Costa Mesa Home for Lease- 407 Princeton Drive, Costa Mesa CA 92626

Looking for a great home to rent?

We have this beautiful 4 bedroom that just became available in College Park at 407 Princeton Drive.  It is a 4 bedroom home of approximately 1600 square feet with 2 bathrooms.  Available immediately, this home just had new carpet and new paint added on both the interior and exterior.

Costa Mesa home for lease at 407 Princeton Drive

Would you like to see this home? I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

Looking for a home with a beautifully remodeled kitchen?

Just added to our selection of great homes in Costa Mesa real estate is our own Veranda Homes listing at 2900 Pemba Drive in the Mesa Verde area of Costa Mesa real estate.

2900 Pemba Facade

Pemba kitchen and dining

Kitchen w/ wine fridge

HUGE family room

Pemba Backyard w/jacuzzi

Master bath

The home was recently remodeled with all new granite in the kitchen, updated kitchen cabinets, a travertine tile backsplash, recessed lighting  in much of the house, a full suite of stainless steel appliances, and all new kitchen hardware.  That’s just the kitchen!  This home has a nice addition on it which creates a formal dining room as well as lengthening the living room, making for a huge space in the living room.  Often times when looking for a home in Costa Mesa real estate it is hard to find such a large kitchen and living areas in a home.  Looking at our last series on remodeling a kitchen, you can really see some value in buying a kitchen this way!

The master bedroom was expanded as well, which can be hard to find at this price in Costa Mesa real estate, and has an enormous walk-in wall to wall closet.  When it was expanded by a previous owner, there was a large master bath added as well, and it has a very nice walk in standup shower.  I know lots of women tend to like having the master bathroom have a full bathtub, but I really like the setup here with the shower and long vanity with double vessel style sinks.  It’s rare to see a large master bath in this part of the inner loop.

The backyard is just the right size, and it has all new sod and sprinkler system.  It even has a really nice jacuzzi on the side of the backyard, perfect for enjoying those cool Costa Mesa real estate nights.

Would you like to see this home? Or interested in another Costa Mesa real estate listing?  I would love to help you! I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

It’s been a long, slow road to recovery in Costa Mesa real estate.  Since the beginning of the real estate downturn in late 2006, we have lost more than 30% of value from  the market peak. However, those losses don’t always show on your tax bill from the OC Tax assessor for your Costa Mesa real estate.

The tax assessor can raise your property taxes each year about 2% locally here for any Costa Mesa real estate properties that are not protected by Proposition 13.  And a 2% hike can mean an awful lot of money, especially if you bought a home near the height of the market.

How to Appeal

Each year you are entitled to appeal what the assessor says your value currently is in Costa Mesa real estate.  How? pretty simple, go to their website and click on the “Forms” link.  There you will find a one page assessment review form. It needs to be filled out with the property information and there is a space to include several comparable sales for your neighborhood. The County Assessor will contact you to present and discuss their findings. If you are unhappy with the Assessors proposal, you can file a request for a formal review between July 2nd and Sept 15th. You will then have an opportunity to present your case in person to the Assessor.  More Info on the process can be found here.

Important!

If  home sales in your neighborhood have dropped lower than the value of your home on your Costa Mesa real estate Property Tax Bill you may be eligible to have your property taxes lowered. The period for filing an informal assessment review with the County is January 1st to April 30th of each year. This is essentially the easiest and quickest way to have the value of your home reviewed. Even though the Assessor claims they are proactive in reviewing property assessments, I feel that having the homeowner be proactive is much more prudent.  Be sure to submit it prior to the deadline of April 30th, or you will have to pay the current bill and wait an entire year to resubmit your request.

Help Me!

If you have questions regarding this process or need comparable sales in your neighborhood, please do not hesitate to contact me.  You will need comparable sales (“Comps”) from your neighborhood for the period between January and  April last year.  Need help with those? I have helped lots of people in Costa Mesa real estate circles with comps.  If you need ‘em, please ask!
Interested in Costa Mesa real estate or in help for your appeal?  I would love to talk to you! I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

I haven’t done one of these in a while, but let’s kick off Monday with a top ten list!  Here are my favorite homes on the market in Costa Mesa real estate early this year through January.

