4th of July in Newport Beach

Hello,

4th of July on Balboa Island has to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. I moved to Balboa Island a couple of months ago. I decided I was going to park my car on Friday and not use my car all weekend until Tuesday. If you leave your parking space.....it is nearly impossible to find another one. Sunday, a couple friends and I decided to walk to Woody's for brunch. It wasn't too bad of a walk. We were there early so we had a table next to the window. As the restaurant became busy, we hopped on a Duffy that one of my friends own. We headed over to the American Legion......one of my favorite places in Newport Beach.....for the rest of the afternoon. It was great listening to music and watching boats cruise the marina.

Monday, my office manager at McMonigle Group and me, decided the American Legion was so fun that we went back for breakfast. We were hoping to receive a call during breakfast for an invite to go on one my friends boat.....a 70 footer. We didn't receive it so we went walking on the boardwalk. What a crazy place. I was glad we were walking as it was difficult for the bikes to get through the crowds. As we were shopping we did receive a call that the Don Juan was going to be going out on the water. We walked over to the Balboa Bay Club and joined our friends on the Don Juan. What an incredible day on the water. I ended the night by walking to the end of my street on Balboa Island with my dog Sam to watch fireworks. What a great weekend!

This weekend I will be back to work holding an open house at my foreclosure listing in Ladera Ranch. I am hoping the weather will cooperate and there will be many people out looking for homes. The market hasn't picked up as much as we anticipated for summer. I still believe the best buys will be later this fall. BUT, now is the time to list if you need to sell.

Sincerely,

Lisa

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Foreclosures

So many things have happened in the last couple of months that have kept me from blogging. I am going to try to keep up on it better in the future. This year I started working with ING Bank foreclosures. I have 3 listings currently with them...one is in escrow. It is an interesting process that I will update my blog with as new experiences happen. Out of the 3, there was only one situation that wasn't fun. There were tenants in a home that the owner quit making payments on a long time ago. I have doubts that the tenant had made rent payments, so we needed them to move. There is a program that offers tenants or owners cash for their keys.......called Cash for Keys. The tenant was so sure the bank would come back and sue them.......so they didn't take the cash. Very sad as the bank was willing to pay them $3,000. One of the other foreclosures had owners living there. As soon as we made contact, he agreed to the cash for keys and he was gone in a couple of weeks. The third foreclosure, the owners moved out months before......so very easy to take ownership. The house was very neglected. All three homes were left in great shape. I was going to list a foreclosure home about 3 years ago.....and the owners had trashed the place so bad you couldn't tell where the master bathroom was. Everything including the toilet were removed. I don't know the whole story, but to trash a home that bad.....is difficult to understand. I didn't take the listing as the previous owner's were starting to harass me. After seeing what they did to the house.....I wanted to stay away from that listing.

My next post I will post about a home I just closed on in Leisure World. I also address why I left HOM Real Estate to work for McMonigle Group.

Hope you are enjoying your day.

Sincerely,
Lisa

My 2 Cents for Fall

I am not sure where the summer went. In my head it feels like June. If you are not from this area....we have had June gloom all summer. The marine layer comes in during the night and doesn't burn off until noon. We haven't had any hot days. My family in Minnesota has had so much rain and hot weather. I am going back this next week. I am hoping it will be hot and one storm would be kind of cool....since it very rarely rains or storms in CA.

Anyway, the housing market has been very interesting and actually predictable this summer. I have been busy showing homes all over Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan, CdM, Newport Beach, and Newport Coast the last couple of months. The price range is from $500,000 to $7 million in Pelican Point. What I am seeing is that prices are continuing to come down. What is surprising to me is that some houses are priced about the latest selling comparisons. In this market, homes need to appraise for a bank to fund the sale. Unless someone comes in with cash....the bank isn't going to pay you what you think your house is worth. The bank is going to look at the latest sold comparisons. If there are no other homes like yours......they will use the price per sq ft. No matter how much money you put in your house......that is a fraction of what the bank is looking at for funding. If you want to sell right away.......be competitive with your price per square foot that others in your tract have sold for. You are wasting your time to be over the comparisons.....and the market is going to continue to go down over this next year. The market will tell you the value of your house. Your real estate agent can tell you more about comparisons if you need more info.....or give me a call or send me an email. I can send you comparisons in your area and tell you where you need to be.

