8 Palmatum’s significant price drop makes this 4 bedroom plus large bonus room a good deal, especially for how clean and nice this house shows. Recently the same model sold for a higher price in the neighborhood, but this house has more upgrades, does not back to any streets, and sits across the street from the elementary school’s large grassy field. It is, however a short sale.

Asking Price: $858,888

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,688

Lot Size: 5,663 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $320

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: Two Level

Year Built 1980

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA Fees: $85

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 35

The house has a remodeled kitchen, scraped ceilings, 6 paneled doors, built-in speakers in most rooms, plantation shutters, recessed lights, crown molding, new windows, clean carpet and some wood floors. The Master bathroom is completely re-modeled. The other bathrooms have original cabinets and countertops but are well maintained and clean.

Upon entering, the staircase sits in front of you with space for a small table to the right of the staircase. There is a small coat closet located under the staircase. The large window above the front door creates a lot of light in the area. Immediately to the left is a step down to the carpeted formal living room with an open floor plan to the dining room. The rooms have clean plush carpet, crown molding and some of the walls have rounded corners. The new windows have plantation shutters, and the rooms have recessed lights .

Adjacent to the dining room is a remodeled kitchen with granite countertops and a tile backsplash. There is an island with a couple of barstools, stainless steel appliances and wood floors. It has plenty of cabinets/drawers and a pantry. The kitchen has an open floorplan that opens up to the family room. The room is equipped with speakers, window treatments and a former wet bar that they changed into drawers/shelves. The fireplace is original red brick.

The family room has a new sliding glass door which leads into a flat backyard. It has a patio with a vinyl patio cover for entertaining. There is plenty of grass for playing or for a pet. The amount of mature trees give a secluded feel, but some of them can be removed or cut back to create even more space in the backyard. A gas line in the back makes it easy to hook up a bar-b-que.

Behind the family room is a hallway with a half bathroom, garage entry and laundry room with access to the backyard. The bathroom has new stone floors, but the cabinets and countertop are original. However the cabinets are painted white and the countertops are clean and well maintained.

The laundry room has a sink and extra cabinets. Having an access door to the backyard is a major convenience, especially if coming home with dirt/mud.

Coming up the staircase, you will have the master bedroom, one bedroom and bonus room towards the right. Towards the left are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. Not all of the rooms upstairs have crown molding and the walls upstairs do not have rounded corners. All bedrooms have ceiling fans and built-in speakers.

The first bedroom, to the left and facing the front of the house is a smaller room with a small closet. The window faces the large green fields from the elementary school.

The hall bathroom separates the two bedrooms on the left. It has new floors, but the cabinets, countertops and bathtub look original. Everything is well maintained and clean. The toilet is not in a separate room and sits next to the double sinks.

The second bedroom is comparable in size as the first bedroom, but the closet is slightly larger. The window faces the backyard.

Coming out of the bedroom immediately to the left against the wall is a very small closet which is not big enough to be a linen closet. It currently holds some rolled up towels.

The hall leads to the large and spacious master bedroom. One wall is lined with a mirrored closet doors. The large windows face the backyard. The bathroom was completely remodeled and contains double sinks, a large shower and a Jacuzzi bathtub. When the bathroom was remodeled they created the shower but merged the bathroom that originally separated the toilet/bathtub so that now the bathroom is one big room.

Adjacent to the master bedroom is bedroom number three. It is comparable in size to the other bedrooms and has a decent sized closet with sliding doors. Only one of the two closet doors is mirrored and the ceiling in the closet still has the original popcorn texture. The window faces directly into the neighbor’s window.

The large bonus room sits on top of the garage and overlooks the green fields across the street. It is large with some outdated built-in cabinets and wet bar. It can easily be used as a bedroom, playroom or office.

The house is move-in ready and terrific for any family, especially for grade-school children that can run across the street to the school in the mornings. It is steps away from the community pool, clubhouse, volleyball court and tennis courts. At the new price, it will not be on the market for long (depending on the short sale process).

This week, I saw a home in the Northwood Park neighborhood in Northwood and was surprised to see that it was the same as two Park Paseo homes I reviewed in the past. Right now, 1 Shiloh is on the market for $769,800 ($382 per square foot). On June 4, 2013, 2 Campanero West sold for $707,000 ($369/ft with slightly smaller square footage) and 31 Entrada West sold on September 28, 2012 for $620,000 ($324/ft). Let’s see if 1 Shiloh is worth $60,000 more than the last.

