Altadena | $1,943,000
A three-bedroom, three-bathroom shingled house built in 1948, with a detached family room and a meditation studio, on a 0.4-acre lot
This house is at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, a few minutes’ drive from popular hiking trails. It is less than half a mile from a playground and equestrian facilities at Loma Alta Park and from a stretch of Lincoln Avenue with a coffee shop and a garden center.
Descanso Gardens, an expansive botanical garden that includes a rose garden, a Japanese garden and a native-plants section, is about 10 minutes away. Pasadena and Glendale are about 20 minutes away. Dodger Stadium, in Los Angeles, is a half-hour drive.
Size: 2,640 square feet
Price per square foot: $736
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, behind a wooden gate, a grove of eucalyptus trees and a yard planted with lavender and rosemary.
The front door opens directly into a living room with high, beamed ceilings, a fireplace, original jade-green concrete floors and tall windows on three sides looking out into the gardens.
The living room connects to an updated kitchen with soapstone counters; custom cabinets; a backsplash of glossy white tile; stainless steel appliances, including a Thermador range; and space for a table in a corner wrapped with windows, next to French doors that open to a patio.
A hallway off the living room leads to the bedrooms. The primary suite, at the far end, has two sets of French doors — one opening to the pool area and the other to the garden — as well as antique pendant lights and a bathroom with a combined tub and shower. The other two bedrooms are closer to the living room: One has a wall of built-in storage and the use of a full bathroom across the hall; the other has an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower.
The detached garage has been converted into a family room with built-in desks, beamed ceilings and glass doors that open to the pool area. The meditation studio is in another detached building with glass doors on the opposite end of the pool.
Outdoor space: The saltwater pool is framed by an ipe wood deck with an adjacent patio that has a fire table. A second patio closer to the house has a fire table, as well. There is also an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill. The backyard is shaded by mature trees.
Taxes: $24,288 (estimated)
Contact: Teresa Fuller, Compass, 626-483-0710; compass.com
Costa Mesa | $1,995,000
A 1970 house with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot adjoining a golf course
This property is connected by a wrought-iron gate to the golf course at Santa Ana Country Club, established in the early 20th century and updated in the 1950s and in 2016. It is about a 10-minute drive from John Wayne Airport and from the University of California, Irvine, which has nearly 30,000 undergraduate students.
Driving to downtown Newport Beach takes about 15 minutes. Newport, Huntington Beach and Long Beach are about a half-hour away. Driving to Los Angeles takes about an hour.
Size: 2,155 square feet
Price per square foot: $926
Indoors: A paved path leads from the driveway to the glass front door, which opens into a living room with new vinyl-plank floors, an electric fireplace and glass doors that open to the back patio. The adjacent kitchen has stainless steel appliances, including a double wall oven and a wine refrigerator, and a sitting area with another sleek fireplace.
On the other side of the kitchen is a dining area with folding glass doors that open to the patio. A powder room is in this part of the house, as well.
The primary suite, off the living room, has windows overlooking the neighborhood and a bathroom with a new vanity and walk-in shower.
Three more bedrooms are on the second floor, reached from stairs in the living room. The largest, which is big enough to hold a queen-size bed, overlooks the golf course; the other two are each large enough to hold a double bed and a desk. All three share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
Outdoor space: The stone patio behind the house is partially covered by a wood pergola and has plenty of space for a dining table and a separate lounge area. A wrought-iron fence with a gate, lined with drought-tolerant landscaping, surrounds the property; on the other side is the golf course. The attached garage has epoxy floors and two parking spots.
Taxes: $24,936 (estimated)
Contact: Breanna Lepante, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 949-233-2508; elliman.com
San Luis Obispo | $2 Million
A three-story wood house built in 1977, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
The sellers call this home the Tree House, because it sits at the top of a steep lot, with sweeping views of the mountains from its wood decks. It is less than a mile from the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and about a 15-minute walk from the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo.
Landmarks like the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art are about five minutes away by car. Driving to Pismo Beach takes 15 minutes. Santa Barbara is about an hour and a half away.
Size: 2,477 square feet
Price per square foot: $807
Indoors: A driveway leads from the street to the stairs that ascend to the main entrance.
Inside is a double-height foyer topped by a skylight, with a staircase and hardwood floors that continue into an open kitchen. The kitchen has mahogany cabinetry, black granite counters and two islands: one with space for eating; the other holding a microwave drawer.
The adjacent dining area is surrounded by glass doors that open to the deck. This space flows into a living room with a gas fireplace surrounded by Arts-and-Crafts-style tile and framed by wood cabinetry and shelving.
A home office that could be used as a bedroom is off the foyer. It has an attached bathroom with a shower.
The other three bedrooms are upstairs. The primary suite, to the right of the stair landing, has a bedroom with space for a king-size bed, a private deck and a full bathroom with a soaking tub and a walk-in shower with glass walls. The two guest rooms are each big enough to hold a queen-size bed; they share a full bathroom off the hallway.
The lowest level of the house, which has a separate exterior entrance, is configured as a large den, with a built-in bar, an office nook and a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The main deck, off the living-and-dining area, wraps around the house, with spaces for dining and entertaining, a hot tub and an outdoor shower. The detached garage holds two cars; there is room to park more under the carport.
Taxes: $24,996 (estimated)
Contact: Brooke Sutton, Richardson Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, 805-781-6040; sothebysrealty.com
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