There are only two gated communities in the original Village of Northwood and one of them, Windstream, has a home on the market in a fantastic location. Situated at the end of a small, quiet cul-de-sac, 10 Ribera is right next to the Hicks Canyon Trail and a quiet greenbelt.

The basics:

Asking Price: $1,065,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,597

Lot Size: 5,663

$/Sq Ft: $410

Days on Market: 32

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1981

Community: Northwood, Windstream

HOA dues are $174 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

This home has a small entryway, with a huge, arched window. The stairs are in front of you with the living room visible on the other side. There is a very small coat closet near the front door.

The living room has vaulted ceilings and several windows extending high up the walls, bringing in light from both the back and side of the house. A tall, brick fireplace sits on one wall; the opposite side has a railing to divide it from the dining room. The living room has carpet that is in very good condition, with no noticeable stains. It is a pretty typical living room for a home built in the early 80s.

The adjacent dining room is also carpeted. It is a fairly big room, with plenty of space for a large table and china hutch. It has a big window and crown molding, but does not have high ceilings like the living room.

Past the dining room, the hallway leads to the kitchen and family room. The kitchen has been partially remodeled and is a strange mix of old and new. The granite counters are new, but the cabinets are not. The black dishwasher and cooktop (in the island) are newer, but it still has the original double ovens. The kitchen has wood floors, a breakfast nook and a window seat. It also has a small hutch area near the nook with a glass-fronted upper cabinet that makes a nice space for display items, but also can serve as a mini desk.

A laundry room off the kitchen has a sink, side by side machines, and access to the garage.

The family room is open to the kitchen and shares the same wooden floors (which are also used in the hallway and entry area). Like the living room, it has a brick fireplace (including a space for wood storage), with space for a wall-mounted TV above it. The fireplace is flanked by windows on either side; a sliding door on another wall leads to the backyard.

The backyard felt very cramped to me, as it is divided into several small sections. A trellis just off the back door provides a shady space for a small sitting area. Just behind it, and one step up, is a built-in Jacuzzi. Having two different levels contributes to the feeling of being closed in. The lower level is long and narrow, broken by a wall that closes in the air conditioning unit. The upper level is entirely hardscaped, though in two different styles. The area around the Jacuzzi and center of the yard are mostly cement with brick accents. The center section has a fire pit that further breaks up the space. The far side has dark wooden planks and is surrounded by a wooden rail. The highlight of the yard is the fence on one side offering views of the greenbelt and Hicks Canyon Trail.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a bonus room. Both secondary bedrooms are a good size, offering space for a large bed and several other pieces of furniture. One room has windows facing both the front and trail side of the home, so it has nice views and lots of light. The other just faces the house next door. Both rooms are carpeted and have two-door mirrored closets.

The shared bathroom is well maintained and has newer hardware, but otherwise isn’t modern. The tiled vanity has a single sink and the floor tile looks dated. There is a shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom has newer wood floors and vaulted ceilings. It has a large fireplace entirely made of brick in an asymmetrical pattern that I do not find attractive. It is a good sized room and gets light from several windows on two walls.

The master bath is the only room in the house that has been completely upgraded. It has a new vanity with dual sinks, and a nice contrast with a lighter countertop and espresso cabinets. A large tub has neutral colored tile around the base and backsplash, with a marble edge surrounding the tub that matches the counter. The stall shower is next to the tub and covered in the same tiles from floor to ceiling. It looks nice but seems very hard to clean. The shower has a built-in seat and rain shower.

A bonus room faces the front of the house and, unfortunately, my picture doesn’t do it justice. The room has wood floors to match the master, vaulted ceilings, and a full wall of windows facing the front of the house. Numerous bookshelves line the walls. This room would be a great office and/or playroom. It could also serve as a guest bedroom, though it doesn’t have a closet.

The attic was converted to a third floor room. A door opens up to a somewhat steep staircase that may be difficult for small children to climb down. It is a big, open space with beamed ceilings. Today was a hot day, so it was somewhat stuffy up there, but is probably more comfortable in cooler weather. The openness makes it quite adaptable for a variety of uses.

