You need TWO stainless steel built-in BBQs in the back yard? No problem!

When I received the “swing by to discuss listing our house” call, of course I was excited. Not only because 12 Silverbreeze is in one of the most prestigious tracts in Woodbridge, Irvine, (The Landings), but also because I have a lot of experience in listing and selling real estate in both Landing I and Landing II.

My sellers spent about $100K upgrading their back yard alone... and it's gorgeous. Need TWO stainless steel built-in BBQs? No problem. And the outside fridge & sink are stainless steel too.

The rest of the outside area is just as appealing, for example, the outside fireplace, the brick, tile & slate hardscape, and the custom spa.

Like Brazilian Cherry Wood flooring? How about top-of-the-line appliances in a beautifully upgraded kitchen? Or stunning custom Travertine stonework in a master bathroom with a huge Jacuzzi tub? Well then, I think you’ll like this Landing I home for sale. See more at www.WoodbridgeHomeSales.com

This Woodbridge house is one of 46 Woodbridge homes for sale right now, and there are 496 properties for sale elsewhere in Irvine.

The prices of Woodbridge homes for sale right now, range from $308,400 for a 1 bedroom, 750 square foot attached condo at 148 Echo Run, (standard sale), to $1,999,900 for a 4 bedroom 2,669 square foot detached LAKE FRONT condo at 12 Waterway, (also a standard sale). Oh, by the way, 12 Silverbreeze, (above), is offered at $1,375,000.

29 Woodbridge homes are in escrow, (Pending or Backup Offers status), at a total list price a little over $16 million, and last month, (October), 26 Woodbridge homes sold, at prices from $329,000, (for a 2 bedroom attached condo at 17 Firwood), to $1,290,0000 for 23 Eastlake, (a 5 bedroom single family home).

Irvine market trends - biggest shift in 10 years

As a Woodbridge homeowner and Realtor, I’m excited to see that prices and sales activity have increased substantially. This is true in all areas of the Woodbridge market, including condo tracts like Lakeside and Seasons, and detached SFR tracts like Landing I and II.
These two Woodbridge listings of mine close escrow this month:

Speaking of the “Landings”, so far this year 11 homes have sold, (4 sides were mine), one is in escrow, and two are "active". That's up quite a bit from the 7 sales per year we saw each in 2012, 2011 & 2010. See details of Landing I and II activity here.

Many homeowners who were delaying listing their homes for sale a year or so ago, saw the improvement in the market, and are now cashing in!

Look at this chart. Active, (for sale), units have been climbing consistently in Irvine, (the green bars), but the Pending units have been dropping since May. “Pending” units are the ones that went into escrow each month. 

That said, unless the homes are marketed incredibly well, thereby maximizing their exposure, and the list prices are realistic, they will languish on the market.

You can see that 602 properties were active in September, and only 132 were in escrow. Just 210 sold in September.

The month of May saw the biggest market shift in 10 years!

Historically, as we enter the holiday season, many would-be sellers stall putting their homes on the market until the New Year. Savvy sellers are now seriously considering whether they want their house to be one of many on the market in January, (so they’ll have more competition), or whether to list in the last quarter of the year, when lower inventory creates more demand, which maximizes prices.

Here's a stupid question to all homeowners out there.

Did you hear about the house that was destroyed by a fire this week in Woodbridge?


Thank goodness the parents & kids got out safely, and the OC firefighters rescued their black lab and gave it oxygen.

The fire dept estimated damage to the house at $750,000, and the loss of contents was estimated at $150,000.

Apparently a multi-plug electrical adapter malfunctioned and this caused the 29 Sandstone fire. 


Now I'm no expert in fires, but I guess this could happen to anyone.

Here's a stupid question to all homeowners out there: Do you have insurance to cover your house & belongings?

What about you renters? Your landlord will have, (should have), already taken out a policy to cover the house, but it's unlikely that your personal property will be covered in this policy.


Insurance is pretty inexpensive, especially if you're in a condo development. I urge you not to wait for a fire to destroy all your possessions, before you think about this.

Housing Shortage? Really? What Low Inventory?

The number of active listings in Woodbridge more than DOUBLED in the last 30 days! Right now, there are 53 Woodbridge homes listed for sale, and 310 properties for sale elsewhere in Irvine.
While we certainly are still in a seller’s market, it is not as extreme as it was a few weeks ago.


