PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

We have created two very unique real estate reports for both home buyers and home sellers and guess what they are FREE!  Why... we know long before you call a Realtor in today's age, you begin to do some research.  So we wanted to help you review details that pertain to your home search or home sale. Our first guide is for the home buyer .  Whether you are a first time buyer, move up buyer or coming back into the market our FREE guide will help you be prepared and put you on the road to a smooth escrow. Things to consider when buying a home Our second guide is for the home seller . Whether you are selling your home for the first time or have sold other homes in the past this guide gives you up to date information relative to today's market.   In addition to these two reports, if you are considering a move and want to review the value of your home before you reach out to a Realtor, make sure to request our FREE Home Value Report. . Even if you aren't think

What a difference a year makes in Real Estate.  This past month the real estate market in Portola Hills took a dramatic pause.   What do we mean by a pause? Looking at the number of homes sold and comparing to the previous year; sales were down dramatically.  The area had only 2 closed escrows in the month vs. 8 in 2015. The two homes that closed escrow were in the Bella Palermo  complex; both condo's.  The good news of course... prices were up.  Below is look at what homes closed escrow in October. Portola Hills Condo Home Value: Oct 2016 Median: 3 Bedroom/1156sqft. = $436k or $378 per square foot.   Oct 2015 Median: 2 Bedroom/1014sqft. = $345k or $337 per square foot. Great news for condo owners in Portola Hills, from this time last year home values were up 21% in October!    Overall in South Orange County the Condo/Townhome market is extremely strong.   Supply of available homes is extremely low and demand is very high.  What is the Value of my Port

It's that time of year.. the kiddos will be out and about and excited to see your home decorated in the Halloween spirit.  I have lived  and worked in Portola Hills since 1995 and I have always loved how the neighbors come together to make it enjoyable for the kids.   We use to have many driveway fire-pits and haunted garages as the kids walked the neighborhood! In that spirit we are hosting a fun contest on our Portola Hills Living Facebook Page.   It's super simple too!   1. Take a picture of your home.. day or night whatever shows off your decorations the best.    2.  Post your picture on our Portola Hills Living Page ... or send me a picture direct and I will upload for you. That's it... On Halloween, we will enter everyone who posted a picture into a drawing and randomly select the winner.  Seriously even if you have just a simple decoration as pumpkins in the yard... send a picture!! So what's the prize!!   A $50.00 Home Depot Gift Card!  

Make sure to mark your calendar to pop in and see this beautiful Executive home we are holding open this Saturday and Sunday.    Are you looking for a light and bright updated home in Lake Forest.. Then we have it.. check out the details: Details Include: 3456 square feet 5 Bedrooms with a Main Floor Bedroom and Bath Gourmet Kitchen with Soap Stone custom designed island and counters 6 Burner Thermador Stove and Appliances 3 Ovens..  YES 3 Ovens,  Perfect for holiday cooking. Formal Living and Dining with 19ft Ceilings Italian Tile Flooring State of the art Close Circuit TV/Phone/Security and Surround Sound System Huge Master Suite with his & her Vanities, 2 Walk-in Closets and a huge deck to enjoy a romantic sunset. Expansive Upstairs Bonus Room Inside Laundry Room 3 Car Garage Entertainers Backyard with Built In Grill, Fire Pit and Gardening Beds Amazing views Plus.... $130/Monthly HOA No Mello Roos! We will be open Saturday and Sunday the wee

It is an absolute beautiful day in Portola Hills this October 3rd..  A nice fall day.. with temps cooling a bit from the September warmth.    This is a great analogy for the real estate market in Portola Hills.  We expect things to cool down but comparing the numbers it continued to be pretty hot.. just like the September weather. Below is a snapshot of how the real estate market performed last month. For the overall market Portola Hills saw a 10% increase in home values from September 2015.   For the condo market the top selling home was 3 bedroom 1300 square foot Canyon Rim condo that sold for $490,000.  On the Single Family Detached side the highest priced home that sold was a 5 bedroom, 3400 Square Foot Crown Pointe Home that sold for $1,010,000.   (On a side note the Crown Pointe home was a flip bought as a short sale earlier in the year.) Currently there are 12 active listings on the market ranging in price for a 2 bedroom/900 square foot condo priced at $359

Fall in Southern California may not offer cool crisp temperatures but it does offer plenty to do with the spirit of fall in mind.  Get out enjoy the community! Below are some local events you wont want to miss.... October 8th:   Autumn Fall Festival  Time:  4-9 pm Location: Heritage Hill Historical Park October 14 & 15th:   Haunt at Heritage Hill  Time:  6-10:30 pm Location: Heritage Hill Historical Park October 22nd:   Hallow's Eve Bowl Jam  Time:  5-10 pm Location: Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest October 23rd: Taste of Lake Forest Time: Noon-4 pm Foothill Ranch Towne Centre October 29th: Special Needs Game Nigh t Time: 7-9 pm Location: Lake Forest Sports Park October 30th : Taste of Lake Forest Celebration Event Time: Noon-3 pm The Orchard Shopping Center Click on the event for details direct from the City of Lake Forest and event holders.  Hope to see you there!!

I know I always say this.. but can you believe how fast the year is going. Summer is over, we just had Labor Day and the kids are back in school.   So how did the last month of summer 2016 real estate market fair in  Portola Hills? As with most of South Orange County the real estate market, quieted down a bit. Which is typical this time of year.  Though for my business I felt as if open house traffic was up.   It is not that buyers are not there.. they just were distracted with the summer events.    Below is a look at home values for Portola Hills in August. Portola Hills August Home Values With summer distractions come longer days on the market.  The average days to sell a home in Portola Hills in August was 49 days. What's the value of my Portola Hills Home -Free Report As we enter Fall we should continue to see home values balance out.  In July we saw a 20% increase in home prices from 2015... In August the mix that was sold gave us a 3% increase from