Woodbury had several open houses this weekend, so I checked out two of them. Today, I will present 67 Great Lawn; next week, I’ll tell you about 87 Long Meadow. While the two properties are only a couple of blocks apart, they are quite different.

The basics:

Asking Price: $945,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,100

Lot Size: 1,000

$/Sq Ft: $450

Days on Market: 10

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2005

Community: Woodbury (Stonetree, Plan 2)

There are two sets of HOA dues, totaling $268 per month and there are Mello Roos taxes.

The home is located on one of Woodbury’s bigger streets and is close to the intersection of Great Lawn and Sanctuary. So, while the location isn’t particularly quiet, it is a very short walk to the large community park and pools, the Commons and Woodbury Elementary School. There isn’t really a yard, but the house does have a nice front patio area with plenty of space to put a barbecue, table and chairs. I really liked the stonework on the patio, but did notice one very large crack right in the middle.

Inside, there is a large hall closet directly across from the front door. A short hallway leads to the living room on the right and the kitchen and dining room on the left. The living room has several windows and a set of French doors leading to the front patio, so it gets light from three sides. There is a white fireplace in one corner and attractive wood flooring that runs throughout the downstairs. There is a cutout area for the TV that would make a good spot for a nice set of built-ins.

The kitchen is nicely upgraded with granite counters and white cabinets. The stainless steel appliances include a five burner stove and double oven. A large center island offers plenty of room for seating and a small desk at one end of the counter provides a nice work area. While there isn’t a pantry, ample cabinet space should provide enough storage.

The adjacent dining room is quite large and has two sets of French doors leading out to the front patio.

Another hallway leads to the downstairs bath and bedroom, as well as access to the two car garage. The bathroom has a shower and single sink, both done with small, square tiles. The bedroom is carpeted and is fairly small. It has a standard two-door closet and looks out onto the alley of garages. The room is set back from the rest of the downstairs and would offer a lot of privacy.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms. The first one is very large, with space for a queen size bed and a sofa. Windows on three sides bring in a lot of light and it has a larger, three-door closet. Like most other rooms in the house, it has attractive plantation shutters.

The other secondary bedroom is smaller, but still a good size. It has just one window facing the back but it also has a large walk-in closet. Like the downstairs bedroom, both upstairs bedrooms are carpeted.

The secondary bedrooms share a bathroom tiled similarly to the one downstairs. It features two sinks and a shower/tub combo separated from the sink area by another door. The laundry room is adjacent to the bathroom.

The master bedroom has hardwood floors. It’s an average size for a master without a separate retreat or sitting area (I disagree with the flier that calls the room “enormous”). However, it connects to a large, covered balcony overlooking the street (balcony access is also available from the hall).

The master bath features an extensive use of stone tiles, including the floor and shower. The stall shower is an average size and sits next to a separate, jetted bathtub. The two sinks are set into a granite counter and, like the other two bathrooms, the cabinets are white. The walk-in closet is quite large and even has a window to let in some natural light.

Overall, the house is in excellent condition. The floors are in great shape and I didn’t notice scuff marks or blemishes in the paint at all. The upgrades were done very well and provide a clean look throughout the home. I liked the size of the upstairs bedrooms a lot.

There are a couple of downfalls to the house. As I already mentioned, while I love the proximity to the heart of Woodbury’s common areas, the street is much too busy. Also, I didn’t like that the living room – the only communal living space – is so secluded from the rest of the downstairs. I prefer more of a great room, where the living (or family) room opens to the kitchen.

This is a gorgeous home, but the cons outweigh the pros in my opinion. If you were in the market for a four bedroom house, is this the one you would choose? Why or why not?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3741.0.html

Last week, I toured 13791 Solitaire Way, a five bedroom home in the Racquet Club neighborhood. This week, I went just a couple of blocks over to see 4051 Blackfin Avenue in the same community. The home on Solitaire Way was listed 15 days ago and has already been sale pending for a week. The Blackfin home has been on the market for 26 days.

