Category Archives: Real Estate Analysis

Open House Review: 17 Prosa

Today I am reviewing a single level home in Northwood’s Park Paseo Community. I reviewed the same model as 17 Prosa, just down the street at 18 Diamante in mid-March. Both homes are a single level, zero-lot-line property but this home has more upgrades throughout the home and is listed with slightly more square footage, although Diamante’s property backs to a walking path and the community pool. However, 17 Prosa is nicely situated on a cul-de-sac street with one of the two Association pools at the end of the cul-de-sac. The home would be desirable for a family wanting to be close to the amenities as well as walking distance to the elementary and middle schools. Northwood High School is designated for this neighborhood. This home is priced a bit higher at $729,000 versus Diamante’s $718,800 price.

Asking Price: $729,000
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Square Footage: 1,560
Lot Size: 4,356
$/Sq Ft: $467
Days on Market: 10
Property Type: Single Family Residence
Year Built: 1979
Community: Northwood – Park Paseo

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

With it being on a zero-lot-line there are no windows on one side of the home. This house has scraped ceilings, updated kitchen and bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, updated lighting and a nice yard. Unlike Diamante, this home has new windows, the flooring has been updated to tile and distressed wood and the interior is nicely painted in neutral tones.

The front door is located on the side of the home. The entrance leads into a tiled area with a step down living room to the right. Straight ahead are new French doors leading out to the atrium. In front of the atrium is a narrow space for the piano. In Diamante, built-in bookshelves were located immediately in front of the atrium. The garage entrance is located to the right, between the atrium and the living room. To the left is a short hallway that leads to the kitchen, family room and back to the bedrooms.

The step-down living room has vaulted ceilings and 3 windows which bring in an abundance of natural light. The atrium brings in additional light to the area. The floors are wood and the room has a fireplace.

The atrium is filled with plants and has 3 beams running across the opening up top. The atrium has two windows along the left hand wall which are the two secondary bedroom’s windows.

The hallway leading to the back of the house has a coat closet and leads to one big rectangular space which consists of the kitchen, eating nook and family room. The kitchen is to the left with a peninsula that separates the kitchen from a small dining area. Since the tile floor continues from the entrance and throughout the kitchen and family room, there is a nice flow, unlike in Diamante where the family room had different flooring. The peninsula has room for bar seating. The old panel lighting was removed and recessed lighting was installed, partially raising the ceiling. A large garden window looks out to the side yard. I did not know that the cabinets were original since they were nicely stained and lacquered inside and out. The countertop and backsplash are updated with granite and the appliances are stainless steel. There are plenty of cabinets and drawers for storage, as well as a floor to ceiling pantry.

The eating nook has one of the three sliding doors leading to the yard. Again, there is no limit to how big or small you make the dining area or family room since the flooring flows throughout.

The family room has cathedral ceilings and a large sliding glass door. It creates an open feel. Unlike Diamante, there are no built-ins, which leave more flexibility for the furniture. The room creates a good social setting and flow into the backyard.

Another hallway leads back to the shared bathroom. The wood floor starts in the hallway and flows throughout the bedrooms. A linen closet sits to the right of the bathroom, outside of the two secondary bedrooms. The master bedroom is to the left, facing the backyard.

The bathroom is fully re-modeled, unlike Diamante’s partial upgrades. It sports a new single sink with a granite counter top, mirror and lighting. The new tub/shower combo has clean sliding glass doors and tile walls. The floor is tile.

To the left are double doors leading into the master bedroom. At the far wall is a sliding glass door leading to the backyard, which brings in a lot of natural light. The room is a decent size with crown molding and two sets of closets. They removed one set of closet doors and left it as an open space while the other closet has mirrored sliding doors. The remodeled bathroom is located through a large opening and has two sinks, granite counters and a good amount of counter space. To the left is the separate tub/shower combo and toilet. Diamante’s master lacked a tub. A narrow window is located at the top of the shower wall.

The other two bedrooms are average in size and have windows looking into the atrium. Both have a mirrored double sliding closet.

The backyards of the two properties differ. This home has a concrete patio as well as grass and trees. 18 Diamante’s had no grass but its nicely hardscaped yard’s wall backed to a walking path which created extra privacy.

17 Prosa has more upgrades and is move-in ready in comparison to 18 Diamante. It is also located on a nice cul-de-sac street with a view of the pool at the end of the street, while 18 Diamante property backed to a walking trail and the pool. Both are single level and close to the award winning schools. Would you rather have more privacy in the backyard or the comfort of a cul-de-sac location?

