Bear Valley | $1.6 Million
A Norwegian-style chalet built in 2008, with one bedroom and two bathrooms, on a 0.4-acre lot
Inspired by a 14th-century Norwegian farmhouse on display at a Scandinavian museum, the current owner built this house using wood from old-growth redwood trees and hired Norwegian artisans to do much of the interior detailing. The location, in the Sierra Nevada, attracts skiers looking for powdery snow and challenging slopes. Bear Valley is considered more remote than ski areas closer to Lake Tahoe, and many residents use snowmobiles to get around in the winter. During the summer, the scenic hiking trails are a big draw.
The Bay Area cities are about three and a half hours away. Sacramento and Reno, Nev., are about a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
Size: 1,350 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,185
Indoors: The driveway is long and ends at a footbridge leading to the hand-carved front door.
Just inside are stairs with a hand-carved railing inspired by a staircase in a 17th-century Norwegian church. They lead up to the main level, which has radiant-heated floors, a wall of windows and a sitting area anchored by a fireplace. There are two hand-carved beds tucked into opposite corners of this room, and additional sleeping space is available in a loft, accessible by a ladder. Around the corner, there is space for a dining table.
The radiant-heated floors continue into a kitchen that has a double-doored refrigerator, a stainless-steel sink and more windows overlooking the property.
The primary bedroom, on the entry level, has a built-in bed hand-painted with the same floral motif that adorns the doors and ceiling beams. The en suite bathroom has a hand-painted bathtub.
A second full bathroom is one level down, next to a maintenance space with a new boiler.
Outdoor space: The home’s builder, a scientist and inventor, worked on the restoration of several Nordic labyrinths, and a replica of one is on a flat part of this lot. A small patio, connected to the main house and a storage shed by a stone path, offers sweeping views of the redwood forest.
Taxes: $13,920 (estimated)
Contact: Joel Barnett, Bear Valley Real Estate, 209-753-2334; bearvalleyrealestate.com
Malibu | $1.599 Million
A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom townhouse in a 1990 complex
This 21-unit townhouse complex is just off the Pacific Coast Highway, putting it within a five-minute drive of some of Southern California’s best-known beaches: Paradise Cove, popular with families because of its gentle waves, is about a mile away; Point Dume, a surfing hot spot, is two miles away.
Malibu Elementary School and Malibu High School, both highly ranked public schools, are within a five-minute drive. Santa Monica is about half an hour away, as is the San Fernando Valley.
Size: 2,292 square feet
Price per square foot: $698
Indoors: This unit’s front door opens into a hallway that steps up to the main living area. A powder room is just off the entry.
The sunny living room, at the back of the house, has two sitting areas: one anchored by a fireplace and the other in a nook with a view of the entrance below. There is also space for a dining table next to a window overlooking the neighborhood.
The kitchen is off the living room, with granite counters, a gas range, a dedicated wine refrigerator and a dishwasher.
From the entry, another set of stairs leads up to a guest suite with a balcony and an en suite bathroom.
The stairs continue to the top level, where there is an open office that could be converted into a second guest room. At the end of the hallway is the primary suite, which has a fireplace, balcony and a spacious bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower.
Outdoor space: A private courtyard off the living room includes a tiled patio and, a few steps below, a stone patio with a bubbling fountain. Tall hedges and flowering plants line the wall enclosing the courtyard. This unit comes with an attached two-car garage and is a short walk from the complex’s communal swimming pool.
Taxes: $19,992 (estimated) and a $995 monthly homeowner association fee
Contact: Catherine Bindley, the Bindley Team, Sotheby’s International Realty — Malibu Brokerage, 310-980-6448; sothebysrealty.com
Oakland | $1.595 Million
A 2022 house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house sits on a hillside a few minutes from the heart of the Montclair neighborhood, which has a boutique wine shop, a shopping center with a Safeway grocery store and a park with tennis and pickleball courts. Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, with its hiking and biking trails that showcase a year-round array of blooming plants, is about a mile away.
Downtown Oakland is a 20-minute drive, as is Berkeley. San Jose is about an hour away.
Size: 2,500 square feet
Price per square foot: $638
Indoors: From the street, an exterior staircase leads to the front door, which opens into the main living space. Wide plank floors stretch into a sitting area with a sleek fireplace and expansive windows overlooking a patio. The adjacent dining area has more wide windows overlooking the surrounding greenery.
Beyond is a kitchen that has a range with an electric cooktop, an oversized center island illuminated by three pendant lights, and glass doors that open to the patio.
All four bedrooms are on the second floor. At the top of the stairs is the primary suite, which includes an office nook and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub, an open shower and a floating vanity. The other three bedrooms are off the main hallway; they share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
A third full bathroom is to the right of the main entry.
Outdoor space: A wood deck off the kitchen is big enough for a dining table and barbecue. A few steps above is another sitting area, surrounded by mature trees. The home comes with an attached two-car garage and solar panels on the roof.
Taxes: $24,372 (estimated)
Contact: Devin De Amaral, Twin Oaks Real Estate, 707-567-7345; devin.twinoaksre.com
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