Yesterday, I reviewed 154 Kingswood #117 in Northwood Pointe’s Arden Square. This week, I will show you 143 Arden #72, which is located just across the street. Both have three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and comparable pricing – they are actually the same model, but the floor plans are reversed. There is a slight difference in the entryway.

As it happens, there are two other similar units in the same neighborhood that also just came on the market – 71 Arborwood and 181 Kingswood #91. An interested buyer should definitely tour all four properties, since the size and pricing is nearly identical on all of them. As of May 20, 154 Kingswood is listed as Pending on Redfin. 143 Arden had previously been in escrow but fell out right before they relisted it, which accounts for the longer time on the market.

Here’s a closer look at 143 Arden.

The basics:

Asking Price: $799,800

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,700

Lot Size: 3,200

$/Sq Ft: $470

Days on Market: 40

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2001

Community: Northwood Point – Arden Square

HOA dues are $114 per month and Mello Roos is $600 per year.

This house has a very long driveway that leads to a two car garage. The driveway could fit four cars, a plus since there is little street parking.

The house opens to a small entryway, with the kitchen on the right and the living room ahead and to the left. Like the Kingswood property, this kitchen has white melamine cabinets. However, while Kingswood had granite counters and nice tile floors, the Arden home has white tile counters and plainer white floors. This kitchen has a large eating area and a big opening that looks into the dining and living rooms.

143 Arden has carpet in the living and dining rooms, in contrast to the wood floors in Kingswood. The carpet is in pretty good shape. The fireplace is surrounded with nice tile and there is a niche for the entertainment center but, unlike Kingswood, it doesn’t have a built-in unit.

The downstairs bath has a pedestal sink and there is a large closet under the stairs. The backyard is pretty small and fully hardscaped, with some bushes around the edges. It is very similar to the Kingswood yard.

Both secondary bedrooms are carpeted and have two-door sliding closets. The carpet is much nicer and plusher than in the Kingswood bedrooms. The shared bathroom is quite similar, with nice tile floors, white melamine cabinets, a solid surface counter, and a shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom has the same carpet as the others and a large walk-in closet. The bathroom has nice floors, but has white tile counters and melamine cabinets. The shower is also white tile.

Overall, Kingswood has more upgrades in the kitchen and bathrooms and has wood floors downstairs where Arden has carpet. Upstairs, Arden’s carpet is nicer than Kingswood’s. I also prefer Arden’s location, which is on an outside corner as opposed to Kingswood’s inside corner. It also backs to a residential, single-loaded street, so there isn’t a house directly behind it. Kingswood backs to another home with very little space between them.

Which one would you choose and why?

Last weekend, I went to look at a house in Northwood Pointe’s Arden Square neighborhood. I ended up seeing a second house, also for sale, right across the street. I visited both, and will review one today and the other next week. The first one I saw was 154 Kingswood #117.

The basics:

Asking Price: $799,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,700

Lot Size: N/A

$/Sq Ft: $470

Days on Market: 9

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2001

Community: Northwood Point – Arden Square

HOA dues are $118 per month ($78 + $40) and there are Mello Roos taxes. Northwood Pointe has a fairly low rate for Mello Ross. The realtor for the house across the street said it was only $600/year, so this is likely the same.

As I drove through the neighborhood, I quickly found myself frustrated by the lack of street parking, as much of the curb space is marked Fire Lane. However, I did find one spot right out front. I also noticed that many of the houses, including 154 Kingswood, have long driveways that could fit three or four cars.

Inside, there is a small entryway that looks into the living room and dining room. Though the current owners have the living room area towards the front, it actually makes more sense to put the dining room at the front and living room at the back. Toward the back of the room, there is a small, built-in entertainment center. There is a fireplace in the middle. The rooms aren’t too big, but lots of windows bring in plenty of light and there is attractive hardwood flooring.

The kitchen is through a doorway to the left at the very front of the house (another reason why the dining room should come before the living room). It has granite counters, tile floors, and white, melamine cupboards. There is ample space and room for a small dining table. Above the sink, a large opening in the wall provides a view into the living and dining rooms so the kitchen doesn’t feel too closed off.

At the back of the house, there is a small half bath with a pedestal sink. The home has a small backyard that is fully paved, with a couple of trees along the edges.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms. One is set off by itself on one side. This room has hardwood floors and a two-door, sliding closet. It’s a good size and I liked the privacy of it. The other secondary bedroom faces the back of the house. It has carpet and a mirrored closet. These rooms share a small bathroom with one sink and a shower/tub combo. Like the kitchen, this bathroom has granite counters and white, melamine cupboards.

