At the beginning of the month I reviewed the same layout as 1 Clinton at18 Prescott, less the loft. You can read it to get a comparison of the two properties. 1 Clinton is a two level townhome with two bedrooms. It is located in an area with very low traffic due to surrounding cul-de-sac streets. Unlike 18 Prescott, I did not notice any street noise from Irvine Boulevard, but 19 Prescott made small changes to update the home. This home is an end unit which brings in additional light in the staircase and provides more privacy in the patio area. The price has recently dropped from the $549,000 price to $529,000

Asking Price: $529,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,424

Lot Size: 2,178

$/Sq Ft: $371

Days on Market: 59

Property Type: Townhome Two Level

Year Built: 1980

Community: Northwood – Sheffield Manor

HOA dues are $245 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

Upon entry the staircase is immediately to the right. To the left is the living room with cathedral ceilings. A short hallway with a coat closet and bathroom is straight ahead which leads to the kitchen and dining area.

The home has glossy laminate wood flooring, cream carpet in the living room, staircase, upstairs hallway and bedrooms. The carpet looks worn and has lumps upstairs. With this being an end unit, it is a light and bright home with multiple large windows in the front and back. The windows are original.

The living room has cathedral ceilings, which provides a sense of spaciousness and a large window bringing in a lot of light. The fireplace is located next to the front windows.

The bathroom has been updated with a new pedestal sink and mirror. The flooring is a basic tile.

The kitchen has original cabinets with no hardware, white appliances and clean 4×4 tile countertops. The original fluorescent lights have been replaced with recessed lighting, partially raising part of the ceiling. The kitchen has an open solution with a peninsula long enough for some bar seating. It overlooks the dining area. There is plenty of cabinets and counter space but it lacks a pantry. 18 Prescott’s kitchen also had original cabinets, but they were painted white and had added hardware.

To the left is the indoor laundry room. On the left is space for a side-by-side washer on the dryer. On the right are additional lower and upper cabinets for more storage, which is a nice feature.

The dining area sits in front of the sliding glass door. It is a nice spacious area. The back patio is large for a townhome. It has a small area for entertaining. The garage entrance is located in the patio. Although 18 Prescott had grass and fruit trees, it is nice that this patio only has one neighboring wall, so it creates more of a private and open feel to the back.

On the wall of the staircase is a large frosted window that brings in additional natural light into the home. Once upstairs there is hallway lined with some linen cabinets on the right hand side.

The master bedroom is to the right. The ceilings are high and a large window looks out to the patio. The bathroom is located through a large opening. Without a privacy door into the master bathroom some of the light and noise may travel into the sleeping area in the morning and evenings, but there is a curtain that currently hangs at the opening. There are two sets of mirrored sliding doors in the bathroom. To the left is a single original sink. The counter top and painted white cabinets look original, but the hardware has been updated. Next to the sink is the separate shower and toilet. The shower base looks a bit worn, but the original 4×4 tile walls are in good condition.

The secondary bedroom is a standard size with double mirrored sliding closet doors . Next to the room is the shared bathroom. It has tile floors and a new pedestal sink. The tub/shower combo is original but has new glass window sliding doors.

1 Clinton is a basic townhome with a nice sized patio. In comparison to 18 Prescott, there are trade-offs. There is the extra small loft in Prescott and a nicely landscaped patio, but 1 Clinton is an end-unit. The home feeds into great Irvine schools: Brywood Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School and Northwood High School.

Today I saw a two level home featuring a bedroom on the ground floor. 2 Alameda is in Northwood’s Park Paseo Community. It sits on the corner of a cul-de-sac street with Santiago Hills Elementary School and the community pool, clubhouse and tennis courts at the end of the cul-de-sac. Children can walk to Santiago Hills Elementary School without crossing any streets.

Asking Price: $850,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,271Lot Size: 3,920

$/Sq Ft: $374

Days on Market: 16

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood – Park Paseo

HOA dues are $89 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

Prices in Northwood have been on the rise. In the past 3 to 6 months houses in Northwood have sold at an average of approximately $387 per square foot. This house is in very clean condition and has been partially upgraded. There are some original features, such as the windows, cabinetry and some of the lights, but the ceilings have been scraped, floors replaced and kitchen and bathrooms remodeled. The yard is smaller for the neighborhood, but there is a patio and a little bit of grass at the end of the patio. Being on the corner of Alameda and Park Place, there is some noise from passing cars on Park Place, but Park Place is an internal street in the neighborhood and Alameda is a cul-de-sac street. The home feeds into Santiago Hills Elementary School, Sierra Vista Middle School and Northwood High School. The elementary and middle schools are walking distance from the home.

