Woodbridge Single Family Home – Nice Mix of Assets

12 Silkleaf $881,000

The South Lake area of Woodbridge is known for exceptional properties. And recently there has been a steady stream of million dollar plus single family homes and condos appearing there in open houses as the market goes up. Some have swooped in and out of the market at a record pace.

Thinking about this, I was curious to see this Woodbridge single family home, a little farther from the lake but still within the loop, in a lower price range. What I found was right in line with Woodbridge’s pattern. The home has a distinct charm and covers a lot of ground.

Significant Numbers: Built in 1980 this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is 2,050 sq. ft. on a 4,356 sq. ft. lot. The home is $430/ sq. ft. and HOA dues are $137. There is no Mello Roos. It has been on the market about 12 days.

CloseUp: From the curb this two story home has a strong presence. Inside, the entry opens to a good sized living room with vaulted ceilings and fireplace off to the left and a stairway straight ahead. The home has been upgraded and remodeled with travertine tile, partial carpet and laminate wood floors.

Moving through the home, the formal dining room leads to a side patio. Next comes an ample family room and gourmet kitchen.

The kitchen has granite counter tops, and stainless appliances and works as a unit with the family room which also leads to the patio. This is obviously a key area for family time and casual parties.

All of the bedrooms are upstairs, including an upgraded and expanded master suite that has a nursery/den/study room. It is currently being used as a nursery, which looks like a perfect solution for infant care. Later it could work as a home work/library retreat.

Specifics:

Bedrooms, 3

Baths, 2.5

Detached, no common walls

Double attached garage

Central heating and air

Association pool and spa

Irvine Unified School District

What will be considered here? The desirable Woodbridge area with key recreation and top schools paired with a comfortably sized, upgraded two story home will be weighed against the price. Other Irvine areas such as Quail Hill and Turtle Rock will compete, and the buyer will have to weigh individual priorities.

Who will move in? A young family will be attracted to the comfortable layout of this home which functions well for guests and family. They will also be drawn to top notch schools and the lake facilities. This home would also work for an active professional couple seeking a convenient Irvine location. Extra bedrooms might be used for guests, and the master suite would be an excellent retreat.

Recent listings: 2 New MDWS, $879,270; 15 Toscany, $899,000.

Recent sales: 31 Silkleaf, $725,000; 6 Fairdawn, $708,000

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3885.0.html

The stock market and Irvine Housing Market are scaling new heights, setting a new normal each week. A year ago, I wrote about half-a-million dollar condominiums of Irvine, and today, I will list three condominiums that are almost a million dollars.

37 Canopy, Irvine CA 92603

Listing Price: $999,888

HOA: $207/ Monthly

Price/ SF: $476

Tract: Laurel, Quail Hill

This is a two level property. The main entry to the house is via formal living room. It leads to the dining room, which is attached to the kitchen and family room. The three garage opens to the family room. The staircase in the dining area leads to the four bedrooms upstairs. SMS covered the property in this blog post. Plus points are many for this property- the city lights, tight floor plan, nice community that is aging well (and three car garage too!) But the only drawback is lack of a bedroom downstairs. For a million dollars, I would want a bedroom with attached bathroom downstairs.

163 Great Lawn, Irvine CA 92620

Listing Price: $975,000

HOA Dues: $268/ Monthly

Price/ SF: $424

Tract: Stonetree

A small entry room leads you to a great room- the kitchen leads to the fourth bedroom and garage on side, and patio on the other. Dining room also has an entry to the patio. The stairs lead to a very tightly laid our upper floor with three bedrooms. Overall, it's a nice floor plan trying to cover each and every need of the potential home owner. The house is very airy and bright also. Drawback..great room! Many love the great room concept, for close to a million dollars, I would love to see a formal living room in addition to the great room.

8036 Scholarship, Irvine CA 92612

Listing Price: $910,000

Price/ SF: $636

HOA Dues: $931 Monthly

Tract: The Plaza (5000 to 8000)

What can I say about the floor plan of an almost million dollar two bedroom condominium? Let's begin with “it's so UN-Irvine”. It's not your typical Mediterranean looking floor plan laid out with due consideration to Feng Shui elements. It's our own little New York, close to the airport, a very spacious and upscale two bedroom single level attached condominium with HOA taking care of everything other than your grocery bill. Suitable more to a jet-setting executive.

What are your thoughts?

Would you buy a condominium at a million dollars because you are priced out of single family homes? Or would you move to other better rated cities like Yorba Linda that still offer some bragging rights, if not a list of them? What about cities surrounding Irvine? Would you move there if the foreign cash buyer out prices you?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3884.0.html

Quail Hill Surprise Package Condo

37 Canopy $999,888

Driving up Knollcrest in Quail Hill, I noticed several other streets that I had visited. But I was a little surprised at what I encountered, turning on Peppercorn and then onto 37 Canopy.