Open House Review: 15 Princeton

This week, I visited 15 Princeton in Northwood’s Woodcrest neighborhood. Though the house is older without many upgrades, I was very pleasantly surprised when I toured it.

The basics:
Asking Price: $929,000
Bedrooms: 4 + bonus
Bathrooms: 3
Square Footage: 2,921
Lot Size: 4,356
$/Sq Ft: $318
Days on Market: 10
Property Type: Single Family Home
Year Built: 1979
Community: Northwood – Woodcrest

This home doesn’t have HOA dues or Mello Roos.

Let’s start with the location. It is right across the street from the recently renovated Silkwood Park, which now has bigger, nicer play structure. It is also only one block away from Northwood Park (aka Castle Park), which is one of Irvine’s most popular park and it boasts a brand new community center. It is also a short walk from both Brywood Elementary and Sierra Vista Middle School. There are two downfalls to the location. First, it backs to Westwood, a non-residential street that can get busy during school drop off and pick up times. Second, it’s also located on a corner lot at an entry point to the neighborhood, so there are probably a lot of cars driving by throughout the day. Overall though, I like the proximity to schools and parks, so it could outweigh the extra cars.

The rooms in this home were quite large, which was one of the most appealing aspects. It also has a three-car garage. This home hasn’t been remodeled at all, but at only $318 per square foot, it’s less expensive than many others on the market. It has also been well maintained, so a buyer could move in without doing too much work. The home does have new windows, so that is a big upgrade and helpful in blocking out noise from the street.

When you enter, there is a tile hallway leading to the back of the house. On the right is a large, carpeted living room. It has vaulted ceilings and a large window overlooking the street. The room flows directly back to the dining room, which has a built-in china hutch on one side and a window on the other. A doorway leads directly into the kitchen.

As you move down the main hallway, the tile switches to laminate flooring and the wide, straight staircase is on the left. There is a built-in bookshelf with lower cabinets on the right, with a small coat closet just beyond it. The family room and kitchen are at the back of the house.

The kitchen still has its original white, tile counter and plain brown cabinetry, as well as a tile floor. It has an older white dishwasher and trash compactor, with a newer, built-in black microwave and oven. The black, four burner stove is very oddly placed, with brick walls on each side and cabinets above and below. There isn’t any counter space next to it, so there is hardly even room to place a spoon while you cook. The kitchen has a few pantry-height cupboards, plenty of space on the counter across from the appliances, and a peninsula separating it from the eating area and family room.

The flooring in the family room is original, but looks much newer. One wall has a walk-in wet bar with a small sink. The opposite wall has a fireplace with a brick hearth and brick surround extending to the ceiling. Next to the fireplace are the sliding doors that lead to the backyard. The yard has a big pool, a Jacuzzi, and a small patio area.

On the far side of the family room, a short hallway houses the washer and dryer and leads to the garage. Next to that is the downstairs bathroom. The single sink still has the original white solid surface and cabinets, but newer hardware. This bathroom has a single stall shower that has white tile and shows its age.

There is also a bedroom downstairs. Like the family room, it has wood floors and sliding door access to the backyard. It is an average size room with a standard two-door closet.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a huge bonus room. The bedrooms sit on one side of the house, with the hallway overlooking the entryway downstairs. The bonus room faces the front of the house and spans the width of the three-car garage. One wall has two large windows overlooking the street, set into small alcoves that could be a nice spot for window seats. Another wall has a brick fireplace with built-in bookshelves and cabinetry surrounding it.

Both of the secondary bedrooms upstairs have walk-in closets. While both are a good size, one room, and its closet, is definitely bigger than the other. Both have windows that are set high on the wall and are fairly small.

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These bedrooms share a bathroom. It has a vanity with dual sinks. Everything in this bathroom, including the hardware, is original. A door separates the vanity area from the toilet and shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom is at the end of the hall. It is a two-level room, with the lower level making a nice retreat area. It has a large window facing the backyard on the lower level and a smaller one on the upper level. There is plenty of room to place the furniture and to create a nice, relaxing space.

Double doors lead into the carpeted master bath, where everything is original. The dual vanity has the same white counters as the other two bathrooms, but with brown cabinets instead of white. There is a sunken tub with the same white tile as the other baths, but it doesn’t really look very inviting. Another door leads to the toilet and stall shower, which is pretty small for a master. Finally, there is a walk-in closet. It’s a good size but much smaller than the closets in new construction.

