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| Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:00 AM PST As of December 14, 63 Stowe is back on the market following a failed attempt at a short sale earlier this year. This home is now going to be a standard sale and has already dropped $11,000 since going on the market on December 14. The basics: HOA dues are $105 per month and there are Mello Roos taxes. This home is elegant, featuring designer touches throughout. The front room would work well as a formal living room, a den, or an office. With French doors leading out to the front yard, it could be converted into a more private office with its own entrance. Down the hall is a large, formal dining room with space for a huge table. It’s a great space, with numerous arched doorways leading to the kitchen and family room. Because the kitchen has a good-sized casual dining area, this formal dining room could be used for something else if desired. There is a good-sized courtyard off the dining room as well. The kitchen features white cabinets and drawers, granite countertops, stainless steel Kitchenaid appliances, and a large center island. It has a big pantry by the breakfast nook, bookshelves in the island, and a few glass-fronted cabinets to create an attractive display area. The white cabinets are a nice contrast to the dark, hardwood floors found throughout the house, making the room feel much brighter. There is a built-in side-by-side refrigerator, double ovens, and a six-burner stove. The adjacent breakfast nook is spacious and has French doors leading out to the backyard. It flows directly into the family room, which has windows on three sides and a fireplace at one end. It’s a good-sized room, though it lacks a space for a larger, wall-mounted TV due to all the windows. A half bath with a pedestal sink completes the downstairs. The garage has three spots, two of them tandem, and a storage area in front of the single spot. There are actually two separate doors leading into the house. The backyard is bigger than I expected it to be, though still not huge. It has grass in the front and, at the back, are two raised, stone patios. One has a fire pit and the other has a built in barbecue and is covered by a trellis. Between these areas is a large fountain. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and a loft. The loft is at the top of the stairs and has a door leading out to a tiny balcony that no one could actually stand on. The master is alone on one side of the loft, so it is nicely separated from the other bedrooms. Like the rooms downstairs, it has many windows with plantation shutters, including some with curtains as well. It is a big room with a small built-in cabinet/shelving area in one corner. The bathroom has a huge tub and a separate shower with a big bench seat. There are two separate sinks and a huge walk-in closet. The other three bedrooms each have features to differentiate them from the others. One is significantly bigger than the others, with several windows and a big walk-in closet. The next room is actually very small, and a door in the middle of the back wall really limits where you can put the furniture. The door leads out to a big balcony overlooking the street. These two rooms are connected by a jack and jill bathroom that has two sinks and a shower/tub combo. The last bedroom is in between the other two in terms of size (leaning towards the small side), but has a better layout than the tiny one. Like the small room, it has a standard closet that is also somewhat small. This room also has a private, en suite bathroom. The vanity area is through an open doorway, but then a physical door separates the rest of the bathroom, which includes a shower/tub combo. The laundry room is also upstairs and includes a sink and many cabinets. This house is already vacant and is basically move-in ready. Most of the rooms are spacious and they all are bright, as many have windows on at least two walls. There was an almost immediate price reduction and there have been numerous open houses already. Following the attempted short sale in April of this year, the buyers must be eager to unload this house quickly. Down the street, 27 Stowe closed on December 13 (the day before this one went on the market) at $1,218,000. It has a smaller lot and is a different model, but the homes are comparable in size and number of beds and baths.  |
| Open House Review: 110 Coral Rose Posted: 26 Dec 2012 09:24 AM PST Turtle Ridge Condo Challenge Either this condo will fit the buyer like a glove, or not at all. That was my first impression when I drove up Coral Rose, a short distance from Newport Drive. The street is quiet, lined with three story condos, each carefully framed with well tended greenery. Inside, the condo was humming with a steady stream of open house traffic. When I saw it the home had just been placed on the market, and 6 days later it is listed as a pending sale. Evidently it fit someone perfectly. Significant Numbers: This 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath Ashton Green model is 1,354 sq. ft. arranged on three levels. Built in 2004, HOA dues are $238 a month and the $/sq. ft. is $376. There are Mello Roos taxes. CloseUp: 110 Coral Rose is the end unit with a nice band of green space along the walkway leading to the patio entrance. The overall space has been nicely staged with high ceilings, wood floors, built ins and crown moldings giving the home a crisp put-together image. On the flip side, the three levels and flights of stairs may present some challenges and will certainly shape daily living routines. As you step inside, there are double doors straight ahead that open into one of the home’s two bedrooms with ensuite bath. The master is many steps away on the third level. Depending on the buyer, as an individual, couple, or perhaps two roommates, this could work. The main floor bedroom could also function as a guest room, or become a study/office. To the left of the entry a flight of steps takes you to the main living area with a living room/family room, built in desk corner, and nearby dining area. Around the corner there is a powder room, and a slim slice of a kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances, double sinks and a tiled backsplash. Opposite the kitchen there is a small covered deck. Then up the final flight there is the master bedroom with large walk-in closet, and bath with double vanity, tile counters, and shower backsplash. Specifics: Throughout the home there is a lot of light with well placed windows. But the views are limited, with duplicate units sitting across the way. The unit has double paned windows and a stacked washer and dryer in a laundry area on the ground floor. What is to be considered here? The three levels, open floor plan, overall square footage and price will all be evaluated, perhaps as an investment, or a first home in Irvine. Who will be moving in? Since it is a pending sale we may soon know. But it could be an individual who works in the area and wants easy access to the airport and nearby beach communities, or a busy couple who travel but need a sleek local operating base. Recent listing: 5 Moondust #30, $580.000. Recent sales: 211 Lonetree sold for $580,000 in June; 231 Coral Rose sold for $450,000 in October. Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3420.0.html  |
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