PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

  We took a look at the current real estate market and we only have 1 wish for Santa this Christmas... More Listings please!!  Overall, in the OC inventory is at record lows.  We are entering unprecedented levels when it comes to the number of homes on the market and available to buyers.    So we anticipate the market to remain strong in 2022, but there are a couple of factors that you should be aware of... but first let's look at how the Portola Hills real estate market performed last month.  As you can see in the above report the Portola Hills real estate market is extremely strong.  Currently there are only 6 Active Listings and 27 properties under contract.  That means we have less than half a month of inventory for prospective buyers.  With the majority of those homes, being new homes in IronRidge and Portola Oaks. The 3 hottest neighborhoods that sold in November were: Montecido at an average price of $590,000 Serenado at an average price of $885,667 IronRidge at an average p

Are you wondering if you missed the height of the real estate market?  Are you hearing homes are not selling as fast and the number of offers has died down.  This is partially true, but it is not because the market is shifting to buyers market...  It is a seasonal shift.  Did you know July and August, typically are the slowest months of real estate in the OC.  Why, simply summer distractions!   For our monthly Portola Hills market recap, this month we looked at how the market performed the last 3 months, from July - September.  Take a peek at the numbers below:   As you can see in the above report, homeowners who decided to sell in the last 3 months received on average 103% to their list price.  Low Inventory and Interest Rates remaining below 3% is keeping the buyer demand high.  Homes priced right are still selling quickly for over asking price.  For our clients this year we are averaging about 112% of list price.   I would caution sellers to simply list their home over the last home

June was a busy month in the real estate market and Portola Hills was no exception;  Just in time, before we see the market begin to shift with summer distractions no less.  Ready for this figure, homeowners who sold in June, received an over $700,000 in extra profit.   That is amount of money they received over the list price.  Unfortunately not all seller's had these results, surprisingly there were sellers who sold below market value as well.  Below is a snapshot of the how the Portola Hills real estate market finished in June.   If the home was priced right, presented well and available to see, most homeowners should have received multiple offers.  However, we did see in June a few homes sell below market and/or reduce pricing.  With the low inventory and high buyer demand this makes me wonder how strong the negotiations were.  In this market it is critical to work with an agent who's strength is in negotiations and will ensure your best interest are being looked after.  B

 It's our favorite time of year! We are hosting out Annual Portola Hills Food Drive to support South County Outreach.  Each year, the community does an amazing job collecting food for those who need it most.   We are super excited this year to coordinate the Portola Hills drive with our entire real estate team at Keller Williams Spectrum Properties in honor of Keller Williams Red Day.   Since May of 2009 our entire KW Family, from the U.S. and Canada to our family abroad, sets aside the second Thursday of the month to Renew, Energize, and Donate within the communities we serve.  GPS real estate group and Keller Williams Spectrum Properties took this a step further and are hosting a Red Month. From now through May 7th we will be collecting food to support the community.  Below is a list of food, we are collecting.  Donate Here If you would like to support the food drive, it is super simple.  Text me at the above number or you can click the donate here.  I will be collecting food Ma

We took a look at the Portola Hills real estate market and in one word, CRAZY! Sales volume is up, values are up, inventory of available homes is way down! Even at the new communities there is low inventory of available homes.  That means, Sellers can pretty much ask what they want for their home and if it is priced right, buyers are coming with aggressive offers.  As you can see from the above, values are up about 24% from the same time period last year.  That was right before Covid, landed on our doorsteps.  Who would have thought, we would see such strong growth during a pandemic.  Search Portola Hills Homes Buyer's have an insatiable demand for homes right now and want to take advantage of the low interest rates.  They are open to competing for the right home, and removing contingencies, etc. to ensure their offer is at least in consideration.  However, the offers are so strong, Seller's aren't even countering as they have a number of good offers to choose from. Ready

Community parks are so important to neighborhoods and here in Portola Hills, there are two major parks that offer residence an ideal spot to get outside and enjoy the nature around them.  The new Portola Park and Concourse Park This morning, I took a walk up at Concourse Park and was feeling very blessed to have such a nice amenity in my backyard.  The Park of nearly 8 acres, offers a variety of amenities as well, but one of the most impressive details is it is set up right against Whiting Wilderness Ranch which provides a beautiful scenic views. Amenities of Concourse Park include: 2 Covered Picnic Areas 2 Barbeques Large Grassy Area Play Area for Kids Walking Path 4 Exercise Stations 2 Water Fountains (for the pups too) Basketball court Public Bathrooms For a fee of $25, Lake Forest residents may reserve a park shelters for gatherings of fewer than 50 people without a special event application. To reserve a park shelter, click here. Location of Concourse Park in Portola Hills: Take

It is time for some fun!  So we thought it would be fun to do a Fall / Halloween Decorating Contest in the community .  Decorate your whole house or just your door.  All we want is for the community to have fun! It can be Halloween themed or if you prefer Fall or Harvest that is great too.  We will have two Grand Prizes:   Best House: $100.00 Home Depot Gift Card Best House: $50.00 Home Depot Gift Card Open to all communities in Portola Hills!  Check out details below!  Enter me in the Portola Hills Fall Decorating Contest Don't hesitate to reach out to Kelly Turbeville with any questions you may have.  

