covered the property in this blog post. Plus points are many for this property- the city lights, tight floor plan, nice community that is aging well (and three car garage too!) But the only drawback is lack of a bedroom downstairs. For a million dollars, I would want a bedroom with attached bathroom downstairs.

163 Great Lawn, Irvine CA 92620

Listing Price: $975,000

HOA Dues: $268/ Monthly

Price/ SF: $424

Tract: Stonetree

A small entry room leads you to a great room- the kitchen leads to the fourth bedroom and garage on side, and patio on the other. Dining room also has an entry to the patio. The stairs lead to a very tightly laid our upper floor with three bedrooms. Overall, it's a nice floor plan trying to cover each and every need of the potential home owner. The house is very airy and bright also. Drawback..great room! Many love the great room concept, for close to a million dollars, I would love to see a formal living room in addition to the great room.

8036 Scholarship, Irvine CA 92612

Listing Price: $910,000

Price/ SF: $636

HOA Dues: $931 Monthly

Tract: The Plaza (5000 to 8000)

What can I say about the floor plan of an almost million dollar two bedroom condominium? Let's begin with “it's so UN-Irvine”. It's not your typical Mediterranean looking floor plan laid out with due consideration to Feng Shui elements. It's our own little New York, close to the airport, a very spacious and upscale two bedroom single level attached condominium with HOA taking care of everything other than your grocery bill. Suitable more to a jet-setting executive.

What are your thoughts?

Would you buy a condominium at a million dollars because you are priced out of single family homes? Or would you move to other better rated cities like Yorba Linda that still offer some bragging rights, if not a list of them? What about cities surrounding Irvine? Would you move there if the foreign cash buyer out prices you?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3884.0.html

Irvine Housing Numbers – April 2013

The Irvine Housing Numbers by Neighborhood—April 2013

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

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-Apr $713K/37 $460K/31 $410 $376 24.50%
13-Jan $694K/40 $440K/13 $398 $333 8.10%
Columbus Grove n/a
El Camino Real
13-Apr $607K/10 $490K/11 $369 $393 36.50%
13-Jan $535K/17 $555K/12 $366 $380 42.30%
Northpark
13-Apr $625K/25 $625K/31 $359 $341 20.50%
13-Jan $722K/24 $466K/22 $351 $321 15.90%
Northwood
13-Apr $798K/33 $738K/34 $377 $362 16.80%
13-Jan $750K/23 $750K/25 $373 $305 4.50%
Oak Creek
13-Apr $330K/13 $435K/25 $361 $359 14%
13-Jan $362K/14 $362K/14 $362 $338 29.50%
Orange Tree
13-Apr $300K/9 $274K/8 $380 $326 60.60%
13-Jan $278K/8 $328K/4 $345 $332 33.30%
Portola Springs
13-Apr $608K/4 $667K/11 $347 $385 28.80%
13-Jan $1,024K/8 $614K/8 $375 $329 12.30%
Quail Hill
13-Apr $754K/14 $860K/14 $413 $431 15.20%
13-Jan $790K/10 $600K/7 $414 $341 4.60%
Rancho San Joaquin
13-Apr n/a/0 $486K/4 n/a $367 n/a
13-Jan $564K/2 na/0 $333 n/a n/a
Shady Canyon
13-Apr $5,995K/23 $4,538K/2 $776 $777 51.80%
13-Jan $5,700K/15 $6,675K/1 $736 $668 25.10%
Turtle Ridge
13-Apr $1,414K/22 $940K/13 $594 $531 26.10%
13-Jan $2,302K/10 $1,295K/6 $605 $532 49.90%
Turtle Rock
13-Apr $1,025K/21 $895K/12 $545 $462 0.20%
13-Jan $949K/13 $946K/8 $434 $466 58%
University Park
13-Apr $625K/9 $661K/11 $406 $327 20.20%
13-Jan $625K/7 $570K/10 $330 $351 26.70%
University Town Center
13-Apr $589K/2 $477K/2 $365 $393 19.50%
13-Jan $551K/1 $575K/1 $407 $377 19.70%
Walnut
13-Apr $620K/6 $580K/11 $398 $395 29.10%
13-Jan $430K/3 $657K/4 $350 $275 6.20%
West Irvine n/a
Westpark
13-Apr $824K/6 $700K/6 $411 $414 33.10%
13-Jan $589K/4 $745K/6 $486 $340 -4.50%
Woodbridge
13-Apr $585K/31 $659K/34 $409 $377 30.40%
13-Jan $694K/22 $500K/22 $363 $357 30.80%
Woodbury
13-Apr $699K/19 $647K/28 $424 $404 38.80%
13-Jan $635K/11 $645K/17 $382 $331 13.40%

Open House Review: 37 Canopy

Quail Hill Surprise Package Condo

37 Canopy $999,888

Driving up Knollcrest in Quail Hill, I noticed several other streets that I had visited. But I was a little surprised at what I encountered, turning on Peppercorn and then onto 37 Canopy.

This 2 story condo has some prime assets and a price tag that is just a smidge under a million dollars. As a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath detached home in the desired end unit position, it has canyon, hill and city light views, plus a 3 car garage.

For the buyer this could mean comparing this property with million dollar plus homes that have recently sold in Woodbridge near South Lake and in Turtle Rock. They have been slightly higher, but have also offered prime locations with more home and lot space.

Space is always a little snug in Quail Hill. But, in this case, the home makes the most of its space with a fluid floor plan revolving around the backyard/patio with its nonstop view.

Significant Numbers: This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home was built in 2003. The HOA is $207; $/sq. ft $470. The home is detached with no common walls and has been on the market about a month. It’s 2,100 sq. ft. on a 3,000 ft. lot. There are Mello Roos taxes.

CloseUp: Walking up the path with a view of rolling hills off to the right, the entry opens with a music room to the left. On down the hall the living room with natural stone fireplace is also on the left with the dining room and kitchen on the right, and a family room across the way.

One of the home’s best features really is the three separate French door entrances that open to the backyard/patio and the view. All the logistics of family time, parties, and privacy are easily handled as the backyard/ paved patio becomes a natural hub.

A sophisticated kitchen with Caeserstone quartz counters, full back splash and center island, upgraded 5-burner cooktop, custom cabinetry and stainless appliances, sits next to the dining room, which leads out to the patio.

All bedrooms are upstairs, including the master suite that has a view balcony, and bath with a whirlpool Jacuzzi tub. There is also a good sized walk-in closet. The home includes interior fire sprinklers, a surround sound entertainment system, plantation shutters, custom paint, a designer wrought iron staircase and upgraded carpeting.

Specifics:

Bedrooms, 4

Baths, 2.5

3 Car Garage, epoxy floor

3 parking spaces

Forced air heating and air conditioning.

Detached with no common walls

Association pool

Irvine Unified School District

What will be evaluated? Starting with the prime view from the key end unit position in the center of Quail Hill, then adding an open floor plan with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, top schools and a natural setting, this home will be compared with other properties in this price range in Irvine and OC. In the end, individual priorities usually deliver the deciding vote.

Who will move in? A young, active family looking for top schools and great local recreation will be drawn here. Professional couples who travel a lot, and entertain at home, might choose this one too. Others who like the nearby freeway access, plus the closeness to Laguna and nearby beaches might settle here.

Recent listings nearby: 297 Tall Oak, $728,000; 11 La Quinta #11, $1,095,000.

Recent Sales: 93 Canopy, $800,000; 61 Canopy, $925,000

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3846.0.html