Has spring sprung early in Portola Hills for the real estate market?   Looking at the pace of home sales, I would have to say yes.  In February 10 homes closed escrow which is up from 7 in 2015 and currently there are only 4 homes available on the market.Below is a quick look at what sold in 2016 and a comparison against what sold in 2015. Portola Hills February 2016 Closed Home Sales Portola Hills February 2015 Closed Home SalesBelow is a quick look at the difference between 2016 vs Feb 2015. Feb Sales Price: +16% Feb Sales volume:  +30% Days on the Market: -20% Looking at the last months closed escrows, the Average Home Price in February for Portola Hills was $591k.   The highest priced home that closed escrow, was a 5 Bedroom Plan in the Estate community, which sold right at a Millio... 03/02/2016

In the ever changing quest to get in-front of potential clients, I made the commitment this year to introduce myself through more video... This is something that in all honesty I thought would be so easy to do, after all I was President of the Theater Club in high school, lol.  But not so easy once you see yourself talking back at you.  So I tipped toed into the water, I decided OK I will start with some casual quick Portola Hills neighborhood video spotlights.   Nothing fancy just a quick look at the neighborhood along with a blog on details of the style of homes, recent sales and pricing, etc.   These video's receive pretty good traction on social media and of course help immensely with SEO.  They also provide clients with a glimpse of my style and personality, but they miss a importa... 02/21/2016

Here in South Orange County, we have several new communities popping up.  Locally we have Baker Ranch, The Oaks at Portola Hills, Skyridge in Mission Viejo, Camden Square in Foothill Ranch just to name few.  This is good, as resale inventory is very tight.   However, it is also an area that Home Buyers often do not think they can use a Realtor to assist them with finding a home or to negotiate terms.   Buyers often will pop in as they are driving around, fall in love and then maybe contact their local agent once they decided or have placed and offer. The problem here is it is too late.   If you have already visited the property and registered most new home complexes will think of you as their client and will not let you use a agent.  Below are some tips of why it is a good idea to use a... 02/07/2016

Educational opportunities are a big factor in many people’s choice of a home town. There are the K-12 schools for one thing, but there also are kids’ sports and extracurricular offerings to consider. On every point, Lake Forest offers just what you may be looking for. Lake Forest’s K-12 schools are part of Saddleback Valley Unified School District—one of the top school districts in California. In most neighborhoods, homes are within walking district of an elementary school, and both Serrano Middle School and El Toro High School are centrally located.  The elementary schools are lively, happy places, with lots of parent involvement—on any school day, you’ll see the volunteer parents’ cars lining the streets. Each grade has its annual special event, such as building model California missi... 01/26/2016

I am still struggling with the fact that 2015 is actually over, but here we are in the middle of Jan 2016 and the year is starting off completely different than 2015.  First off... it's cold and wet.. Well not really wet today but the first week of 2016 started out very wet with El Nino hitting the OC pretty hard and we are anticipating rain later in the week. Hopefully a sign of good news for 2016 and the drought...The rain wasn't the only difference in the area..  We took an in-depth look at the Portola Hills Real Estate Market from 2015 and I have to say it was a great year!!  In this report, we provide an overview of the entire Portola Hills market as well we brokedown four property types and their price points. So let's get started...2015 Portola Hills Sales Volume:    Overall the ... 01/11/2016

 The small city of Lake Forest is bordered on the north by Irvine, and on the south by Mission Viejo. All three of these cities are ranked among the safest cities in the country.     True to its name, Lake Forest is home to both lakes and forests—a rarity in Southern California communities. The lakes and forests are both man-made; still, they afford a peaceful atmosphere that is lacking in the much more densely populated beach cities that are all only a 15-25 minute drive away. Let’s start with the beaches. Lake Forest is centrally on a 75-mile stretch of beach cities from San Clemente to the South to Huntington Beach to the north, with Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach in between. Each beach city has its own special charm and unique attraction... 01/09/2016

Lake Forest in Orange County is often described as the entrance to South Orange County with a diverse selection of communities, including Lake Forest North and South, Baker Ranch, Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills.   The median price point of single family detached home for Lake Forest as a whole in 2015 was approximatly $690,000 as of November 2015.  However there were a record number of higher end properties that closed escrow this past year. In 2015 there were 19 homes that sold for over a $1,000,000.  Out of the 19 total homes 6 were sold in Baker Ranch, 10 in Lake Forest and 4 in Portola Hills.  Interesting there were no homes in Foothill Ranch sold in this price category... which honestly surprises me. Below is a listing of the 10 most expensive homes sold in Lake Forest 2015!  The... 01/05/2016