The basics:

Asking Price: $769,800

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2013

Lot Size: 5,353

$/Sq Ft: $382

Days on Market: 43

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1980

Community: Northwood, Northwood Park

HOA dues are $65 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

At a quick glance, 1 Shiloh is about 100 square feet bigger than the other homes with a lot size over 1,300 square feet bigger. The kitchen on Shiloh has granite counters, while the other two have their original tile. All three homes have original windows and bathrooms with few updates. Shiloh is the only one with scraped ceilings throughout the entire house. Shiloh has balconies off all three bedrooms; the other two homes have none.

The owners of Shiloh just made some significant upgrades to help with the sale of the home. In the kitchen, they added the granite counters, repainted the cabinets and installed a new cook top and dishwasher. There are new stone tiles in the entry and ceramic tiles in the kitchen. The carpet throughout the downstairs is also new. The walls were stripped of their wallpaper and freshly painted.

The house is located on a corner lot, as was 2 Campanero West. This one backs to a residential street but sits alongside a non-residential street that runs directly to Sierra Vista Middle School. Traffic at drop off and pickup times is probably pretty heavy.

The home has the same layout as the others. The living room is to the right of the entry and down a couple of steps, with vaulted ceilings. The dining room sits just to the left of the entry, also with vaulted ceilings. An arched doorway leads from the dining room to the kitchen.

The recent upgrades to the kitchen make a big difference. It looks noticeably nicer, brighter, and more inviting than in the other two homes.

The family room has a wet bar in the corner with newly painted cabinets and an old tile counter. There is a large, brick fireplace on one wall that I didn’t find particularly attractive. The fireplace is wired for mounting a flat screen TV.

The backyard is a nice size and looks very pretty. It has a patio and a large grassy area with a pathway all around. The edges are lined with flowers and plants.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms. The master faces the back and has a long, narrow balcony overlooking the yard. It has a big walk-in closet and an arched doorway leading to the bathroom. There are two sinks with new fixtures but old counters with lots of small tiles. There is a shower/tub combo, though it’s covered in older, small tiles (including the floor) so it seems more suited as just a shower.

The other two bedrooms are fairly small. Each has a two-door, mirrored closet and access to a large, shared balcony.

The upstairs bathroom is pretty hideous. Tiny tiles cover the counter, floor, and the entire shower/tub combo. It is overwhelming to look at. Like the master, the only upgrades are to the sink hardware.

I think that the upgrades, extra square footage, and larger lot warrant a higher price for 1 Shiloh than for either 2 Campanero West or 31 Entrada West. The pricing is in line with others currently on the market, which has risen considerably since last summer. It’s interesting to see that this model keeps coming on the market. What do you think?

3 Lakepines, Irvine, CA 92620

Overview

Asking Price: $427,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,202

Lot Size: 871 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $355

Property Type: Condominium

Style: Two Level

Year Built 1977

Community: Northwood, The Pines

HOA Fees: $310

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 20

This home is a two level condominium, with kitchen, dining area and living room downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. The home is a middle unit, sharing walls with neighbors on each side. It is located near the entrance of the community, next to the sound of running water from the man-made ‘lakes’ and steps from the pool and tennis courts. It is move-in ready with scraped ceilings, wood floors throughout, updated lighting, remodeled bathrooms and laundry hookup located in the private, enclosed patio.

Upon entering, you have the view to the over-sized sliding glass door at back end of the condominium.

Immediately to the left is a small functional kitchen with updated appliances and a tile floor. The older cabinets are newly painted and everything looks clean, but it lacks a full pantry. The kitchen offers an open view to the rest of the first floor with the eating bar separating it from the small dining area.

The living room is a couple steps down from the rest of the first floor, which clearly defines the area. The step is a small size, only running a small portion along the different levels; therefore something will need to visibly separate the areas to avoid someone from stepping off a portion that does not have the step. The living room is a nice size with a fireplace and built in bookshelves.

The living room opens up to the enclosed patio, which has a closet area for laundry. The sliding glass door is original. On the other side of the patio fence is Park Place. Although it is not a busy street, traffic coming into the community may be heard from the patio since the condominium lies close to the entrance. Across the street is also another community’s entrance.