We are in about our 7th week of quarantine in Orange County and if you are anything like me, I am sure you are getting restless.  We just really hope no one in the community has been too affected by this virus either with their health or financially.  We get many questions asking how the real estate market is performing during this time? The good news is, it is hanging in there.  This is not like 2008!  The current inventory levels are extremely low compared to what we saw during the last recession.  The biggest impact to the real estate market is going to be unemployment, but pleasantly the numbers and activity in Portola Hills remained strong in April, as you can see below!  Looking at the above numbers you can see the strength of the market in two indicators.  First the list to sale price ratio. Seller's received over 100% of what they were requesting when they listed their home. Actually the received over! Most likely from multiple offers. The second indicator is the months o

Hard to believe we are half way through the year in 2017.   Time sure does fly by, so I hope you have been able to take some time and enjoy summer.   We have been busy with real estate as the market hasn't slowed down one bit, which is not typical for this time of year.  July and August are generally our slower months, as buyers and sellers are distracted by summer fun.    Below is a look a how the real estate market performed in July in Portola Hills. As you will note pricing is up 6% from this time last year, we also have more homes on the market with 15 vs 9 in 2016.  Homes are taking on average about 16 days to sell in Portola Hills.   However, I would anticipate that creeping up in August as summer distractions kick in high gear in August with last minute vacations and back to school. What's the Value of my Portola Hills home? Looking at the active inventory available in Portola Hills currently it is good to see more homes come on the market in the $4

Just a quick note to wish the residents of Portola Hills and throughout the Saddleback Valley, holiday greetings.  We hope your home is filled with love and laughter with those closest to you.. We believe a Home is a beautiful thing, especially at Christmas and are appreciative to all who we have helped with their real estate needs..

One of the prettiest aspects of living in Portola Hills are the awesome views.   Have you been looking for a view home in the area but have not had success finding it? Does the criteria you are searching for in a home include: South Orange County Location 4 Bedrooms Unique Floor plan with Large Living and Family Rooms Large Kitchen with Granite Counters and Large Outside Deck 180 Degree Panoramic View out to the Pacific Ocean Covered Patio with Pool Sized Yard 3 Car Garage with Tons of Storage Walking Distance to Award Winning Elementary School We have it and the best news of all... We just reduced the price by $15,000. Come check out our listing at 41 La Sordina.   We will be open Saturday 8/20 from 1pm. When you look at what has sold in the area, this home is a steal.   Take a quick peak at the most recent sales in the area. Like it.. Contact Kelly to schedule to a showing or pop into our open house!

Wow I was just looking at the overall inventory of homes available for sale in South Orange County and the inventory is sooo low.  Especially for Townhomes. Good thing I am holding open 2 homes today in Painted Trails in Mission Viejo.. 62 Sienna, Mission Viejo 72 Sienna, Mission Viejo Both of these homes are in an amazing location.  Overlooking the Oso Reservoir Surrounded by tranquil walking paths.   Slightly different floor plans but both boast Huge Master Suites and Extra Large Kitchens, that you rarely find in a Townhome.  62 Sienna is designed in a Traditional Style with lovely designer upgrades throughout.    Have you ever thought you want to live in a Moroccan Palace?  Then you certainly want to preview 72 Sienna .   No expense was spared with custom upgrades throughout the home...!! Painted Trails is a beautiful master planned community on the North East end of Mission Viejo.  Located directly across the street from Portola Hills and just as you e

Who likes to really do laundry?  Do you think if your laundry room was beautifully designed,  organized  you would like the chore more?   I don't know about you but one of my least favorite things to do is laundry and my laundry room shows that I don't have much love this chore.     However, recently  while I was previewing homes with a buyer, a wife commented she loved this one house, but wouldn't buy it cause the laundry room was awful.   It didn't have anything to do with size, the style of washer and dryer it was all about the aesthetics. The next house we looked at was just the opposite, the house wasn't great but the Laundry Room was beautiful. Guess which house the buyer wanted to put an offer in on.. you got it #2.   Why was the room so important... she felt it was a task she didn't really like, but she said she felt much more calm and about it when the room was beautiful. When I work with sellers, I will be honest as I preview the home to mak