Overall, this house has a lot of good things going for it. The biggest highlights are the larger bedrooms, the huge bonus room, the master retreat, the downstairs bedroom and the three-car garage. The biggest downfalls are the lack of upgrades and remodeling, and the busier location. I think the house has a lot of potential.

Open House Review: 58 Gray Dove

Venturing out to Portola Springs, I visited a spacious 3 bedroom, 3 ½ bathroom home with a large backyard and a 3 car tandem garage.

Asking Price: $1,249,888
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3.5
Square Footage: 2,717
Lot Size: 4,870
$/Sq Ft: $460
Days on Market: 15
Property Type: Residential, Single Family Mediterranean
Year Built: 2007
Community: Portola Springs – Keystone
HOA Fees: $135/month

There are Mello Roos taxes.

At the end of Gray Dove (three houses down), the street wraps around the block and across the street from the homes is a nicely landscaped slope with mature trees; however Portola Parkway sits on the other side. I did not notice traffic noise from Portola Parkway during my visit. The home’s entrance is located under a covered porch. There is space for a bench or a couple of chairs next to the front door. Once inside, beautiful natural stone floors flow throughout the first level of the home. The number of windows in each room provides ample light. The home looks clean and excellently maintained.

Immediately to the left is a light, open living room area. There are 3 large windows and a set of glass French doors which opens to a small square courtyard that has a path leading to the backyard.

Further down to the left, with another set of glass French doors leading to the same courtyard, is the dining room. It has a nook in the wall to provide extra space for furniture. Across from the dining room is the staircase, coat closet, entrance to the garage and half-bathroom. The dining room has a pass thru directly to the kitchen. The short pass thru has a set of lower cabinets under a large window.

The kitchen and family room are found at the back of the home. The rooms open up to each other. To the left is the kitchen with granite countertops, natural stone backsplash and a large rectangular island which contains a sink, dishwasher and additional cabinets for storage. There is space for bar seating at the island. One wall has a built-in refrigerator, oven and microwave. The perpendicular wall has a mix of solid wood and glass front cabinets. The gas range sits along the same wall, with additional drawers and cabinets on each side. There is a generous amount of counter space. At the end of the kitchen is an area in front of the windows and glass French doors that leads out to the backyard. It appears to have enough space to be used as a small casual eating nook.

The family room is a standard room with a nice fireplace. The 5 large windows open look out to the backyard and side yard, but leaves limited wall space in comparison to the room size.

The backyard is spacious and open. It is nicely landscaped with grass, plants, trees and a stone patio, with plenty of space for outdoor entertaining.

The half bathroom comes with a pedestal sink and a window to bring in natural light.

Going up to the second floor the stairs, as well as the bedrooms, are carpeted. Once upstairs, there is a laundry room with cabinets sitting above space for a side-by-side washer and dryer. A small window separates the appliances from a built-in sink and cabinets.

The master bedroom is a good size room with 5 large windows. An open arched doorway leads into the master bathroom. To the right are dual sinks separated by a large soaking tub. A large window sits above the tub. Along the back wall are the separate toilet and a shower with sitting bench and window. To the left is a large walk-in-closet. I am unsure whether a privacy door could be installed at the bathroom entrance to limit the light and noise into the bedroom.

Both secondary bedrooms have attached bathrooms which come with a single sink and a tub/shower combo. The first bedroom has two windows and a glass door that overlooks the courtyard. The door opens up to a small landing, not quite big enough to stand comfortably on. It has a walk-in closet. The bathroom’s sink has small tile backsplash and a white tile countertop. The tub/shower combo has the same white tile and accent as the sink’s backsplash. It is in clean, excellent condition.

The hallway leading to the last bedroom has windows and wood linen cabinets. The last bedroom is very large and has plenty of storage space with dual closets. The space is currently used a large entertainment/bonus room. The only difference with the attached bathroom is it uses pale yellow tile with blue accent tiles for the countertop and tub/shower surround.

This is a spacious 3 bedroom house. It would have been nice if the living room area by the front entrance was an enclosed room to provide an extra enclosed space in the house. However, the rooms are spacious and the bigger secondary bedroom has enough space to be used as a bedroom with office space. The backyard is large and the courtyard provides extra entertaining space. The home is clean and turn-key.

