Aurora Knolls: The 7-Day Kitchen Still Had Brown Cabinets

Previous coverage · Aurora Knolls / Aurora / 80013 · August 25, 2026
The payment wins here—not the prettiest kitchen.

What changed in our advice

We said to keep the price low and finish the basics. Updated homes took longer than those with a blank condition box. We cannot treat that result as a rule.

This review looks at two updated homes that found buyers fast. One took two days; the other took seven. We still favor careful spending, based on what each room needs.

The earlier report covered July 27–August 24. This one covers August 1–31, 2026. The groups are small and overlap; they do not prove buyers changed their tastes.

Seven days, $449,000—and brown cabinets

At 18090 E Pacific Place, the kitchen kept arched wood doors. Photos show brown bath tile, too. The house closed at $449,000 after seven days listed.

Nearby, 18035 E Asbury Place had white cabinets and mixed bath finishes. It closed at $480,000 after two days.

DOM means days listed before a contract. It does not include the wait from contract to closing. Both houses went under contract in July and closed in August.

Across 53 August resales in 80013, average DOM was 16.7 days. The 12 marked Updated/Remodeled averaged 15 days. Both houses beat those averages.

Just four sale records used the exact neighborhood name Aurora Knolls. Two were marked updated. We can study these houses, but cannot call them a proven recipe.

What each house offered

Asbury Place was the ZIP's fastest sale marked updated. It was also the fastest of these four Aurora Knolls records. The whole ZIP had a one-day sale in Mission Viejo.

Asbury Place: make the parts work together

Photos show white paneled cabinets with dark knobs and cup-shaped drawer handles. Speckled counters meet a narrow gray-and-cream mosaic backsplash. White shelves, stainless appliances and clear hanging lights finish the kitchen.

The listing calls the counters granite and says the cabinets were refreshed. Warm wood-look floors and pale walls join the rooms.

One bath has white subway tile with dark grout. A white vanity, dark faucet and wood shelves match that look. Another bath has cream square tile, blue-gray walls and dark fixtures.

Outside, brown brick meets gray-green siding, white trim and an established lawn. See the current listing photos.

This suggests a useful place to save. Check whether sound tile can work with fresh paint and fixtures. Every bath need not start with a dumpster.

The house also offered more than a kitchen. The listing reports a permitted fourth bedroom with a basement exit window. There was more living space, a wet bar and a fireplace.

The agent also listed a furnace, garage-door work and a radon system. Garage wiring allowed for an EV charger. Living and dining space opened toward the deck. Read the listing details.

Those items could save a buyer work after moving in. We do not know which ones drove the quick sale. The price and the right buyer may explain plenty.

Pacific Place: a working kitchen can keep its color

Pacific's photos show brown cabinets with arched upper doors. We could not see added door pulls. The listing says the heavily patterned counters are granite.

A short strip of counter material runs up the wall. Small mosaic tiles sit above it. The U-shaped kitchen keeps a breakfast bar and stainless appliances.

The floor has a beige square pattern. The living room has brown wood-look flooring. Bedrooms and the basement have neutral carpet.

The bath has brown square tile with diamond accents. It also has a wood vanity, white tub and silver fixtures. Simple lights and textured ceilings remain. See Pacific's listing photos.

The listing reports new carpet, flooring work, a new roof and a swamp cooler. The drive-through garage gives access to the backyard. That can help with storage, yard work and moving gear.

The agent promised exterior paint. We have not confirmed it was done. Read Pacific's listing details.

Sound cabinets can leave more money for those other jobs. Check their doors, storage and condition before replacing them. Brown is a color, not a building defect.

The slower house had more to explain

At 18120 E Asbury Drive, the first asking price was $475,000. It closed at $420,000 after 72 DOM. That first ask was higher than Pacific's.

The finished area was nearly the same size as Pacific's. But it had three bedrooms, one garage space and no cooling listed. Its new roof and finished basement did not erase those differences. Read the Asbury Drive listing.

Seller credits are money the seller agrees to pay as part of the sale. The MLS reports $11,500 in seller credits here.

A separate agent note reports another $16,000 for upgrades. It says the title company paid contractors directly.

We have not seen the final closing papers. We keep that note separate from the usual credit number. It does not prove when work happened or whether it was finished.

Nor does it explain the 72-day wait. Check the price, bedrooms, garage and cooling before blaming the counters. Those are real differences a buyer would weigh.

A repair can look like a Saturday job or a summer project. Find out which one you are buying before setting your offer.

Where to buy, and where to spend

Start around E Asbury Place and E Pacific Place in Aurora Knolls. Check the streets near Telluride and Ventura. Look at the driveway, slope, traffic and backyard access.

The two fast houses give you a starting point: four bedrooms, about 2,000 finished square feet and two-car parking. Their $449,000 and $480,000 prices are past sales. They do not set the price for every nearby house.

Use this order when you walk a possible flip:

1. Check the rooms. Measure finished space and check bedroom permits and exit windows. Make sure baths and hallways work for daily use.
2. Price the repairs. Check the roof, cooling, furnace, wiring, drainage and garage doors. Get repair costs before spending on looks.
3. Keep sound parts. Keep cabinets with good doors, storage and a useful layout. Match lights, pulls, paint and counters to them.
4. Fix real damage. Repair leaks and failed tile work. Keep sound bath tile when smaller changes can finish the room.

For another search, study Mission Viejo around 4181 S Joplin Street. That house closed at $520,000 after one day listed. It was the ZIP's only one-day resale; two other sales recorded zero days.

Joplin had four bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage. It offered 1,608 finished square feet. The listing names updated bath tile, landscaping, a fountain, hot tub and gas fireplace.

We checked those written details, not the photos. Study its layout and yard, but use Mission Viejo sales to judge its price. Read the Joplin listing.

Asbury Place paid a $1,000 credit, after closing $5,000 above its first ask. Pacific reported no credit. A fast buyer can still ask for help with costs.

For your next investment property, price the work room by room. Check recent sales of similar nearby homes. Keep money for credits and extra time before the sale closes.

Source: EquityDispo's review of REcolorado house sales closed August 1–31, 2026. The ZIP had 53 resales. Photos show finishes; listings supply other details. These examples cannot promise your sale price or speed. Credits may include buyer-agent fees.