There is a little bit for everyone, a couple leases, single family, single story and two story, larger homes.  Want to see one? I would love to help.  My contact info is below, or at the top right of the page:

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # u12000326 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # s686010 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

2854 Serang Pl, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (MLS # P810030)

This home is located in a premier neighborhood, the Mesa Verde Inner Loop. Rare single story, four bedroom with expanded floorplan. Unbelievable amount of space over 2100 square feet! Remodeled kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The open floorplan is perfect for entertaining. Living room boasts a brick fireplace and there is a huge family room too. Check out the eco-friendly bamboo flooring. Master bedroom retreat is separate from the other bedrooms and has an enormous walk-in closet and a beautifully upgraded master bath featuring dual vanity with vessel sinks and travertine shower. Private backyard with sunny patio and lots of space for a pool, play area or garden. 2-car attached garage. All this on a quiet street. Walk to schools, parks, shops. Quick 20-minute bike ride to the beach. Convenient to freeways. This home has it all!

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Valerie Torelli DRE# 00668297, Torelli Realty

(view all details for MLS #P810030)

2900 Pemba Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (MLS # S685980)

Prime Mesa Verde Inner Loop, 2 houses from the park. This home has just had a $100k remodel. Gourmet kitchen w/all new stainless appliances+ wine fridge, exotic granite counters w/ travertine backsplash, breakfast bar,stunning custom dark hardwood cabinets w/satin nickel hardware, breakfast bar, canned lighting, skylight, newly refinished hardwood flooring, formal dinning area, Newer windows throughout+2 bay windows. All new hardware, ceiling fans and lighting throughout, All bathrooms completely remodeled with new cabinets, granite counters, new tile and stone flooring, all new sinks,faucets, mirrors. All new designer paint and carpet, travertine fireplace w/mantle, 6 panel doors, 4'baseboard, large master w/ extra lg. walk-in-in closet +French doors that lead to large private backyard w/covered patio, fruit trees and brand new hot tub. Indoor laundry, Beautiful garage with new epoxy flooring. All new landscape, private entry w/courtyard. New ext. paint.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Paul Morgan DRE# 01332164, Veranda Homes

(view all details for MLS #S685980)

2100 Monrovia Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (MLS # S685956)

First Time Buyer and or Investor Dream Property! Gorgeous Four Bedroom, two bathroom home situated in Costa Mesa Area.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Frank Shamoo DRE# 01899250, Realty One Group Inc

(view all details for MLS #S685956)

463 Ogle St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (MLS # P807753)

East Costa Mesa 3bdr/2bath single family home in neighborhood south of 17th St. Close to all Newport Beach and Costa Mesa amenities. Pleasant street has many remodeled properties. This home has been well maintained and has lush landscaping and a very private patio/backyard. Some celings scraped, newer paint, and home has great potential for updating and improvements. Fireplaces in living room and family room. Close proximity to Newport Heights Elementary and Newport Harbor High School.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Gregory Marchman DRE# 01421553, North Hills Realty

(view all details for MLS #P807753)

2339 Richmond Way, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (MLS # S685585)

Cozy three bedroom townhome completely upgraded, in the heart of Costa Mesa! This beautiful home offers 3 large bedrooms, one with a private balcony and 2 upgraded bathrooms. The newly upgraded Kitchen includes high-end stainless steel appliances, and top of the line fixtures and granite counter tops. You will also find fresh new carpet and tile thru out the unit, along with new interior designer paint. This unit also comes with, laundry access and hook ups as well as a private patio perfect for entertaining. Large direct 2 car garage access as well! This is a Great location close to OC Fairgrounds, Shops, Beaches, Freeways, College, etc. Not a short sale!

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Katie Maresca DRE# 01854380, Realty One Group Inc

(view all details for MLS #S685585)

1788 Oriole Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (MLS # U12000141)

Upper Birds tract of Mesa Verde! This expanded home to approx. 3700 sq. ft. Down stairs library or home office could be used as a downstairs spacious bedroom. Upstairs of this 4 bedroom home has a great family room/bonus with fireplace and skylights. Master suite has a private office and balcony. Great private back yard. Home needs TLC but it's a great floor plan for extended family with great privacy. There is a laundry room built inside the 3 car garage. Great neighborhood for outdoor living. Walk to Costa Mesa Golf course, Tanager Park, Fairview Regional Park or bike to the beach. More info. to follow.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Linda Hartman DRE# 01096499, Re/Max Metro

(view all details for MLS #U12000141)

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # u12000135 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

