Woodbridge Single Family Home Standout

9 Teal $839,800

Starting with the custom Brazilian mahogany doors, and moving on to a hundred thousand in upgrades in 2010 and 2011, this Woodbridge single family home is a sleek new entry inside the loop. Backing up to Birdsong Park in a cul de sac near North Lake, the home was attracting a lot of visitors with its first open house this past weekend.

Significant Numbers: Just listed, on the market 6 days, this single level, three bedroom, one and a half bath single family home was built in 1976. The home is 1,549 sq. ft., at $542 per sq. ft. Lot size is 4,356 sq. ft. HOA dues are $82 and there is no Mello Roos tax.

Close up: Moving up the brick walkway and entering wrought iron gates amidst perfectly trimmed landscaping brings you to the double doors of Brazilian mahogany. Stepping inside, the impression is one of immaculate finish and elegant function with Travertine porcelain tile floors and custom window coverings in the entry, hallway, dining room, kitchen, bath and master bedroom.

The living room with black galaxy granite fireplace, family room, and large dining room opening to an atrium all blend beautifully. Custom molding, cathedral ceilings and subtle colors with dramatic accents provide the finish.

The kitchen has new maple cabinetry, stainless sink, granite counters and a large center granite island with drawers and wine storage.

The master bedroom opens to the patio and the master bath has new maple cabinetry and a frameless glass enclosed shower.

The other bedrooms also work well as study or office. And the second bath has also been updated with maple cabinetry, new tub and tile surround. There are new closet organizers in all of the bedrooms.

The front and back patios and atrium give the home a light filled, Indoor/outdoor feel. The garage has custom cabinetry and a poly floor coating. The interior and exterior have all been recently painted.

More specifics:

Single family home

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 1 full, 1 partial

Detached, no common walls

Central furnace, forced air heating

Double garage

Two parking spaces

Laundry in the garage

Association pool and spa

Irvine Unified School District

Overall Evaluation: Adding all of the upgrades to the inside the loop cul de sac location in Woodbridge makes the property quite competitive in the Irvine market. It should compete well with similar sized properties in Irvine.

Who will move in? A busy couple who just want to move in and unpack may choose this home. A young family looking for Woodbridge’s top lake recreation, community atmosphere, and top schools may see this home as a perfect fit.

Recent nearby listings: 24 Willowbrook, $989,000; 14 Whistling Isle, $858,000.

Recent nearby sales: 77 Nighthawk, $971,000; 14 Spoonbill, $750,000

Today I looked at a Woodbury townhome in the Treo tract. It is a three bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home with the master suite downstairs. It would appeal to buyers looking for a master bedroom on the ground floor, plus direct access to the garage.

Asking Price: $749,900

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,000

Lot Size: –

Price per Square Foot: $375

Property Type: Residential, Townhome

Style: Two Level

Year Built: 2006

Community: Woodbury, Treo tract

HOA Fees: $209

Mello Roos: Yes

Days on Market: 14

Entering the large wood front door you come into a small tiled hallway which leads into a large, brown carpeted living room. The carpet is found throughout the home apart from the tiled kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. Along the left hand wall are 3 large windows and glass French doors that bring in a lot of natural light. The back wall has the fireplace and a small nook to the left of the fireplace, as well as a larger nook along the right hand wall, next to the staircase. Beyond the staircase is a short hallway leading to a half bathroom, coat closet and laundry room with the garage entrance. Immediately to the right is a small hallway leading into the master suite.

The master bedroom appeared to be darker than I had expected with two small windows, but it is a decent size room. An arched doorway leads into the master bathroom which has dual sinks, separated by a large tub.

Along the left hand wall is a walk-in closet. Along the back wall is the shower and linen closet. The shower is in a little cove that is a step up from the rest of the bathroom. After stepping up into the square area, the shower door is to the left and is average-sized with plain tiles and a built-in seat. There is a large window which sits above the tub, between the two vanity mirrors. The tile throughout the bathroom is a standard white tile, but the cabinets are a nice dark wood.