A small closet and updated half bathroom are located to the right of the front door.

Coming up the staircase, I noticed one of the home’s two large skylights which brings in a lot of light. The high vaulted ceilings provide an open spacious feel. The bedrooms and one bathroom have wood floors.

The hall bathroom separates the two bedrooms and is fully re-modeled with tile floors, a Jacuzzi bathtub and updated cabinets, hardware and lighting.

The first bedroom is smaller, but the vaulted ceilings and a good sized closet create a spacious feel. The windows face the front of the home.

The master bedroom is a decent size with built in cabinets and walk-in closet. The vaulted ceilings and space at the top of the wall separating the bathroom brings in light from the bathroom skylight. The window faces Park Place. The original model did not have a full master bathroom but this remodel made it look like an original design. It has another mirrored closet, corner shower and updated single sink. The skylight brings in a lot of natural light.

The updated condominium has a great open layout and having two full bathrooms upstairs is a plus. Having laundry on the property is another big convenience. The grounds are maintained nicely and the unit comes with one carport and one open parking space. However someone may want to consider any traffic noise with the back of the unit facing Park Place. Again, it is not a high traffic street, especially with the end of the street currently being a dead-end, but the location next to the entrance/exit of The Lakes and the community across the street may be worth considering.

If you’re in the market for a fully upgraded, but older, home, check out 37 Brena. The owners just finished remodeling the entire house and it is now move-in ready.

The basics:

Asking Price: $877,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,459

Lot Size: 4,792

$/Sq Ft: $357

Days on Market: 15

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood

Schools: Santiago Hills, Sierra Vista, Northwood High

HOA dues are $50 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

As soon as you walk in the door, you can see that the house is in excellent condition. The wood floors are gleaming and the paint and baseboards are free of any scuff marks. The living room to the left of the entry has vaulted ceilings and is a half step down from the entryway. It leads directly back to the formal dining room, which has new recessed lighting.

The kitchen is behind the dining room and everything is brand new. The counters and backsplash are dark granite and there is a full tile backsplash over the stove. The stainless steel oven/range has a smooth-top electric stove for easy cleaning. The white, country style cabinets provide ample storage and contrast nicely with the dark counters. A large breakfast nook with several windows makes a nice place for a casual dining table.

The family room is a few steps below the kitchen and there is an attractive railing between the two rooms. While the railing looks nice, I prefer when the downstairs is all one level. Windows line the back wall of the room and a fireplace sits at one end. There is a small wet bar in one corner (drawers were not installed when I was there but were expected to be in by the end of the day).

A short hallway off the family room leads to the laundry room, half bath, and garage access.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms. All three secondary bedrooms are basically the same. They have brand new carpet and two mirrored closet doors. Two face the front of the house and one faces the back. They all looked to be about the same size.

The upstairs bathroom was just redone as well. It has two sinks set in a solid surface counter and darker wood cabinets. The combination shower/tub looks more elegant than a typical secondary bathroom. It lacks shower doors or a curtain; I’m not sure if the owners plan to install one or if it will be the buyer’s responsibility.

The master bedroom is very large, with a long and somewhat narrow shape. Windows along the side and back walls bring in a lot of light. There is a nice retreat area at one end. This room has the same wood floor as downstairs and also has a vaulted ceiling. There is a nice sized walk-in closet with a few hanging rods and a couple of shelves.

The master bath looks much more like those in the brand new construction homes than in an older house. It has a separate bathtub and shower with big windows and nice tile. The vanity matches the one from the other upstairs bathroom.

In addition to redoing the inside of the house, the owners have also taken on some landscaping projects. They put in a raised flower bed along the back wall of the backyard and are planting the flowers this week. The yard has a decent sized grassy area and a slightly raised patio with new bricks along the edges. The front yard is large and mostly grass, though they also have a new, raised flower bed here as well (flowers coming soon).

The owners have done all of the work for you, but still gave the house a very reasonable price. It is located near the end of a cul-de-sac so it doesn’t get much traffic. Buyers should note that, although some homes on Brena are in the Woodside tract, this half of Brena is part of a separate HOA. As a result, the owners will not have access to Woodside’s community swimming pool, tennis courts, or tot lot. This neighborhood, known as Crestwood Estates, does have its own tot lot and tennis courts, but no pool. I don’t think this one will be on the market for long.