High end properties. This is going to be an interesting "fall" for them. I think we are going to see more high end properties in trouble this fall. The areas of Shady Canyon and Crystal Cove are going to get hit. There aren't as many buyers in the high end market.

To sum up this post. We are going to see more decreases in home prices. I don't think in the homes under $1 million range we are going to see dramatic price decreases.....if they are priced right. In the $2 million + range.......more than 10% decreases.

Finally, if you are looking for a home in the $6-$7 mil range....I know of an absolutely awesome house. I also know of many homes in south county under $1 mil.

Lisa@PropertiesInTheOC.com
http://www.propertiesintheoc.com/
949-887-8303

Broker Preview in Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove

Irvine Cove, $20,500,000. The back side of this home completely opens up to a beautiful view of the ocean. 5 bedrooms with 7 baths, 3 car garage and 10,300 sq ft.

Picture of Irvine Cove, beach is below the ledge.

Tunnel connecting Emerald Bay. This is a one lane tunnel. Traffic must stop on each side before entering....to make sure there is not another car on the other side.



Private volleyball courts at Emerald Bay.

Sitting on the patio of a $7,995,000 house in Emerald Bay. Beautiful view.....terrible parking. This home has 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths.....and is about 4800 sq ft. An interesting point I want to make about this house.....the man converted one of the bedrooms to be his closet.....usually it is the female. The female has a large closet in the master bedroom. I still think the man's "closet" may be bigger.

Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove

Today I toured homes in Laguna Beach. I am currently working with a client in this area so I want to make sure I know as many houses close to the beach as I can. The two main areas I went to were Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove. As you drive south on PCH from Newport Beach, you will pass Crystal Cove and then your first tract is Irvine Cove and then Emerald Bay. Both areas are guard gated. This is a very desirable area in Laguna Beach since they are north of the village and the traffic isn't as hectic. Irvine Cove has around 110 homes on both sides of PCH. There are currently 5 homes for sale ranging from $6 mil to $31.5 mil. There hasn't much for sales in this area.....very exclusive. Emerald Bay has about 524 homes on both sides of PCH. The picture above is of the small tunnel that connects both sides of PCH. A very unique fact about Emerald Bay is that it has it's own fire department within the community. Emerald Bay also has volleyball and tennis courts, park and beach. A much bigger community than Irvine Cove, it is also very prestigious and private.

I also would like to mention another two homes that I visited that are not in gated communities. There is a lovely 4 bedroom/3.5 bath home on Crescent Bay. This area is also north of the village. This home is definitely one meant to entertain in. It is listed at $5,600,000. The last one I visited is on Sunset Ridge. This is the home that has the master bedroom on the top level and the bedroom that was converted to a closet. There are two small rooms next to the master bedroom so it makes for a great family house. This home is priced at $4,495,000. This home is very nice, but didn't have the "wow factor" that I look for in homes this price.


www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Broker Preview Feb 25

This weeks preview had a great variety of homes open. One of the houses I previewed was a back home in Corona del Mar. The address is 705.5 Poppy. I was very impressed with this home. It has been recently remodeled and has great views from the rooftop deck.

Another house I previewed was very close to the beach in Corona del Mar. This home is around $4.2 million.....$4.5 million furnished. The pictures of the house above are interior pictures. I thought the rooftop gazebo was a great touch.

There were two other homes priced around $1.9 million. One was in Spyglass.....beautiful home with ocean view......4 bedrooms, 4 baths.....and a one story. I thought this home was well priced. For the same price there is a condo on 208 Carnation.....which has amazing views of the harbor, Catalina Island, the wedge and city lights. This home is a condo and needs quite a bit of remodeling. The location is great....very close to public beach and park.