The kitchen is an open solution with a large window over the sink which faces out to the front of the home. The kitchen is located through an arched opening to the left of the home’s entrance, on the other side of the entrance hallway wall. The kitchen is nicely upgraded with dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. There are plenty of cabinets and a pantry for storage. The countertops are granite and the floor is tiled.

The kitchen opens up directly into the living room, which makes for a nice social setting. The only space for a dining table is in the living room.

The French doors lead to a small patio. It can easily fit a bar-b-q and a small table with chairs. The only downfall is the air conditioner unit sits in an awkward area next to the house, taking up space from the patio.

Also downstairs, are the half bath and laundry room. The half bath comes with a pedestal sink. It is a narrow bathroom with a pocket door, but completely functional and nice to have another bathroom in addition to the master bathroom downstairs. Across from the bathroom is a small coat closet, which sits in front of the laundry room. Access to the two-car garage is located in the laundry room. The laundry room has space for a side-by-side washer and dryer. The same wood cabinets found in the kitchen are also above the washer and dryer.

Moving upstairs, there are two bedrooms and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. At the top of the stairs, there are a couple of linen cabinets. To the right is an archway with some empty space. Immediately to the right is the furnace, but otherwise the area is empty. Perhaps it can be used to store some items out of plain site.

The hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathroom have windows along the right hand side, which brings in natural light. To the left is the first secondary bedroom. It is a standard size with a double-door closet. Next to the closet is the entrance to the shared bathroom. The bathroom has dual sinks with a set of cabinets and 3 drawers under each sink. This creates for a lot of counter space. The countertops are a basic white countertop but the cabinets match the dark brown cabinets from downstairs. Behind the dual sinks is a separate tub/shower combo. Again, there are basic white tiles in the shower area but the bathroom is clean and in excellent condition.

The other bedroom can be entered through the bathroom or hallway. The bedroom is bigger than the other one and the walk-in closet is very large and can be entered from a single door on the left hand side of the wall or a door on the right hand side. Inside is one large rectangular space with space for hanging up clothes in the middle of the closet, splitting it into two. The closet also has windows that bring in natural light. It would be nice with some sort of built-ins or organizer in the closet to take advantage of such a large space. The bedroom has a single window overlooking the front of the home as well as a glass door leading out to a mini terrace that isn’t actually big enough to comfortably stand on. It also has a small window looking out to the side of the house. The room has ample wall space, so arranging furniture should be easy.

Overall the home is nicely laid out, clean and move-in-ready. The home would be highly desirable for anyone looking for a home with a downstairs bedroom, a little patio area and close proximities to the tract’s parks and pools.

Woodbridge One Story Single Family North Lake Home

11 Mandarin $1,000,000

Just steps from the North Lake Beach Club, this one story single family Woodbridge home offers a prime inside the loop location on a quiet cul de sac. New to the market, it will be interesting to see how it competes with other Irvine homes in this price range. It shows well, but there have been others on the market in this price range near South Lake with more assets. A few of those sold the first week they were listed.

Significant Numbers: Just listed 4 days ago, this single family home was built in 1976. The square footage is 1,895 and the lot size is 4,792 sq. ft. HOA dues are $82 and the price per sq. ft. is $528. The home is all on one level with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths.

Closeup: Starting with a strong curbside presence, the home has a courtyard entry with flourishing rose garden. Inside, a wood floored entry opens to a light filled central atrium, and family room and living room with dramatic stone mantel fireplace wall on the right.

On the left, a main hallway leads to the master bedroom and bath and two more bedrooms and bath. The good sized master bedroom that opens onto the patio has a sitting area and mirrored closet doors. Double doors open to a large master bath with tile floors, skylight, enclosed shower and sunken tub. Two more bedrooms and a full bath with tile floor and glass enclosed tub open off of the main hallway that also has a double skylight.

Throughout the home an indoor/outdoor effect is created with windows and doors overlooking the nicely landscaped patio that wraps around the living room, dining room and master bedroom. The brick trimmed, partially covered patio has room for dining and cooking and raised planters for an assortment of gardens.

A large dining room also opens onto the patio, and pairs with an updated kitchen. The windowed kitchen has granite counters, newer appliances and a custom backsplash.

