Today I am reviewing 6 Cintilar in the Woodside tract of Northwood. It is a four bedroom, three bathroom two-level house, with one of the bedrooms on the first floor. The location, on a cul-de-sac street and walking distance to Santiago Hills Elementary School and Sierra Vista Middle School make this house highly desirable for any family. You can compare the same model with Karen’s review at 2 Candela

Asking Price: $899,500

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,209

Lot Size: 5,227 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $407

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: Two Level

Year Built: 1979

Community: Northwood , Woodside Community

HOA Fees: $99

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 6

The home is clean and looks excellently maintained. The carpet looks new, ceilings scraped, paint clean and the windows have plantation shutters. There are still some original features in the bathrooms and kitchen, but some of the cabinets have been stained and lacquered to nicely update the looks. The windows are all original apart from the sliding glass door leading to the backyard.

I walked up 3 steps in order to get to the small covered porch with the double front doors. Upon entry, to the left are the living room and dining area, which have cathedral ceilings that create a spacious feel. To the right are the coat closet and a carpeted staircase.

There is an abundance of natural light coming into the rooms from the large windows. To the left is the living room with laminate wood flooring. It is a decent sized bright room. Currently a couch and some side tables create a defined border between the living room and the dining room, which is three steps down on a lower level. The dining area has white tile flooring and can furnish a good size dining table.

Beyond the dining room, the tile floor flows directly into the rectangular kitchen. As you enter the kitchen, a small eating nook which sits in front of a set of large windows is straight in front of you. To the left, the kitchen countertop is a U-shape. The cabinets are original, but have been stained a dark brown/black and lacquered. The hardware has been updated. All appliances are black. Immediately to the left are the oven with built-in microwave, refrigerator and granite countertop. On the perpendicular wall is the electric stovetop and the countertop wraps back around to the double sink. The countertop stops and the small space for a small eating nook separates another counter/peninsula that overlooks the family room. There are more cabinets below the counter and a pantry butts up against the end of the counter. There is plenty of storage space in this kitchen, but the layout constricts the open feeling into the family room.

The family room has the same laminate wood flooring as the living room. It is a good size with an original fireplace that was painted white. It is a bit dark in the back left corner, but there is still the large sliding glass door opening to the backyard, and a small window in the right corner. A bedroom, laundry room (with entrance to the garage) and bathroom are located off of the family room.

The downstairs bedroom is currently being used as an office. The original sliding closet doors have been removed, but it looks like the frame was left to leave the ability to hang new doors. The room, like all of the bedrooms, has brown carpet. Straight across is the bathroom. The white tile floor runs from the small hallway into the bathroom. The cabinets are original, but match the kitchen’s stained and lacquered cabinets. The large shower has 4×4 white tiles. The bathroom is in excellent condition.

At the end of the short hallway is the door to the laundry area, where the garage door entry is located. The laundry area has a set of cabinet doors for storage, which would be great for laundry supplies or things you would rather store indoors than in the garage.

The backyard is nicely landscaped with a patio area for entertaining as well as enough grass for pets or kids to play. The trees against the back wall provide privacy and shade.

Upstairs are the master bedroom and bathroom, two secondary bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and hallway consisting of a linen closet and built in bookcase. All bedrooms are carpeted.

Immediately to the left, double doors open up into the master bedroom. It is a good sized room with mirrored double sliding closet doors to the left. To the right is an open archway opening up to the dual sinks. To the right of the counter is another set of mirrored double sliding closet doors. Although the dual sink area is original, the hardware has been updated and is in excellent condition. To the left of the sinks is the room with the separate toilet and large tub/shower combo. There are two windows, one above the toilet and a narrow window running along the top of the bathtub wall. They bring in a nice amount of natural light into the area. The only concern with the master layout is the light and noise in the morning as one person is getting ready in the bathroom while the other is still in bed.

The linen cupboards sit between the master and shared bathroom. The bathroom has a single sink and tub/shower combo. Although the cabinets and tub are original, it is in clean condition.