This 2 story condo has some prime assets and a price tag that is just a smidge under a million dollars. As a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath detached home in the desired end unit position, it has canyon, hill and city light views, plus a 3 car garage.

For the buyer this could mean comparing this property with million dollar plus homes that have recently sold in Woodbridge near South Lake and in Turtle Rock. They have been slightly higher, but have also offered prime locations with more home and lot space.

Space is always a little snug in Quail Hill. But, in this case, the home makes the most of its space with a fluid floor plan revolving around the backyard/patio with its nonstop view.

Significant Numbers: This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home was built in 2003. The HOA is $207; $/sq. ft $470. The home is detached with no common walls and has been on the market about a month. It’s 2,100 sq. ft. on a 3,000 ft. lot. There are Mello Roos taxes.

CloseUp: Walking up the path with a view of rolling hills off to the right, the entry opens with a music room to the left. On down the hall the living room with natural stone fireplace is also on the left with the dining room and kitchen on the right, and a family room across the way.

One of the home’s best features really is the three separate French door entrances that open to the backyard/patio and the view. All the logistics of family time, parties, and privacy are easily handled as the backyard/ paved patio becomes a natural hub.

A sophisticated kitchen with Caeserstone quartz counters, full back splash and center island, upgraded 5-burner cooktop, custom cabinetry and stainless appliances, sits next to the dining room, which leads out to the patio.

All bedrooms are upstairs, including the master suite that has a view balcony, and bath with a whirlpool Jacuzzi tub. There is also a good sized walk-in closet. The home includes interior fire sprinklers, a surround sound entertainment system, plantation shutters, custom paint, a designer wrought iron staircase and upgraded carpeting.

Specifics:

Bedrooms, 4

Baths, 2.5

3 Car Garage, epoxy floor

3 parking spaces

Forced air heating and air conditioning.

Detached with no common walls

Association pool

Irvine Unified School District

What will be evaluated? Starting with the prime view from the key end unit position in the center of Quail Hill, then adding an open floor plan with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, top schools and a natural setting, this home will be compared with other properties in this price range in Irvine and OC. In the end, individual priorities usually deliver the deciding vote.

Who will move in? A young, active family looking for top schools and great local recreation will be drawn here. Professional couples who travel a lot, and entertain at home, might choose this one too. Others who like the nearby freeway access, plus the closeness to Laguna and nearby beaches might settle here.

Recent listings nearby: 297 Tall Oak, $728,000; 11 La Quinta #11, $1,095,000.

Recent Sales: 93 Canopy, $800,000; 61 Canopy, $925,000

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3846.0.html

Irvine. When you are outside Irvine, just telling people that you live in Irvine is enough – you are already special. But within Irvine, there are some villages better than others, some tracts better than others, some schools better than others and of course some builders better than others. Which side of 405? Which side of 5? Which side of Culver? Northwood or Northwood II? North Park of North Park square? Quail Hill or University Park? Oh.. Walnut- El Camino-West Irvine? No, this is not a philosophical blog about what's enough, and where does one draws a line and defines happiness. This is a real estate blog, and the question here is..

What's hot in the market today, and how much does it cost?

39 Moonstone, Irvine CA 92602 – One of the “most popular listing” on Redfin.

This attached condominium is priced at $539,000. During 2011/2012, the Mandeville homes flooded with the market and slid to $400,000s. No one would have expected them to hit the $500,000s so soon, but suddenly the inventory is low, and end of the day real estate market is all about demand and supply. The plans aren't very spacious, but they are highly functional. There isn't much wasted space. Also, there are only two levels.

Long ago, we went to an open house in bay area. The condo had three levels- and it had steps within the kitchen and dining area to separate the areas. While it looks good on plans and sections to draw something complex, as an architect, I know that end of the day it's not about how good a building looks on paper. How does it translate in reality? Will the end user be happy with the product? Who lives in a condominium? A newly married couple.. they might have a baby in that house. Empty nesters downsizing.. they might have knee issues.

I understand, it's all about density. Can we, within the constraints of the developer and the dollars design something that becomes a contribution to the society, not something one has to live with because that's all they can afford to buy in Irvine? But then… here we are, three level West Park gym- and “most popular listing” on Redfin, priced $34/SF more than the two level condo in West Irvine. I might be all wrong about my design analysis. There must be a tribe that loves these tri-level houses, fit and fabulous to run up and down the stairs all day, and not get tired of it at all.