3100 Roosevelt Way, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (MLS # S683779)

This expanded 4 bedroom (potentially 6 bedroom) is GORGEOUS and sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on a pie shaped lot! The inside of the home is even more beautiful than the outside! There is incredible attention to detail throughout the home. Beautiful travertine floors & accents, highly upgraded gourmet kitchen, great lighting, detailed moulding/baseboards, a main floor Master bedroom, along with two secondary bedrooms and widened hallways. The second floor offers an amazing oversized bonus room with deck that over looks the pool and has a staircase leading down to the pool. There is a second Master Bedroom upstairs with double ceiling and the ensuite bathroom offers a stone over sized shower/sauna and jacuzzi tub. The large upstairs bonus room could easily be converted to two bedrooms to make this a 6 bedroom home. The beautiful salt water pool in the backyard along with the built in Bbq. make this house an entertainers dream. Too many upgrades to mention! Come see for yourself.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Mandy Collister DRE# 01737538, Weichman Associates Realtors

(view all details for MLS #S683779)

The New York Times
A reprieve for unemployed borrowers
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently extended their foreclosure forbearance programs to give short-term aid to unemployed homeowners, but housing counselors warn that these borrowers will need to look at longer-term solutions.
Making sense of the story
 In a forbearance program, a lender agrees not to foreclose on a property and gives the borrower several months’ grace from or reduction in monthly mortgage payments. The programs work best for temporary setbacks, like job loss, health problems, or natural disasters.
 There are drawbacks to the forbearances though. The most-significant drawback is a larger total debt from the smaller payments. The unpaid balance continues to increase during this time.
 The new temporary mortgage payment is often set to 31 percent of the household income; in some cases lenders agree to accept no payments. Fannie Mae’s extended unemployment program, first offered in the fall of 2010, limits any nonpayment or other forbearance plans to one year, with the second six months requiring approval by both Fannie Mae and the lender.
 However, even with the program in place, the lender could still report a mortgage as delinquent, which could adversely affect the borrower’s credit score.
 Because some agreements add onerous term and conditions, homeowners should also consult with a housing counselor certified by the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
Read the full story
http://nyti.ms/zMECOc
Jan. 26, 2012
In other news …
The Wall Street Journal
Sales stir hope for housing market
Existing-home sales increased 5 percent in December from a month earlier, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.61 million units, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® said Friday.
Read the full story:
http://on.wsj.com/zrYTFG
The Mercury News
Fed: Interest rates should stay low until late 2014
The Federal Reserve said it’s unlikely to raise its benchmark interest rate before late 2014, extending its time frame by at least a year and a half.
Read the full story:
http://bit.ly/A6hAGF
The Wall Street Journal
Housing inventory ends year down 22 percent
There were fewer houses for sale at the end of 2011 than in any of the previous four years, a positive sign for the housing sector.
Read the full story:
http://on.wsj.com/AcqcWn
The Los Angeles Times
Consumer group tentatively supports $25-billion mortgage deal
The Center for Responsible Lending has called a proposed $25-billion settlement over faulty foreclosure practices between attorneys general, federal agencies, and the mortgage industry “an important step in addressing foreclosure abuses.”
Read the full story
http://lat.ms/wwyczK
Jan. 26, 2012

The Wall Street Journal
Places for home builders to dig in
Amid a flurry of housing news this week, including President Obama’s latest mortgage-refinance proposal, comes an interesting piece of real-estate analysis in the building sector. Metrostudy has analyzed the strongest markets for home builders, which include: San Diego; Southern California; Texas’ Rio Grande Valley; St. George, Utah; and Orlando.
Read the full story
http://on.wsj.com/zt5IsA

The Orange County Register
Calif. house price drop 7th biggest in U.S.
California house prices had the seventh-biggest price drop among U.S. states in November, falling 5.9 percent from year-ago levels, according to data firm CoreLogic
Read the full story
http://bit.ly/zHom6P
CNNMoney
New home construction gathers momentum
The Census Bureau reported that housing starts fell to 657,000 on an annual basis, down 4.1 percent compared with November.
Read the full story
http://cnnmon.ie/xdEHN5
The Wall Street Journal
The “new American home” continues shrinking
The nation’s average home size, which peaked at 2,500 square feet in 2007, is expected to shrink to 2,152 square feet by 2015, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Read the full story
http://on.wsj.com/xExFAp
Jan. 26, 2012

