3 Lakepines, Irvine, CA 92620

Overview

Asking Price: $427,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,202

Lot Size: 871 sq ft

Price per Square Foot: $355

Property Type: Condominium

Style: Two Level

Year Built 1977

Community: Northwood, The Pines

HOA Fees: $310

Mello Roos: No

Days on Market: 20

This home is a two level condominium, with kitchen, dining area and living room downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. The home is a middle unit, sharing walls with neighbors on each side. It is located near the entrance of the community, next to the sound of running water from the man-made ‘lakes’ and steps from the pool and tennis courts. It is move-in ready with scraped ceilings, wood floors throughout, updated lighting, remodeled bathrooms and laundry hookup located in the private, enclosed patio.

Upon entering, you have the view to the over-sized sliding glass door at back end of the condominium.

Immediately to the left is a small functional kitchen with updated appliances and a tile floor. The older cabinets are newly painted and everything looks clean, but it lacks a full pantry. The kitchen offers an open view to the rest of the first floor with the eating bar separating it from the small dining area.

The living room is a couple steps down from the rest of the first floor, which clearly defines the area. The step is a small size, only running a small portion along the different levels; therefore something will need to visibly separate the areas to avoid someone from stepping off a portion that does not have the step. The living room is a nice size with a fireplace and built in bookshelves.

The living room opens up to the enclosed patio, which has a closet area for laundry. The sliding glass door is original. On the other side of the patio fence is Park Place. Although it is not a busy street, traffic coming into the community may be heard from the patio since the condominium lies close to the entrance. Across the street is also another community’s entrance.

A small closet and updated half bathroom are located to the right of the front door.

Coming up the staircase, I noticed one of the home’s two large skylights which brings in a lot of light. The high vaulted ceilings provide an open spacious feel. The bedrooms and one bathroom have wood floors.

The hall bathroom separates the two bedrooms and is fully re-modeled with tile floors, a Jacuzzi bathtub and updated cabinets, hardware and lighting.

The first bedroom is smaller, but the vaulted ceilings and a good sized closet create a spacious feel. The windows face the front of the home.

The master bedroom is a decent size with built in cabinets and walk-in closet. The vaulted ceilings and space at the top of the wall separating the bathroom brings in light from the bathroom skylight. The window faces Park Place. The original model did not have a full master bathroom but this remodel made it look like an original design. It has another mirrored closet, corner shower and updated single sink. The skylight brings in a lot of natural light.

The updated condominium has a great open layout and having two full bathrooms upstairs is a plus. Having laundry on the property is another big convenience. The grounds are maintained nicely and the unit comes with one carport and one open parking space. However someone may want to consider any traffic noise with the back of the unit facing Park Place. Again, it is not a high traffic street, especially with the end of the street currently being a dead-end, but the location next to the entrance/exit of The Lakes and the community across the street may be worth considering.

If you’re in the market for a fully upgraded, but older, home, check out 37 Brena. The owners just finished remodeling the entire house and it is now move-in ready.

The basics:

Asking Price: $877,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,459

Lot Size: 4,792

$/Sq Ft: $357

Days on Market: 15

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood

Schools: Santiago Hills, Sierra Vista, Northwood High

HOA dues are $50 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

As soon as you walk in the door, you can see that the house is in excellent condition. The wood floors are gleaming and the paint and baseboards are free of any scuff marks. The living room to the left of the entry has vaulted ceilings and is a half step down from the entryway. It leads directly back to the formal dining room, which has new recessed lighting.

The kitchen is behind the dining room and everything is brand new. The counters and backsplash are dark granite and there is a full tile backsplash over the stove. The stainless steel oven/range has a smooth-top electric stove for easy cleaning. The white, country style cabinets provide ample storage and contrast nicely with the dark counters. A large breakfast nook with several windows makes a nice place for a casual dining table.

The family room is a few steps below the kitchen and there is an attractive railing between the two rooms. While the railing looks nice, I prefer when the downstairs is all one level. Windows line the back wall of the room and a fireplace sits at one end. There is a small wet bar in one corner (drawers were not installed when I was there but were expected to be in by the end of the day).

A short hallway off the family room leads to the laundry room, half bath, and garage access.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms. All three secondary bedrooms are basically the same. They have brand new carpet and two mirrored closet doors. Two face the front of the house and one faces the back. They all looked to be about the same size.

The upstairs bathroom was just redone as well. It has two sinks set in a solid surface counter and darker wood cabinets. The combination shower/tub looks more elegant than a typical secondary bathroom. It lacks shower doors or a curtain; I’m not sure if the owners plan to install one or if it will be the buyer’s responsibility.

The master bedroom is very large, with a long and somewhat narrow shape. Windows along the side and back walls bring in a lot of light. There is a nice retreat area at one end. This room has the same wood floor as downstairs and also has a vaulted ceiling. There is a nice sized walk-in closet with a few hanging rods and a couple of shelves.

The master bath looks much more like those in the brand new construction homes than in an older house. It has a separate bathtub and shower with big windows and nice tile. The vanity matches the one from the other upstairs bathroom.

In addition to redoing the inside of the house, the owners have also taken on some landscaping projects. They put in a raised flower bed along the back wall of the backyard and are planting the flowers this week. The yard has a decent sized grassy area and a slightly raised patio with new bricks along the edges. The front yard is large and mostly grass, though they also have a new, raised flower bed here as well (flowers coming soon).

The owners have done all of the work for you, but still gave the house a very reasonable price. It is located near the end of a cul-de-sac so it doesn’t get much traffic. Buyers should note that, although some homes on Brena are in the Woodside tract, this half of Brena is part of a separate HOA. As a result, the owners will not have access to Woodside’s community swimming pool, tennis courts, or tot lot. This neighborhood, known as Crestwood Estates, does have its own tot lot and tennis courts, but no pool. I don’t think this one will be on the market for long.