A slight digression..a friend of mine lived in a tri-level condominium. When they moved in, they decorated it to suit a young couple. It looked perfect. Then she got pregnant. It was a pain climbing stairs to get a glass of water if she was on the couch. Then she had a baby. It wasn't as pretty as before. The beautifully decorated house got cramped with functional pieces to make living easy on each level. Then she had another baby. One afternoon she came back from a supermarket..unloaded her stuff into the extra fridge they had in the garage (her husband or she would later transfer stuff to their kitchen when they had time). She kept the car running because her baby was sleeping in the car seat, and called from her car.. and says “I don't want to go upstairs and put him in bed because we have to again get down in forty minutes to pick up my older one from preschool”. Oh, OK. Happy mother's day to all you mommies rocking a multiple level house!

5 Palagonia Aisle, Irvine CA 92606

Share your thoughts about the floor plan. Do you see a condo as a step towards a house of your dreams and buy whatever the market offers in a village you want to live in? Do you live, or love multiple level condos? What are your reasons? As a woman in her thirties, and a mother also, I might be overlooking a community that loves living in such condominiums. Enlighten me. They exist in almost every village of Irvine, and they are all priced on Irvine standards (special, I mean). There must be a reason for that.

What is your favorite Irvine village, or your favorite Irvine tract? Please share on this thread at Talk Irvine!

There are a couple of houses for sale in Northwood’s Woodside neighborhood right now. This week, I looked at 34 Alegria, a four bedroom home that just came on the market last Friday.

The basics:

Asking Price: $900,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,404

Lot Size: 4,792

$/Sq Ft: $374

Days on Market: 6

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood – Woodside

HOA dues are $97 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

This home is fully upgraded and currently vacant, so buyers will be able to move in quickly with little to no work. In addition to remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, the home has new wood floors, newer carpet, new windows, scraped ceilings, and a new roof. The biggest downfall I saw is that the house is located on a corner near a main entrance to the neighborhood, so there will be a lot of cars driving by. Noise shouldn’t be an issue, since it’s not backing to any big streets; it just isn’t a great location for kids to play outside.

Dark walnut, distressed floors were the first thing I noticed when I entered the house. The front living room is large, with high ceilings, so the floors just seemed to stretch on and on. The living room flows directly into the dining room, which also has a vaulted ceiling. At the back of the room, a window was converted to a French door that leads to the backyard.

The kitchen is bright, with multi-colored tile floors, updated white tile counters, and light wood cabinets throughout. The appliances are mostly stainless steel (the fridge is white), and include a completely flat stovetop for easy cleaning. The kitchen has an eat-in area with space for a six-seat table. There is not an island, but there is plenty of counter space and a large garden window brings in lots of light.

The family room is three steps down from the kitchen, but a large opening between the two rooms allows for easy visibility and doesn’t make the kitchen feel closed off. The railings in this area look a bit widespread to me, so this may be an issue with small children. The family room has a built-in entertainment center in one corner, and the large, flat screen TV and surround sound speakers come with the house. The room also has a white brick fireplace, French door to the backyard and a small bar area with light green cabinets.

Also downstairs are a half bath and a laundry area. There isn’t a door to the laundry area, so noise from the washer and dryer may be a problem to someone watching TV in the family room. The backyard has a small grassy area but otherwise is mostly hardscaped.

A wide staircase leads to four bedrooms off of one long hallway. The master is to the left. It is a big room with newer carpet and a ceiling fan. There are two steps leading up to the large walk-in closet (complete with built-in organizers) and the beautifully remodeled bathroom. The upgrades include granite counters, tile floors, and many drawers and cabinets that offer ample storage space. It has double sinks plus a vanity area. An old-style, stand alone bathtub sits in one corner. The separate stall shower is nicely tiled and has a seat built into one corner.

The other three bedrooms are all comparable in size. Two are carpeted, with ceiling fans and two-door, mirrored closets. The third bedroom was converted to an office, but still has a walk-in closet so it could still be used as a bedroom. It has hardwood floors that match those downstairs, a ceiling fan, a large built-in desk and many different built-in cabinets. This room also has a bigger window than the other two and faces front, rather than the side of the house, so it gets more light.

The secondary bedrooms share a nicely remodeled bathroom with a single sink and a shower/tub combo.

The house is just down the street from the community pool, spa, tennis courts, and tot lot. A greenbelt leads to the Hicks Canyon Trail and it’s also a short walk to Sierra Vista Middle School. Northwood continues to have a lower price per square foot than most other Irvine neighborhoods. Do you think this one is a good buy?

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3824.0.html