14 Alba West is a single story, zero lot line property that is fully remodeled. Last week I reviewed the same model at 1 Delamesa, selling for $645,000 ($487/square foot), which is still for sale. Other recent comparable sales in the same neighborhood sold at $620,000 ($468/square foot) and $625,000 ($472/square foot) at 32 Entrada and 27 West Lucero, respectively. Is this property worth the highest price?

Asking Price: $650,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 1.75

Square Footage: 1,329

Lot Size: 4,792sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $489

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: One Level Contemporary

Year Built 1980

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA Fees: $85

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 11

This house has remodeled bathrooms and kitchen, scraped ceilings, distressed wood flooring throughout, clean interior paint and new windows, most with plantation shutters. The backyard is nicely landscaped with fruit trees, well maintained grass and a covered patio. There does not seem to be much traffic in the surrounding area, but the house faces the entrance of the split streets of Alba West and Alba East, so all cars must drive towards and pass this property if they live anywhere on Alba West.

View from House to entrance:

A side gated porch leads up to the front door. The front door leads into a rectangular shaped great room which consists of the living room (to the left), small dining room (to the right) and open kitchen with a breakfast bar. Straight ahead is a hallway leading to the bedrooms. The vaulted ceilings and large windows create an open, light feel. The kitchen is completely remodeled with new cabinets, granite countertops, tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a wine cooler. There are plenty of cupboards, drawers and a pantry for storage. One garage entrance is located in the kitchen. The dining room has french doors which leads to the side enclosed porch area.

Recessed lights, a ceiling fan and plantation shutters have been installed in the living room and the room also has an updated fireplace. One entrance into the third bedroom is off of the living room. The double doors into the spare room/office have been removed. The entrance could be dry-walled to create more of a private third bedroom, if desired. Currently the closet has been turned into an office desk area with built in cabinets and desk. With the double entrance, one from the living room and one from the hallway, the room lacks some privacy to be used as a bedroom.

Adjacent to the third bedroom is another bedroom which is similar in size with a window facing the backyard. Crown molding has been installed in the two small bedrooms and hallway. The bathroom in the hallway has been completely remodeled with a shower, modern vanity and tiled walls and floor.

The master bedroom has vaulted ceilings, good closet space, a remodeled bathroom and french doors that lead to an enclosed small patio. Another garage entrance is found in the enclosed patio. The bathroom has been completely remodeled with a skylight bringing in extra light. A wall separates it from the sleeping area. It has an open solution to the modern single sink, shower and Jacuzzi bathtub while the toilet is in its own room. There is no door in front of the vanity/tub/shower area, so there may be light and noise in the mornings if another person is utilizing the area while the other is sleeping. In addition, with the tub and shower in the open bathroom, the bedroom door would need to be shut for complete privacy in the tub/shower area.

14 Alba West has been upgraded nicely. The bathrooms are contemporary and the master bathroom’s remodel would not be my first choice in layout, but it is light and modern. The home is clean, move-in ready and would appeal to buyers that are looking for a single story house in the neighborhood. The backyard is good for entertaining and for families with pets and small children. I do not know if the extra $20-25K is worth all of the updates, particularly with the location of the home facing the street entrance to Alba, but it did not appear to have much traffic.

I rarely visit homes in the West Irvine neighborhood, but I was in the area this weekend so I decided to check out 63 Glen Arbor #123, a detached condo in the Wisteria tract.

The basics:

Asking Price: $649,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,625

Lot Size: 100 (per Redfin)

$/Sq Ft: $399

Days on Market: 8

Property Type: Detached Condo

Year Built: 2001

Community: West Irvine – Wisteria

HOA dues are $174 per month ($55+119) and Mello Roos taxes are approximately $753 per year. The total tax rate is about 1.3 – 1.4%.

When I toured the home on Sunday, the price was listed at $679,000. By Monday, it had dropped to $649,000. At the reduced price, it is still slightly higher per square foot than nearby recent sales.

The house is set back from the street, behind another unit, so it gives a sense of added privacy. Just inside the front door, there is a very small den with a window facing the front of the house. Like all of the rooms upstairs, the den has new Berber carpet.

A hallway leads you past a small coat closet and half bath. It opens up to the kitchen and great room. In the kitchen, everything is set up in a single, long row. The counters are a simple white tile with a matching backsplash. The five burner range/oven is stainless steel but the dishwasher and microwave are black. Lightly stained cabinets line the top and bottom of the wall and there is only one set of four small drawers. There is a large walk-in pantry on the adjacent wall, just next to the spot for the fridge. I don’t love the set up and would prefer more counter space near the stove, but it is functional. There is plenty of space for a dining table of any size. French doors lead out to the yard.