The double front door is located on the side of the home. Once inside the cathedral ceilings provide a sense of spaciousness. Directly in front of you is the side of the staircase and a hall leading to the back of the home. To the right are the living and dining rooms. To the left are the bathroom and bedroom. An abundance of natural light comes in from the large windows throughout the entrance, living and dining rooms. The tile flooring in the entrance area continues back through the hall and into the kitchen and family room. The rest of the rooms have wood laminate floors.

The first floor has a bedroom with cathedral ceilings at the front of the house. It has double doors leading into the room. It is bright with three windows, one being high up on the wall. The room has a small closet with sliding doors. The adjacent bathroom has a single sink and a stall shower. The flooring and sink hardware have been updated but the original fluorescent lighting still sits above the sink. The cabinetry has been painted white, but is also original.

The living room is a small step down from the rest of the house. It has vaulted ceilings and is a good size. The windows look into the backyard.

The living room opens to the dining room, which has space for a large table. A short rail separates the two areas. I have seen models with the railing removed to create an open flow between the rooms. The large window looks into the backyard.

The coat closet sits in the hallway leading back to the kitchen and family rooms. The family room has a white-painted brick fireplace and French doors leading to the backyard. It is a decent size room and there is an open solution into kitchen. On the back side of the kitchen wall, at the end of the peninsula is a built-in bookshelf.

The kitchen has been partially remodeled with a mix of white and stainless steel appliances and granite tile countertops. The pantry is to the left of the doorway, located across from the main kitchen, with space in front of the pantry for a computer table or small eating table. The garage entry is located next to the pantry. To the right is the kitchen with the counter in a U-shape. The refrigerator and electric stovetop sit on the back wall, next to the garage door entry. The sink, with a garden window, looks out to the side of the backyard. The counter wraps around onto a peninsula with space for bar seating on the family room side. Cabinets sit above the peninsula which provides plenty of storage, but hinders some of the open feel to the area. At the end of the peninsula is a short wall with the built-in microwave and oven. The kitchen still has the original panel lights and the original cabinets which have been painted white.

The backyard is small for the neighborhood. Outside of the French doors is a narrow covered patio with a high retaining wall on the backside. To the right is a small grassy area.

The stairs have the original railing but are updated with laminate wood flooring. On the landing is a set of lower linen cabinets. The master faces the back of the house and is a good sized room. It has vaulted ceilings. There are two sets of closets, each with mirrored doors. One set is located in the bedroom while the other is in the bathroom area. The master bath has two sinks with a vanity area in the middle. The cabinetry is original but has been painted white. The flooring has updated tile and the shower area is remodeled by removing the tub and creating a large shower with a bench. A large window sits above the shower, bringing in a good amount of natural light. Without a privacy door into the bathroom area, the light may disturb someone who is still in bed, but they have hung decorative curtains to block out most of the light.

One of the other bedrooms has double doors and high ceilings. The window faces the side of the home. One wall is taken up by a three-door closet. The other bedroom also has high ceilings and there is a closet in one corner with mirrored doors. The window faces out to the front of the home.

The upstairs bathroom has one sink with good counter space and a shower/tub combo. The cabinets are original but have been painted white. The floors have new tile and the shower/tub combo has been remodeled with a new tub and updated tile surround. A window sits above the vanity mirror which brings in natural light into the area. The high ceilings create a spacious feel to the space.

Looking at current listings and recent sales, the price for this house seems reasonable. The flow is nice and the downstairs bedroom will appeal to many buyers. The only downfall is the smaller backyard and location on the corner with cars turning onto the Alameda in front of the home. But the home’s location, being so close to the elementary school and community amenities will appeal to many families.

Today I am reviewing a two level home in Northwood’s Park Paseo Community. 40 Christamon West is found on a larger internal corner lot and situated on a cul-de-sac street across from Santiago Hills Elementary School and community amenities. The nicely landscaped large yard and location on a single loaded street left a feeling of privacy and openness.