One of the secondary bedrooms faces out towards the side of the house. The double closet doors have been removed. A curtain hangs in its place instead. The last bedroom faces out towards the front of the house. It is slightly larger than the other bedroom, but the closet is slightly smaller.

Between the last bedroom and the staircase is a built-in bookshelf.

Overall the home is nicely laid out, clean and move-in-ready. Although some upgrades would be nice, it is in great condition and shows nicely. I do not fancy the three steps down from the living room to the dining area, but the overall flow is nice. The home would be highly desirable for anyone looking for a home with a downstairs bedroom, a nice size backyard and a great cul-de-sac location. The price is slightly higher than 2 Candela. Which home would you prefer?

Located nicely at the end of the cul-de-sac in Northwood Park, 37 Richmond is a two story, 4 bedroom and 2 ½ bathroom home. The home is on a zero-lot-line with a neighbor on one side and a wood fence on the other side, which backs to Northwood. It has a lovely, large yard. Last week I happened to review another property at 14 Charleston on the north side of neighborhood which was also located at an end of a cul-de-sac but backed to Irvine Boulevard. One question that automatically struck me was whether a cul-de-sac location outweighs backing to a street with traffic.

Asking Price: $809,900

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2 ½

Square Footage: 2,011

Lot Size: 6,098

Price per Square Foot: $403

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: Two Level, Cape Cod

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood Park

HOA Fees: $60

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 26

The home has new windows, clean paint, laminate wood flooring, newer carpet and a nicely landscaped yard. Although it is a zero-lot-line, it is only the living room that does not have windows along one side of the wall. However, this is easily overlooked by the large skylights and big windows along the front and back walls that bring in an abundance of natural light. The layout is nice and the location at the end of a cul-de-sac is desirable, however the only thing to consider is living next to the street, Northwood. It is not a major street such as Irvine Boulevard, but it still has a fair amount of cars passing through that can be heard from the property. Pedestrians on the sidewalk can also be heard from the yard, but I am not sure if they would be heard from inside the home with open windows.

Approaching the front door, there is a fence with plants that provides a small private front porch area with more plants and a bench.

Upon entry, the large rectangular living room with cathedral ceilings and a skylight is located to the left. The room is long enough to be decorated in different ways and still have space for extra sitting chairs or a desk. The staircase and a small hallway with a bathroom, which leads to the family room and kitchen are to the right. Behind the staircase is the dining area. The living room is separated by the carpet, whilst the dining room, entry and hallway have laminate wood. Immediately to the left of the front door is the fireplace which has been remodeled.

The dining room is a decent size and currently has a table with 6 chairs. A sliding glass door to the backyard is located off the dining area.

Behind the dining room wall is the kitchen. Directly to the left is the refrigerator. On the perpendicular wall is the stainless steel range with a microwave hood vent. On the other wall is the sink and stainless steel dishwasher. The counter wraps around as a peninsula with a couple of bar stools on the other side. It separates the kitchen from the family room. It appears a pantry was built in on the other side of doorway (leading into the kitchen from the dining room). It sits across from the peninsula. The tile countertops and backsplash in the kitchen could be updated, but it has enough cabinetry for storage and it is nice with a window overlooking the side yard.

The family room has a glass door leading to the side yard and a large window next to it. The entry to the garage is located at the far end of the room. The hallway leading back to the front entry is located off of the family room. A half bathroom sits in the hallway. It has original cabinets and appears to have original countertops and flooring, but is very clean.

The yard is large, flat and well landscaped. It has a lattice patio cover with vines grown as cover. The balcony from the upstairs master bedroom provides some solid cover over part of the patio. There is a large concrete patio, plenty of grass for kids or a pet and a wide side yard. A door was created in the wood fence that leads directly out to the sidewalk on Northwood.

The staircase has original railing. Once upstairs the master bedroom is to the left. It is a decent size with two closets: one mirrored two-door –sliding closet and one walk-in closet. A sliding glass door leads out to a small balcony that overlooks the backyard and Northwood. An open entry leads into the bathroom which has dual sinks and a separate toilet with a large oval bath/shower combo. Original cabinets are found in the bathroom but it is excellent condition.