I also viewed a back home in CdM on Orchid.......it is a very rare 4 bedroom. I didn't think there was much sunlight...but if you want a 4 bedroom and want to be in the village, the price of $795,000 is something to think about. The rooftop deck was actually ok.....little bit of an ocean view. I think it would be a great rental.

I want to also bring attention to a home I have been holding open for the last couple of weeks. The home is in Big Canyon Villas.....this tract is right on Big Canyon on the east side. The home is right on the golf course on the 14th and 16th fairway. Priced at $879,000, this home has an attached garage and great views of the golf course. It is really hard to find a condo in Newport Beach with an attached garage and golf course view under a million dollars. This home has 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

I will start posting more of the homes I preview every week. We should start to see more homes enter the market in the next couple of months. Well priced homes continue to sell well.

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

2010

I didn't realize how long it had been since I have last updated my blog. My apologies. It has been a really busy couple of months. I went back to Minnesota for Christmas, turned 40 in January, and watched the Vikings lose in the playoffs. I don't blame Favre for the loss...he gave us an incredible season to watch.

It is time to focus on the real estate market. I have been showing homes lately and have noticed that homes that are well priced.....sell really quickly. In Newport Coast there are quite a few homes in escrow. My point to this is....if you are looking for a really good deal......so are others. Make sure to make your offer more attractive....with more cash down if possible, shorter escrow and you need to be near asking price. Also, make sure you are qualified with a bank ahead of time. The selling agent will be asking for proof of funds and financing with the offer. To be honest, to get a good deal.....you need to act very quickly and be qualified. I want to also mention the best time to buy a home and get a deal will be between now and May. Once school is out for summer, we are going to see many families moving around. Prices may go up a bit. If you are in the market to buy.....do it soon. If you are in the market to sell......put your house on the market just before school is out. The trick to selling is going to be the right price. Don't overprice or you may lose your window of opportunity to sell. If you are not in escrow by early August.......drop your price.

To summarize. I think there are good deals out there.....maybe not great deals. I don't see prices going down significantly in the Newport Beach area. We may go down a little....but will go up a little as we get closer to summer.

If you want recent sales for your area.....send me an email and I will send you out a list.

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Christmas in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach

I didn't have a lot going on yesterday so I thought it would be fun to take pictures of various Christmas decorations in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. If you are not from this area....we received quite a bit of rain on Monday, so Catalina Island and snow in the mountains was very visable. I can't remember the last time it rained. I also noticed many of my friends and relatives had posted on their Facebook profiles pictures of snow Minnesota recently received. I thought it would be fun for them to look at pictures of the area I live in.....not sure if it was fun for them or if it made them jealous. I am going back to Minnesota in 2 weeks, so I will get my fill of snow and cold weather. I haven't been back in a year and a half so it will be fun to catch up with friends and relatives. I turn 40 in January.....so I am sure we will be celebrating when I am back.

There was a little bit of drama in Newport Beach this week. The tract that Kobe Bryant lives in was burglarized. This tract is very close to PCH in the Pelican Hills area. There is a mortgage broker that lives in the same tract.....he was the target. This mortgage broker owes many people money.....so not surprising that he was hit. The strange thing is...this is a guard gated area. I believe they pushed their way through the gate. To see this article click this link. http://www.ocregister.com/news/house-223225-police-one.html

As far as activity in the Newport Beach.....things are slowing down a bit. I have an escrow closing next week.....and I just wrapped up a couple of leases. There are still daily markdowns on properties in the area. Every day I look for changes in price for all of Corona del Mar, Newport Beach and Newport Coast. I am guessing by the beginning of next year we will continue to see more markdowns. I would recommend if you are in a situation right now.....write an offer before the markdowns early next year. It is so much easier to negotiate if there are not any other offers.

I do want to point out a great property in Newport Coast. This home is in the Vistas....full ocean view...with views of Catalina Island and Long Beach. The home is only $1.15 mil......2400 sq ft. Amazing deal for the view....and the home is completely remodeled.

