PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

Who is ready for Fall!  With this week being the official start of Fall 2015, I thought it would be fun to put together a Portola Hills Community Contest to celebrate the season.  Well maybe secretly I am hoping it will bring some cooler fall weather along with it! It is simple.. Decorate your Front Door, send us a picture and we will randomly pick the winning entry just in time for Thanksgiving!! The grand prize is a $50.00 grocery card.   Contest runs from 10/1/15-11/30/15. Portola Hills Fall Door Decorating Contest - Sponsored by Kelly Turbeville Terms apply... Contact Kelly direct for directions on how to enter. Open to Portola Hills residents only.  Participants agree photo will be shared publicly.

As Foothill Ranch is our neighbor and often lumped in with data and area information for Portola Hills, it is important to be aware of the real estate market trends for the overall area. This past month in Foothill Ranch 14 homes closed escrow with the Average price of $582k for 1725 square feet in 71 days. Foothill Ranch Closed Real Estate Sales August 2015 Foothill Ranch Closed Real Estate Sales August 2014 In 2014 during the same time period August, 8 homes closed escrow with the Average price of $664k for 1997 square feet in 81 days. Comparing the two years, though the number of sales are up in 2015, with the mix of what sold the average pricing for the area looks be down.  However, when you split out detached homes the average sold price was $739k, which is up about 11% from 2014. Comparing what homes sold in Foothill Ranch vs Portola Hills this past month, the price per square in foot in Portola Hills averaged $357 per square foot vs. Foothill Ranch $

Are you looking for a view home?  You will want to stop in and check out this lovely paired home in the community of Portola Hills in Lake Forest.  This is a 3 Bedroom, 2.5 bath home with over 1600 sq. ft and offers AMAZING views of the Saddleback Mountains... Open from 12:00 pm on September 5th.. Open House by Kelly Turbeville Want more information on this home or other homes located in Portola Hills... Contact Kelly  with Century 21 Award!

Historically August is a quiet month in the real estate market, people are finishing up vacations and getting kids ready for school, etc.  In Portola Hills however this wasn't the case when it comes to the  number of homes that sold as we saw a 37% increase  in the number of closed escrows over August of 2014. In 2014 5 homes closed escrow in 2015 8 homes closed escrow...   Below is a breakdown of what homes sold in both years. Portola Hills August 205 Home Sales As you will note this last month, 8 homes successfully closed escrow with average price point of approximately $503,000. Portola Hills August 2014 Home Sales In 2014, 5 homes closed escrow, with an average price point of $490,000.    Comparing the two years in regards to pricing we saw a 9% increase in the sales prices .   Still outpacing Orange County as a whole, but down from the double digit price increase we saw in June and July. With the last quarter, anticipated homes sales, can slow down

Today I took a stroll through the Crown Point neighborhood in the community of Portola Hills in Lake Forest, California.  This is a quaint community of 58 Single Family Detached Luxury Estate homes. Crown Point Estates in Portola Hills I like this community for many reasons, one reason, it's small and located on two wide culd-a-sac streets that offer amazing views of either the Saddleback Mountains or the Pacific Ocean.  Check out our quick video of the neighborhood.     The community was built in the early 90's by Richmond American Builders. Many of the homes have been updated to today's standards, they have four spacious floor plans and is part of the Portola Hills II Homeowners Association, which includes exceptional amenities such as Sparkling Pool, Spa, Playground, Tennis, Volleyball, Gym, Clubhouse and more.   Floor plan Details include: P lan 1:    5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, 2 Fireplaces, 3 Car Garage and 2948 Sq. Ft Plan 2:    5 Bedrooms, 3 Ba

Rental market in Portola Hills?  You might be thinking wait there are not any apartments in Portola Hills, so how many rentals can their be.   Did you know there are over 280 rental properties in Portola Hills.  So far in 2015 33 residences have rented*. In 2014 a total of 38 residences were rentals, below is a summary of what has rented so far this year.. Portola Hills Rentals Breaking the above data down, shows the average rent in Portola Hills was $2477 and that was for 1463 square feet.  Overall the price per square footage is at $1.79 per square foot. This is 7% increase from 2014, where the price per square foot averaged $1.67.   This increase is pretty consistent with the rest of Orange County.  A report in the OC Register in July noted pricing overall in the County increased 6.9%. When working with tenants I find they are drawn to Portola Hills for the same reason homeowners are, it's a nice residential area, low crime,  centrally located within Orange County w

I was taking a stroll through the Portola Hills neighborhood this morning and I love seeing some of the new landscaping residents are putting in to deal with the drought.   This is certainly needed and the Realtor in me always smiles as curb appeal is key in your homes value. Curb Appeal by Kelly Turbeville Why is curb appeal so important to homeowners? We all know first impressions are everything.. right!  Doesn't it make you feel good when you walk up to your house and see how great it looks.  Have you ever walked up to a house with poor curb appeal? Now jump ahead and imagine that feeling if you were a home buyer... Does your home need a little updated curb appeal.... Here are 10 Low Cost and Quick Updates, you can do this weekend! Clear the way .. The path to your front door should be wide, think of two people walking shoulder to shoulder. Cut back any overhanging plants or encroaching shrubs. Lite the route.. Landscape lighting is a quick and easy wa