Asking Price: $888,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.25

Square Footage: 2,191

Lot Size: 6,098

$/Sq Ft: $405

Days on Market: 10

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1985

Community: Northwood – Park Paseo

HOA dues are $89 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

Prices in Northwood have been on the rise, however in the past 3 months it appears two level homes in this neighborhood have primarily sold for less than $400 per square foot. This house is in very clean condition and is well maintained, but has original textured ceilings, carpet that looked worn in areas, original doors with hardware and a couple of original features in the bathrooms. The rest of the home has been upgraded with wood flooring, a remodeled kitchen, updated windows and a relaxing backyard.

The front door is located up a few brick steps. Once inside, the entrance has outdated tile flooring which is a step up from the rest of the main level of the home. There is an abundance of natural light coming in from the extra-large windows throughout the living and dining rooms. Although the ceilings have the original texture, the cathedral ceilings provide an open feeling to the rooms. To the left is a wide carpeted staircase leading straight up to the second floor. There is also a hallway with one of the entrances to the kitchen and a 3-step down family room. To the right is the step down living room and dining room. The kitchen is located behind the wall, next to the dining room.

The living and dining room are carpeted while the hallway, kitchen and family room have hardwood floors. The living room windows face out toward the school’s large green fields. The dining room window faces out to the backyard. One of the two kitchen entrances is found off of the dining room.

The kitchen has updated fluorescent lighting with a ceiling fan. There is a large window with a casual eating area sitting in front of it. An older dishwasher and updated sink with a garden window are located along the same wall. The corian countertop wraps around to the electric stovetop. There are plenty of cabinets and counter space. The cabinets are a cherry finish. On the other side of the entrance door are additional cabinets, built-in microwave, oven and refrigerator. The kitchen has railing that overlooks the family room which is three steps down. A pantry sits between the 3 steps and the casual eating area.

After walking down the three steps, a small nook and short hallway with a coat closet, garage entrance and bathroom are located to the left. The nook previously had a small wetbar, but currently has a desk. The family room has a brick fireplace in the middle of the wall. There are two large windows in the corner and a large sliding glass door.

The backyard is nicely landscaped. Out the sliding glass door you walk onto a small lattice covered patio. To the right is a path to a newer jacuzzi and towards the back of the yard is another small paved area that has space for entertaining. The remainder of the yard is grass and in the back is a low retaining wall with lush greens. The mature trees and a light post add a nice touch to the space.

The half bathroom sits next to the garage entrance. It has a long frosted window across the top of the wall. The bathroom is wallpapered and has granite countertops and cherry cabinetry. All bathrooms throughout the home have been remodeled with the same granite countertops and cherry cabinetry.

At the top of the staircase is one of the two sets of linen cabinets located in the hallway. All bedrooms are carpeted. It is clean but some sections look slightly worm. To the right are double doors leading into the master bedroom. The room is a good size with a two door mirrored closet next to the entrance. A step-up bathroom is found to the right, directly across from the bed. The double sinks are visible from the sleeping area and with a lack of a privacy door, the light and noise may affect a person that is still sleeping in the mornings and evenings. The carpet runs up to the vanity. The old fluorescent lighting still sits above the double sinks but the countertops and cabinetry are remodeled. To the left is the separate toilet and showe
r. Unfortunately the carpet continues into that space as well. The walk-in shower has been remodeled with a bench. On the opposite end of the double sinks is a walk-in closet.

The two secondary bedrooms on the right side of the hallway are similar in size and both have double mirrored sliding closet doors. The second bedroom appears slightly smaller than the first one. At the end of the hallway is the third secondary bedroom. It has double doors leading in to the room and is currently used an office. Two large corner windows look out to the front of the home. It has a single door closet.

An updated mirror, cherry cabinets and granite countertop are found in the shared bathroom. The floor is vinyl. The bath/shower combo is original with original 4 x4 tiles.

40 Christamon West is nicely remodeled and if you do not mind living across from an elementary school, it is a great location. At the end of the cul-de-sac is a walking path so with the greenbelt, school fields, community pool and tennis courts just steps away, it is ideal for any family. The price is just slightly higher per square foot than some comparable two level homes, but this home also has a larger than others in the neighborhood.

