PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

Do you want to have input on the planning of the new 5-Acre park as part of the Portola Center and Portola Hills Community?  Mark your calendar for June 3rd at 6:30pm-8:30pm and you can have input on the overall design and amenities for the future of Portola Park.    The proposed park site will be located on the south side of Glenn Ranch Road near the Saddleback Ranch Road Intersection.   Workshop will be held at the Lake Forest City Hall at 25550 Commercentre Drive, Lake Forest Ca. Concourse Park Portola Hills Hope to see you there!!

May 2015 has come and gone.. It's the unofficial start of summer and the end of the spring selling season.   So what how did the real estate market perform for Portola Hills? During May 15 homes closed escrow in Portola Hills that is up from 9 in 2014. The average sell price for 2015 was $618,679 up from $528,833.  This makes the average sales price up 15% from 2014.   An interesting note as well is the days on the market.  The average days on the market for this last month was 46 days down from 67 days, a 30% decrease in the days on the market.  What is interesting the overall inventory 2014 was slightly less then it is today, which should have indicated less days on the market.   However what it shows is the market today is Hot, Hot, Hot!  Homebuyers are ready to buy, but inventory is extremely low, thus pushing up prices. Portola Hills May 2015 Sold Homes If you want to take advantage of the strong market as these home sellers NOW is the time to list your home

The Estates Portola Hills The Estates neighborhood is located in Portola Hills a community on the border of Lake Forest and Trabuco Canyon. The Estates are a Single-Family neighborhood that offers amazing Portola Hills views.  Located on the cross-streets of Malabar and Highridge, homes on this ridge provide amazing views to the Pacific Ocean and the Saddleback Mountains. The community consist of 142 homes and offers four floorplans with the following details: Graceland* - 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, 2271-2571 sq. ft, with a 3 car garage San Simeon - 5 Bedrooms, 4 Baths, 2821 sq. ft, with a 3 car garage Hermitage - 4 Bedrooms, 4 Baths, 3063 sq.ft, with a 3 car garage *This tract offers 4 rare single family homes in this tract. This tract falls into the Portola Hills II Association that offers many amenities, such as club house, gym, pool, spa, tot lot, volleyball, etc. Currently homes are selling between $750,000 to over $1,000,000.  Currently only One home is activ

Yesterday we had what seems like a rare encounter these days, rain!  With the current drought in California, I don' think this made any difference other than in bringing a little comfort to our lawns and I will have to say our souls. But it sure was nice to see!  I don't know about you but we hunkered down, made a big crock pot of chicken chili, watched movies and enjoyed the day looking forward to a little green the rain will bring to the Saddleback Mountains. Hope you got to enjoy the day too!

Can you believe it, the calendar has hit April!!  That means we are officially into the second quarter of the year.  In real estate terms this is when the selling season really begins to take off.  Here in Portola Hills, the first quarter started off slow.. inventory remained light from the new year on, but as of this post it has started to pick up with 5 new homes listed this week. Take a look at what sold so far this year! Portola Hills Homes Sales Jan-March 2015 With 5 new listings active this week, it always makes me wonder why homes sellers wait to sell later in spring when the competition is more.  The rule of supply and demand certainly prevails in real estate.  Low Inventory and High Buyer Demand make early spring the best time to get top dollar on your home. The good news for Portola Hills, it is a sought after neighborhood, offering a great school, great selection of homes from condo's to estates and best of all it is tucked away close to the Saddleback Mountai

Spring is typically the "Real Estate Season"..  for home buying and selling but did you know typically February is a key month in that strategy...  Why... When list your home in early spring you have the best opportunity to receive top dollar for it.  Inventory is low... Buyers Demand is High and today we all know interest rates are still at historic low levels... Starting in April/May when real estate data starts to hit the market Sellers think it is the best time to list.. It's the herd mentality... Hey look my neighbors house is sold... should we list ours and the signs start to pop up. Currently in the market we are seeing busy open houses, multiple offers and price increases.  If you are considering selling your Portola Hills home,  let's sit and create a strategy to ensure you take advantage of the best timing the market offers. Below is a look at what sold in last month compared to 2014.  The exact number of homes sold but the price per square foot for th

I finally got a chance to pop in and see the new townhomes being built in the former Auto Center area in Foothill Ranch.   The community is part of what is being called The Village of Foothill Ranch, which currently includes the El Paseo and Camden Square  communities and is designed to be a walk-friendly neighborhood near the Foothill Ranch Towne Center. The El Paseo community is a gated mobile court townhome community with six floorplans ranging from a 1-Bedroom Carriage Units to a 3-Bedroom 1795 sq.ft townhomes.  Prices start today at $371,800 for the 1-Bedroom up to about $570,000 for the largest 3 Bedroom model.    What I liked about the floorplans is they are open, light and bright with nice finishes.. Of course always remember when you are looking at model homes some of those finishes you fall in love with are all upgrades.  But the overall standard finishes are nice and meet today's energy efficient needs and trends the millennial home buyer is searching for.   O

So today as I review the Portola Hills Real Estate market for November... I just ate a fortune cookie and it said... Allow yourself time.. you will reach success.. What a perfect metaphor for November real estate sales in Portola. Comparing 2013 vs. 2014 activity was certainly up.  In 2013 had a total of 7 sales and 2014 there were 13 sales...almost double. If you look at the price per square foot was slightly up at $309 per square foot overall. The Portola Hills market has overcome the negative effects of the downturn.. Portola Hills November Sold Properties 2014 Portola Hills November 2013 Sold Properties If you look at our recent sold property at 28476 Sassetta Way in Portola Hills this is a perfect example of how the market should be performing...  Homes that are priced right, available and present well are selling successfully today!! Kelly Turbeville Sold 28476 Sassetta Way If you are planning a move in 2015... let's grab a cup of coffee and review a

Fall has begun...the nights are a bit cooler and people are thinking about the upcoming holidays... So does how does this translate to the real estate market. For the first month of fall 9 homes were sold were in Portola Hills slightly down from 2013 where 11 homes were sold. Looking at the median price sold there was a 8% increase over last year! Below is a snapshot of what sold in October: Portola Hills October Closed Sales A common question I get asked this time of year is it really a good time to list your home.  Three reasons why it may just be the perfect time: Lower Inventory + Serious Buyers + Less Competition = Sold Success! If you are considering a move and would like to review timing to list your home don't hesitate to give Kelly a call!!!

