The Orange County Great Park is hosting a fall garden lecture series. The lectures, which are held at the Great Park Farm and Food Lab, are now though November 5. All lectures are free. The next lecture is on Saturday, October 15 at 10 am.

Here is a description of the upcoming free talk that is straight from the Great Park’s website:

Master Gardener Kay Havens will demonstrate how to make beautiful salad blends. Her seminar will include Asian greens as well as how to make garden additions for flavor and color.

Note: The Great Park uses sustainable practices (The 2009 APA award given to the Great Park and comments from The Sustainable Sites Initiative are examples of this.) but recently accepted a donation from a company that is associated with Monsanto. This company will be the “exclusive lawn and garden products sponsor of the Orange County Great Park Farm + Food Lab and Community Gardens Program.”

If you follow these matters, you will know that Monsanto receives a lot of criticism from the sustainable-practices community. I am not sure what to think of this partnership right now, but maybe that is a discussion for another time.

Photo courtesy Seeds of Change

Incentives through the City of Irvine for solar installation will end on November 18th. Sullivan Solar Power is holding a free luncheon program at Irvine’s City Hall this Saturday, August 27 that will cover how to take advantage of this program for little to zero upfront costs. The talk will also cover how to make use of California state rebates and federal tax credits. Since these Irvine incentives end on November 18th, time is of the essence. Additional information is available at IrvineSolarProgram.org or 1-800-SULLIVAN.

WHAT: Irvine Solar Program Luncheon

WHEN: Saturday, August 27th, 11 am

WHERE: Irvine City Hall, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine CA

Note that the graph, provided by Redfin, is of the number of homes that are on the market in Irvine, not the number of homes that have sold in Irvine.

Number of Sales in Irvine

• November 2010: 239
• October 2010: 174
• September 2010: 222
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=89, condos sold=107
• August 2010: 229
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=113, condos sold=102
• July 2010: 226
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=106, condos sold=112

Irvine Median Sold Price/SF-Condos

Unless otherwise noted, the source for the following numbers is DQNew.

Irvine Median Sold Price/SF-Houses

Median Selling Price in Irvine

• November 2010: $562,000 (down 3.44% y-o-y)
• October 2010: $522,500 (down 9.91% y-o-y)
• September 2010: $625,000 (up 16.93% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s numbers: $575,000 (no change y-o-y) or $336/SF (down 2.0% y-o-y)
• August 2010: $580,000 (up 1.9% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s numbers: $600,000  (up 4.3% y-o-y) or $344/SF (up 3.3% y-o-y)
• July 2010: $580,000 (up 6.62% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s numbers: $570,000 (up 5.1% y-o-y) or $339/SF (up 1.2% y-o-y)

Graphs Courtesy Redfin

Irvine Median Sold Price/SF-Houses

Median Selling Price in Irvine

• October 2010: $522,000 (down 9.91% y-o-y)
• September 2010: $625,000 (up 16.93% y-o-y)
• August 2010: $580,000 (up 1.9% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s August 2010 numbers: $600,000  (up 4.3% y-o-y) or $344/SF (up 3.3% y-o-y)
• July 2010: $580,000 (up 6.62% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s July 2010 numbers: $570,000  (up 5.1% y-o-y) or $339/SF (up 1.2% y-o-y)

Irvine Median Sold Price/SF-Condos

Number of Sales in Irvine

• October 2010: 174
• September 2010: 222
• August 2010: 229
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=113, condos sold=102
• July 2010: 226
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=106, condos sold=112

Source unless otherwise noted: DQnews

Graphs Courtesy Redfin

Irvine Median Price/SF--Houses

Median Selling Price in Irvine

• September 2010: $625,000 (up 16.93% y-o-y)
• August 2010: $580,000 (up 1.9% y-o-y)
• July 2010: $580,000 (up 6.62% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s JuLy 2010 numbers: $570,000  (up 5.1% y-o-y) or $339/SF (up 1.2% y-o-y)

Irvine Median Sold Price/SF--Condos

Number of Sales in Irvine

• September 2010: 222
• August 2010: 229
• July 2010: 226
  Redfin’s numbers: houses sold=106, condos sold=112

Source unless otherwise noted: DQnews

Graphs Courtesy Redfin

44 Blue Heron (Shady Canyon)

Up today is Irvine’s 92603 ZIP housing numbers. This ZIP includes the Shady Canyon, Turtle Ridge, Turtle Rock and Quail Hill neighborhoods.

14 Vernal Spring (Shady Canyon)

Most of the highest priced home in Irvine are in this ZIP’s Shady Canyon neighborhood. The most expensive home in Shady Canyon is a 13,500 square foot home located at 44 Blue Heron ($18.950,000 or $1,404/SF); the least expensive home in Shady Canyon is a 4,097 square foot home located at 14 Vernal Spring ($2.499,000 or $610/SF). The least expensive home in all of the 92603 ZIP is an 822 square foot condo located at 133 Danbrook in the Quail Hill neighborhood ($300,000 or $365/SF).