16 Wintermist, Woodbridge

11 Snowapple, Woodbridge

6 Racing Wind, Woodbridge

14 Shooting Star, Woodbridge
Among those active listings are my listings at 16 Wintermist, ($525K), 11 Snowapple, ($650K), 6 Racing Wind, ($865K), and 14 Shooting Star, ($999K).
The prices of Woodbridge homes for sale right now, range from $329,900 for a 2 bedroom 921 square foot attached condo at 16 Eastmont, (standard sale), to $1,999,900 for a 4 bedroom 2,669 square foot detached condo at 12 Waterway, (also a standard sale).
It’s especially tough for buyers looking for a 3 bedroom Woodbridge home in the “under $500K” price range: only 6 are listed, including that 22 Lakeview short sale that the OC Register quoted me mentioning in a blog in 2008. It is STILL available, with an asking price of $450K, down from $589K. The price history prior was $685K, then $649K, $625K, $619K and $599K!
The Lakeview property is an exception. We are still seeing multiple offers being received for Woodbridge properties, within a few days of listing.
What with interest rates continuing to surge last week, (rising above 4.1% for the first time in a year), the demand from homeowners to refinance, has slowed. These higher interest rates also are reducing the buying-power of homebuyers – those that could afford a $600K home now find themselves only able to afford a lower-priced home.
26 Woodbridge homes sold in May 2013, at prices from $348,800, (for a 2 bedroom attached condo at 203 Briarwood), to $1,180,000 for 17 Daybreak, (a 4 bedroom single family home in Landing I).
30 Woodbridge homes are in escrow, (Pending or Backup Offers status), at a total list price a little over of $18.5 million. It will be interesting to see how many close escrow this month.  

Look's like the rain is stopping! Great news for my new Woodbridge listing's Open House!

30 Tanglewood Dr Woodbridge, Irvine OPEN HOUSE   SAT 9TH, 12 - 4:00 PM 2BR/2 BA Single Family         Sq Footage  1,257 Bedrooms  2 Bathrooms  2 Lot Size  2,817 sq ft description Desirable SINGLE LEVEL end-unit Single Family home. Gated courtyard entry to this wonderful Cypresswood floor plan with 2 SPACIOUS BEDROOMS, 2 bathrooms and TWO CAR GARAGE. Living room with cathedral ceilings and cozy fireplace. Formal dining. White kitchen cabinets, lots of counter space with true eating area. Corian couter-tops. SUNNY ATRIUM, accessed from the family room and second bedroom. Double vanities in master bathroom. Pergo flooring throughout. CENTRAL AIRCON. Well maintained home in a quiet Woodbridge location with great amenities close by. Walking distance to Stone Creek Elementary. additional photos Contact info:     Debbie Sagorin First Team Real Estate (949) 232-5634 DRE # 01411020

I hope to see you there!

How LOW will it go?!

Right now, there are only 16 Woodbridge homes listed for sale! Inventory is the lowest it's ever been that I can remember!!! There are 161 properties for sale elsewhere in Irvine. In August last year I posted a blog about the super-low inventory, but it's gotten even lower! 

See this chart showing active Irvine housing inventory since December 2005.

20 Woodbridge homes sold in December 2012, at prices from $268K, (for a 3 bedroom short sale condo at 3213 Briarwood), to $1.2 million for 19 Buckthorn, a 5 bedroom standard sale single family home in the Gables tract.

The prices of Woodbridge homes for sale right now, range from $379,500 for a 3 bedroom 1,117 square foot attached condo at 110 Echo Run, (standard sale) in the Park Vista tract, to $1,750,000 for a 2 bedroom 3,363 square foot SFR at 18 Bayview!

31 Woodbridge homes are in escrow, (Pending or Backup Offers status), at a total list price a little over of $13.5 million.

I hear from fellow-agents all the time "there's nothing to sell!", but there ARE homes to sell. In fact more Woodbridge homes sold in 2012 than in 2011, (298 vs 259). That's a 15% increase. 

Read some of my previous blogs to see what I do to find my buyer clients homes when there are none!  :)

Clearly the inventory "problem" isn't caused by sellers not listing their homes, (because they ARE), but rather by buyers who snap these homes up, (competing with multiple other offers), thus reducing the available inventory. 

Will the inventory drop any further? How low can it possibly go? Stay tuned....