The location of the house is superb. However, because it isn’t fully upgraded, the sellers may have a hard time getting their asking price. Comps in the neighborhood – both recent sales and those currently on the market – do not top the million dollar mark. Do you think the prime location warrants the price or do you think it is overpriced due to the lack of upgrades?

Remodeled Woodbridge Village Single Family Home

19 Oakdale $747,500

Heading along West Yale Loop in Woodbridge and turning into the outer circle, off of Woodhollow takes you to this corner property on Oakdale that has been on the market 11 days as of Saturday. There was a steady flow of visitors at the Saturday open house, and it will be interesting to see how the price, location and updates play out in this single family Woodbridge home.

Significant Numbers: Built in 1978, this 3 bedroom, two bath single level 1,564 sq. ft. home has HOA dues of $82 a month and the cost per square foot is $478. The lot size is 4,792 sq. ft.. The home has been newly remodeled and freshly painted.

Close Up: Stepping into the tiled entry, to the left there is a good sized living room with a vaulted ceiling, Inglenook fireplace and windowed seating nook. Straight ahead there is a formal dining area that overlooks a small atrium. To the right a hall leads to the kitchen with breakfast bar and a casual dining area that could also be used as a family room. It opens to the patio and backyard.

The living room, dining room and kitchen all have new distressed hardwood flooring. New shutters have been added throughout the home, making the most of the numerous windows.

The master bedroom has a bath with a double vanity and newly remodeled travertine tile shower. One of the 3 bedrooms serves as a study and the second bath has also been remodeled with enclosed tub and shower. There is an attached double garage with laundry.

Specifics:

Single Family

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 2

Detached/no common walls

Association Pool, Spa

Central furnace, central air

Double garage

Two parking spaces

Laundry in garage

What will be considered here? Even though it is in the outer circle off of West Yale Loop, Woodbridge’s top schools, key recreation and community atmosphere will add value. Overall, the home is a little snug in size and the corner location uses up quite a bit of the outside space. The upgrades in flooring, shutters and tile work well, and additional value might be achieved with expansions or more upgrades.

Who will choose this home? A young family looking for a single family home in Woodbridge may be attracted to this location. Or a mature couple looking for a single level home with extra bedrooms for guests, grandchildren and projects may find this home very workable.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,10993.0.html

Recent Listings: 51 Sparrowhawk, $673,000; 5 Alteza, $719,000.

Recent Sales: 21 Morning Dove, $729,000; 2 Oakdale, $780,000

Just put on the market, 18 Christamon #30 is a two level, three bedroom townhouse with an attached two car garage. It is a middle unit, sitting on a quiet, nice path.

Asking Price: $525,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,383

Lot Size: 1,000 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $380

Property Type: Residential, Townhouse

Style: Two Level, Capecod

Year Built 1984

Community: Northwood, Amberwood

Days on Market: 8

HOA $329/mo

There are no Mello Roos.

Walking up to the home, a small patio sits next to the front door.

With the home being adjacent to neighbors on both sides, the windows, which are original, face either the front or back of the home, but the rooms are light and bright. Cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms are original but some upgrades have been made and the rooms are in excellent, clean condition. The home’s walls are cleanly painted. The first floor has laminate or wood flooring while the rest of the house has carpet, which shows some wear on the staircase and few places upstairs. The ceilings are smooth and some of the lights have been upgraded.

Upon entering there is a small dining area and small kitchen to the left. Part of the kitchen wall opens up to the living room. The kitchen’s lighting is upgraded to recessed lighting and the flooring is tile. The white 4×4 tile countertop matches the white appliances and the kitchen is in great condition. There are not a lot of cabinets for storage, but a small pantry is located at the far end of the kitchen.

The living room has a remodeled fireplace.

The half bathroom, small coat closet, entrance to the garage and staircase are located in the back left of the first floor. The bathroom has original cabinets and countertops, but the cabinets have been nicely painted. The flooring is tiled and shows nicely.

The upstairs has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The linen closet and secondary bedrooms are to the right while the bathroom is straight ahead. The master bedroom is to the left. The secondary bedrooms are similar in size and both overlook the alley with the neighboring townhouse garages. The first bedroom has a small walk in closet, while the second bedroom has a two-door sliding closet.

