Christmas Trees Pickup in Irvine and Orange County

The holiday season will be coming to an end soon, so if you have a tree that needs disposal, here are the details for Irvine residents exactly as stated on the City’s website:

Christmas Tree Pickup For residents who…

have curbside recycling:

  • Waste Management will pick-up and recycle trees from curbside for the first three weeks (December 26 thru January 17) following Christmas on your collection day.

  • Please remove all decorations (tinsel, ornaments, tree stand, etc.) from the tree.

  • If the tree is taller than 4 feet, please cut it in half and place it in your green waste bin.

  • Flocked trees cannot be recycled but will be picked up

do NOT have curbside recycling:

  • Sunset Environmental will accept trees starting on December 26 thru January 18

  • Facility will be closed Christmas Day and the New Years Day.

  • Residents must show proof of residence in Irvine.

  • For additional questions, please call Waste Management at 949-642-1191

The City of Irvine’s website also states: “Orange County residents may also drop-off their Christmas trees to be recycled at Waste Management’s Sunset Environmental Transfer Station: 16122 Construction Circle West, Irvine, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm; Saturday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm. For more information, please contact Waste Management at 949-642-1191”

And if you want to start planning ahead for a reduced-waste holiday next year, you can get some tips from the City’s website.

I’ll end with a few interesting bits of holiday information as they are stated on the City’s website:

  • Though they are incredibly festive, Christmas lights consume large amounts of energy. As an alternative to the traditional Christmas lights, use LED lights instead. By using LED lights, you can save significant amounts of the energy and reduce your electric bill drastically. These lights last longer and use 90% less energy than traditional lights. See a previous post (https://www.irvinehousingblog.com/blog/comments/green-your-holiday-with-some-led-lights) for more information on LEDs and recycling your old lights.

  • Over 28 million pounds of food are wasted each year. That equates to approximately 100 pounds per person! You can really make a difference by re-evaluating your food consumption habits and making wise decisions about what you buy. Consider making these choices for holiday (and the rest of the year) food and party planning:

  • Support your local farmers market.

  • Use organic locally grown foods or check the organic food section at your local grocery store.

  • Decorate with organic flowers and eco-friendly candles.

  • Use reusable containers instead of disposable ones. In particular, stay away from using Styrofoam.

  • Limit excess food waste by planning to prepare an adequate amount of food for your guests. Encourage guests to take home leftovers in order to cut down on the amount of food you discard. Compost your leftover food waste.

  • Clean up with natural products.

  • If every family reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved would tie a bow around the entire planet.

  • The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we all buy one card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

Source: City of Irvine Environmental Programs web pages

Open House Review: 168 Overbrook, Irvine, CA 92620

Last week I reviewed a three bedroom condominium at 223 Mayfair in the newer Stonegate community. This week I am reviewing the smallest Santa Clara floor plan at 168 Overbrook. It is listed as a two bedroom, 1 ½ bathroom single story condominium, found on the ground level. Parking for guests is off the street, directly in front of the home.

Asking Price: $465,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1.5

Square Footage: 1,129

Lot Size: 1,000 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $412

Property Type: Residential, Condominium

Style: One Level

Year Built: 2013

Community: Stonegate

HOA Fees: $308

Mello Roos: Yes

Days on Market: 105

The front door 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. A small square tile entrance area is surrounded by carpet throughout the rest of the space. 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.

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. The flooring is linoleum, cabinets are white and countertops and backsplash are granite. The appliances are stainless steel. On the perpendicular wall, where the counter wraps around, is the oven/stovetop combo. 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 advertised as the secondary bedroom, however there is no closet in the room and it is used as an office. The window faces out towards the front of the home. It is a good sized room, especially without a closet. It is hard to imagine this space as a secondary bedroom, especially since the half bathroom across the hall does not have a shower or tub. It is a good sized bathroom with a single sink and toilet.

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. There is plenty of counter space. There is a large tub/shower combo with 4×4 white tile wall surround. The bathroom is very clean and spacious. The toilet sits behind the door, when it is open. Above the toilet are a couple of cabinets doors. I did not see any extra closet for linens/bath towels.

168 Overbrook will appeal to buyers looking for a large one bedroom home with extra space for guests or an office. It is in excellent condition. The paint and carpet are clean, as well as the bathrooms and kitchen. Only having a half bathroom in the hall is a big downfall if someone desires to convert the den into a secondary bedroom. The only room to shower/bathe would be the master bathroom. The layout is nice and it could be a highly desirable condo if someone is looking for a single story home. Next week I will be writing a review for the exact same layout, but a home a few streets over. That home is advertised as a 1 bedroom plus den.

Open House Review: 28 League

This weekend, I decided to check out a detached condo in a small community off of Culver and Farwell. While technically considered Northwood, the neighborhood is on the opposite side of Culver and is zoned for Tustin Schools.