The master bedroom also faces the street. It’s a good sized room for a condo and has a tiny balcony at the front. There is a walk-in closet and carpet that matches the other bedroom. The master bath has two sinks and a shower, but no tub.

The home is located on a corner, though it probably doesn’t get too much traffic since there aren’t very many houses down the street beyond it. It is in good condition and has nice upgrades. For a condo, the HOA fees are relatively low and do include a nearby community pool in addition to the main Northwood Pointe swimming pool complex. The price is in line with other nearby properties on the market.

Do you like the idea of a detached condo? What benefits do you see in buying one versus a traditional single family home?

This home is fully upgraded and currently vacant, so buyers will be able to move in quickly with little to no work. In addition to remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, the home has new wood floors, newer carpet, new windows, scraped ceilings, and a new roof. The biggest downfall I saw is that the house is located on a corner near a main entrance to the neighborhood, so there will be a lot of cars driving by. Noise shouldn’t be an issue, since it’s not backing to any big streets; it just isn’t a great location for kids to play outside.

Dark walnut, distressed floors were the first thing I noticed when I entered the house. The front living room is large, with high ceilings, so the floors just seemed to stretch on and on. The living room flows directly into the dining room, which also has a vaulted ceiling. At the back of the room, a window was converted to a French door that leads to the backyard.

The kitchen is bright, with multi-colored tile floors, updated white tile counters, and light wood cabinets throughout. The appliances are mostly stainless steel (the fridge is white), and include a completely flat stovetop for easy cleaning. The kitchen has an eat-in area with space for a six-seat table. There is not an island, but there is plenty of counter space and a large garden window brings in lots of light.

The family room is three steps down from the kitchen, but a large opening between the two rooms allows for easy visibility and doesn’t make the kitchen feel closed off. The railings in this area look a bit widespread to me, so this may be an issue with small children. The family room has a built-in entertainment center in one corner, and the large, flat screen TV and surround sound speakers come with the house. The room also has a white brick fireplace, French door to the backyard and a small bar area with light green cabinets.

Also downstairs are a half bath and a laundry area. There isn’t a door to the laundry area, so noise from the washer and dryer may be a problem to someone watching TV in the family room. The backyard has a small grassy area but otherwise is mostly hardscaped.

A wide staircase leads to four bedrooms off of one long hallway. The master is to the left. It is a big room with newer carpet and a ceiling fan. There are two steps leading up to the large walk-in closet (complete with built-in organizers) and the beautifully remodeled bathroom. The upgrades include granite counters, tile floors, and many drawers and cabinets that offer ample storage space. It has double sinks plus a vanity area. An old-style, stand alone bathtub sits in one corner. The separate stall shower is nicely tiled and has a seat built into one corner.

The other three bedrooms are all comparable in size. Two are carpeted, with ceiling fans and two-door, mirrored closets. The third bedroom was converted to an office, but still has a walk-in closet so it could still be used as a bedroom. It has hardwood floors that match those downstairs, a ceiling fan, a large built-in desk and many different built-in cabinets. This room also has a bigger window than the other two and faces front, rather than the side of the house, so it gets more light.

The secondary bedrooms share a nicely remodeled bathroom with a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The house is just down the street from the community pool, spa, tennis courts, and tot lot. A greenbelt leads to the Hicks Canyon Trail and it’s also a short walk to Sierra Vista Middle School. Northwood continues to have a lower price per square foot than most other Irvine neighborhoods. Do you think this one is a good buy?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3897.0.html

There are a couple of houses for sale in Northwood’s Woodside neighborhood right now. This week, I looked at 34 Alegria, a four bedroom home that just came on the market last Friday.

The basics:

Asking Price: $900,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,404

Lot Size: 4,792

$/Sq Ft: $374

Days on Market: 6

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood – Woodside

HOA dues are $97 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

This home is fully upgraded and currently vacant, so buyers will be able to move in quickly with little to no work. In addition to remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, the home has new wood floors, newer carpet, new windows, scraped ceilings, and a new roof. The biggest downfall I saw is that the house is located on a corner near a main entrance to the neighborhood, so there will be a lot of cars driving by. Noise shouldn’t be an issue, since it’s not backing to any big streets; it just isn’t a great location for kids to play outside.