There are two secondary bedrooms that have windows facing out towards Northwood. They are similar in size and have single door walk-in closets. On the other side of the hall are a linen closet and the shared bathroom. The bathroom has an updated vanity and flooring. It has a tub/shower combo.

At the end of the hallway is the last bedroom which has windows facing out towards the cul-de-sac. Like the other bedrooms, it has a walk-in-closet.

Overall, the house is in great condition and the layout is nice. Northwood street is not a major traffic street, but there is some traffic that could be heard from the yard. However, could the nice cul-de-sac location and larger yard outweigh the fact that it backs to a street?

Located nicely at the end of the cul-de-sac in Northwood Park, 14 Charleston is a single story, three bedroom and two bathroom home. The home is on a zero-lot-line property with a neighbor on one side and a brick wall on the other side, which backs to Irvine Boulevard. Although the northeast side of the home does not have a neighbor, and the yard wraps around in a U-shape around the home, there are no windows on one side of the home. There are many upgrades and a good size backyard, but does the location of a cul-de-sac outweigh the noise of backing to the high traffic Irvine Boulevard?

Asking Price: $749,900

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,520

Lot Size: 5,663

Price per Square Foot: $493

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: One Level

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood Park

HOA Fees: $65

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 17

Upon entry, directly behind the open front door is the entry to the garage. The garage has epoxy flooring, cabinets, recessed lights and a pull-down ladder to the attic. Straight ahead in the home’s entryway are windows and a sliding glass door leading to the atrium. To the right is the living room and step up to the dining area. The vaulted ceilings create an open feel to the rooms. All of the windows in the home have been replaced, apart from the atrium windows. The home’s flooring consists of newer neutral colored carpet and a black and white checkered tile.

The atrium is a nice square size that has enough space for a table and seating. The living and dining rooms have an abundance of natural light with windows from the atrium, two sets of windows in the corner of the living room, and a sliding glass door in the dining area. The carpeted living room has an original brick fireplace that has been painted white. Recessed lighting has been installed in the vaulted ceiling. The dining area is currently used as a small seating area with a ceiling fan. It has black and white checkered tile flooring. One entrance to the backyard is located off of the dining area.

The checkered tile flows directly through the kitchen doorway and throughout the kitchen. It is a bright kitchen with 4 windows and a set of French doors. The kitchen has been updated with new wood cabinets, black granite countertop, colorful backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Along the left hand side of the wall are two pantry cabinets with a couple of cabinets above them. The double oven is located next to the cabinets. Immediately to the right of the entrance is the refrigerator, gas stovetop and microwave hood vent. On the perpendicular wall is the sink and dishwasher. A window sits over the sink which overlooks the side yard. There is plenty of counter space and a good number of cabinets for storage. A small island sits in the middle of the kitchen which has room for a few bar seats. Behind the island is plenty of space for an eating area.

The backyard can be accessed through the kitchen French door or the dining room sliding glass door. Both lead to the side patio which is concrete and stone. It wraps around to the back of the house where a covered lattice porch and grass are found. There is also a built-in bar-b-q in the corner. On the other side of the house is another concrete area. There are no windows on that side of the house and the section is used more as a storage area next to the air conditioning unit or just provides extra space that separates the house from the brick wall with Irvine Boulevard behind it.

The bedrooms are off of the checker tiled hallway located off of the dining room. To the left is the master bedroom. The only window in the room is the sliding glass door that leads out to the atrium. It is a decent size carpeted room with vaulted ceilings. An open bathroom with the checkered tile has dual sinks and to the left of the sinks is a separate toilet and tub/shower combo. There are plain 4×4 white tiles in the oversized oval tub area. The hardware looks original. A thin rectangular frosted window is located in the tub area, providing some natural light. On the other side of the dual sinks is a large walk-in closet with laminate flooring and closet organizer.