The basics:

Asking Price: $699,999

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,700

Lot Size: 3,000

$/Sq Ft: $400

Days on Market: 59

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2005

Community: Northwood / Mericort

Schools: Hicks Canyon, Orchard Hills, Beckman (Tustin Unified)

HOA dues are $160 per month and Mello Roos is .3% (total tax rate of 1.4%).

When I pulled up, I saw several children outside playing, so it seems like a very kid-friendly neighborhood. Numerous bushes surround the front walk, helping it to feel more like a house and less like a condo. When you walk inside the unit, you are faced with a wall, with rooms to the left and right.

On the left, there is a den. The realtor listing calls it a fourth bedroom, but it lacks a closet. The room is a good size, with windows facing both the street and the front walk. Like the other rooms downstairs, it has dark wood flooring and white crown molding. Just outside the room, there is a half bath with a pedestal sink and a closet with shelves from top to bottom.

To the right of the entry is the living room. This is an attractive room with a white, melamine built-in unit in one corner. It has windows on two sides and a ceiling fan, so it probably gets good ventilation as well.

An arched doorway leads from the living room to the dining room. With another arched doorway separating it from the kitchen, it truly is its own room, making it easy to give as casual or as formal a feeling as you desire. Sliding doors on one wall lead to a small side patio. The stairs to the second floor are opposite the sliders.

The kitchen is done in white melamine that, together with white appliances, gives it a very clean look. It has a single oven range with a microwave above it. There are numerous cabinets and drawers, so storage doesn’t seem to be a problem. It also has a large, walk-in pantry through a doorway that leads to the garage.

The washer and dryer are in the garage, which also has some built-in shelves and cabinets. There is a coat closet just inside the door from the garage.

All three bedrooms are located upstairs. Though the staircase itself is carpeted, the entire upstairs has wood floors. The secondary bath is just to the left at the top of the stairs. It has a single sink without a lot of counter space. There is a shower/tub combo with a very narrow bathtub. Overall, I think the bathroom would feel very cramped if you had two or more children using it daily. The shower is done in simple, white tile and the cabinets are white melamine. There is a linen closet in the upstairs hallway.

The secondary bedrooms are both a lot bigger than I expected for a condo. Each one has windows on two walls and a two-door, sliding closet. While neither room had a lot of furniture, I do think you’d be able to include standard bedroom sets without the room being too crowded.

The master bedroom isn’t large, but doesn’t feel too small. It has windows on two walls and a small alcove on another. The alcove is a great spot for a dresser or armoire, or you could put in a built-in unit. The walk-in closet is a good size and is in the bedroom itself, not off the bathroom.

A full door separates the master bath from the bedroom. It has dual sinks, a bathtub, and a stall shower. Like the other bathroom, the shower and tub have plain, white tile and the cabinets are white melamine, set in a plain, white counter. It isn’t fancy, but it is in good condition.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the condo. The rooms felt much more spacious than I anticipated and everything was in very good condition. The den downstairs is a nice addition to the space. The price is slightly lower per square foot than recent sales in the same neighborhood. The only thing I don’t like is that, not only is it in the Tustin school district, but it is almost 1.5 miles away from the elementary school. With most neighborhood schools in Irvine being within easy walking distance from the homes they serve, this one seems too far away and eliminates the feeling of community.

Irvine Housing Overview: November 2013

According to Altos Research, the Market Action Index (MAI) for Irvine’s single-family housing market is 41.02. That is an uptake from the 36.88 MAI that was recorded about a month ago. As defined by Altos, this puts the Irvine single-family housing market in the seller’s market category. (Above 30 is defined as a seller’s market; below is defined as a buyer’s market.) Altos also states that the average single-family home in Irvine has been on the market for about 78 days as of December 13, 2013.

Following is Irvine’s November 2013 housing market data as provided by Redfin.