Dark walnut, distressed floors were the first thing I noticed when I entered the house. The front living room is large, with high ceilings, so the floors just seemed to stretch on and on. The living room flows directly into the dining room, which also has a vaulted ceiling. At the back of the room, a window was converted to a French door that leads to the backyard.

The kitchen is bright, with multi-colored tile floors, updated white tile counters, and light wood cabinets throughout. The appliances are mostly stainless steel (the fridge is white), and include a completely flat stovetop for easy cleaning. The kitchen has an eat-in area with space for a six-seat table. There is not an island, but there is plenty of counter space and a large garden window brings in lots of light.

The family room is three steps down from the kitchen, but a large opening between the two rooms allows for easy visibility and doesn’t make the kitchen feel closed off. The railings in this area look a bit widespread to me, so this may be an issue with small children. The family room has a built-in entertainment center in one corner, and the large, flat screen TV and surround sound speakers come with the house. The room also has a white brick fireplace, French door to the backyard and a small bar area with light green cabinets.

Also downstairs are a half bath and a laundry area. There isn’t a door to the laundry area, so noise from the washer and dryer may be a problem to someone watching TV in the family room. The backyard has a small grassy area but otherwise is mostly hardscaped.

A wide staircase leads to four bedrooms off of one long hallway. The master is to the left. It is a big room with newer carpet and a ceiling fan. There are two steps leading up to the large walk-in closet (complete with built-in organizers) and the beautifully remodeled bathroom. The upgrades include granite counters, tile floors, and many drawers and cabinets that offer ample storage space. It has double sinks plus a vanity area. An old-style, stand alone bathtub sits in one corner. The separate stall shower is nicely tiled and has a seat built into one corner.

The other three bedrooms are all comparable in size. Two are carpeted, with ceiling fans and two-door, mirrored closets. The third bedroom was converted to an office, but still has a walk-in closet so it could still be used as a bedroom. It has hardwood floors that match those downstairs, a ceiling fan, a large built-in desk and many different built-in cabinets. This room also has a bigger window than the other two and faces front, rather than the side of the house, so it gets more light.

The secondary bedrooms share a nicely remodeled bathroom with a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The house is just down the street from the community pool, spa, tennis courts, and tot lot. A greenbelt leads to the Hicks Canyon Trail and it’s also a short walk to Sierra Vista Middle School. Northwood continues to have a lower price per square foot than most other Irvine neighborhoods. Do you think this one is a good buy?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3824.0.html

Last summer, I reviewed 31 Entrada West, a three bedroom house in Northwood’s Park Paseo neighborhood. The house sold on September 28, 2012 for $620,000 ($324 per square foot; asking price was $649,000). This week, exactly seven months later, I toured 2 Campanero West, the same model home but with a reversed floor plan. As we have seen, the market has risen significantly in the last several months. This property is listed at $725,000.

The basics:

Asking Price: $725,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1915

Lot Size: 4,092

$/Sq Ft: $379

Days on Market: 17

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1980

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA dues are $85 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

This is a corner lot, backing to Hicks Canyon (a non-residential street) and right alongside where people enter the street. It is a quiet, cul-de-sac street that has direct walking access to Santiago Hills Elementary School.

Lighter flooring and cabinetry do a lot to brighten the house, as many rooms don’t get enough natural light. The front living room has light colored carpet, vaulted ceilings, and two large windows. The carpet here, and throughout the house, is in good condition, but buyers will likely want to replace it soon. Across the entry way, the dining room has matching carpet, high ceilings, and a sliding door out to the L-shaped yard.

The family room at the back of the house was very cluttered, making it hard to get a good sense of the size and feel of the room. I did notice that the ceilings hadn’t been scraped and overall, the room is pretty dark. This room also has the same carpet and has a tile fireplace.

This model has a very small and narrow kitchen. While the one at 31 Entrada West was very dark, this one is brighter, largely attributed to white cabinets and light colored tile floors. The garden window brings in some natural light from the bright backyard. The kitchen’s only updates are newer white appliances, but it still has the original white tile counters, panel lighting and plain white cabinets. It is clean and well maintained, but definitely not modern.

The backyard has a patio, with the rest of the space covered by gravel and several large, raised garden boxes. There aren’t any tall trees, so the yard is bright, but it won’t block any sound from Hicks Canyon.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, all with light-colored wood floors (the hallway is carpeted). The two secondary bedrooms are small and both face the front of the house. Each one has a two-door, mirrored closet. They share a bathroom with a single sink set into a long counter. The faucet is newer, but most of the bathroom is original. Like the kitchen, it is mostly in good shape but looks dated.

