Archive for September, 2007
September 28, 2007
Under $500,000
1030 MacArthur Blvd #145, Santa Ana 92707; 1 bed/1 bath; 696 sq ft; $275,000; Open Sunday 12pm-4pm
11021 Alderman Ave, Tustin 92782; 2 bed/2 bath; 1,053 sq ft; $479,900; Open Sunday 12p-4pm
$500,000 to $750,000
2549 North Valencia Ave, Santa Ana 92706; 2 bed/1 bath; 1,145 sq ft; $549,000; Open Saturday and Sunday (time not given)
4912 East Ashford Ave, Orange 92867; 3 bed/2.5 bath; 1,601 sq ft; $669,788; Open Sunday 1pm-4pm
$750,000 to $1,000,000
1642 Blueberry Way, Tustin 92780; 5 bed/3 bath; 2,225 sq ft; $750,000; Open Saturday and Sunday 12pm-5pm
4726 East Bradford, Orange 92867; 4 bed/3 bath; 2,445 sq ft; $874,888; Open Sunday 1pm-4pm
Over $1,000,000
6128 East Goldenrod Ln, Orange 92867; 4 bed/3.5 bath; 3,320 sq ft; $1,389,000; Open Sunday 12pm-5pm
September 28, 2007
Irvine’s Northwood community, as the name implies, is located in northern Irvine. Northwood is a large area that include many smaller neighborhoods.
PHOTOS OF WOODBURY AND NORTHPARK SQUARE COURTESY THE IRVINE COMPANY
Here is some open houses information for some of these Northwood communities:
Woodbury (near Bryan and Jeffery)
112 Townsend; 3/3; 2005 condo; $333/sf; $624,900
Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm
23 Twiggs; 5/5.5; $415/sf; $1,599,000
Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm
Northpark
52 Rosenblum; 3/2.5 ; 2002 condo; $412/sf; $699,000
(Northpark Square—near Culver between Irvine Boulevard and Bryan)
Sunday 1pm-4pm
Sold for $640,000 on 12/08/2004
10 Fair Oaks; 5/3; 2002 detached residential; $434/sf; $1,474,800
(Northpark—near Culver between Portola Parkway and Irvine Boulevard)
Saturday 12pm-4pm
virtual tour
Southern Northwood
19 Hathaway; 5/3; 2005 condo; $371/sf; $975,000
(near Bryan and Jeffery)
Sunday 1pm-4pm
Sold for $863,500 on 05/10/2005
2 Delaware; 3/2; 1986 detached residental; $415/sf; $699,000
(near Trabuco between Yale and Culver)
Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm
September 27, 2007
Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves!
—Humbert Wolfe (1885–1940) “Autumn (Resignation)” (1926)
PHOTO AND FALL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS COURTESY dPS
Note: I couldn’t resist the lyrical title. The more practical subtitle might be: Fall Activities in Costa Mesa for the Do-It-Yourselfers.
With the end of the Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer occurred. Now, with the autumnal equinox that occurred this last Sunday at 5:51 AM EDT, nature and science have also determined that summer is over and fall is here. (Yes, figuring out the when the beginning of fall starts—down to the minute—is a science (see wikipedia).
Photo Courtesy Di W
For the do-it-yourselfers, home decorators and home gardeners, here are some autumn offerings in Costa Mesa, and they are free.
Smith and Hawkins (in partnership with Sunset Magazine) Saturday, September 29, 10:00-10:30 am
3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa 92626, South Coast Plaza
Leaves Alone: Combine Foliage Plants for Late Summer Color
Learn to create a colorful plant arrangement
Smith and Hawkins is located in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Metro area. For information on Costa Mesa’s South Coast Metro, see recent posts and a map of homes in the area:
What’s Selling in South Coast Metro, A Look at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Metro, South Coast Metro map.
Flowerdale Nurseries (714/754-6661) October 13, 2:30pm
2700 Bristol Street
Cool-weather flower, vegetable and herb gardens, fall and winter lawn care; California-friendly plants
Flowerdale Nurseries is located, as near as I can tell, in the Central Costa Mesa area. (However, it also seems to be near the Southwest Costa Mesa and East Costa Mesa.) For information on Central Costa Mesa, see recent posts and a map of homes in the area:
Cruisin’ the Sold Signs in Central Costa Mesa, Price Reductions in Central Costa Mesa, A Tale of Two Houses in Central Costa Mesa, Central Costa Mesa map.
September 27, 2007
The OC Register reported today what we all know…the housing market in South OC is not in good shape right now. Last month house sales fell 13%. With this in mind - sellers are having to step up to the plate and get competitive. Let’s look at some of those homes in Laguna Hills that are dropping prices to stay competitive in this ugly market.