92603 Median Selling Price

• August 2010: $949,500 (up 32.4% y-o-y)
• July 2010: $860,000 (up 21.6% y-o-y)
• June 2010: $990,000 (up 21.5% y-o-y)
  Redfin’s June 2010 numbers: $990,000  (up 15.8% y-o-y) or $438/SF (up 6.6% y-o-y).
• May 2010: $1,010,000 (up 32.9% y-o-y)
• April 2010: $1,420,000 (up 82.1% y-o-y)
• March 2010: $847,500 (up 48.68% y-o-y)

92603 Number of Sales

• August 2010: 25 (down 19.4%)
• July 2010: 23 (down 4.2% y-o-y)
• June 2010: 42 (up 23.5% y-o-y)
• May 2010: 31 (down 3.1% y-o-y)
• April 2010: 23  (down 14.5% y-o-y)
• March 2010: 34 (up 70.0% y-o-y)

Source unless otherwise noted: DQnews

The photo is of 87 Briarglen #27 in Woodbridge. This 2 bedroom condo is priced near the median selling price for homes in this ZIP; however, the price per square foot ($412) is above this ZIP’s median. Also, both Zillow and eppraisal estimate the value of this home to be approximately $350,000. This home has been on the market for approximately 5 months.

92614 Median Selling Price

• July 2010: $429,500 (down 6.4% y-o-y)
• June 2010: $425,000 (down 20.3% y-o-y)
  Note: Redfin’s June 2010 numbers are $502,000  (down 15.8% y-o-y) or $345/SF (up 7.8% y-o-y).
• May 2010: $555,000 (down 11.0% y-o-y)
• April 2010: $591,000 (up 45.9% y-o-y)
• March 2010: $525,000 (up 46.14% y-o-y)

92614 Number of Sales

• July 2010: 25 (up 44.8% y-o-y)
• June 2010: 16 (up 25.0% y-o-y)
• May 2010: 24 (up 11.1% y-o-y)
• April 2010: 25 (up 25.0% y-o-y)
• March 2010: 21 (up 61.54% y-o-y)

Source unless otherwise noted: DQnews

92606 Median Selling Price:

• Ju;u 2010: $584,000 (up 9.5% y-o-y)
• June 2010: $457,000 (down 25.4% y-o-y)
• May 2010: $408,000 (down 16.7% y-o-y)
  For comparison: Redfn’s May median numbers are $457,000 (down 30% y-o-y) or $347/SF (up 1.5% y-o-y)
• April 2010: $498,000 (down 20.3% y-o-y)
• March 2010: $613,000 (up 12.07% y-o-y)

92606 Number of Sales:

• July 2010: 14 (down 22.2% y-o-y)
• June 2010: 17 (up 6.3% y-o-y)
• May 2010: 21 (up 40.0% y-o-y)
• April 2010: 12 (up 33.3% y-o-y)
• March 2010: 15 (up 25.00% y-o-y)

Source unless otherwise noted: DQNews

3138 Watermarke Place, Irvine (IBC)

Up today is the 92612 ZIP housing numbers. This ZIP includes the IBC (airport area), Rancho San Joaquin, University Park and University Town Center. With the exception of the IBC, which is Irvine’s mixed-use, urban-living area that is located near the San Joaquin Marsh, all these neighborhoods are some of Irvine’s more established areas. University Park and University Town Center are near UCI and Mason Park, and Rancho San Joaquin is near the Rancho San Joaquin golf course.

According to Redfin, the least expensive home in this ZIP is an REO condo in the IBC ($204,900 or $323/SF). The most expensive home ($2,495,000 or $582/SF) is also in the IBC. This home is a high-rise condo and is under contract. It is also a short sale. As always, be sure to check the HOA fee and Mellos Roos tax when buying in the IBC–or anywhere for that matter, but especially in the IBC.

92612 Median Selling Price

• June 2010: $440,000 (down 7.0%  y-o-y)
• May 2010: $457,500 (down 12.0%  y-o-y)
• April 2010: $445,000 (up 6.0%  y-o-y)
  For comparison: Redfin’s overall April median selling price is $427,000 (up 1.7% y-o-y) or $327 per square foot (down 3.8% y-o-y).
• March 2010: $430,000 (down 1.83% y-o-y)

92612 Number of Sales

• June 2010: 47 (up 56.7% y-o-y)
• May 2010: 42 (up 90.9% y-o-y)
• April 2010: 33 (up 73.7% y-o-y)
• March 2010: 34 (up 100.00% y-o-y)

Source unless otherwise noted: DataQuick