PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

Thought I would share this article on Tips for First Time Homebuyers published in the O.C. Register.  It is very comprehensvie. If you know someone considering buying their first home, give us a call.  First Time buyers are one of our favorite clients to work with.

OK, this is disturbing... According to a report in the Orange County Register this morning, Portola Hills has the highest percentage of homes currently on the market that are in distressed situation.  First, Distressed is identified as any property that is either being sold as a Short Sale/ REO /or has a Notice of Default. Currently in Portola there are 16 active properties listed on the market and 10 of the properties are listed as Distressed. So if you do the math, 10 of 16 equals 62%, which is high!    But there is a key point missing in this report and that is there are only 16 homes for sale in Portola Hills.   Overall in Orange County the number of distressed homes on the market equals 30%. So what does this mean.  There is no doubt Portola Hills like everywhere else is being effected by the current market.   The difference however is the low inventory. With only 16 homes on the market the demand for the area does tend to out weigh negative perception, especially i

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I think the term "a successful short sale" is a bit of an oxymoran.   Why you may ask.  Because for any homeowner who has to go through the decision of short selling their home, finding success comes with letting go of some dreams.   My goal in real estate has always been to help my clients succeed with their real estate possibilities.  But I struggled with finding success in loss.  But there is success, when a client can move forward with their lives and helping them is a privelage and a responsibilty I don't take lightly. I want to thank my clients for giving me the opportunity to help them close one chapter of their life and breath as the next chapter begins.  Thank you!

Friends of Portola for Responsible Planning (I guess this is a new group) is holding a community strategy meeting on Wednesday, June 16 at 7 p.m. at the Portola Hills I clubhouse. Mark your calendars: What: Community Strategy Meeting Where: Portola Hills I Clubhouse When: Wednesday, June 16 Time: 7 p.m. Bring a notebook and a pen and be ready to offer ideas to impact this project for the better.

Wondering how the real estate market is fairing in Portola Hills, here you go!

Last night to a "small" crowd of Portola Hills residents and the developers (Rancho Portola Investments, LLC and USA Portola Properties, LLC) gave an update of the current status of the new development coming to Portola Hills. Overall it was just a briefing that often got side tracked as it is evident residents aren't over ally happy about the new development. But whether happy or not, it is coming as the land owners have a right to develop the land they own and the city of Lake Forest is builtout. Hopefully there is truth in what the developers noted and they plan to work with the community to ensure the communities needs and concerns are met. First off, with the current economy there has no doubt been a delay but work is beginning. The prelim project has been approved by the city now the developer is working on the final approvals that will take at least 12 months, with community reviews along the way through the environmental process. That being said, ideally the cons