Open House Review: 159 Islington

Last week, I reviewed 447 Ridgeway, a two bedroom condo in Northwood Pointe’s Greystone Villas. This week, I’ll review 159 Islington, an identical condo, but with a reversed floor plan. The price dropped $20,000 last week, bringing it much closer to the Ridgeway property.

The basics:

Asking Price: $529,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,260

Lot Size: N/A

$/Sq Ft: $420

Days on Market: 28

Property Type: Condominium

Year Built: 1998

Community: Northwood Pointe, Greystone Villas

HOA dues are $286 ($40 + $246) per month and there are Mello Roos (note that 447 Ridgeway lists the HOA as $284).

Because I described the layout of the condo last week, I’ll just briefly review it. The master bedroom is at the top of the stairs when you enter. The kitchen, living room and dining room run alongside each other. The second bedroom is at the far end of the condo. Both the dining room and second bedroom have access to the large balcony. Let’s see how this condo compares to Ridgeway:

Islington has laminate wood floors throughout the entire condo, with only the bathrooms being tiled. Ridgeway has oak hardwood in the living room and kitchen, but has carpet in both bedrooms. Personally, I like the actual wood more in Ridgeway, as it has a richer color and narrower boards. In Islington, the wood has an older, distressed look that I don’t find particularly attractive.

In the master bedroom, Islington has nice closet organizers including drawers and shelving. Ridgeway simply has adjustable wire shelves. The master bathrooms are very similar. The only real difference is that Islington has brushed nickel hardware and Ridgeway had chrome.

The biggest difference is in the kitchen, with Islington’s being far more elegant. Where Ridgeway had white tile counters, Islington has black granite and contrasting white cabinetry and drawers. Ridgeway had plain maple cabinets without any handles or drawer pulls. Islington has brushed nickel hardware throughout the kitchen. Islington also has all stainless steel appliances (Ridgeway’s are white) and a five-burner stove (Ridgeway has four). The kitchen in 159 Islington is much nicer and far more upgraded than the one at 447 Ridgeway.

In the living room, Islington has a nice built-in unit in the large space next to the fireplace. It has a large opening for a TV (though you could also mount the TV over the fireplace), plus two shelves. The adjacent fireplace has matching white molding. Ridgeway didn’t have a built-in unit, though the stand alone cabinet can be negotiated into the purchase.

Another key difference is the window treatments. In Islington, all of the windows have white plantation shutters. The sliding door in the bedroom has vertical blinds and the one in the dining room simply has a curtain rod. In Ridgeway, the windows have a mixture of blinds, brown plantation shutters and curtains. The windows treatments in Islington give it a much cleaner look.

In the second bathroom, Islington has nice tile floors, a plain white vanity and sliding shower doors. Ridgeway’s large white tile floors didn’t look good with the white vanity and the shower/tub only has a curtain rod. As in the other rooms, Islington has brushed nickel hardware and Ridgewood has chrome. The light fixture is also much nicer in the Islington bathroom.

Overall, Islington is more upgraded and looks more elegant, especially in the livng room and kitchen. The bathrooms are also nicer in Islington, even though both have the same vanity and shower/tub tile. Though I really dislike the floors in Islington, I think everything else in the condo is nicer than in Ridgeway. Now that the prices are almost the same (Islington is $4,000 more), I would definitely choose 159 Islington over 447 Ridgeway. Floors can always be changed. Which would you choose?

Open House Review: 23 Miners Trail

Open House Review: 28 Miners Trail, Irvine, CA 92620

March 24, 2014 by Joy

Today I saw a two-level home at 28 Miners Trail, which is located on the corner of Goldrush and Miners Trail in Northwood. It is a property with a private pool and spa in the backyard and sits at the entrance of a small community comprised of 4 short cul-de-sac streets.

Asking Price: $768,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,150

Lot Size: 4,356

$/Sq Ft: $357

Days on Market: 14

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood – Willow Creek

There are no HOA dues or Mello Roos taxes.

The home is one of the lower priced properties of Northwood, at $357 per square foot. Why the low price? This 1977 home does not have central air, still has most original features in the bathrooms and has ceilings that have not been scraped. Carpet throughout the house is worn and the exterior of the house needs to be repainted. Only a few windows downstairs have been upgraded. The home backs to Northwood (a non-residential street) and I could hear the occasional cars driving by. This house sits on a corner with Northwood behind it, the entrance to 4 cul-de-sac streets (Goldmine) on the side, and Miners Trail in front of it.