Plantation shutters, wood, tile, carpet and fresh paint inside and out all give the home a finished look. Newer dual paned vinyl windows and sliding doors throughout work well with the double skylights and cathedral ceilings.

More specifics:

Single family home

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 2 full

Detached, no common walls

Double garage

Two parking spaces

Central furnace, central air

Laundry in the garage

Association pool and spa

Irvine Unified School District

Overall Evaluation: A key location Inside the loop in Woodbridge, on a quiet cul de sac, just steps from the North Lake Beach Club, adds value to this home. Other homes on the block have expanded their space with a second level above the master bedroom. Fresh paint, skylights and updates in windows, kitchen, and bath boost the marketability.

Who will move in? An active family that’s drawn to Woodbridge’s top schools and the North Beach location with prime water recreation may consider this home. The convenient one level may attract more mature buyers or families with an older member. Others may consider the one level floor plan as an opportunity to expand with a second level.

Recent nearby listings: 44 Blazing Star, $945,000; 14 Whistling Isle, $858,000

Recent nearby sales: 208 Bridlewood, $1,150,000; 10 Heron, $1,050,000.

Today I am reviewing 34 Ovation, a condominium listed as a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. I noticed the “third” bedroom lacked a closet so it may serve as an office or den. The main living area is up a flight of stairs, while the garage and indoor laundry closet are found on ground level. Parking for guests is off the street in front of the home.

Asking Price: $630,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,400

Lot Size: 1,000 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $450

Property Type: Residential, Condominium

Style: One Level, Contemporary

Year Built: 2013

Community: Stonegate

HOA Fees: $308

Mello Roos: Yes

Days on Market: 25

The home is nicely located directly across from one of the community’s recreation areas which has a park, basketball and tennis courts, and swimming pool. A walkway that wraps around some landscaped area leads to the home’s outer door. Through the outer door is a narrow walkway with no roof cover which leads to the home’s front door. I am not sure what purpose the enclosed walkway serves apart from the building’s curbside aesthetics.

Upon entry, you enter into a tiled entryway with the carpeted staircase to the right. There are three doors in the area; to the left is a closet for a stackable washer and dryer, in the middle is the garage entry, and to the right is a coat closet.

Once upstairs, you enter into a large rectangular room consisting of a living room and an open kitchen solution. With high ceilings and plenty of windows, plus a small sliding glass door to the balcony, there is an abundance of natural light. There may not be total privacy with windows from other housing directly across the street. The kitchen is to the right, which comes with a small rectangular island with space for bar seating, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets and granite countertops. There are plenty of cabinets, and even a small area on the far wall for a chair to sit at the countertop and work on a laptop or face outside the window while eating. Next to the counter space is the sliding glass door that opens up to a small square balcony which has space for a couple of chairs.

The living room is a nice size, but I do not see enough space for a larger dining table. The floors are nicely tiled throughout the space.

The tiled flooring continues down the hallway which leads to the bedrooms, bathrooms and den. The bedrooms and den are carpeted while the bathrooms are tiled. On the left hand side of the hallway is the secondary bedroom and a shared bathroom. The bedroom is a regular size with one smaller window and a sliding two-door closet. The shared bathroom has the same tile as the hallway. It has a single sink and a tub/shower combo.

The master bedroom is at the end of the hallway. It is a good size with a walk-in closet. I like that there is a bathroom door at the master bathroom. The bathroom has dual sinks with plenty of counter space, a roomy shower and a separate toilet. It is a bit awkward with the placement of the bathroom doors. The door to the toilet sits at the end of the dual sinks, however the main bathroom door must be closed in order to access the door to the toilet.

The last room is listed as a bedroom, but it lacks a closet. It has two large windows, but is the smallest room.

34 Ovation has a nice layout if the homeowner does not mind going up the initial flight of stairs to the main living area. It is conveniently located across the new recreation center. Compared to other homes, the price seems high at $450 per square foot, especially with it only having two true bedrooms and neighbors on both sides, but the balcony is a nice feature and the layout of the home is nice.