PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

One aspect of the community of Portola Hills in Lake Forest that stands out the best is the location.    Portola Hills is located in the east end of South Orange County at the foothills of the Saddleback Mountains.   Which offers a beautiful environment for all residents. At the top of the community is a lovely community park, Concourse Park.  The park offers a wide range of amenities, that include: Two Picnic Areas, Kids Play Area, Basketball Court, Walking Path, Restrooms and plenty of Open Area.  But I think what residence like the most is that it sits at the entrance of Whiting Wilderness Park.   We took a walk recently and wanted to share with  you some photos of why we enjoy the park so much! Concourse Park Portola Hills Concourse Park Play Area A view from Walking path in Concourse Park View of Whiting Ranch from Concourse Park Concourse Park Exercise Equipment Concourse Park Walking Path We also shot a quick video on our walk to give y

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

It's May, yes May and the Portola Hills real estate market is moving along at quick pace.  April in general is a quiet month for real estate and this can be seen with only 4 homes closing escrow in April.   However, we did see an increase in the number of new listings that came on the market.  Currently there are 8 active properties on the market. Below is a our monthly snapshot info-graphic for Portola Hills.   Overall inventory levels in South Orange County are extremely low.   We did have a jump in new listings in April, but they are selling quicker than new homes coming on the market.  The average days on the market in April was 11.   Buyer demand is very high, especially for the condo market and homes priced under the median price of $700,000.  If you are thinking of a move, now is a great time to take advantage of the low inventory and get top dollar for your home.   Let's grab a cup of

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

I don't know if you are as shocked as I am that we have officially closed the 1st Quarter of 2016.   We are just about mid-month into April and many have taxes on their mind.  Is a move this next year beneficial for tax savings? The first quarter of the year typically is a bit quieter up until tax time. Then we tend to see the spring surge in inventory come on the market.  Will that be the case for the rest of spring... The market certainly needs more inventory so I hope so Homeowners who chose to sell their Portola Hills home in this last quarter saw significant price gains.   Below is a look at the entire area along with the gains split out for attached and detached homes. Portola Hills 2016 Real Estate Sales Jan-March Portola Hills 2015 Real Estate Sales Jan-March Comparing 2016 vs 2015 the number of sales was down slightly with 23 sold in 2015 and 21 sold in 2016.   The median sales price in Portola Hills is up about 15% from 2015.  The lowest price

Spring in Portola Hills is probably one of my favorite times of year.  The weather is just perfect.  Cooler mornings and evenings, keep the green on the hills.  As well the sunsets this time of year are just beautiful. Of course one of the other aspects I like about spring is the real estate market starts to heat up after a couple of quiet months.   However, in Portola Hills march was still pretty quiet, but so was the rest of South Orange County.  Inventory overall is very low throughout the county. Below is a snapshot of the Portola Hills Market: As you will note there was a significant up tick in the median sales price.  It is always important to note the mix of homes sold during this time last year was a balanced mix of both condo's and single family residence. This March the mix was all single family residences.   The lack of condo sales is a true indication of the low inventory.  In Portola Hills the average condominium sells between $375,000 to $500,000.  

We just sold this lovely 3 bedroom Serenado Paired home in Portola Hills to our buyers.  Thought it would be interesting for our readers to understand why they picked this house...  Why our buyer liked it.... Great open floorplan, rare 3 full bathrooms, larger kitchen, office nook, 2 car garage and a great entertainers yard.  Were just a few reasons they liked it.   19532 Dorado Dr, Portola Hills The community amenities were high on their list as well.  Low HOA, Low Tax Rate and no Mello Roos.   This home in Portola Hills falls under the Portola Hills II Homeowners Association which includes a Pool, Spa, Clubhouse, Gym, Sauna, Tot Lot, Volleyball and much more.  In addition it located walking distance to Portola Hills Elementary School and Whiting Ranch. If you are looking for a similar home, make sure to contact us today to be put on our waiting list .  These homes are very popular and sell fast.