Today I am reviewing a two level home in Northwood's Park Paseo Community. 40 Christamon West is found on a larger internal corner lot and situated on a cul-de-sac street across from Santiago Hills Elementary School and community amenities. The nicely landscaped large yard and location on a single loaded street left a feeling of privacy and openness.

Asking Price: $888,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.25

Square Footage: 2,191

Lot Size: 6,098

$/Sq Ft: $405

Days on Market: 10

Property Type: Single Family Residence

Year Built: 1985

Community: Northwood – Park Paseo

HOA dues are $89 per month and there are no Mello Roos taxes.

Prices in Northwood have been on the rise, however in the past 3 months it appears two level homes in this neighborhood have primarily sold for less than $400 per square foot. This house is in very clean condition and is well maintained, but has original textured ceilings, carpet that looked worn in areas, original doors with hardware and a couple of original features in the bathrooms. The rest of the home has been upgraded with wood flooring, a remodeled kitchen, updated windows and a relaxing backyard.

The front door is located up a few brick steps. Once inside, the entrance has outdated tile flooring which is a step up from the rest of the main level of the home. There is an abundance of natural light coming in from the extra-large windows throughout the living and dining rooms. Although the ceilings have the original texture, the cathedral ceilings provide an open feeling to the rooms. To the left is a wide carpeted staircase leading straight up to the second floor. There is also a hallway with one of the entrances to the kitchen and a 3-step down family room. To the right is the step down living room and dining room. The kitchen is located behind the wall, next to the dining room.

The living and dining room are carpeted while the hallway, kitchen and family room have hardwood floors. The living room windows face out toward the school's large green fields. The dining room window faces out to the backyard. One of the two kitchen entrances is found off of the dining room.

The kitchen has updated fluorescent lighting with a ceiling fan. There is a large window with a casual eating area sitting in front of it. An older dishwasher and updated sink with a garden window are located along the same wall. The corian countertop wraps around to the electric stovetop. There are plenty of cabinets and counter space. The cabinets are a cherry finish. On the other side of the entrance door are additional cabinets, built-in microwave, oven and refrigerator. The kitchen has railing that overlooks the family room which is three steps down. A pantry sits between the 3 steps and the casual eating area.

After walking down the three steps, a small nook and short hallway with a coat closet, garage entrance and bathroom are located to the left. The nook previously had a small wetbar, but currently has a desk. The family room has a brick fireplace in the middle of the wall. There are two large windows in the corner and a large sliding glass door.

The backyard is nicely landscaped. Out the sliding glass door you walk onto a small lattice covered patio. To the right is a path to a newer jacuzzi and towards the back of the yard is another small paved area that has space for entertaining. The remainder of the yard is grass and in the back is a low retaining wall with lush greens. The mature trees and a light post add a nice touch to the space.

The half bathroom sits next to the garage entrance. It has a long frosted window across the top of the wall. The bathroom is wallpapered and has granite countertops and cherry cabinetry. All bathrooms throughout the home have been remodeled with the same granite countertops and cherry cabinetry.

At the top of the staircase is one of the two sets of linen cabinets located in the hallway. All bedrooms are carpeted. It is clean but some sections look slightly worm. To the right are double doors leading into the master bedroom. The room is a good size with a two door mirrored closet next to the entrance. A step-up bathroom is found to the right, directly across from the bed. The double sinks are visible from the sleeping area and with a lack of a privacy door, the light and noise may affect a person that is still sleeping in the mornings and evenings. The carpet runs up to the vanity. The old fluorescent lighting still sits above the double sinks but the countertops and cabinetry are remodeled. To the left is the separate toilet and shower. Unfortunately the carpet continues into that space as well. The walk-in shower has been remodeled with a bench. On the opposite end of the double sinks is a walk-in closet.

The two secondary bedrooms on the right side of the hallway are similar in size and both have double mirrored sliding closet doors. The second bedroom appears slightly smaller than the first one. At the end of the hallway is the third secondary bedroom. It has double doors leading in to the room and is currently used an office. Two large corner windows look out to the front of the home. It has a single door closet.

An updated mirror, cherry cabinets and granite countertop are found in the shared bathroom. The floor is vinyl. The bath/shower combo is original with original 4 x4 tiles.