The basics:

Asking Price: $799,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,450

Lot Size: 5,500

$/Sq Ft: $326

Days on Market: 26

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1971

Community: Racquet Club

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

The Blackfin home is slightly smaller (164 square feet) than the Solitaire home on a slightly smaller lot. A big negative for Blackfin is that it backs to Bryan, a fairly busy street, especially given its proximity to Brywood Elementary and Sierra Vista Middle Schools. This house also has little curb appeal, with no second story windows in the front (due to a sloped roof) and a huge tree blocking the view of the front door. However, it does have a three car garage and solar panel across the entire roof.

The entry way gives a view of the living room ahead and the dining room to the right. The living room has an entire wall of windows/sliding doors that bring in a lot of light. It has large, 16” tile floors and an alcove under the stairs that provides space for shelving or, as the current owners have, a piano. Though this is technically the formal living room, I would probably use it as the more casual family room since it is closest to the kitchen.

The dining room is really just an extension of the kitchen, though it does have space for a large table. Plantation shutters help give it a more formal look. The room is separated from the kitchen by a large bar with seating for four.

The fully remodeled kitchen features granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The lighter cabinets help to brighten the room and the tile backsplash matches well with the counters and tile floors. Overall, the room has a very clean, polished look.

On the opposite side of the living room, a shutter-style door leads to the family room and bathroom. Because the family room is so separate from the rest of the house, it might work better as an office, den, or even a bedroom (though it lacks a closet). It has a sliding door to the backyard, a white brick fireplace, and eight tall, white cabinets (solid on the bottom, glass on the top).

From this room, you can access the garage, a coat closet, and a full bathroom. The bathroom is small, but has been remodeled. The single sink has granite counters, the shower/tub combo has new tile and frosted glass doors, and the cupboards and all hardware are new.

The backyard has a large pool, a spa, and several fruit trees. The patio area is big enough for a table and chairs and the many trees and plants help give the yard privacy.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and a small bonus room. The bonus room runs the width of the house, but is under the sloped ceiling, so much of it is too short for an adult to stand in. It only has windows on the two ends, so it doesn’t get a lot of natural light. It is long and narrow. It would work best as an office or children’s playroom.

The master bedroom is at the top of the stairs. It’s a good size, but very plain. There are small windows in the corners and two mirrored closets. The bathroom has been remodeled and now features granite counters, dual sinks, and new tile, cabinets and hardware. Unlike most master bedrooms, this does not have a separate shower and tub; rather, there is just a combo similar to what you’d see in a standard secondary bathroom.

The three secondary bedrooms are all pretty similar. They are average sized with French-door style closets, and side by side windows running almost the length of each room. They line up across the back of the house, so noise from Bryan may affect light sleepers.

The secondary bathroom is quite similar to the other two, with new granite counters, a shower/tub combo, and new hardware, tile, and cabinets. Despite a long counter, it only has one sink.

All of the rooms have new windows and plantation shutters. None of the ceilings have been scraped. Everything is clean and well kept and I think the remodeled kitchen and bathrooms were done very well. The carpet is in good shape but buyers may want to replace it. The tile floors downstairs are in great condition.

I imagine the location is why this house is still on the market and the other one in the same neighborhood sold more quickly. The kitchen and bathrooms are much nicer in Blackfin than in Solitaire Way. Solitaire had bigger bedrooms and newer carpet, but older tile floors downstairs and old windows throughout the entire first floor. With comparable pricing and size (Solitaire has five bedrooms but no bonus room), the biggest difference is that Blackfin backs to Bryan.

Which house would you choose? If the locations were equal, would that change your opinion?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3715.0.html

Today, I visited a home at 13791 Solitaire Way in the Racquet Club neighborhood. Two other homes on the same street have sold in the last few months, so I was curious to see one for myself.

The basics:

Asking Price: $799,888

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,508

Lot Size: 5,663

$/Sq Ft: $319

Days on Market: 12

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1970

Community: Racquet Club

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

This was originally a one story home with two bedrooms, but a second story with three bedrooms was added.