Renting in Foothill Ranch, we can help!  When people think of Realtors they often do not think we also handle rental properties. The first thought is we Realtors just handle sales in real estate.  However a professional agent will handle rentals in several instances, i.e. buying investment properties for investors, handling the rental transaction with a tenant. Possibly even property management of the property, if licensed to do so. Even if agents do not handle rental transactions, it is important for agents to understand what the rents are in the area.   This week,  I took a quick look at the Foothill Ranch Rental Market.    Below is a snapshot by category of the average rents in the area.  It is important to note these are for properties owned by an individual and rented out not an apartment complex. Foothill Ranch Single Family Rentals 2015 In 2015 there were 33 Single Family Homes rented in Foothill Ranch with the average rent being $3064 for 1993 square foo

As we enter into the first month of January it's important to look at how the overall Portola Hills market ended.   As noted in my previous blog post, Portola Hills real estate closed transactions in December ended the month with a home value increase of 6%.  This is very consistent with the entire Orange County Real Estate market. Below is a quick look at the complete year.  The highest priced home sold for $1.1 Million and the lowest priced condo sold for $270k. Portola Hills 2015 Real Estate Sales Summary The number of closed sales (Volume) was up 7% from 2014.  Looking at the mix of properties the median price per home was up approximately 17%.   Of course, I always like to note this is a summary of all transactions. Each property type, have different levels of appreciation.   See our year end summary which includes each property type here Portola Hills 2014 Real Estate Sales Summary So what is on the horizon for 2016.   Looking at the current low inventory

Just a quick post to wish everyone a wonderful holiday.... We are a blessed to call Portola Hills home and serve such a great community.  We are also blessed to have some great clients who we are lucky to call friends.... Enjoy!!!

We recently had the pleasure of helping a resident find a new home....sadly it wasn't in Portola Hills.  But they found a lovely home in Laguna Hills that fit their needs perfectly and we wanted to share in case you are in the search for something similar.. The buyers criteria had two main must haves for their new home... First... it had to be a single level and second include a pool and of course priced in their price range of under $700k.  I will admit not the easiest task in South Orange County.  Single level homes with pools are hard to find and with the median price range over $727k, to find one as lovely as this was a great find.    The 3-Bedroom, 1742 square foot home was located on a private cul-de-sac street and recently upgraded throughout.   25011 Carol Ln. Laguna Hills Details included: Distressed Wood Flooring, Travertine Tile, Custom Lighting, Remodeled Gourmet Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Counters, Farmhouse Sink, Fireplace in the L

If you haven't heard... El Nino is on its way to SoCal.  Actually it is already here, just the rainy part is projected to start and consistently happen from January through March and as you know Portola Hills and the Canyon areas of the South Orange County can get hit hard with rain and wind.   Personally I knew in the back of my mind, I needed to do some maintenance around the house.... but with no rain in site... yes I procrastinated.   Well today as I was having new satellite service installed, I looked up to see a lovely site (ugh) one of my eaves is having an issue.. Water, Termite, Clogged Gutter, not sure what... but what I know for sure... It is time to prepare for El Nino...   Over the last few years with the drought, things we didn't really have to worry about are about to hit us all. As I was thinking about my house,  I pulled together the following list of items to consider as you prepare your home for El Nino 5 Quick Home Maintenance Tips to do before El N

As I write this post the feeling of fall is in the air.  It's a cool 70 degrees out.  A welcome relief, I believe from the hot September we had.   It is also the perfect metaphor for the Portola Hills real estate market.   Don't forget to enter our Fall Door Decorating Contest!!  In September there were 12 homes sold in Portola Hills, that is up from 8 in 2014, which is a 34% increase in volume.   So you can say the market in September was pretty hot... just like the weather.   Below is a look at the homes that closed escrow in the community.  September 2015 Portola Hills Real Estate Sales As we enter October, we should certainly see the number of sales fall i.e. decrease.  This is typical for the fall.  Homes begin to stay on the market longer, though buyer demand is still strong, people tend to want to be settled in their new home before school starts and the fall/holiday festivities begin. That doesn't mean fall is a bad time to list your home. Homes

We took a little stroll through the Bella Palermo townhome complex in Portola Hills this morning.  This community is located on the corner of Malabar and Saddleback Ranch Road in Portola Hills. Bella Palermo in Portola Hills It is a serene community with 198 homes offered in 6 different floorplans. Residence 1: 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 940 sq. ft. with a 2 car garage Residence 2: 2 bedroom, 2 bath 984 sq.ft with a 1 car garage Residence 3: 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1085 sq.ft. with a 2 car garage Residence 4: 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath 1105 sq.ft with a 2 car garage Residence 5: 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath 1205 sq.ft with a 2 car garage Residence 6: 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath 1305 sq.ft with a 2 car garage Home amenities, depending on the floorplan include:  Central Air Conditioning, Volume Ceilings, Cozy Fireplaces, Private Fenced Courtyards and Built in Wine Racks. Association Amenities include:  Pool, Spa, Fitness Room, 2 Tot Lots, Clubhouse and is surrounded by miles of hiking and biking trails.