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Corona del Mar Christmas Walk Sunday, Dec. 6

If you want to do something fun this weekend, head over to Corona del Mar in Newport Beach for the Christmas Walk. This is the 31st year that CdM has hosted this visit. Last year I volunteered with the fireman serving up a BBQ. This year I am enjoying the event with a couple of girlfriends. I have lived in Newport Beach for almost 10 years and this is the one event I see just about anyone I have ever met in Newport. Usually we start around 11:00 at Oysters and make our way down to Bandera. The village shops will set up tables outside their stores with samples of food, clothing, or whatever they are selling. I am hoping the weather cooperates. This will be a very busy event.

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

$38,000,000 Landmark Home in Corona del Mar

Yes, you read that correctly. This home is on 401 Avocado. If you are not familiar with Corona del Mar, the streets are named after flowers and are in alphabetical order. This home is 4 bed/4 baths with a tennis court, guest apartment, indoor pool.....and amazing views of the channel, catalina and Newport Beach Peninsula. I will also add that it is on 2.3 acres. When I saw this home come up on broker preview this week, I was very excited to see it. I thought this home has to have the "wow" factor. I was a little disappointed after arriving at 401 Avocado. This home is turquoise. If you are from this area, you will notice this house and a building on the water that are the same turquoise color. I heard while on one of the boat tours of the bay that as long as this home was in the Irvine family, that the color needed to stay turquoise. Let's hope the new owners change the color. I am guessing that the new owners will probably tear it down and build a new home. The home needs a lot of work. There were some very nice antiques in the house, but clearly, the home needs a little love. I would love to hear of the stories that those walls could tell. You could tell it was a home that was dearly loved by everyone that stayed there.....very much a family home. I could imagine big Christmas parties there every year.

But, for $38 million? This home is not on the water......and the home needs to be updated. If someone wanted the land, it may be worth it. I heard from another realtor that the land could not be broken up in to a couple of lots.

Anyway, a fun house to talk about. I am guessing this home will be on the market for a while. I am also guessing the Irvine family that lives there, is in no rush to sell.

The picture of the Rolls Royce is for fun. Even in Newport, you don't see them all the time.

Lisa@PropertiesInTheOC.com

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

China Cove, Corona del Mar

What a beautiful day in Newport Beach today. This past week on Broker Preview......a day during the week that realtors view houses on the market.......there were 3 open in China Cove. This is a little hidden area off of Ocean Blvd. There are not many houses by this secluded beach. The price points were very different. The first one I went to was on Cove Street. This home was previously owned by a famous actress. Priced at $4.9 mil.....the lowest priced home I viewed in that area....I thought it was well priced. This home sits practically on the water. I am sure during high tide, the water splashes up on the deck. It is a cute, quaint cottage with amazing views of the channel, harbor and Catalina. The next home I visited was called Dolphin Rock., priced at $10.5 mil. Very interesting house as this house was built in to the rock on the cliff. As you entered the home, large formations of rock can be found throughout the house. Built on 4 lots, this home has grandfathered set backs that these days Corona del Mar would never let you do. There was even a hot tub inside by the rock formations that overlook the channel. Again, amazing views of Catalina, channel and the "wedge". You can't get any closer to the water than this house. The final home I viewed was also on the same street as Dolphin Rock. This home is priced at $7.3 mil and is updated and quite traditional for a home on the water. Again, the home feels like it sits on top of the ocean.

For more information, please contact me and I will send you more pictures of the interior of these homes.

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Shady Canyon and Crystal Cove Comparison and Hawaii Pictures

Sorry I have been slacking on my blog lately. It has been a busy summer......a month of company, moving, a trip to Hawaii.......and selling real estate. The market seems to have picked up a bit. I am telling sellers now, if they are not in escrow, they may want to drop the price to get in to escrow soon. Many families are moving around right now and they need to be in a place before school starts. There are going to be some motivated sellers this fall lowering their prices. This will bring down the price per square footage down. You really want to be one of the next sales.....not chasing the market down. I was looking for the best deals in Crystal Cove and Shady Canyon today......I look for the lowest price per square footage. I thought it was very interesting that some of the best deals were in Shady Canyon. The high end, custom homes had some of the best prices per square footage. In Crystal Cove, the attached condos had the best price per square footage. A very important thing to remember, the market will tell you what your house is worth. Since the banks are doing their own appraisals.....they will look for comparisons in the area. So, to price the house way over market value to fish for a buyer.....doesn't work in this market.