The master bedroom has smooth, vaulted ceilings and a large walk-in closet. It is one of the smallest master bedrooms I have seen. The bathroom has a stall shower and dual sinks with new hardware and cabinet pulls. Nothing else in the bathroom has been upgraded.

Like 31 Entrada West, this home is in good condition, but has very few upgrades and plenty of room for improvement. It does have nice plantation shutters in some rooms, but all of the windows are original. I liked 2 Campanero West a little bit more, largely because it felt brighter. The corner lot allows for a slightly bigger yard, but puts it in a less desirable location.

Has the market changed so much that you would pay $100,000 more for the same model (also without any remodeling) just seven months later?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3795.0.html

As I mentioned last week, I am reviewing 87 Long Meadow this week, another condo located just a couple of blocks from the one I reviewed last week (67 Great Lawn). Though the locations are comparable, the similarities end there.

The basics:

Asking Price: $598,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 1,526

Lot Size: N/A

$/Sq Ft: $392

Days on Market: 13

Property Type: Condo

Year Built: 2005

Community: Woodbury

There are two sets of HOA dues, totaling $290 per month and there are Mello Roos taxes.

This three-story condo is on Long Meadow, one of the main entrance points to Woodbury. Like the property on Great Lawn, this one is also quite close to the intersection at Sanctuary. While it has the bonus of being a very short walk to the park, pools, Commons, and Woodbury Elementary School, it is a busy street. This condo, however, is set much farther back from the street and actually looks out onto an attractive courtyard. The courtyard has tables and chairs, benches, a fireplace, and a huge grassy lawn for kids to play in. Because the unit doesn’t have a yard, having this courtyard right outside the front door is a big plus.

While the outside is very attractive, the inside of the unit definitely needs some TLC. The walls definitely need new paint throughout the entire unit and the floors are pretty scuffed up in parts.

When you walk in, the lower level actually has just a single room, bathroom, laundry room and garage access. Though it’s marketed as a three bedroom, the downstairs room doesn’t have a closet. It’s also a pretty small room.

The downstairs bath has a single sink with white counters, dark cabinets, and a shower/tub combo done in simple white tile. The adjacent laundry room has overhead cabinets and access to the two car garage.

The second floor is actually the main floor and has the kitchen, living room and another bedroom and bath. I thought the staircase was a bit steep. Right at the top of the stairs is the dining area. It can probably fit six comfortably, but any more would be a tight squeeze. Extra guests could sit at the island’s bar seating just a few feet away. The island, like the rest of the counters, is made from rather drab, gray Caeserstone. I also didn’t love the travertine floors and thought the kitchen, as a whole, wasn’t very attractive. It does have stainless steel appliances, including a combination range with a four burner stove and oven. It has three pantry-height cupboards and plenty of additional cabinet and counter space. I did like the tile backsplash and thought it was the nicest part of the room.

The kitchen flows directly into the living room, creating a true great room. Because the unit is sandwiched between two others, all the natural light in the room comes from the front side of the house, where there are two windows and French doors leading to a tiny, unusable balcony. The room is an average size with a white fireplace (no hearth) and a small cutout area for the TV. New owners could put built-ins there if they desired.

The bedroom and bathroom are down a hallway on the other side of the kitchen. The bathroom is nearly identical to the one downstairs, though flipped the other way. The bedroom is a nice size with a large window overlooking the back of the property. It has hardwood floors matching those downstairs. Rather than a traditional closet, one wall is almost entirely taken up by espresso-colored built-ins that include numerous drawers but only a very small hanging area. It works well for young children, but might not be ideal for older kids and teens.

A stairway in a corner of the living room leads to the third floor, which houses the master bedroom. It isn’t particularly large, but a cutout area provides a nice place for a dresser and many may appreciate the privacy of being on the upper floor. This room is carpeted and has a ceiling fan. It has a big walk-in closet and a very spacious bathroom. The bath has travertine floors and plain white tiles surrounding the dual sinks, stall shower, and separate tub. A long, narrow balcony overlooks the central courtyard and could have room for a couple of small chairs.

Personally, I don’t like the layout of this home. Having the kitchen and living room on the second floor is inconvenient and I don’t like that each bedroom is on a different floor. I didn’t think it was as nicely upgraded as most other newer homes and it needs a little TLC. While it is nicely offset from the street and doesn’t back to either Long Meadow or Sanctuary, it is still a busy location. I have seen nicer condos and don’t think I’d put my money on this one. Would you?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3760.0.html