The large living room lies straight ahead when you walk in the front door. Its high ceiling has a skylight and there is a white brick fireplace with a wide hearth at the far end. The beige carpet is new and in excellent condition.

To the right of the entry is the kitchen, with the breakfast nook coming first. It is set against a large bay window and has space to put a hutch in addition to the dining table. The kitchen features blue-grey Corian counters and white appliances, including a new dishwasher. The electric stove has four burners and is very basic. The room is long and narrow and doesn’t have a lot of cabinet space. A sliding door leads to the side patio. The floor is covered in large, white, square tiles that extend all the way through to the dining and family rooms. I think they are too plain and give the room a very dated feel.

The dining and family rooms are at the back of the house, accessible through the kitchen and the living room. The ceiling has white wooden beams running across it and the tile doesn’t make it feel homey or warm. A sliding door leads to the backyard.

The yard has a large cement patio with an above ground Jacuzzi in the middle of it. It also has a fire pit surrounded by benches, creating a nice spot for entertaining. There is a small grassy area in one corner.

The master bedroom is downstairs, also at the back of the house and with access to the yard. It’s a big room with high ceilings, a ceiling fan, and lots of light. A small alcove leading to the closet could be used as a retreat or dressing area. The closet is a walk-in with built in wooden shelves.

The master bath is quite narrow but has been remodeled. The dual sinks are set in a long, granite counter on one side with the shower along the other. It isn’t a great layout and feels quite cramped.

The other bedroom downstairs is an average size with a ceiling fan and two-door mirrored closet. As in the living room, both downstairs bedrooms have new carpet. The bedroom’s adjacent (not attached) bathroom has one sink and a shower/tub combo. The counter and tile floors appear to be newer.

Leading to the garage is a very large storage area with several wooden cupboards, a long counter and a closet.

Upstairs, the three new bedrooms share a bathroom. It has one sink and a shower/tub combo.

Each of the bedrooms is slightly larger than an average secondary room. They all have the same new carpet as downstairs. Each has a sliding, two-door closet (bigger in one room than the others), a ceiling fan, and one window.

The home is in excellent condition but could use a few upgrades. Most notably, it doesn’t have new windows. The only thing I truly disliked was the tile floor in the kitchen, dining and family rooms. Otherwise, everything was in good condition, with new paint and new baseboards giving it a clean look.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3692.0.html

After scanning Redfin for some open houses, I decided to visit 14521 Ryewood Street in El Camino Glen, a neighborhood I haven’t toured before. I thought the house was priced really high, so I wanted to see it for myself, especially since there aren’t any interior pictures online.

The basics:

Asking Price: $545,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1

Square Footage: 1,000

Lot Size: 5,100

$/Sq Ft: $545

Days on Market: 7

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1970

Community: El Camino Glen

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

The front door opens directly into the living room, which has dark wood floors and a white brick fireplace at one end. It has a hanging lamp that looks more suited for a hallway, or even outside. There are high ceilings in the living room and new windows throughout the house. None of the ceilings have been scraped.

The kitchen is behind the living room, with a dining area that could probably fit an eight person table (though 4 – 6 would be more comfortable). The kitchen and dining area have dark green, acrylic tile. Otherwise, everything is white – the appliances, cabinets and tile counters. The kitchen definitely shows its age, but does manage to fit a lot of cabinets into a small space.

Sliding doors at the back of the dining area lead to the large backyard. The yard is a combination of cracked concrete and dying, patchy grass. There aren’t any plants or trees. Though the realtor mentioned the concrete walls as a huge asset for privacy, they are low enough that I could look over parts of them into the adjacent yards (and I’m not that tall). The size of the yard is great, but it needs a lot of work to be nice. The listing’s referral to “new green grass lawn” seems to only apply to the front yard.

A hallway off the living room leads to the bathroom and bedrooms. The home’s sole bathroom has a newer vanity with a single sink. A shower/tub combo with older white tiles and a curtain rod is at the back of the room.