Sigh.... the holidays are over and 2015 has closed it's chapter.   We often hear people say during December, it's slow in the real estate world but in reality it can tend to be a very busy.  No exception for the Portola Hills Real Estate Market.   Portola Hills is not a huge community in Lake Forest, but this past month there were 9 homes sold.   Just 1 shy of 2014. In addition 7 homes went into escrow in December, leaving only 5 available properties currently. The good news for home sellers,  price per square jumped up approximately 6% in the last month of the year compared to December last year.Portola Hills December 2015 Real Estate Sales Though the market in Portola Hils has been very strong this past year, surpassing both the # of sales and the pricing from last year, unfortunately... 01/04/2016

The City of Lake Forest in South Orange County, does a great job hosting community events all year long.  But they are exceptional this time of year and an inexpensive way to enjoy the holidays with the family...  Check out this list of 5 must do's to get you in the holiday spirit.     Dec 5th - 34th Annual Victorian Christmas.. Located at Heritage Hill Historical Park.  $5.00 each for ages 3/up Dec 6th - Breakfast with Santa.  Lake Forest Recreation Center.  $8.00 per person Dec 8th & 10th - North Pole Calling.. Lake Forest Recreation Center .  FREE for Lake Forest Residents Dec 12th & 13th - 30th Annual Candlelight Walk.. Heritage Hill Historical Park $5.00 per person ages 3/up. Jan 23rd - Snow Fest - Pittsford Park  $7.00 per sledder More information about these events can be found o... 12/01/2015

It's officially fall in SoCal and though it is mid-November and Thanksgiving is in a few days,  the Santa Ana's are in the air and it is going to be about 84 degrees here in Lake Forest.    Now I know those who are on the East Coast or Mid-West are probably going really 84 degrees.. shut up.     I get it, this is why people move to So Cal and I certainly am not complaining...  But in the spirit of Thanksgiving and a day spent with family yesterday, I am feeling homey!!  I want it to be a crisp fall day...The anticipation is killing me and the warm weather we have been having is not going to get me down... Thus why I had to make a big pot of soup!  It will bring me closer.. I know it!Now let's not get crazy, a crisp fall day for us is about 70 degrees..      We are however pretty excited... 11/23/2015

The City of Lake Forest in Southern California puts on an event each year to support all local businesses, the event is Shop and Dine in Lake Forest.    The city does a great a job reaching out to businesses and created and mailing a lovely coupon book at no charge to businesses to all residents.  As part of the event they also hold two Taste of Lake Forest events.   I attended the event in Foothill Ranch on Sunday.  What a great turn out by local restaurants and what a deal for residents.  Just $10.00 to taste a sampling of over 20 restaurants.   Peppinos Italian Restaurant won 1st place as favorite restaurant and I would have to agree as it is one of my local favorites.   My other two favorites were Luna Gril and Eleven46...  The day really touched me about how lucky we are to live an... 11/09/2015

We have officially entered into Fall in Portola Hills... Halloween has just passed and Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. But I have to say Fall is my favorite season in PH...  Why the weather begins to crisp up, the house is decorated cozy and I can put on a nice pot of soup or something else yummy.   It just feels "homey" time to me!! For the real estate market, this is the time of year it starts to quiet down... Why? Well pretty much for the same reason I noted above, people tend to be connected to the home this time of year.   So how did the real estate market perform in the first month of fall 2015.   Seven homes closed escrow in the area. Take a look at the homes that sold below.                                                          Portola Hills October 20... 11/03/2015

I was looking or a phone number the other day and decided to go to the city website and after searching through varies pages, I found it!    So I thought for the residents in Lake Forest California, which includes the communities of Bakers Ranch, Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest South/North and Portola Hills, here is a handy list to help you save some time in your search for information. Lake Forest City Phone Numbers: City Council 949-461-3420 City Manager Office 949-461-3410 City Clerk 949-461-3420 Code Enforcement 949-461-3474 Economic Development 949-461-3567 Etnies Skate Park of Lake Forest 949-916-5870 Graffiti Removal Hotline 949-461-3583 Housing 949-461-3473 Lake Forest Police Servie 949-770-6011  - Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Watch 949-461-3546 Passport and Notary 949-461-3420 Pla... 10/29/2015