Down the hall to the right is the shared bathroom. It has a pedestal sink, toilet and large walk-in shower. The flooring is small neutral tile. There does not seem to be a lot of storage space in the bathroom, and without the counter space area or cabinet space, I am not sure how functional the bathroom is for the shared bedrooms.

The secondary bedrooms are very colorful. Both are carpeted, have a ceiling fan and the windows face the backyard. The first room to the left is pink and larger than the other bedroom. The other room is striped pink and green. Both have the closet doors removed, but they have closet organizers and appear to have originally had a two-sliding door closet.

14 Charleston is desirable for anyone looking for a single story home with a nice size backyard. It is in clean, good condition. However, with the comps in the area, I feel that the house may be overpriced, especially with the location of it backing to Irvine Boulevard. The traffic could clearly be heard from the back and front yard. Would the nice cul-de-sac location deter you from having the noise from a major street on the other side of the wall?

Last week I reviewed this same floor plan at 168 Overbrook, which was asking just $1,000 more. This week I am reviewing 64 Kempton, which is a few streets over from Overbrook. The price has been reduced from the original $495,000 asking price. This listing includes the washer and dryer and has many more upgrades than the residence at Overbrook. Parking for guests is off the street, directly in front of the home. Let’s compare this week’s listing and determine which home you would rather have for about the same price.

Asking Price: $464,000

Bedrooms: 1, plus den

Bathrooms: 1.5

Square Footage: 1,129

Lot Size: –

Price per Square Foot: $412

Property Type: Residential, Condominium

Style: One Level

Year Built 2013

Community: Stonegate Village

HOA Fees: $308

Mello Roos: Yes

Days on Market: 118

The front door of this home is found under the balcony of the neighbor, so it acts as a covered patio which has space for a couple of small chairs. Upon entry, you enter into a large rectangular room. The flooring throughout the home is distressed wood, with tile in the bathrooms. The rectangular room consists of a dining area to the left and the living area to the right. The six windows throughout the room bring in a lot of natural light. It is a good size room which allows the couch to be set up in a couple various ways.

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Behind the dining area is the kitchen with a peninsula separating the two areas. It is an open layout with a sink and dishwasher in the peninsula. Unlike the linoleum flooring in Overbrook, the distressed wood flooring continues to flow nicely into the kitchen. Both homes have granite countertops, but while Overbrook had a granite backsplash Kempton has a tile backsplash. The cabinets in this home are dark wood. The appliances are stainless steel. On the perpendicular wall, where the counter wraps around, is the gas range. On the back wall are the refrigerator and entrance to the garage. Along the other side wall are the pantry cabinets, additional cabinets and the built in microwave. There are plenty of cabinets and the layout is open and light. Next to the microwave is a double door coat closet.

A hallway leads to a room on the left, which is the den. It is a nice size den. The window faces out towards the front of the home. Although Overbrook advertises the room as a secondary bedroom, it lacks a closet. There are some plantation shutters installed in the wall between the den and the dining room.

The half bathroom across the hall is a good sized bathroom with a single sink and toilet. It is tastefully wallpapered and the cabinets are dark wood with a granite countertop.

At the end of the hallway is the master bedroom. There is an abundance of natural light flooding the room with two large windows facing the front of the house and two smaller windows on the perpendicular wall. It is a good sized bedroom with a walk-in closet.

The master bathroom has dual sinks, each with a large mirror hanging over each sink. A small window sits between the two mirrors. This bathroom is also tastefully wallpapered. There is plenty of counter space and the backsplash ties into the shower design. The walk-in shower is spacious and has modern rectangular tile and a custom tile floor. The flooring in the bathroom is tile with a decorative strip in between each tile. The toilet sits behind the door, when it is open. I did not see any extra closet for linens/bath towels.

64 Kempton is desirable for anyone looking for a single story, one bedroom with extra den space. It is in excellent condition. After comparing last week’s residence at Overbrook, which was asking $1,000 more than Kempton, it appears that 64 Kempton has more upgrades and I like how it is properly advertised as a 1 bedroom plus den versus Overbrook’s misleading listing of two bedroom.