PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

Thinking about selling your Portola Hills home, but considering doing it yourself.   Are you ready to hit the market as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO)? Before you sign on the dotted line with yourself, ask these 5 questions! 1.   Do you know and understand all required laws and pertaining documentation required?    In California the laws when selling a home are extensive. Do you have access to all the necessary forms? They cover, safety, hazard, disclosure, discrimination, environmental, tax, title and much much more.   2.   Do you have access to and a good relationship with a Title Company and Escrow company?   A home buyer/lender is going to require a complete title review of your property as well to ensure Title is insured. An escrow company as well would be required to ensure funds are maintained in a separate account and managed accordingly to local property laws, plus lending requirements Home Owners Association (HOA) details. 3.   Are you prepared to have th

As a Realtor you would expect me to know what homes are great deals and today I came across three in Portola Hills that are just that! Actually they are steals.. If you are looking to make a move to a larger home in a great neighborhood then make sure to check out two of these homes.  View all available Portola Hills Homes Here Portola Hills Deals for this week: 4 Bedroom / 3 Bath 2900 square foot JM Peters home.  2900+ Square feet at a price per square foot of $295. 4 Bedroom / 4 Bath 3100+ Square feet at a price per square foot of $281. Now you are probably wondering why I noted the square footage? The lowest price per square foot in the area for homes of this is $311 and that is for a smaller model. The median price per square foot in the area is $324.   That is about a 12% price below the current market value...    Below is a quick look at the price per square foot of the most recent sales this year.    Portola Hills Price Per Square foot. Th

We have hit the 6 month mark of 2016... yes today is June 1st, the unofficial beginning of summer after the Memorial Day holiday.  So what is happening in the Portola Hills real estate market so far.    Overall the market continues to shift from 2015.  We are still seeing increased pricing but sales volume is down from last year.   In May 9 homes closed escrow, which is down about 35% from May 2015.   The overall median sales price in May was flat compared to 2015.  Out of the 9 homes that closed escrow, 5 were Single Family Residence. The median sales price for a 3 bedroom 2197 square foot home was $810k The remaining 4 homes were condo's. The median sales price was $436k for a 3 bedroom 1151 square foot home. Are wondering why these numbers would be flat when we are hearing so much about the low inventory in south orange county? It is important to remember the median price is based on mix and with the number of sales down and the mix focused more on mid r

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