For fun I have posted some pictures from my trip to Hawaii. I went to Maui and Oahu. I would say watching the waves on Oahu on the North Shore and the Hula Bar at Kaanapali were my favorites. We did go to the top of the volcano Haleakala to watch the sun come up was fun....though there was a thick cloud so we didn't see much. The trip was planned around the Transpac yacht race from CA to Hawaii. It was an amazing trip.....one I will never forget. Enjoy the pictures. My next blog will be about the new restaurant Sol in Newport Beach.

http://www.covecanyonandcrest.com/

lisa@CoveCanyonandCrest.com

Villa Rockledge in Laguna Beach, $34,900,000

Yes, you read that correctly.....almost $35 million! It has been a couple of crazy months for me. I am hoping to get better about keeping my blog updated. This past week I was fortunate to view Villa Rockledge in South Laguna Beach. I had to see what $35 million would buy. This residence was built in 1922. It has 8000 sq feet, with 12 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. This home is compound as there are little bungalows that are not connected to the estate. The home is almost like being in a maze. It would have been nice to have a map of the estate. I went down to the private beach and was amazed at the views and privacy this estate has. Rumor has it that the current owner lived in one of the bungalows 30 years ago and then borrowed money from everyone he knew to buy the whole estate. This estate has so much history. The lot was bought in 1887 by Frank Miller. The estate was created as a gift to his wife Marion....hence the original name for the estate "Mariona". This was a destination for many celebrities back in the day. The home is in original restored condition. I should also let you know....there are many steps.....be ready for a work out when visiting this home.

http://www.covecanyonandcrest.com/

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Trovare

I have a new listing in the gated community of Trovare, Newport Coast. Trovare is off of Newport Coast and Vista Ridge. It was built in 1994 and has about 170 homes. There are 2 and 3 bedroom condos. The price range is generally between $700-$1 million. The listing I have is the largest of the two bedrooms.....at 1483 sq feet. This is an upper unit that overlooks the Trovare pool. The home has granite countertops in the kitchen and marble flooring in the kitchen and dining room. The owner painted and put new carpet in 2.5 years ago. This home shows like a model. In fact, some have wondered if it was a model home or staged.....it shows well. We are priced at $780K.....which is what I sold the home to the current owner 2.5 years ago. Living in Trovare gives you access to the Newport Coast Clubhouse......over on Park Vista. There is a heated, jr. Olympic size pool there that is staffed......so you don't need to bring your own towels. Also there is a "party room" with an ocean view. I had a party there a couple of years ago....it was great. Down the hill from the clubhouse are the tennis and basketball courts. And within walking distance there is a little strip mall that includes a grocery store, Wells Fargo, a couple of restaurants and stores. When I lived in Trovare I used to eat at Pomodoro a couple of times a week. Inexpensive entrees and wine. I also used to walk down to PCH. This is not an easy walk as the hill going down to PCH is quite steep. Walking back up the hill isn't easy. It is 2.5 miles round trip from Trovare. You feel like walking it is difficult until you see the bike riders crusing up the hill easily.