40 Christamon West is nicely remodeled and if you do not mind living across from an elementary school, it is a great location. At the end of the cul-de-sac is a walking path so with the greenbelt, school fields, community pool and tennis courts just steps away, it is ideal for any family. The price is just slightly higher per square foot than some comparable two level homes, but this home also has a larger than others in the neighborhood. 

I recently toured 16 Phillipsburg, a four bedroom house in Northwood's Courtside tract. This home has many upgrades and a downstairs office that could convert to a bedroom, though it doesn't have a closet.

The basics:

Asking Price: $846,000
Bedrooms: 3 + office (but listed as a 4 bedroom home)
Bathrooms: 3
Square Footage: 2,132
Lot Size: 4,790
$/Sq Ft: $397
Days on Market: 14
Property Type: Single Family Home
Year Built: 1985
Community: Northwood – Courtside
Schools: Brywood Elementary, Sierra Vista Middle School, Northwood High

HOA dues are $85 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

The house looks nice from the street and has a small front porch with enough space for a table and two chairs.

The living room sits just inside the entry on the left. It has high ceilings and windows on the front and side walls. Like the adjoining dining room, it has bamboo floors.

The dining room is pretty standard, with space for a large table and a single window on the side of the house. It has a doorway to the kitchen and is open to the front hallway.

The kitchen has been fully remodeled. Large, ceramic tiles make up the floor. There are also granite counters and espresso colored cabinets. While the dishwasher is white, the other appliances are stainless steel, including a five burner range, hood, and sink. It has plenty of counter space and a fair number of cabinets and drawers. There is a breakfast nook in front of a bay window overlooking the backyard.

The family room is a few steps lower than the kitchen. It has bamboo floors and French doors leading to the backyard. One wall has a full set of built-ins surrounding the fireplace. The white cabinets and shelves include a space for a flat-screen TV. The fireplace has ceramic tile at the edges. A small wet bar sits in a hallway just off the family room. Its cabinets and counters match the kitchen.

The hallway leads to the den, a full bathroom, laundry room and the garage. The den has a double-door entry and bamboo floors. A single window looks out to the sideyard. The room is a good size and could work as a bedroom if you added a closet.

The full bath is not attached to the room. It has a single sink, with cabinets and counters to match the kitchen. The shower/tub combo is newer, with brushed nickel hardware and nicer tiled walls. The laundry room has several sets of upper and lower cabinets with counter space for folding.

The master bedroom and two additional bedrooms are upstairs. The master sits near the top of the stairs, overlooking the backyard. Like the family room below, it has bay window that make a nice sitting area. Three mirrored doors span the full length of one wall. Overall, the room isn't very large, but the high ceilings and mirrored closets make it feel a little bigger than it actually is.

The master bath has also been completely redone, similarly to the kitchen. There are two sinks with brushed nickel hardware and individual mirrors hanging above each one. The stall shower sits next to the tub. I thought the shower was too small, but the bathroom is nice otherwise.

The secondary bathroom upstairs hasn't been remodeled at all. The original cabinets are white, with a plain, solid-surface counter and original hardware. The shower/tub combo also has its original white tile and hardware. There is a set of upper and lower linen cabinets in the hall outside the bathroom.

Both secondary bedrooms face the front of the house. The one on the left is a lot bigger and has a three-door, sliding closet. There is a ceiling fan and it has windows facing both the front and side.

The smaller bedroom also has a ceiling fan, but only one window. It has a large, walk-in closet. All upstairs bedrooms have the same flooring as downstairs.

The backyard is mostly hardscaped, with a raised garden around the edges.

Overall, the house is nicely redone and is move-in ready. The upstairs bathroom is the only original room in the house. I don't really like how the family room and den are four steps lower than the kitchen and wish that the downstairs was all one level. I also thought the last bedroom upstairs was too small. On the plus side, the home is a short walk from the community pool, tot lot, and tennis courts. It backs to a greenbelt and is a short walk to Brywood Elementary School without crossing any streets. The price per square foot is about $20-50 higher than most similar homes on the market, though there are a few that are $25 or more per square foot higher than this one.