PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

The new year always brings New Real Estate Laws, 2021 was no exception.  There were 4 laws that homeowners, home buyers, investors and tenants should be aware of.  As well, if you are hiring a Real Estate Agent to represent you, they absolutely should have extensive knowledge on these new laws.   Proposition 19 (Statewide Tax Basis Portability) With the passage of Proposition 19, a homeowner who is 55 years of age or older, severely disabled or whose home has been substantially damaged by wildfire or natural disaster may transfer the taxable value of their primary residence to: •    A replacement primary residence •    Anywhere in the state •    Regardless of the value of the replacement primary residence (with adjustments if "greater" in value) •    Within two years of the sale •    Up to three times (but without limitation for those whose houses were destroyed by fire) Proposition 19 will supersede the old rules which limited this exemption to the sale and purchase of a pri

Ever get the itch to do a DIY project? Whenever we do, our favorites involve getting outdoors and mixing up our landscaping features. Whether it's as simple as installing some lighting or a little more time-consuming like re-plotting plants, a fresh look for the lawn always gives your home a fresh look as well. Here are our top five easy landscaping projects! Create a pathway. To guide you and visitors throughout your yard and link different areas together, install a pathway. You can use materials from a variety of materials, including reclaimed pallet wood, flagstones, gravel, and more to add texture and color. Add a wall or border. Installing a flagstone, rock, or brick wall around flower beds or trees adds a sleek, clean look to your landscaping and helps separate different sections of your yard. Install a water feature. Nothing says zen quite like the sound of trickling water as you relax in your backyard. You can start simple with by purchasing and installing a small feature p

We bet you're happy 2020 is behind us!  What a crazy year, is all we can say!  We hope that you and your families were not impacted to harshly by it.  We took a look at how 2020 impacted the Portola Hills Market and all we can say is, who would have thunk (yes thunk) the real estate market would have been so strong!  I guess all that time at home, sparked buyers ideas that it is now time to move!  Did you make a move, or think you would like to? Below is a snapshot of how the Portola Hills Real Estate market performed for the the entire year!   What is the value of my Portola Hills Home? Overall the Portola Hills real estate market was very strong with 18% in sales volume from 2019, with 172 homes sold in 2020.   The most expensive home sold in the community was for $1.8 million in The Oaks and the least expensive was $335,000 in the Canyon View community.   Home values were up in both single-family and attached homes, but we have to look at this with an objective eye, as many of t

 It is always exciting to have a contest in our local marketplace of Portola Hills. We find the community really enjoys them and it is an excellent way to get to know our neighbors.  Our Holiday Cash giveaway is always my favorite!  This year especially as we had to delay our Halloween/Fall decorating contest due to the recent Bond fire.  We had a great turnout and it was very exciting to deliver some holiday cash to our clients and community. GPS real estate group holiday cash winners We want to thank everyone who entered our contest and most importantly enjoy it.  We look at is a fun activity for the community and in 2020, I think we could all use a lot more fun!  Search Portola Hills Homes Watch for our next contest coming the spring 2021.  

Tis the season and we are always excited about our Cash Giveaways.  Especially this year, as we know it has been a difficult year for many.  You have four chances to win. Simply complete the entry and you will automatically be entered.  See below for details. For those clients in Portola Hills who entered our Fall Decorating Contest, which we had to cancel do to the Silverado Fire and Evacuation, we have automatically entered you into this contest.   Enter me in Kelly Turbeville Holiday Cash Giveaway Deadline to enter is Tuesday Dec 15th. 2020 How to Enter: Click Here Terms apply:  This contest is sponsored by Kelly Turbeville with GPS real estate group at Keller Williams. It is not affiliated with any online programs.  Participants who complete the online entry form will be entered into the contest with the possibilities of winning 1 out of 4 cash prizes.  There is no guarantee of winnings. All participates names will be drawn in a random selection.

As I was preparing for a Buyers Consultation with a new client who is looking for a home in Lake Forest, I noticed a huge percentage of homes with recent price decreases. Is that good news for homebuyers?  In both Single Family homes and Attached homes, which made me dig a little deeper as overall in the OC, inventory of available homes is very low and demand from home buyers is very strong... so again, why would sellers being see a price decrease? Take a look at the our Market Snapshot we just put together. As you can see on the Attached side of the market, 29% of the homes currently available have had a price decrease.  For the Single-Family side of the market, 39% of the homes currently available have a had a price decrease.  While only about 6% between both segments had a price increase.   When the inventory is low, and demand is high sellers should be able to expect  multiple offers at the full price or even above.  If this isn't happening, that generally indicates the home is

Wow, October was a crazy month for our community!  Unfortunately the community had a slight scare with the Silverado Fire as it inched closer to Portola Hills and through part of Whiting Ranch.  The good news is the OCFA kept us safe with no homes near the fire, the community was evacuated as a precaution. Through it all, real estate continued to remain strong with 13 homes selling during the month of October.  The highest price home that sold in the community was $1,400,000 in the IronRidge community.   The lowest price home was $450,000 in the Canyon View community.  The average price of a home that sold in Portola Hills was $764,551.  Check out the details below.  What is the value of my Portola Hills Home? The overall real estate market in Orange County remains very strong this fall. Low inventory and high buyer demand continues to drive up pricing.  As we approach the holidays, inventory will remain low.  This is also driving buyers to new homes, which in Portola Hills has spurre