As I write this post the feeling of fall is in the air.  It's a cool 70 degrees out. A welcome relief for most I believe from the hot September we had.   It is also the perfect metaphor for the Portola Hills real estate market.  In September there were 12 homes sold in Portola Hills, that is up from 8 in 2014, which is a 34% increase in volume.   So you can say the market in September was pretty hot... just like the weather.   Below is a look at the homes that closed escrow in the community.   September 2015 Portola Hills Home Sales As we enter October, we most like will see the number of sales fall i.e. decrease.  This is typical for the fall. Homes begin to stay on the market longer, though buyer demand is still strong, people tend to want to be settled in their new home before school... 10/06/2015

Though this is the 1st week of Fall, here in SoCal it doesn't much feel like it with tempertures in the 90's.  So in order to make it feel like fall, think it is time for a little Portola Hills Community Contest.    If you plan to decorate your house for fall and that includes your front door, take a picture and send it on over, it's that simple.  We will share it on our Portola Hills Facebook page.  The 3 photos with the most likes will be placed in a random drawing for a $50.00 Grocery Gift Card, just in time for Thanksgiving. The contest runs from 10/1/2015 thru 11/20/15 and open only to Portola Hills Residents, term apply.Photo's can be submitted directly on our community page on Facebook or emailed.  Contact Kelly with any questions on how to  submit your photos....Contest terms:  ... 09/26/2015

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.  As you will note this last month, 8 homes successfully closed escrow with average price point of approximately $503,000.  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 pr... 09/02/2015

Do you ever wonder why people choose where they live... What makes that community or neighborhood special to them?  I thought it would be fun to share some of the reason why I believe the community of Portola Hills in Lake Forest is a great place to call home!Taking the lead, from David Lettermens Top 10... let's count this backwards just to add a little fun...5.  Variety of Housing:  Portola Hills is a well thought out master planned community and home to over 2100 residences.  There are a wide variety of home styles and price ranges available that can meet most Southern California budgets, including Townhomes, Single Family Detached, Paired Homes and Luxury Estates, within the 15 different neighborhoods throughout the area.4.  Home Values:  Overall in the current Orange County real es... 08/31/2015

Upgraded End Unit in Desirable Serrano Creek Villas, Ideally Located on a Sprawling Greenbelt, this is the perfect opportunity for an Investment Property or a Starter Home. Located in one of the most popular Condo Communities in Lake Forest, this well maintained community HOA pays for trash, sewer, and water, including hot water! This charming 2 bedroom 1 bath home has numerous upgrades including fresh paint throughout interior, upgraded doors, casement windows, chair rails, wainscoting, upgraded baseboards throughout, tile floors, an open floor plan, and the living area enjoys a gentle breeze off the enclosed patio area. The Spacious Family Kitchen has been thoughtfully remodeled and upgraded with plenty of Cabinet and Counter Space, Gorgeous Maple Cabinetry, soft close drawers, a beau... 08/05/2015

This new development in Lake Forest eastern end,  in the community of Portola Hills has been a long time coming.. but here we go... the ground has been broken and the grading has begun for a new community of Luxury Estate homes called...  The Oaks at Portola HillsDetails of the new community include:  309 Luxury Estate Homes Gated Community Square Footage ranges from 2692 (the only single level) up to 5200 8 Different Home Styles 2 and 3 Car Garages HOA of $350/Month to start. Estimated $250/Month at build out Estimated Tax Rate 1.2570 Pricing hasn't been released offiically but looking at the current market these homes should enter the market at over $1 million.   This will be a nice upgrade to the Portola Hills Community.  Currently there are only two tracts of homes that are consider... 08/04/2015

If you are not aware of the beauty of the views Portola Hills has to offer then you will want to stop in and check out our open house on Sunday August 2nd at 19522 Highridge Way, Portola Hills.  Why... though this home is lovely and has recently been updated with new kitchen, bathrooms, tile flooring, etc.  It really is all about the views it provides of the Saddleback Mountains!!  Imagine, waking up daily to the sunrise peaking up over the mountain or ending your day with a glass of wine and awe struck with the full moon high above!!   This home is part of the Serenado tract in Portola Hills.  Which is a tract of 166 Paired Homes and part of the Portola Hills II Homeowners Assocation.  Make sure to check out our informal video of the Serenado tract Portola Hills   Details include: 1636... 07/30/2015