What you should know …
 The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* fell from a revised 108.7 in November to 91.6 in December, based on signed contracts. The index was up from the revised 82.5 recorded in December 2010, marking the eighth consecutive month that pending sales rose from the previous year. The decline follows a normal seasonal drop that usually occurs in November and December.
 Pending home sales are forward-looking indicators of future home sales activity, providing information on the future direction of the market.
 C.A.R. also reported that sales of distressed properties increased in December, as lenders pushed to close REOs and short sales to move them off their balance sheets before the end of the year.
 The total share of all distressed property types sold statewide rose to 47.3 percent in December, up from November’s 44.9 percent but down from 48.3 percent in December 2010.
 Of the distressed properties sold statewide in December, 22.2 percent were short sales, up from the previous month’s share of 21 percent and up from last December’s share of 19.6 percent.
 The share of REO sales rose in December to 24.6 percent, up from November’s 23.5 percent, but down from the 28.3 percent recorded in December 2010.
Jan. 26, 2012

Congrats to Maren McClanahan of Estancia High School and her tile wall project.  I was lucky enough to support Maren as a sponsor with her project along with another Realtor and the local Home Depot team.

It was part of her higher Girl Scout community project leadership, and it is a super cool addition to the wall at the pool and acquatics center of Estancia High School.  The plan is to continue to add color and build individual sponsorship tiles in this area of the acquatics center.

Way to go Maren!!!

Hopefully you have been enjoying our series this week on Costa Mesa real estate remodeling.  While most of it has been focused on kitchens, I thought it would be interesting to look at what works in other areas as well.

Of course, locally the two most expensive upgrades tend to be kitchens and baths, and it follows suit that you should invest your money their first if you are going to do any Costa Mesa real estate remodeling.  Let’s look at what the national trends are according to Realtor magazine and Remodeling Magazine:

Fiberboard siding is one of the best investments in home based on recouping costs when selling

National Trends (top 5):

• Entry Door (Steel) replacement  (102% cost recouped)
• Garage Door replacement  (83.9% cost recouped)
• Fiberboard (Cement) Siding (80% cost recouped)
• Kitchen Remodel (Minor)  (72.8% cost recouped)
• Deck Addition  (72.8% cost recouped)

Obviously, some of those items look a little odd to us here in Southern California.  I would agree that entry doors and garage doors certainly help with the appearance and important first impression of the home, but here with Costa Mesa real estate most people will focus on other areas.

Patio/Deck additions returned approximately 60% of cost in Costa Mesa

Here’s what our numbers look like in the Los Angeles area, which includes Costa Mesa real estate (top 5):

• Fiberboard (Cement) Siding (80% cost recouped)
• Window replacement (Vinyl)  (72.6% cost recouped)
• (Fiberboard) Siding  Replacement (72.4% cost recouped)
• Garage Door replacement  (69.8% cost recouped)
• Major Kitchen Remodel  (68.7% cost recouped)

Kitchens locally in Costa Mesa real estate came in around the 10th best way to recoup an investment, although that is a bit misleading because we don’t have attics to convert to bedrooms or basements to convert to living/media rooms.  Taking out those items, a kitchen would appear as the 5th or 6th best return on investment, and a bathroom around the 11th best investment (64.1% cost recouped).

A lot of these numbers are skewed, and when it comes down to it, you’ve got to live in your house, right?  Doing kitchens and baths will never get you in trouble, just be sure to do them in a tasteful manner and not pick a wild color or something so personal no one would want it when it is time to sell the house.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been in home with buyers and they look at each other and say, “who would paint their room purple???”.  Everything counts, believe me.

Sometimes you gotta build just for yourself

Remember too that this data has been affected by the downturn in the market.  Remodeling a kitchen or bath the right way might not get you a higher price on resale, but in today’s market it will get you the sale done a lot quicker.
Interested in Costa Mesa real estate or in remodeling ideas that pay off?  I would love to talk to you!  Even if you just need a good contractor reference. I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

Continuing our focused series this week on ideas, trends, and budget ideas for remodeling your Costa Mesa real estate kitchen, today we will look back at yesterday’s post and see how we can reduce our budget to two smaller price options.

When I go to sell a Costa Mesa real estate home, the number one thing I look at is the kitchen.  At the moment, it is the absolute number one item in the eyes of most buyers, and outweighs bathrooms, master bedrooms, and man caves in what people are looking for in a Costa Mesa real estate home.

