Idyllwild | $1.089 Million
A 1991 chalet-style retreat with five bedrooms and three bathrooms, on a 1.3-acre lot
This house is less than 10 minutes from a brewpub, a bakery, a grocery store and a number of restaurants and inns at the center of this small mountain community. But the location’s big draw is its proximity to Mount San Jacinto State Park, where hiking trails wind up Mount San Jacinto, offering views of the forest on one side and the desert on the other.
The property is about an hour from Palm Springs and an hour and a quarter from San Bernardino. Driving to Los Angeles or San Diego takes about two hours, making this area a popular weekend destination.
Size: 3,175 square feet
Price per square foot: $343
Indoors: The house sits at the top of a steep driveway.
Behind the front door, stairs lead up to the main level. At the top of the stairs is a small sitting area. The living room, to the right, has a fireplace set in a rock wall. The dining area, opposite, has large windows with a view of the mountain landscape.
The adjacent kitchen has gray-and-white cabinetry and a breakfast bar with room for three bar stools. (All of the furnishings come with the house.)
Two bedrooms are off a short hallway extending from the sitting area. The primary bedroom has an en suite bathroom and shares access to a long, covered balcony with the bedroom next door. At the far end of the hall is another full bathroom.
The other three bedrooms are on the entry level. One holds two sets of bunk beds, and another is currently used as a home office; all three share a full bathroom. A living room with a red Danish-style stove and a yoga studio with cork floors are also on this level, along with a door that offers access to a deck.
Outdoor space: The lower-level deck is spacious, with a wood-clad hot tub and plenty of room for entertaining. There is also a covered balcony off the main floor that has enough space for a dining table and a grill. The driveway is wide enough to hold five parked cars.
Taxes: $13,608 (estimated)
Contact: Benjamin Kahle, Historic Real Estate Los Angeles, Compass, 310-779-4578, and Daniel Miracle, Cochran & Miracle Group, Compass, 805-364-1997; historicrealestatela.com or cochranmiraclegroup.com
Mendocino | $1.1 Million
A 1976 cottage with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse, on a 4.5-acre lot
This property is nestled in a grove of mature redwood trees, with birdhouses that attract avian visitors and several patios for outdoor entertaining. It is about a five-minute drive from the art galleries and coffee shops at the center of town. It is also close to Van Damme State Park, which has hiking trails with ocean views and a wooden walkway leading through a grove of miniature trees, known as the Pygmy Forest Discovery Trail.
Santa Rosa is a little more than two hours away. Driving to San Francisco takes about three hours. Sacramento is a four-hour drive.
Size: 2,551 square feet
Price per square foot: $431
Indoors: From the street, a stone and wrought-iron gate opens to a long driveway that leads to the detached garage and the main residence.
The front door of the main house opens into a windowed mudroom with skylights. Beyond is an open living area with beamed ceilings and glass doors that offer access to a deck. At one end of this space is a kitchen; at the other is a dining area. In between is a sitting area with a fireplace. The kitchen has stone counters, wood cabinetry and a center island with an integrated electric cooktop. An office area and a full bathroom are also on this level.
Both bedrooms are upstairs, reached by a staircase in the sitting area. The primary bedroom, at the top of the stairs, is spacious, with beamed ceilings and a built-in window seat. The other bedroom and a bathroom with a combined tub and shower are on the opposite side of this level.
The two-story guesthouse, connected to the main house by a walking path, has a living room with a white-painted brick fireplace and a galley kitchen on the first floor. The bedroom upstairs has a balcony and a bathroom with Spanish-style tile floors.
Outdoor space: Both the main house and the guesthouse have patios. The property also has several flat clearings shaded by tall trees. The detached garage holds two cars and includes a loft that could be used for storage or as a workout area.
Taxes: $12,756 (estimated)
Contact: Sarah Schoeneman, Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty, 510-418-0070; sothebysrealty.com
Riverside | $1.099 Million
A midcentury-modern house with three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom accessory dwelling unit, on a 0.4-acre lot
This house was built in 1962 on a winding street near Mount Rubidoux Park, a popular spot for running and dog walking. It is about five minutes from the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture and Fox Performing Arts Center, a 1929 theater, in downtown Riverside. Rose gardens and a lake with pedal-boat rentals are also about five minutes away, in Fairmount Park.
The main campus of University of California, Riverside, which has more than 20,000 undergraduate students, is about 10 minutes away. Driving to Anaheim or Irvine, in Orange County, takes about 45 minutes. Downtown Los Angeles is about an hour away.
Size: 2,654 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,809
Indoors: From the driveway, stairs lead up to a brick patio surrounded by hedges. The front door, up a few more stairs, opens into a living area with large windows looking out onto the patio and the palm trees beyond.
The living area flows into a dining area with a fireplace. At the far end of the space is an updated kitchen with white cabinetry, a white subway-tile backsplash, pendant lights that hang over a breakfast bar and new stainless steel appliances, including a built-in microwave. A powder room is also in this part of the house.
A hallway between the living and dining areas leads to the bedrooms. The primary bedroom, at one end, has sliding-glass doors that open to the pool area and an updated en suite bathroom with a glass-walled walk-in shower. The other two bedrooms are at the opposite end of the hall. Both are big enough to hold queen-size beds, and one has direct access to the pool area. They share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower and a side-by-side washer and dryer.
The accessory dwelling unit has its own entrance and includes a full kitchen, a bedroom and a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The in-ground swimming pool behind the house is surrounded by a concrete deck with space for lounge furniture. A tall palm tree grows to one side. A patio with hillside views is at the side of the house. The attached garage has two parking spots.
Taxes: $13,740 (estimated)
Contact: James Monks, Windermere Tower Properties, 951-640-7469; windermere.com
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