25572 Mackenzie St
3 beds / 2 baths
1,690 Sq Ft
Previously Listed: $753,000
Currently Listed: $719,000
Reduction: $ 34,000
25082 Ericson Way
5 beds / 2 baths
2,189 Sq Ft
Previously Listed: $699,900
Currently Listed: $674,900
Reduced: $ 25,000
12 Tierra Vis
3 beds / 2 baths
1,989 Sq Ft
Previously Listed: $725,000
Currently Listed: $699,000
Reduced: $ 26,000
25931 Ernestine Ct
3 beds / 2 baths
1,623 Sq Ft
Previously Listed: $689,000
Currently Listed: $675,000
Reduced: $ 14,000
September 27, 2007
I will start off by saying that Irvine, for the third year in a row, was recently named the FBI safest large city in the nation. I will talk more about that at another time. For now, here is something else that is uniquely Irvine:
Irvine Global Village Festival
Saturday, September 29
10 am-6 pm
at Bill Barber Park
16 Civic Center Plaza in Irvine
The Irvine Global Village Festival is in its sixth year. The festival features international cuisine, live entertainment, children’s activities, cultural exhibits and demonstrations, and a world marketplace.
Here is how the City describes the event:
One of the City’s most popular events, the festival is a wonderful opportunity for people to experience and share the cultural traditions of their friends and neighbors.
Pre-event: Walk for Unity starts at 8:30 am at Bill Barber Park
You might also be interested in the 2nd Annual Walk For Unity. This pre-event begins at 8:30 am at Bill Barber Park and ends at the 2007 Irvine Global Village Festival. Here is a link to the Walk for Unity registration form.
PHOTOS COURTESY THE CITY OF IRVINE
September 27, 2007
It’s interesting how even in a tough market, you’ve got homeowners who are still trying to make a killing. I did some fancy footwork and discovered that the homes below that recently hit the market are selling for a lot more — sometimes even double or triple or more – than what they sold for the last time a “for sale” sign was placed in their front yards. Here’s what I mean, I think you’ll blink twice:
25802 Alicia Dr. Current Price Tag: $2.2+ Million, last sold in 2003 for $975,000 — 5br/4bth, single-family residence.
25582 Eastwind Dr. Current Price Tag: $879,000, last sold in 1995 for $276,ooo –4br/2.5bth, single-family residence.
34022 East Blue Lantern St. Current Price Tag: $2.1+Million, last sold in 2002 for $484,500 — 4br/2bth, single-family residence.
23731 Brisbane Bay Current Price Tag: $1.3+Million, last sold in 2000 for $565,000 –3br/2bth, single-family residence.
September 27, 2007
… or seeing the housing market half full of opportunity! Just when we’re told that we haven’t seen anything yet with the market and the worst lies ahead, there’s people out there who see opportunity waiting to be capitalized on. Tustin Ranch investor Thomas Kunz is a prime (not sub-prime!) example.
The Community Investment Network published an article yesterday titled “Home Sales Take Sharp Tumble; The Credit Crunch Stops Would-be Buyers. Analysts Expect the Downturn to Intensify.” The article details the very grim outlook for the housing market and the woes of new builders (Lennar Corporation–builder of all those new homes in Tustin Legacy–reporting the worst quarter’s loss in company’s history of 53 years). However, among all this despair, comes Thomas Kunz.
“‘This is a great time in a local market for the consumer to take a look at their situation,’ [Kunz said].
Kunz, who is based in New Jersey, is taking his own advice. He has decided that it’s time to sell the house he’s owned in Tustin Ranch since 1998 and roll the proceeds into a newer, bigger house closer to the ocean in Carlsbad. He figures he can buy a better house for not much more than what he can get in a sale in the next few months.
‘This is an exceptional time,’ he said. ‘I know I’m probably the only one saying this, but these are the facts as I see them.’”
If only we all had a pair of his rose-colored glasses. If we did, I’ll tell you one thing, the market would not be in the downward spiral it’s in. All we need is a little confidence, in ourselves and our house!
September 27, 2007
For those of us that grew up on 80’s music, this was a monster hit (man I am getting old). The one hit wonder group Pretty Poison, was getting spins in all the local clubs. People were on the dance floor doing the Cabbage Patch dance to this pop tune( OK, writing this is really making me feel old). Catch Me I’m falling was catchy and encompassed all the synthesized rhythms that many of the songs during that time had (whew, am I really that old). For today there is something else that is falling, and that is housing prices in Newport Beach. Catch them, they are falling and are sure not to last long. In today’s housing market, buyers are sure to snatch these price reductions up in a hurry.