I am reviewing a home in Northwood’s Vista Filare Community. Two weeks ago I reviewed 4 Varesa, which is just a few doors down from 10 Varesa. Both are 3 bedrooms, but the size, layouts and amount of updating differ. This home is selling for $389 per square foot versus 4 Varesa’s $432 per square foot. The price has recently been reduced from the original $698,800 to $678,800. Just down the street from Sierra Vista Middle School, this home is walking distance to the middle school, walking trails and Northwood Park Shopping Center. It is a zero-lot-line property so there are no windows along one side of the home.

Asking Price: $678,800
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.25
Square Footage: 1,745
Lot Size: 2,614
$/Sq Ft: $389
Days on Market: 200
Property Type: Single Family Residence
Year Built: 1985
Community: Northwood – Vista Filare
HOA Fees: $106/month

There are no Mello Roos taxes.

Walking through a side gate, the front door is on the left. Straight ahead is the home’s outside patio. Currently the patio is a raised wood deck that separates the front entrance from the home’s patio. The other property at 4 Varesa had a wall to create a more private patio feeling.

Upon entering the home, the staircase, coat closet and half bathroom are in front of you. To the left is the living room and to the right is the dining room and doorway leading to the kitchen and family room. The flooring throughout the entire first level is laminate wood flooring. The living room has high ceilings and a brick fireplace in the corner butting up to the staircase. One large window faces out to the front of the home. The windows throughout the home are original.

The dining area has two windows. It is a decent sized area.

The half bathroom sits across from the dining room, next to the staircase. It has been remodeled with a corner sink with white cabinets and a black granite countertop. All of the bathrooms have the same white cabinets and black granite countertop.

Past the dining room, through the doorway are the kitchen and family room. The kitchen is immediately to the left. It has been remodeled with new white cabinets and black granite countertops. Along the side and back wall are cabinets and a stainless steel hood vent and range. There is ample counter space and storage in the cabinets but it lacks a pantry. The sink and black dishwasher sit on the peninsula across from the oven range. There is space for bar seating at the peninsula. It is a nice open layout that looks out to the family room.

The family room is on the smaller side, but the layout creates for a nice flow into the patio area. The garage entrance is on one wall and on the perpendicular wall, across from the kitchen peninsula, is a sliding glass door leading out to the patio. The patio deck looks like it would need to be replaced. In comparison to 4 Versa, this home’s patio lacks a sense of privacy since there is not a separation from the front door area. In addition, with the raised deck, you are more visible from the alley where the garage is located.

Going up to the second floor, a linen closet is located on the landing. The stairs and bedrooms have clean, tan, berber carpet. Once upstairs, the first bedroom is to the right. It has high ceilings and is regular in size. There is a small two-door sliding closet.

Next to the first bedroom is the other secondary bedroom. It is slightly smaller in size with a window overlooking the side patio and a closet of the same size.

Across from the bedroom is the shared bathroom. It is the same layout as 4 Varesa but with more upgrades. Natural light comes in through a skylight above the tub/shower combo. Like downstairs, the bathroom is upgraded with white cabinets and black granite. The flooring is a new linoleum floor that looks like tile. The tub/shower combo has new tile surround and glass doors.

The master bedroom is a large room, divided in two sections by a half wall. The first half can be used as a separate lounge area or office. It has a window overlooking the patio area. The half wall allows you to see the other side of the bedroom. The other side of the partial wall is the sleeping quarters. There are advantages of having the division, such as having a designated area to read or watch television prior to going to bed. Of if you would like an office, it provides an area that is not directly in your sleeping quarters. The separation provides more of peaceful area to sleep.

The master bathroom is found through an open doorway. Without a privacy door, light and noise from the sink area might disturb a person who is still in bed in the evening or morning. The carpet runs all the way up to the double sinks. The bathroom style matches the hall bathroom with white cabinets, black granite counter tops and the same shower surround and new glass doors. To the right of the vanity is a walk-in closet, and on the opposite side is the toilet and shower. There is no tub in the master bathroom.

There are more upgrades in this home versus 4 Varesa, however 10 Varesa needs a new patio deck, has smaller closets in the secondary bedrooms, and the laundry is in the garage instead of the shared bathroom. The master bedroom layout is unique, with the division in the room. The cheaper square footage price is something to consider in addition to the different layout of the models. The location of the two properties is essentially the same, so it is worth looking at the different models to determine which you prefer.