I recently saw 63 Turnbury Lane in Northwood Pointe's Carlyle at Lanes End community. The house is now pending, but they are accepting backup offers.

The basics:

Asking Price: $773,000
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 1,857
Lot Size: 2,862
$/Sq Ft: $416
Days on Market: 28
Property Type: Single Family Home
Year Built: 1998
Community: Northwood Pointe, Carlyle at Lanes End

HOA dues are $136 ($96 + $40) per month and there are Mello Roos.

This single family home is attached on one side; however, only the garage and master bathroom share a wall with the adjoining house, so noise shouldn't be an issue. The tandem, two-car garage has access both from the street in front and the lane behind, so the cars won't ever block each other in. I haven't seen this feature before but I think it's a great way to design a tandem garage.

From the entry, a long hallway leads straight to the back of the house. The dining room is on the left when you first enter the home. It has French doors on one wall (leading to the front porch) and large windows on another. There is plenty of room for furnishings and it has Berber carpet.

As you walk down the hall, there is a good-sized coat closet on the right, along with a set of cupboards (standard on the bottom, glass-fronted on top). Just past that, a short hallway leads to the half bath and garage. The small bathroom has a pedestal sink.

The kitchen is on the left. It has white, plantation-style cabinets with no handles or drawer pulls. The stainless steel appliances include a five-burner stove, oven, microwave and dishwasher. The cabinets and backsplash are white tile while the floor is a darker tile. A window above the sink looks out to the yard. The kitchen isn't large, but makes really good use of the space.

The family room sits at the back of the house, just beyond the kitchen. Like the dining room, it has Berber carpet. It has a single French door leading out to the yard, plus two full walls lined with windows. The third wall has a raised, tile hearth running the full length of the room. A fireplace with matching tile and white molding sits toward the back, while a built-in entertainment center is in the middle. The room is pretty big and even has enough space for a large piano.

The stairs to the second floor are at the front of the house. Just a few steps up, there is a small landing with a built-in desk, making it a great space for a small office.

All three bedrooms and the laundry room are on the second floor. The laundry room has a folding counter and a full set of upper cabinets.

The master bedroom is pretty big and, like the rooms downstairs, has Berber carpet. The back wall has two large windows with a window seat running beneath them. It also has a ceiling fan.

The master bath has a large tub in the middle, surrounded by white tile. On each side of the tub sits a pedestal sink with a set of three drawers and small counter next to it. The bathroom also has a small window seat, with storage below. The shower is average sized. There is a walk-in closet with a single shelf and hanging rod.

The other two bedrooms sit across from each other at the end of the hall. They are comparable in size and both have standard, two-door closets. One has windows on two walls. The other has two small windows plus a door that leads to a balcony overlooking the street. The balcony is small and mostly enclosed.

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These rooms share a bathroom off the hall. It has a single counter with two sinks and plantation-style cabinets. The shower/tub combo is done in basic white tile. Like the master bath, all of the hardware is chrome.

The house has a cute, country cottage style inside and out. It is well-priced for the neighborhood and when compared to similar, nearby homes. I think they made good use of the space and the owners have taken good care of the home.

The main agenda item for the May 27 Irvine City Council meeting is the decision regarding how to distribute funds from the Community Partnership Fund Grant. Mayor Choi asked for approval of $250 to the Korean American Federation of Orange County. Councilmember Agran requested funds for the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association, Irvine Pakistani Parents Association, Orange County Human Relations, Friends of Outreach, Arts Orange County, and AIDS Services Foundation Orange County. By the time you read this the city council meeting will have occurred. So if you want to see what organizations were approved, you can watch the archived video of the city council meeting. In the meantime, here is brief description of each of these organizations.

From what I will admit was a brief search on my part, it is unclear if the Korean American Federation of Orange County is a for-profit or non-profit organization. A memo from Major Choi states: "The Korean American Federation of Orange County is a non-profit organization that provides resources including mentoring and scholarship programs, language classes and hosts many cultural events in an effort to create friendship and ties within the community." However, although not many sites exist online that might help define the nature of this organization, some sites seem to suggest that this is a for-profit business. Bizapedia provides this information: "Korean American Federation Of Orange County is a California Corporation filed on May 22, 1995. The company's filing status is listed as Active and its File Number is C1763967. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Jin Oh Kim and is located at 9888 Garden Grove Blvd Garden Grove, CA . The company's principal address is 9888 Garden Grove Blvd Garden Grove, CA 92844. The company has 1 principal on record. The principal is Taek Choi Jung from Irvine CA." If anyone has any information on this, please leave a comment here or in Talk Irvine.

The South Coast Chinese Cultural Association is a 503c3 (non-profit) corporation at 9 Truman in Irvine. Activities include a school, arts, culture, and humanities.