An Ikea kitchen is surprisingly affordable, and is a complete solution at a good price

With that in mind, if you were going to sell your home and wanted to spruce up the kitchen and not spend $30,000 or more just to sell, what could you do?  Here are a couple ideas, the second of which is also great for those who want to update and enjoy the kitchen on a budget.

Quick Fixes

The number one quick fix is to paint the kitchen cabinets.  If you have darker wood or even a light wood that has become dated, painting the cabinets white is an inexpensive fix that will brighten the kitchen instantly.  Adding a darker oil rubbed bronze or a satin finished knobs and drawer pulls will provide a good contrast to make the kitchen look fresh and modern.  Cost for these ideas? Less than $1500 including paint.  This idea works especially well if you are already working with a raised panel design on your cabinets.

Laminate countertops look sleek and modern like granite, but save quite a lot on the cost

If the countertops are dated or in a state of disrepair, an easy solution is to get new laminate countertops (they look just like a slab of granite) to replace what is currently there – cost? Depending on the size, you are looking at $750-$1500, which is less than half what granite would cost.  The next best option would be to use large tile on the countertops, then next would be a solid surface.

With this plan I would highly recommend a suite of stainless steel appliances.  You can easily pick up a set (dishwasher, refrigerator, range) for less than $3,000.  You have to remember, many, many buyers want to buy your house and have the money for the downpayment, but simply don’t have an extra $5,000 or more after closing day.  Providing them new appliances goes a long way to convince them to buy your home.

A stainless steel appliance package is high on the list of Buyer wants in Costa Mesa real estate

Total of our quick fixes? Less than $6,000 total.  Those dollars would come back dollar for dollar when you go to sell your Costa Mesa real estate.

Middle of The Road

Looking to live in your home, and make it wonderful between those price points?

If your cabinets are good, I would always recommend painting them or the next option of refacing the cabinets.  That can be done relatively inexpensively, for between $3,000 and $6,000 depending on the size of your kitchen.  It’s still half of what new custom cabinets would cost to have made for your Costa Mesa real estate kitchen.  The other great option is to find a pre-made cabinet maker like Ikea or find cabinets at a place like Builder’s Surplus in Santa Ana.  You may think it crazy, but I once sold a home in Costa Mesa real estate that had an all white Ikea kitchen with granite and a beautiful backsplash- I couldn’t even tell the cabinets were from Ikea until the owner told me.  It was really beautiful.  You can definitely do an Ikea kitchen for less than $10,000 and that would include appliances.

Adding your own granite choices and a nice backsplash would take you up into the $14,000 to $15,000 range, which is half of what the entirely custom kitchen would cost for your Costa Mesa real estate home.
Interested in Costa Mesa real estate or in remodeling ideas that pay off?  I would love to talk to you!  Even if you just need a good contractor reference. I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

My Costa Mesa real estate series this week is focused on remodeling ideas for your Costa Mesa home.  Yesterday I posted that I got into a good debate of what it would cost to update the kitchen at the home I did an open house this past Sunday on Mandarin Drive in Mesa Verde’s lower bird streets.

Here’s how I came to my number of $30,000 from my previous post. I will add some photos along the way to give you some idea of what is involved.  We kept our flooring and the windows all stayed where they were.  We did not move our plumbing or too much electrical, and that saved us money.  Our project, believe it or not, only took 28 days.  It should have taken less (like 24 days), but my contractor was ill and was not able to come for the final 3 days.

 Cabinets

Of course, what tends to be the most expensive part of the kitchen are the cabinets or cabinetry.  We wound up spending a little more than $12,000 for our paint grade, bare wood (maple) cabinets which included all the door hinges, glides,  custom lighting inside the display cabinets and the pantry, and the under counter lighting and electrical work.

We took out the oven from the wall and added this small bar/cabinet area

The cabinet maker installed everything, so it saved having a general contractor do it.  My kitchen had been extended by the owners previous to me, and the larger kitchen is very comfortable to live in, but I was definitely afraid of the costs when it was time to remodel. We modified the layout of the kitchen to include a counter depth refrigerator (our old one jutted out into the walkway), a new bar area that includes a small wine refrigerator, and a space for a professional gas range because we both love to cook.