Lisa

www.CoveCanyonandCrest.com

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

My 2 Cents

Sorry I don't have any pretty pictures to post on this entry. I have been really busy the last month showing homes. I really feel the market is picking up. I was asked a couple of times today about my thoughts on what will happen with the Newport Beach real estate market. I thought posting it here would be a good idea as many people are wondering the same thing. Not that I can predict the future, but.........I think the best time to buy is right now. There are some homes that have been on the market a long time that need to sell. People in Orange County typically move around every 5-7 years. There are pent up buyers out there waiting. The reason I think now is a good time to buy, is that come summer, families with children will be moving around to be in the school district they want to be in. If you can't buy now, don't buy this summer during the peak season. A better time to buy is going to be this fall. I should also mention that the market under a million dollars is really hot right now. On well priced properties/short sales/foreclosures, it is common to find multiple offers again. BUT, if you want to talk high end......that is a totally different story. Crystal Cove has 54 homes on the market! Shady Canyon has 50 homes on the market! This is the high end area of Newport Beach/Newport Coast. Shady Canyon technically is in Irvine, but it backs up to Newport Coast/Crystal Cove. Shady Canyon is where many professional athletes live. I predict this area is going to be hurting come fall.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the market plays out. I think the one thing to remember is, if you really love a house, buy it......stay in it for a while....it will make money. It is hard to find a house you love. I feel like I am giving relationship advice. :) Hope this makes sense. If you are not emotionally attached to a house, make sure it will make money for you in the short term.....2 years. There are great buys out there right now that will make money in a couple of years.....they generally need a little love/attention.

Hope this blog helps and didn't confuse you more. :)

Lisa

www.CoveCanyonandCrest.com
www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

New Construction in Shore Cliffs, Corona del Mar

I also visited a new construction on 215 Evening Canyon Road in Corona del Mar. If you are not familiar with CdM......Shore Cliffs is just south of the village of CdM. It is on the ocean side of PCH. It is a really nice community with its own beach access. This home is also a landmark property as it sits on almost a half acre with great ocean views. If you ever looked at my website, you would see the house that used to sit on this property in one of my slides. This home has a large entertaining deck, swimming pool and a sport court. It is a very contemporary home. I felt like I was in a Restoration Hardware store or high end resort. Definitely one of my favorites on the market today.

My final stop was to a home in Pelican Hill. This is a very high end, custom home area of Newport Coast. This area is next to the Pelican Hill Golf Course. Rare to find a home under $5 million here. The home I viewed is on 28 Fairway Point. Notice the last picture above, they had an indoor pool with adjoining spa. The outside area was amazing.......swiming pool, barbeque area with two fireplaces. I don't like to mention negative things about homes.....but this one had a strange feature that I have never seen before. I walked in to one bedroom with a bathroom......and then through that room I found another bedroom and bathroom. I thought this was unique, until it happened in one of the other bedrooms. It must be a culture thing I am unaware of. I will try and look it up to see why someone would do that. Or if you know.....send me an email an enlighten me!

www.covecanyonandcrest.com

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com

Pink House in Corona del Mar

Last week I toured the well known landmark pink house on 444 Begonina Avenue. This home has 5 bedrooms an 3 bathrooms, built in 1947, 3457 sq feet and is priced at $2,595,000. This homes sits on a R-2 corner lot. I have always wondered what it would be like inside this home. Since it is around Easter, I suspected you may get the Easter feeling when you walk in the door. I was right, I felt like I was at one of my relatives houses in Minnesota. This home was ready for Easter brunch......everything was perfectly in place. As I toured the upstairs, I really felt like I was in a MN home. I remember my girlfriends bedroom, which used to be an attic......you had to watch your head or you would run in to the A frame of the roof. There was also steep stairs up to another attic......where this home had a foosball table and it looked like Christmas decoration storage. I really felt at home in this house. You could tell this was a home that grandchildren love to visit. The one thing I thought was interesting, is that they had wallpaper on the kitchen ceiling. I wasn't really crazy about that.......actually, I am not a fan of wallpaper anywhere. Though it seems to be making a comeback. In my pictures, notice the butler......he kind of scared me when I walked in the house.

Next on my tour was a home on 300 Larkspur. This is a 'French Style Chateau'. It is a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath home, 2100 square foot home that sits on a corner lot. Great location. This home has so many little details to it, I don't think I would ever see them all. There is a little family room on the main level. The main living quarters is on the second level. The master bedoom is the best part. There are two little patios that look like a perfect place to wind down the day with a glass of wine. This home is priced at $2,899,000.

I also visited a house in Shore Cliffs. I will post a separate entry for this home.

www.covecanyonandcrest.com

www.PropertiesInTheOC.com