Jade Starling, lead singer of Pretty Poison
515 Kings Pl: 5 Beds, 3.75 Baths, 4,000 SQ. FT. The list price was “$2,760,000″ and changed to “$2,720,000″
4102 River Ave: 2 Beds, 1.5 Baths, 1,133 SQ. FT. The list price was “$2,150,000″ and changed to “$1,990,000″
409 29th St: 3 Beds, 5 Baths, SQ. FT. not listed, The list price was “$2,900,000″ and changed to “$2,599,000″
1607 Cornwall Ln: 4 Beds, 3.5 Baths, 3,025 SQ. FT. The list price was “$1,725,000″ and changed to “$1,650,000″
1312 Rottinghom Rd: 3 Beds, 2 Batths, 2,000 SQ. FT. The list price was “$1,450,000″ and changed to “$1,325,000″
119 Via Orvieto: 4 Beds, 4 Baths, 3,328 SQ. FT. The list price was “$3,475,000″ and changed to “$3,195,000″
260 Cagney Ln #102: 2 Beds, 1 Baths, 1,160 SQ. FT. The list price was “$549,900″ and changed to “$519,000″
September 27, 2007
It’s a reality, folks. Foreclosures are everywhere. According to an article in the OC Register, “Foreclosures have spiked dramatically this year and some analysts expect a bigger jump in 2008 as teaser rates end on about $500 billion in loans to borrowers with spotty credit.” The cut in interest rates is said to not help the impact on foreclosures.
It seems one of the hardest hit areas is Santa Ana. Here’s a brief listing of foreclosures (from a Foreclosure Detail Report) I found that closed recently. Much of the data is not reflected in RedFin yet because of the properties’ foreclosure auctions.
1428 W 3rd St; 3 bed/1 bath; 1,514 sq ft
Sold price: $103,696; Sold date: 09/10/2007
Last sale: $625,000 on 10/13/2004
1750 W Willits St; 4 bed/2 bath; 1,678 sq ft
Sold price: recorded as $5,000; Sold date: 09/10/2007
Last sale: $650,000 on 07/07/2006
1224 W 6th St; 3 bed/2 bath; 1,232 sq ft
Sold price: $480,382; Sold date: 09/11/2007
Last sale: $549,000 on 01/21/2005
1429 W Civic Center Dr; 3 bed/1.5 bath; 1,644 sq ft
Sold price: $522,000; Sold date: 09/12/2007
Last sale: $675,000 on 05/03/2006
2605 W Dahl Ln; 3 bed/2 bath; 1,097 sq ft
Sold price: $486,200; Sold date: 09/07/2007
Last sale: $650,000 on 10/24/2006
1305 W Carlton Pl; 3 bed/1.5 bath; 988 sq ft
Sold price: $486,200; Sold date: 09/07/2007
Last sale: $490,000 on 10/13/2004
2119 Orange Ave; 5 bed/2 bath; 2,285 sq ft
Sold price: $486,200; Sold date: 09/07/2007
Last sale: $660,000 on 04/13/2006
September 26, 2007
It’s a cold winter night as three men dressed in all black creep closer to their mission. It is the dead of night and the moon illuminates all that is around. They set their sites on the task at hand. The leader of the crew gives a hand signal that all is clear to proceed. The other two men, slightly hunched over, tip toe closer. In true military fashion, one covers the other as they dart closer and closer to the target. They arrive at the preselected facility as the leader takes out a brick of C4 explosives, ties it to an electronic charge and breaches the building. As the dust clears from the powerful explosion, the men set their eyes on what they have come for.
Searching for a discount should not be this difficult, although part of it actually sounds kind of fun. Lucky for you all, searching for a discount or price reduction does not require any military training and special operations. You can just come to this blog and point and click. No flying bullets, just bullet points.
20191 Cape Coral Ln:#213: 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 1,100 SQ. FT. The list price was “$484,900″ and changed to “$474,900″
19912 Cato Cr: 4 Beds, 2 Baths, 1,843 SQ. FT. The list price was “$825,000″ and changed to “$824,900″
19732 Quiet Bay Ln: 4 Beds, 3 Baths, 2,800 SQ. FT. The list price was “$1,849,900″ and changed to “$1,759,000″
6459 Frampton Cr: 4 Beds, 4.5 Baths, 3,600 SQ. FT. The list price was “$2,075,000″ and changed to “$1,989,000″
8242 Grant Dr: 3 Beds, 1.5 Baths, 1,011 SQ. FT. The list price was “$659,900″ and changed to “$649,900″
1802 Huntington St: 3 Beds, 2 Baths, 1,787 SQ. FT. The list price was “$729,000″ and changed to “$699,000″