Of course the best part of doing a Costa Mesa kitchen or a remodeling project is that you can get exactly what you want.  We are in our third house now that we have owned, and we had always inherited someone else’s kitchen/design, so we have know for a long time what we wanted.  Our new favorite design element that we have is the cabinets close flush into the frame of the cabinets for all the drawers and doors – it really creates a very clean, modern look.  The little things go along way too- we had to have those soft close glides on the drawers- it is sooo nice just to gently push the drawers closed and have them slowly come to a soft close all by themselves.   We were also able to get deep drawers for all the pots and a built-in sliding utensil drawer that is super convenient and a really cool way to keep all the cooking utensils organized.

Cabinets with fresh paint, waiting for the backsplash

So where did the rest of the money go?  The appliances were the next big ticket item.  The 36” range was expenseve – nearly $5k. Ouch.  The fridge was only $1500, we kept our old dishwasher ($450 last year) and the wine fridge was relatively inexpensive at $500.  We did save a lot of money by buying our appliances online – I saved approximately $1900 over buying locally.

 Other Details

So now our tally sits at $19,000 and change for our remodel.

Some of the other little costs:

Painter – $1,800 (painting cabinets and touch up)

Demo day $1,000 (contractor labor and dumpster)

Gas line $1,000 (contractor had to move line to new spot)

Countertops 

My wife and I never had a solid surface counter top in our kitchens that we loved in the past.  We had Corian once, but we didn’t love the way it wore or how it cleaned up.  Two of our homes had tile countertops (4 x 4 tile) as we had in our current home, so we were definitely excited about granite or another solid surface.

Kitchen with bar seating and open plan

We did look at many options, but found a granite that we really loved, and felt it was perfect for the price ($1400).  We did have to get three slabs because of the surface size of our kitchen, and that was one of the reasons the other nice options (quartz, silestone) were a little too pricey for us. The fabrication of the granite is always one of the expensive parts of a kitchen too, and that cost $1,600.

What’s left? 

Just the backsplash!  We wound up going with a stacked glass mosaic that blends well with the granite – it comes off a bit modern, but it really created interest since the cabinets are all white.  The expense of the tile for that was about $1400 and the labor to install was $300.

Totals???

All told that is a grand total of  27,500.  I had one other contractor bill of $1750  which put us just under our $30,000 budget by $750.  So, going back to the kitchen on Mandarin Drive – yes, you sure can do your Costa Mesa real estate kitchen for a lot less than $50,000!

Tomorrow I will look at ways to do it less expensively, and later this week I will look at national numbers that tell what you can expect to recoup on the investment you make into remodeling your Costa Mesa real estate.

Adding a backsplash can bring interest and a focal point to a kitchen

Interested in Costa Mesa real estate or in remodeling ideas that pay off?  I would love to talk to you!  Even if you just need a good contractor reference. I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.

Remodeling Costs

I met lots of neighbors, and I even got into, well, we will call it a spirited debate with one of the neighbors about how much it would cost to remodel the kitchen. I added a couple of photos from the kitchen of the home on Mandarin so you could see what it looks like- it is close to 100% original from the time built, aside from the flooring, the dishwasher and the faucett.

It is in good shape, but it has definitely become dated now. The neighbor (a friend of mine) came in and said it would take at least $50,000 to remodel this kitchen and that’s when I had to tell him he was way off base. I get that comment a lot in Costa Mesa real estate, because people don’t realize how to work with contractors directly to get a project like this done. This kitchen to remodel in my estimation could be done for very close to $30,000, and at that number it would look incredible. I tell you this because I just did my own kitchen recently and we were right at that number, and the spacing on my kitchen is slightly larger than the one on 2040 Mandarin with more cabinetry which is usually the most expensive item on a new kitchen. I told my friend this and he about came unglued, so I told him I would show him receipts!

Put in Your Own Touches

This house on Mandarin is actually one of those good scenarios that can be tough to find in real estate – great bones, great neighborhood, great location, but it needs a bit of updating. So if you are looking in Costa Mesa real estate for a home to add your own charm to, this is the one you want because you can buy it at the right price. The home across the street just sold for $770,000, so buying this for anything under $690,000 would work so that you could put money into the house (kitchen, baths) and not feel like you are overdoing it for the current neighborhood values.

This week I am going to focus a series on remodeling your Costa Mesa real estate home, what the best projects are, what provides you the best bang for the buck, and what will provide you the best usability/return when you go to sell it someday. 
Feel free to chime in! Any comments are always appreciated.

Interested in Costa Mesa real estate or in remodeling ideas that pay off?  I would love to talk to you!  I can be reached at 714-743-9882 or E-mail me here to reach me.