The bathroom is mostly original but has updated tile flooring and fresh paint which shows nicely. It comes with a single sink and tub/shower combination.

The master bedroom is a good size with an extra alcove and large walk-in closet. The windows face the front of the home. The downfalls of the master area are the carpet that runs into the toilet/sink area and the lack of a door between the bathroom and bedroom. However, these are items are fixable. The toilet is separate from the double sinks and large shower. There is plenty of counter space between the sinks.

Overall, the condo is in good condition and the layout is nice. The only downfalls are the lack of kitchen cabinets, the carpet in the master bathroom and lack of a door between the master bedroom and bathroom. Even though the bathrooms have many original features, they are very well maintained. The community pool is very close to the unit. The home is also within walking distance of Santiago Hills Elementary and Sierra Vista Middle Schools.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,10991.0.html

5 Bedroom Turtle Rock Single Family Home

4 Sandpebble $1,560,000

Heading up Turtle Rock Drive and turning onto Sycamore Creek takes you into the Glen Patio homes, with secluded cul de sacs that back up to Turtle Rock Trail. 4 Sandpebble sits in the middle of one of these shady cul de sacs with the largest model in the tract at 2,769 square feet.

It was interesting to compare this Turtle Rock home with a similar one that I saw last week at 19215 Beckwith. They both have distinctive assets, large lots and ample space in a prime area of Turtle Rock. The Beckwith home is further up in Turtle Rock hills and it has a partial view. But it could also use some updating, while 4 Sandpebble has already done some remodeling and updating. However, the Beckwith home was recently cut $100,000 in price and is now listed at $1,400,000 and the Sandpebble home is listed at $1,560,000.

Significant Numbers: Built in 1976, this two level, five bedroom, detached, 3 bath single family home occupies 2,769 sq. ft. and sits on a 7,800 sq. ft. lot. HOA dues are $98 and the price per sq. ft. is $563. The home has been on the market 49 days.

Close Up: Walking through the gate and into the sleek wood floored entry the home offers a light filled open floor plan that has been remodeled to emphasize the space. To the right there is a large living room with fireplace, expanded bay window and window seat, custom draperies, high ceilings and clerestory windows. Beyond the living room, a wood floored formal dining room opens to the patio and the kitchen. High ceilings, French doors and beamed ceilings work very well here.

To the left a hall leads to the master suite, with large bath and French doors opening to the patio, and the library study room. Also to the left carpeted stairs lead to three more bedrooms and a full bath on the upper level.

Straight ahead there is a family room with built-ins leading into the remodeled kitchen, and out to a huge wraparound patio with an above ground spa and hillside wall. The kitchen has granite counters and white custom cabinetry, breakfast bar, and an inviting breakfast nook.

Three car garages have built in storage.

Specifics:

Single Family Home

Bedrooms, 5

Baths, 3

Detached, no common walls

Garages, 3

Parking spaces, 3

Association pool and spa

Central heat and central air

Irvine Unified School System

What will be considered? The price, large home and lot size, and prime Turtle Rock location will all be evaluated, along with the remodeling and updating that has been done, with more that could be done. The broker said prices seem to have leveled off and the home has been on the market about 45 days.

Who will choose 4 Sandpebble? An active family with teens could make good use of the 5 bedrooms, 3 garages, top schools and key spot in Irvine. A family with old and young members might welcome bedrooms on both levels, and the separation of space.

Recent Listings: 17 Morning Dew, $1,495,000; 19215 Beckwith, $1,400,000

Recent Sales: 24 Sycamore, $1,499,999; 28 Sycamore, $1,175,000

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,10966.0.html

Today I saw a house at 13 Carlina. It is a two story, zero lot line property with a nice flat back yard. Finding large secondary bedroom sizes, especially for this area, was a pleasant surprise.

Asking Price: $789,900

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,061

Lot Size: 4,356 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $383

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: Two Level

Year Built 1979

Community: Northwood, Amberwood

Days on Market: 29

There are no HOA Fees or Mello Roos.

