This week, I saw an open house at 12 Encina. The home has been on the market for about two months but is finally listed on Redfin as “accepting backup offers.”

The Basics:
Asking price: $1,099,990
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 2,864
Price per Sq. Ft.: $384
Lot size: 5,491
Property type: Single family residence
Year built: 1978
Community: Northwood – Crestwood Estates
HOA: $50 per month / Mello Roos: No
Days on Market: 60
Schools: Santiago Hills Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School, Northwood High (Irvine Unified)

This home has a three-car garage with side-by-side spaces. Unlike many homes in this neighborhood that lack a driveway, this one has a wide driveway and is located near the end of a cul-de-sac. The street itself is quite calm, but it is located pretty close to Culver Drive so there is a little street noise when the windows are open. Throughout the home, many windows have plantation shutters, but the windows themselves are original.

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This week, I saw an open house at 19 Atlanta that just came on the market a few days ago. This single story house features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an atrium and a large backyard.

The Basics:
Asking price: $880,000
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Square Footage: 1,707
Price per Sq. Ft.: $516
Lot size: 5,055
Property type: Single family residence
Year built: 1978
Community: Northwood – Northwood Park
HOA: $65 per month / Mello Roos: No
Days on Market: 6
Schools: Brywood Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School, Northwood High (Irvine Unified)

This house does not have great curb appeal. There aren’t any windows facing the front and doesn’t have a real driveway – only a few feet separate the two-car garage from the sidewalk.  However, it does have a well-maintained front lawn and an attractive stone walkway, leading to a very small porch. The house also backs to Yale Avenue, a non-residential street though not one that typically has heavy traffic. The home has a Dutch door leading into the front hall.

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The Calistoga Collection in Eastwood Village opened in July 2016. It is the village’s seventh neighborhood and has the biggest homes so far, with a range of 3,034 – 3,380 square feet in the three primary residences. There is also a fourth floor plan measuring 1,976, but this single story residence isn’t modeled or advertised, and will only have a few total homes available in the entire collection. There will be a total of 60 single family residences in the neighborhood with the models sitting on average-sized lots. These homes are in the northwest section of the village, near one of the parks and not too far from the elementary school slated to open in 2017. As of now, there aren’t any other neighborhoods on the north side of the parks and school. All models have a two-car garage. Homes have 3-4 bedrooms, 2.5 – 4.5 bathrooms, and a bonus room in the three two-story models.

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Last week, I reviewed 16 Hidalgo. This week, I will review 18 Alondra, a five-bedroom home located just a block away from Hidalgo in Northwood’s Woodside neighborhood. Like the other, this one has been partially updated, but still has some older features as well.

The Basics:
Asking Price: $1,238,888
Bedrooms: 5 + bonus room
Bathrooms: 3
Square Footage: 2,864
Price per Sq. Ft: $433
Lot Size: 4,800
Property Type: Single family residence
Year Built: 1977
Community: Northwood – Woodside
HOA: $120 per month / Mello Roos: No
Days on Market 12
Schools: Santiago Hills Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School, Northwood High (Irvine Unified)

This home has over 450 square feet more than the Hidalgo property and is priced slightly lower per square foot ($433 vs $441). The lot size is smaller by nearly 300 square feet. In terms of location, Hidalgo has the better spot, being near the end of a cul-de-sac, while Alondra is toward the beginning of the street, right as it curves around a corner. The Alondra property is also much closer to Irvine Boulevard and therefore will have some street noise.

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