Thinking about a move...and looking for a townhome with spectacular views... Then you have found it.  Check out our newest listing in Lake Forest and the community of Portola Hills. This lovely home boast Two Master Suites, Granite Kitchen, Wood Floors, Decorator Paint and Remodeled Master Bathroom Plus a spacious Two Car Attached Garage. Asking Price: $395,000 Interested in scheduling a showing.. Give Kelly a call.  This will go fast!! 28476 Sassetta Way Living Room 28476 Sassetta Way Kitchen 28476 Sassetta Way Granite Bar Master Bedroom Suite w/View Master Suite Bathroom Master Bath  Wood Flooring Throughout Front Entrance Front Patio with Panoramic Views Sunset Views Views from the Saddleback Mountains to the Pacific Ocean

Someone turned on the faucet for closed real estate transactions in June with 16 closed escrows throughout Portola Hills. Below is quick look at what closed in Portola Hills. Attached homes: June 2014 Attached Portola Hills Home Sold Detached homes: Portola Hills Detached Home Sales The same can be seen overall in Orange County, homes are selling.   The median home price in Orange County increased 10.4% over last year and at $595.000.   We are also seeing homes stay on the market a bit longer.... Why when for months now we have heard there is not enough inventory.  Inventory has increased but is still far below a balanced market.  What has changed is that buyers are being a bit hesitant with the increase in pricing.  So homes that are listed a bit high are staying on the market longer. If you are considering listing your home for sale, it is critical to have a strong pricing strategy that will bring you top dollar for you home in the time frame you

The 1st Month of the 2014 is down and are you wondering how Portola Hills real estate market did....? Five homes sold in the community.  The average square footage was 1735 sq.ft. and closed at $552,580. The highest rice sold was $724,900 for 2694 sq.ft.  The lowest sold price was $312,000 for 1000 sq.ft. and was sold over the list price by $8000 and only on the market for 33 days. Portola Hills Average Closed Sales Jan 2014 Below are the properties that sold. Overall the days on the market averaged about 35 days which is pretty quick considering we were just finishing up the holidays. Portola Hills 2014 Sold Property Detail. Currently there are only 6 homes listed on the market in Portola Hills.  Which is low for this time of year as we begin the spring season.   If you are considering a move, give Kelly Turbeville a call to review the best strategy to get your home sold.  Inventory is low, buyer demand is still high and interest rates have rema

Wondering what  is selling in Portola Hills.   Below is a listing of all homes that sold in June along with two that has closed escrow in this first week of July. Three homes sold over asking pricing at an average of about 5% over asking. The average sales price in June 2012 was $347k with 7 homes sold. Average sale price in June 2013 is $542k with 10 homes sold.  Of course the important factor here is mix of homes that sold, but it does give you an idea of the increase in home values we are seeing due to the low inventory.   Though inventory has increased it is still far below buyer demand.  If you  are considering a move, now is the time especially with the anticipation  of higher interest rates in the last half of 2013. If you are looking for a detailed report on your home value, don't hesitate to contact Kelly direct.

As we enter summer in Portola Hills, all signs for the real estate market are hot, hot, hot!  Low inventory, high buyer demand are the key factors keeping this market hot!! Typically this time of year we see an increase in listing activity but all over Orange County the number of new listings is down.  Overall the economy is improving, prices are up but some homeowners are still siting on the fence...  Maybe waiting for price increases, maybe repairing credit after taking hit, the answers are in the hands of homeowners, but one thing is certain those who have decided to sell are receiving top dollars for their home. If you are considering a move and looking to move up into that dream home then you will want to keep in mind with the continued low interest rates and high buyer demand you truly have entered the perfect storm to sell and buy your next home. Portola Hills April-May 2013 Closed Sales   In April and through today, 9 homes have sold in Portola Hills.  On the snapshot

We wish Everyone a day filled with Blessings! Portola Hills Sunset View

We all have an idea of what our dream house look's like, but what is really fun is seeing the imagination of what a child thinks their dream home look likes.  We created this Dream House Coloring Contest with the kids in mind.  "I love seeing the faces of little ones when out showing properties and saying to them which room is yours, they get so excited".  So let's have some fun... Color away! Click on the picture, download hand it to the little ones and let them color away.....  Send it on in and they just may win an $50.00 Toys R Us gift card. Foothill & Portola Hills Dream House Coloring Contest Deadline to enter is March 1st.  

Wowza, 2012 turned out to be a pretty busy year for the the communities of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills in Lake Forest.   Nice to see properties began to move and better yet, prices started to increase towards the end of the year.   The year ended with extremely light inventory of homes for sale, Portola Hills had just 1 listing available and Foothill Ranch had 6 active listings.   If you are thinking of a move, now is the time to contact your Realtor, the rules of supply and demand are true , low inventory, high demand + low interest rates pretty much guarantee your home will sell at an increased price. Please, please do not under value your home.  We are seeing new listings come on the market valued way below market.   Pricing your home at the correct market value will bring you the right results! Take a look at how the market did and if you would like a specific review of your neighborhood, give us a call!