The kitchen flows directly into the great room, both of which have large square tiled floors (as does the hall). There are windows on two sides and a ceiling fan. One wall has a large fireplace with a combination of brick and tile. It is a pretty big room, but I always feel that tile floors in the great room give it a colder feeling that make it less homey and relaxing.

The backyard is small but nice, especially for a detached condo. It has an above ground Jacuzzi, a fountain, and a built-in fireplace. Inlaid stone and numerous trees and bushes give it an upscale look and create a nice atmosphere.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom isn’t particularly large and only has one window. It has crown molding and a ceiling fan. The master bath is in very good condition. It has a big soaking tub and separate shower, both with plain white tile and simple fixtures. There are two sinks with white melamine cupboards. The closet is very long and somewhat narrow, with two windows and it smells of fresh paint.

The other two bedrooms are pretty similar. They each have multiple small windows, crown molding, and standard, sliding closets. Only one has a ceiling fan, which is really the only difference between them.

These bedrooms share a bath that has one sink set in a really small counter, with just one set of cabinets underneath and no drawers. The basic shower/tub combo is done in white tile. The bathroom is pretty small overall.

Overall, the house is in very good condition. I did notice a few marks on the paint in a couple of rooms, but the carpets are all new. The kitchen and bathrooms are all simple but well maintained. I never fail to mention that West Irvine homes are in the Tustin School District, a fact that many buyers seem to overlook. It is zoned for Myford Elementary, Pioneer Middle School, and Beckman High School. While all of these are good schools, you pay Irvine property taxes without the benefit of the Irvine School District.

1 Delamesa is a single story, zero lot line property that is move-in ready. Recent comparable sales in the same neighborhood sold at $620,000 ($468/square foot) and $625,000 ($472/square foot)at 32 Entrada and 27 West Lucero, respectively. Both of those properties were better located at ends of cul-de-sacs, but backing to a street with some traffic and appeared to need more upgrades. Is the higher price for Delamesa worth it?

Asking Price: $645,000

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,325

Lot Size: 4,792sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $487

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: One Level Craftsman

Year Built 1980

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA Fees: $85

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 11

This house has remodeled bathrooms, scraped ceilings, laminate flooring throughout, clean interior paint and new windows. The backyard has a newer fence bordering the neighbors, a built in bar-b-que and fire pit. The backyard backs to Hicks Canyon, and although it is not a major street, I could hear the random cars drive by. This house sits on a corner, with Hicks Canyon behind it, the entrance to Delamesa East and West on the side, and Delamesa East in front of it.

The front door leads into a rectangular shaped great room which consists of the living room (to the left), small dining room (to the right) and open kitchen with a breakfast bar. Straight ahead is a hallway leading to the bedrooms. The vaulted ceilings and large windows create an open, light feel. The kitchen has original cabinets that have been cleanly painted white. The countertops are updated with granite and there are plenty of cupboards, drawers and a pantry for storage. Stainless steel appliances have also been installed. One garage entrance is located in the kitchen. The dining room has a sliding glass door which leads to the side/front enclosed area.

Recessed lights and plantation shutters have been installed in the living room, and the room also has an updated fireplace. One entrance into the third bedroom (currently used as an office) is off of the living room. The double doors into the office could be dry-walled to create more of a private third bedroom, if desired. With the double entrance, one from the living room and one from the hallway, the third bedroom does not have a lot of wall space or privacy to be used as a bedroom. The room contains a small closet.

Adjacent to the current office is another bedroom which is similar in size with a window facing the backyard. The hall outside of the bedroom consists of a bathroom, small linen closet and coat closet. The bathroom has been completely remodeled with a large bathtub/shower combo, tile and vanity. The only lights I noticed that were original were located in the hallway leading back to the front door.

The master bedroom has vaulted ceilings, good closet space, a remodeled bathroom and a sliding glass door that leads to an enclosed small patio. Another garage entrance is found in the enclosed patio. The bathroom has double sinks and is separated from the toilet and bathtub/shower combo. There is no door in front of the vanity, so there may be light and noise in the mornings if another person is utilizing the area while the other is sleeping.

1 Delamesa has been upgraded nicely. It is clean, move-in ready and would appeal to buyers that are looking for a single story house in the neighborhood. However, the deciding factor would be the location. The streets do not have high traffic, but having traffic on three sides of the house should be considered. Is it worth the extra $20K to have a house with more updates, but in a higher traffic location?