Type

List Price/# Homes Listed

Sold Price/# Homes Sold

List Per SF

Sold Per SF

% Chg Y-O-Y Sold Price/SF

Houses

13-Nov

13-Oct

13-Sep

13-Aug

13-Jul

$1,168K/192

$1,180K/220

$1,099K/238

$1,075K/235

$1,125K/210

$825K/90

$921K/117

$920K/132

$908K/114

$900K/122

$471

$456

$462

$459

$459

$434

$419

$423

$406

$435

22.6%

14.5%

20.9%

17.7%

16.90%

13-Jun

$1,112K/186

$855K/99

$462

$414

16%

13-May

$1,030K/167

$890K/113

$457

$411

21.60%

13-Apr

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

13-Mar

$1,020K/101

$904K/62

$443

$381

13.40%

13-Feb

na/109

na/272

$415

$354

n/a

13-Jan

na/113

na/274

$409

$357

n/a

Condos

13-Nov

13-Oct

13-Sep

13-Aug

13-Jul

$619K/252

$600K/281

$585K/288

$590K/295

$588K/295

$495K/84

$524K/122

$520K/121

$564/146

$522K/135

$408

$404

$328

$406

$416

$384

$395

$325

$384

$394

17.4%

20.4%

28.7%

24.3%

28.80%

13-Jun

$585K/235

$540K/130

$418

$391

24.90%

13-May

$599K/177

$539K/144

$406

$386

30.40%

13-Apr

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

13-Mar

$570K/111

$476K/88

$375

$344

21.60%

13-Feb

na/100

na/301

$369

$325

n/a

13-Jan

na/106

na/324

$377

$327

n/a

All

13-Nov

13-Oct

13-Sep

13-Aug

13-Jul

$729K/481

$724K/552

$724K/578

$710K/579

$709K/545

$650K/197

$675K/257

$710K/271

$660K/278

$659K/283

$419

$416

$415

$418

$423

$392

$397

$408

$389

$401

18.1%

16.8%

25.9%

18.2%

24.10%

13-Jun

$734K/456

$638K/249

$422

$395

20.80%

13-May

$750K/371

$659K/274

$416

$393

26.80%

13-Apr

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

13-Mar

$703K/219

$588K/151

$392

$359

18.90%

13-Feb

na/209

na/573

$389

$334

n/a

13-Jan

na/219

na/598

$389

$338

n/a

Open House Review: 223 Mayfair

Today I am reviewing 223 Mayfair in the newer Stonegate community. It is a three bedroom, three bathroom two-level condominium, with one of the bedrooms on the first floor. The home is a corner property, sharing a wall on one side of the home. The price has been reduced twice from the original asking price of $745,000. After parking along the street, I had to walk down a small alley, passing several garages in order to reach the sidewalk with the home’s entrance. However there seems to be plenty of street parking on both sides of the home.

Asking Price: $699,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.75

Square Footage: 1,614

Lot Size: 1,800 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $433

Property Type: Residential, Condominium

Style: Two Level

Year Built: 2012

Community: Stonegate

HOA Fees: $308

Mello Roos: Yes

Days on Market: 35

Upon entry, a short wall immediately to the left separates the entryway from the living room area. The living room flows into the open kitchen solution. To the right is a short hallway consisting of the staircase, a bedroom and a bathroom. Beyond the small hallway is a coat closet. The small entryway has tile flooring while the living room and downstairs bedroom are carpeted. The kitchen and all of the bathrooms have linoleum flooring that looks like tile.

The living room has 3 side-by-side windows facing out the front of the home and two sets of windows on the perpendicular wall. The living room flows directly into the open kitchen, which has a sliding glass door out to the small patio. There is no defined dining area so a small table could sit in the area between the island and living room.

The kitchen has white cabinets, granite countertop and backsplash and stainless steel appliances. It has a rectangular island with space for bar seating. The island contains the sink and dishwasher. Along the wall behind the island is the oven/stovetop combo with plenty of cabinets and counter space. The garage door entry is also found on the back wall. Along the perpendicular wall are a small counter area, microwave and refrigerator. Although it has plenty of cabinets, it lacks a true pantry, unless someone prefers to use the coat closet for a pantry.

The small patio is accessible from the kitchen sliding door. It is a small rectangular area with pavers, surrounded by a cinderblock wall. It provides the opportunity to sit outdoors or place a bar-b-que outside, but it is not big enough to entertain outdoors.

The downstairs bedroom has two windows facing the front of the house. It has a two-door sliding closet. The bathroom has a single sink and a large shower with bench. The shower has 4×4 white tile. The flooring is same style linoleum as in the in kitchen.

Upstairs is a built in desk with cabinets on the landing, another secondary bedroom with en suite bathroom, and the master bedroom with balcony. Immediately to the right is the built in desk overlooking the staircase. There are 3 drawers to the left and 3 cabinet doors to the right of the desk table. This makes a great nook to set up an office area, to do homework or keep some files.

Along the wall behind the desk is the secondary bedroom. A single window looks out towards the front of the house. It appears to be of similar size as the downstairs bedroom and also has a two-door sliding closet. The en suite bathroom has a single sink and a large tub/shower combo. The sink area has plenty of counter space. The shower and tub-surround is the same 4×4 white tile as the shower downstairs.

At the end of the hallway is the master bedroom. There is an abundance of natural light flooding the room with three windows and a set of french doors. The french doors lead out to a veranda which faces the front of the house. On the opposite wall are a good sized walk-in closet and bathroom entrance. There is no bathroom door which leaves an open doorway leading to a linen closet, dual sinks, large tub, shower and a separate toilet. There was an option for a bathroom door in the original plans, so I assume one can be installed if desired. The vanity, mirrors, and tile match the same style as the other bathrooms. A window sits above the foot of the toilet, which brings in some natural light.

Outside of the master bedroom is a closet for a stackable washer and dryer.

223 Mayfair will appeal to buyers looking for a bedroom on the first level. It is in excellent condition. The paint and carpet are clean, as well as the bathrooms and kitchen. In my opinion, the only major downfalls to the home are a lack of a kitchen pantry and the small size of the patio.