The house is nicely situated on a quiet cul-de-sac but backs to Park Place which has some residential traffic (Speed Limit is 40). A small covered porch with room for a couple of chairs leads up the front the door.

Although the house has many upgrades such as scraped ceilings, crown molding and wood flooring downstairs, 6 paneled doors, some new windows and recessed lights, I could not help but notice a musky scent in the family room and hallway. It appears there may be a pet residing at the house so I am not sure if is due to the pet or if it was just a temporary scent. The kitchen and upstairs bathrooms have original cabinets and could definitely use remodeling, but are functional with good amounts of storage. Some of the windows are still original and the master bathroom needs to be updated.

Upon entering there is a small coat closet and the staircase directly in front of you. To the left is the living room and dining area which shares one large rectangular space. Off of the living room is a small hallway that leads to a small powder room, one entrance to the kitchen and the family room.

There is plenty of natural light shining through the multiple windows located in the entrance area, living room and dining area. The living room has built-in bookshelves and cabinets built under the staircase. A good sized dining table can be accommodated in the dining area..

One of the two entrances into the kitchen is located off of the dining room. With original cabinets and a 4×4 tile countertop, the kitchen could use updating. The painted hinges and cabinets shows chipped paint. The appliances have been upgraded to white appliances and the original fluorescent lighting has been replaced with recessed lighting. The kitchen felt a bit narrow and foot traffic may crowd the are when multiple people are utilizing the area. To the right of the entrance is the double oven and stovetop, while the left had side had the refrigerator, dishwasher and sink. Straight ahead is a breakfast peninsula and pantry, with the family room located on the other side. The second entrance to the kitchen is to the right, which leads you to the small hallway. The location of the powder room is awkwardly placed directly across from the entrance to the kitchen. It’s a tight space but fits a small toilet and pedestal sink.

The family room appeared a bit darker since it only consisted of one sliding glass door leading to the backyard. The garage entrance is found at the opposite end of the room. An original brick fireplace is located to the right of the sliding glass door. On the backside of the kitchen pantry are storage cabinets facing the family room.

The backyard is a nice flat rectangular shape. Accessible through the dining room french doors or family room sliding door, the patio is covered and provides a nice little area for entertaining. There is enough grass to play on and/or for a pet. Park Place is the street backing to the yard.

Upstairs to the right you will find a secondary bedroom adjacent to the master bedroom. To the left are two secondary bedrooms, linen closets and bathroom. Some people do not like the lack of separation between the master bedroom and secondary bedrooms. By sharing a wall, a sense of privacy is lost.

The secondary bedrooms are all large in size, with 3-door closets and plenty of room for extra furniture pieces in addition to a double or queen sized bed. There is space for kids to play in their rooms. One of the secondary bedrooms faces the backyard, thus overlooks Park Place.

The linen closets are located across from the bathroom door. The bathroom has a single sink and tub/shower combination. It appears to be outdated and some of the original features could use remodelling.

Double doors lead into the nice sized master bedroom. There is plenty of sunlight coming in from the large bedroom window and the two bathroom windows, which all face the backyard/Park Place. The walk in closet is in the sleeping area, next to the bed. It was surprisingly deep and provided ample hanging storage.

The bathroom is an open concept solution and the carpet continues into the sink/vanity area. There is no bathroom door separating the bathroom sink area from the bedroom, which can be a disturbance if one person is sleeping and the other is getting ready in the bathroom. Currently the countertop runs along two perpendicular walls, and there is only one existing sink which sits outside of the separate toilet and bath/shower combo. The bathtub is large, but the entire tub is tiled with 4×4 white tiles, which dates it. There is plenty of storage next to the toilet for towels and bathroom supplies. Overall there is a great potential to remodel the bathroom into an amazing area.

If you are looking for a home with larger secondary bedrooms, a yard to play in and a safer street for kids to go out to bike/play on, 13 Carlina would be a good house to look at. One downfall is the layout of the second floor, with the master bedroom amongst the secondary bedrooms. The price seems high for the amount of work that is required in the bathrooms and kitchen, but at the right price, this would give the buyer the opportunity to customize it with their own design and tastes.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,10964.0.html