One bedroom is slightly larger than the other and also has a bigger closet. Both have standard, two-door closets with gold trim. Both rooms also have new sliding doors out to the side yard, which are fitted with alarms. The carpet in the bedrooms is in good shape.

While I was there, the owner of a nearby home was touring as well. He mentioned that the foundation of this home is the same size and strength of that of a two-story house, so adding a second story could be a possibility. There is also space to add more rooms at the back of the house.

Another potential buyer touring when I did seemed interested and was considering making a cash offer. The realtor also told me there were others planning to submit offers in the evening (though I don’t know if any actually will). I asked the realtor how she determined the list price, because $545 per square foot is higher than pretty much everything I’ve seen lately. Her response was “It’s El Camino Glen,” as if to say that made it a highly desirable area. However, recent sales in the area have been much lower and the other homes currently on the market are all under $435 per square foot.

What’s your take on the Ryewood home? If it does go for $545,000, how do you think it will affect other prices in the area?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3663.0.html

This week, I visited 18 Miners Trail in Northwood. While it has many upgrades, there is also still plenty of room for improvement.

The basics:

Asking Price: $779,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,213

Lot Size: 4,560

$/Sq Ft: $352

Days on Market: 23

Property Type: single family residence

Year Built: 1979

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

The first thing I noticed was a large sideyard leading up to the front door and wrapping around to the backyard. Because it is a smaller lot, it is nice to see a bit of extra space on the side.

Downstairs, the flooring is all new, with a combo of tile in the entry and kitchen and wood throughout the rest of the rooms. In contrast, the upstairs carpet is shabby and needs to be replaced. While the upstairs bedrooms all have new windows, the downstairs windows are original. The ceilings were scraped throughout the whole house.

The living room is just off the entryway and is a step down from the hall. It has a vaulted ceiling and, despite having three windows, feels dark due to all of the trees in the front yard.

The dining room is on the other side of the entry. It has a sliding door out to the sideyard and, like the living room, has a vaulted ceiling.

The dining room leads into the kitchen, which has been nicely remodeled. In addition to the new marble floor, it has granite counters, attractive new cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. A large garden window looks out to the backyard. The kitchen doesn’t have quite as many cabinets as most others I have seen, so space will have to be used efficiently.

The family room is at the back of the house, right off the kitchen. It has space for a breakfast table at the back wall. There are sliding doors out to the backyard and a fireplace in the middle of another wall. It also has a skylight over the breakfast table. Because all of the natural light is at the far end of the room, most of the space is pretty dark.

There is a downstairs bedroom off the family room. It has built in shelves along one wall. Like the family room, it’s only light source is a sliding door to the backyard, so it is a dark room. It is big, but long and narrow, so somewhat awkwardly shaped for a bedroom. The closet is also pretty small, leading me to think it makes a better office or playroom. There is a remodeled en suite bathroom with a single sink and a shower/tub combo. This bathroom also has hallway access (via the laundry room) and is the only downstairs bath.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms. The master is a pretty big room. It has a fireplace and a balcony, along with a vaulted ceiling. The bathroom has been partially redone, with newer counters and tile around the separate shower and tub, but the original cabinets. The old carpet and cabinets make the otherwise nice bathroom look shabby.

The other bathroom upstairs has also been remodeled. It only has one sink, though it’s set in a very long counter. It has a combo shower/tub and newer granite and tile.

The two secondary bedrooms are very typical for an older home in Northwood. They are average sized, each with one window facing the street. One has a standard closet and the other has a walk in; neither is particularly large.

The home backs to Northwood, a somewhat quiet but non-residential street. It is also directly across from the back side of a shopping center, so it probably gets noise from delivery trucks. The outside of the home suffered some damage from termites and dry rot. The owners are willing to fix this at their own expense as long as the clause is included in the offer.

Older homes in Northwood have seen a fairly wide range of prices lately, both in those that have recently sold and those currently on the market. At $352 per square foot, this house is somewhere in the middle of that range. The two biggest drawbacks are the location and the lack of natural light, neither of which can be changed. Which one do you think is keeping it from selling?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3646.0.html