"The Irvine Pakistani Parents Association [nonprofit 501c(3)] is a collection of Irvine and Orange County based parents, who join hands to promote Pakistani culture, as well as encourage parent leadership at Irvine schools. The IPPA is also committed to giving back to the community, the Irvine Public Schools Foundation and Irvine schools by staging various fundraising events throughout the year."—Irvine Pakistani Parents Association

"OC Human Relations provides programs in collaboration with schools, individuals, cities, businesses, foundations and the county to support a vision of an Orange County where our diversity is realized as a source of strength." Programs include Creating Safe and Inclusive Communities, which makes use of the award winning BRIDGES school program; Developing Diverse Leaders, which empowers people to have a voice in the decision making processes of the institutions that affect their lives; and Mediating Conflict, which encourages dialog as an alternative to violence and litigation. See more at the Orange County Human Relations website.

Friends of Outreach is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3, all volunteer, Irvine based organization that helps support the City of Irvine senior outreach programs. (All donations to the organization are tax deductible.) The group conducts service projects, fund-raising programs, and weekly social activities at Lakeview Senior Center. Activities are OPEN to ALL. Community members are encouraged to join, participate, and make friends while serving a worthy cause."—City of Irvine

"Arts Orange County an independent nonprofit organization, is the officially-designated local arts agency of the County of Orange and its official state-local arts agency partner." The partners are The Million Plates Drive, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, and the County of Orange.

*The Million Plates Drive is a public/private partnership to restore funding for the arts in California through sales of the California Arts Plate.

* "The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds and promotes artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities."Top of FormBottom of Form

*The California Arts Council is the proud founding sponsor for Turnaround Arts CA -- a program using arts education strategies to significantly improve ten of California's lowest performing elementary schools. The Council invested $300,000 in the launch of this powerful arts education initiative, using one-time funds generously provided by the California State Assembly."

"AIDS Services Foundation Orange County's (ASF) mission is to prevent the spread of HIV and improve the lives of men, women, and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County….ASF helps more than 1,600 men, women, children, and families in Orange County living with HIV disease. Services include food, transportation, housing, emergency financial assistance, kids and family programs, mental health counseling, support groups and HIV education and prevention services."—AIDS Services Foundation Orange County

Again, you can watch the recent Irvine City Council meeting to see what decisions were made on allocating grants to these organizations.

Woodbridge Single Family Updated Home in Outer Loop

32 Morning Dove $835,000

Turning off West Yale Loop onto Stone Creek N, and then onto Sparrowhawk takes you to this upgraded and remodeled, detached single family home in the outer loop of Woodbridge. Just reduced from $847,500, the home shows well from the curb and all the way through to the backyard and patio that overlooks the park. Several visitors started their Memorial Day holiday weekend with a Saturday tour of this property.

Significant Numbers: On the market about 45 days, this all on one level, three bedroom, 2 bath single family home has 1,525 sq. ft. on a 4,356 sq. ft. lot. Built in 1977, the home has HOA dues of $82. It is $548/sq.ft. There are no Mello Roos taxes.

Close up: Moving down the side entrance and stepping into the entry, there is a large step down living room on the left with custom mantel fireplace, bay window nook, vaulted ceilings, and new carpeting.

Straight ahead the formal dining area overlooks a striking atrium retreat.

To the right the kitchen and casual dining area overlook the patio and back yard that has wood and wrought iron fencing.

The kitchen has been enlarged with a custom pantry and upgraded with new cabinetry, granite counters and stainless appliances.

Around the corner, the master bedroom overlooks the atrium and has a new vanity and recessed can lighting. There are two more bedrooms and another full bath.

This floor plan has been widely used in Woodbridge but this is one of the nicest interior treatments of it that I have seen.

More specifics:
Single family home
Bedrooms, 3
Baths, 2
Detached, no common walls
Central furnace, central air
Laundry in garage
Two car garage
Two parking spaces
Association pool, spa
Irvine Unified School District

What should be considered? This single family home is completely detached and all on one level. On the plus side, it overlooks the park and has been nicely upgraded throughout. On the down side, the lot has been well used but is a bit snug and the home sits in the outer loop not far from Culver St. traffic. Woodbridge's Stone Creek Swim Club, tennis courts and top schools are nearby. On the price side, the property competes with a number of other key spots in Irvine and Orange County, also delivering nice asset packages.

Who will move in? A young family valuing the park access and Irvine Unified schools will be attracted. Families with more mature members will be drawn to this all one level home. Professional couples looking for an appealing, move in ready home, needing little updating, that's close to everything, will check this one too.

Recent nearby listings: 34 Morning Dove, $799,000; 30 Bluejay, $829,000

Recent nearby sales: 3 Ironwood, $839,980; 38 Bluejay, $720,000