Turtle Rock Condo’s Flipside              
30 Brigmore  $789,000

Turning off Turtle Rock Drive  and winding back past  Canyon Park,  I found  myself on a curvy little lane facing 30 Brigmore Aisle.

The home sits amidst trees in a shady spot. But when you step inside, there is a flip side.  The condo opens to one light filled view after another of the park and distant hills. Perched above the park, the home makes the most of views from the master balcony and the patio off of the dining room.

Building on this setting, the marble entry, handsome wood floors, many windows, skylights and recessed lighting  give this condo a sure footed ease.  Entertaining here would be a breeze, and family time could be very special.

The home is furnished with many massive pieces of furniture,  but still manages to appear spacious and open. This condo is part of the Turtle Rock Summit Townhome Collection.

Significant Numbers:  This three bedroom, 2.5 bath condo has 2,160 square feet. It was built in 1990 and has been on the market 85 days.  The HOA is $422 and the $/sq.ft. is $365.  This is a standard sale and there is no Mello Roos.

Close Up: The marble entry leads into the living room, then on to the formal dining room and through sliding glass doors out to the patio. The kitchen and family room with fireplace are in the back to the right.  The master and two other bedrooms and two baths are up the stairs to the right of the front entry.

The kitchen has stainless appliances and granite countertops. The master has a balcony view, large walk in closet and roomy bath with oval tub and separate shower.  The garage has coated flooring.

Specifics for this 2 level condo:
Bedrooms, 3
Baths, 2.5
Sq.Ft., 2,160
$/Sq.Ft., $365
HOA,  $422
Built in 1990
Association pool and spa
Forced air heating, central air
Attached double garage, 2 parking spaces
One common wall attached
Irvine Unified School System

What should be considered here?  The view location is backed up with Irvine’s excellent schools and Turtle Rock’s many parks and hiking trails. Quail Hill and Woodbridge condos also compete with outstanding schools, parks, and views,  but Turtle Rock does especially well in placing condos in their own secluded settings, tucked away from the traffic, and very much a part of their surroundings.  But all of the bedrooms are upstairs and active families may opt for a single family home with more private outside space at this price level.
Who will move in?  A small family drawn to the area, the view, and the schools or a busy couple looking for a polished setting, may be the next owners. Or perhaps it will become an investment property feeding into a brisk rental market.

Recent Sales:   2 Longbourne  Aisle sold for $710,000 in October; 50 Brigmore Aisle sold in August for $725,000.     Recent listings: 11 Tulliver Aisles is $849.00; 10 Brigmore Aisle is listed at $785,000.

Discuss on Talk Irvine: http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,3357.0.html

Two Campanile Plans are on the market in Northpark Square are on the market at the same price. Neither back to major freeways or busy streets, both are almost at the same distance from the entrance to the community, both are the same shade of beige, and except for a slightly different treatment for entrance, it would be hard to tell them apart. That would be only if you are familiar with the area, and know the neighborhood.

For a potential client scouting via internet, it’s an easy task. Listed at $420/SF, the Realtor is bound to make a lot of money when the deal closes, but still, there are five grainy pictures of the property on the MLS. Grandfathered Blackberry models took better pictures than that. The schools aren’t listed correct. It’s not Pioneer Middle School anymore, it’s Orchard Hills. The HOA dues cannot be $1. At that amount, the HOA will end up spending more money processing your check. What riled me up was ““UPGRADES are to many to mention”. Really? I am not even questioning the use of spell-check here. The client who spent his money and time on upgrades at least deserves two lines explaining the work done on the house.

But then, tables are turning. Inventory is low. There are currently 241 homes on the market. Anything and everything will sell, and at any price. The house will probably sell itself without any help of the MLS pictures, or videos, or accurate listing data. “Stainless Steal appliances” will be just fine, the buyer will get the idea. 92606 is OK too. If you really zeroed in on the Northpark Square area, it shows on your search via Redfin.  Keywords matter more maybe.

Here are the addresses of the listed properties:
24 Spyrock, Irvine CA 92602
14 Longvale, Irvine CA 92602

Both are 3 Bedroom/ 2.5 bath Single Family Residences with 2000SF area, and 4000SF lot. They were built in 2006. Both are listed at $840,000, $420/SF.

Here is how Campanile homes performed last year when the inventory was in the 700-800 range:
2011:
9 Longvale  $365/SF
8 Inglenook $322/SF
20 Longvale $345/SF
64 Masterson $365/SF
21 Longvale $385/SF
15 Inglenook $339/SF

In the zip code 92602, inventory has dropped 30% on month-to-month basis, and 68% in year-to-year basis. Median sold price has grown 11.4% Price/SF on month-to-month basis, and 5.7% on year-to-year basis.

What do you think?
Is the Kool-Aid ready to drink?
Will the banks start doling out equity loans again?
What are your thoughts about Campanile properties, and Northpark Square area?

Share your thoughts and comments below, or at Talk Irvine, but before you leave, here is a bonus MLS listing picture for your viewing pleasure! This is the only picture the Realtor has used to list a San Simeon property in the guard gated Northpark!