On the plus side, it has indoor laundry (uncommon in many Northwood homes), and a nice size pool and jacuzzi. The tiled flooring in the home (most of downstairs and bathrooms) is updated and clean. The kitchen is updated, and although it may not be up to par as newer homes, it is clean and has plenty of cabinets for storage. The house is located across the street from Northwood Town Center Shopping Center and is close to a nice walking trail and Northwood Community Park.

The entrance is located on the side of the home, along Goldmine. To the left of the double front doors, is a small front patio with space to sit under a lattice. The windows in the living room and dining room are the only new windows in the home. Upon entry, the stairs and hallway leading to the family room are directly in front of you. Immediately to the right is a step-down living room and to the left is the dining room. The first floor, apart from the carpeted living room has nice tiled floors.

The step down living room has vaulted ceilings and plenty of light. The carpet is light colored and the room is standard.

The dining room has vaulted ceilings and an abundance of natural light. A sliding glass door leads out to the front sitting porch area. The windows on the perpendicular wall look out to the backyard.

The dining room has an open doorway that leads into the kitchen. The kitchen has been partly remodeled and opens up to the family room. There is space for a couple of bar stools on the family room side of the peninsula. The old panel lighting was removed and recessed lighting was installed, partially raising the ceiling. The countertops are 4×4 white tiles, the original cabinets are painted white and the appliances are all white. There are pantry cabinets as well as plenty of upper and lower cupboards and drawers. If you like a lot of counter space then this kitchen would work well for you. The double sink sits in front of a window that overlooks the backyard. It is a split sink, so one sink is along one counter and the other side is on the peninsula, facing the bar stools. Additional natural light comes through a narrow window which runs across the counter top, under the cupboards.

The family room is a long rectangular shape. A single glass door, with a large window on each side of the glass door, leads to the backyard. At the other end of the family room are a wet bar, laundry room and garage entrance. There is not a lot of natural light since no windows are located on the far wall between the two ends of the room. The fireplace is brick and the wall it is located on has wood paneling covering the wall. The wet bar has a single black sink and original cabinets painted white above the bar and below the counter. Next to the wet bar is the laundry room with space for a side by side washer and dryer. Cabinets are located above the laundry machines. In front of the machines, on the back wall is a rack to hang up some clothes.

The backyard is a nice size, but comprises mostly of the pool and jacuzzi with concrete surrounding it. If you are looking for a private pool, this is a great property. However, there is no grass and I did not see any type of safety fencing around the pool. There is space for narrow tables or seats around the pool, but there is not a large area to set out a large table with seating for entertaining.

The half bath downstairs has new fixtures and the original cabinets are painted. The counter top is original but the lighting has been replaced with recessed lights. The same tile flooring is found in the bathroom as the rest of the first floor. It is in clean condition. A big coat closet is found across from the bathroom, under the staircase.

The staircase, landing and bedrooms upstairs are carpeted. The railing is original so it currently has netting placed along the railing at the top of the landing for safety purposes. Three bedrooms are found on the second floor. On the right are the two secondary bedrooms. The first bedroom is found through double doors. It is a spacious room and slightly larger than the other bedroom. It has a walk-in closet versus the second bedroom’s double sliding door closet. The second bedroom is the only room with scraped ceilings. Both bedrooms look out towards the front of the home.

The shared bathroom has many original features; fluorescent lighting, original counter top, bathtub and tile surround in the tub area. The cabinets have been painted white and the tub/shower combo has newer sliding glass doors. The tile flooring looks newer.

Outside of the master bedroom are cabinets for linens. The master bedroom has double doors leading into a standard size room. The room has vaulted ceilings and plenty of natural light coming in through two large windows and a sliding glass door leading to a small balcony. The balcony looks like it could use some fresh paint. A room air conditioning unit takes up some space on the right hand side of the balcony. The view overlooks the backyard, Northwood and the shopping center across the street. Dual sliding closet doors are next to the bedroom entry.

An open entry to the bathroom leads to another set of mirrored closet doors, dual sinks, a tiled bathtub and a separate toilet. The bathroom is carpeted, and in original condition with paint on the cabinets chipped and the tub/shower completely lined with 4×4 tiles, which definitely dates the tub. There is plenty of counter space and a spot at the countertop to place a chair underneath and sit in between the two sinks.

This is a nice layout but a buyer may want to consider the location and would have to desire a private pool. Having a neighborhood comprised of small cul-de-sac streets is an advantage if you have children. There are plenty of things that could be done to make it more modern but does the lower price make it worth buying and upgrading to your own liking?