Altadena | $1.459 Million
A Spanish-style house built in 1929, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.3-acre lot
This house is 10 minutes from the center of Pasadena, but the views of nearby Hahamongna Watershed Park, a 1,300-acre protected green space, make it feel more remote.
Hiking and biking trails in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains are a 10-minute drive. Burbank is about 15 minutes away; Dodger Stadium is a 20-minute drive.
Size: 2,293 square feet
Price per square foot: $636
Indoors: A gate at the street opens to the driveway and the garage entrance. From there, a second gate opens to a courtyard with a garden and a koi pond.
The house is framed by a Saltillo-tiled porch, and the foyer is paved with similar tile. To the left of the entry is a dining room with a fireplace and outdoor access through French doors. To the right of the entry is a kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and a sage-green tile backsplash.
Beyond the kitchen is a living room with exposed ceiling beams, another fireplace and more French doors that offer outdoor access. Off one side of this space is a sunny, windowed library with mountain views.
A hall behind the dining room leads to a spacious primary bedroom with patio access. The bathroom next door was recently updated with a glass-walled shower and patterned-tile floors.
Two guest rooms off the same hallway are connected by a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
Outdoor space: An outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue and a wood-burning oven is near a pergola-covered patio behind the house. A short path leads from there to another patio at the edge of the property, where past residents have enjoyed bird-watching. The koi pond, which has some fish that are nearly 20 years old, attracts colorful dragonflies. The detached garage holds two cars; there is room for a third in the driveway.
San Francisco | $1.475 Million
A two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom Craftsman-style house built in 1911, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is in Central Sunset, a neighborhood that is a block south of a section of Golden Gate Park known as Mothers Meadow, with a playground, picnic tables and grassy meadows that are popular with families. A shopping district on nearby Irving Avenue offers supermarkets, bakeries, coffee shops and Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants.
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is half a mile away; the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young art museum are about a mile away; and the Pacific Ocean coastline is a little more than two miles away. Downtown San Francisco is a half-hour trip on public transit.
Size: 1,650 square feet
Price per square foot: $894
Indoors: From the street, an exterior stairway leads up to a covered porch. A wooden front door next to an original stained-glass window opens into a foyer with hardwood floors.
To the left is a living room with original woodwork, a white-painted brick fireplace and street-facing windows. Through a doorway is the dining room, which has a decorative fireplace and original cabinets with leaded-glass doors. A powder room with black-and-white checkerboard flooring is off this space.
At the back of the main hallway is a gray-and-white kitchen with matching orange accents in the tile work and on the cabinet hardware. Behind the kitchen is a sunroom with access to the main deck.
Both bedrooms are on the second floor. One faces the street and has a walk-in closet with built-in shelving and a built-in bench. The other has a private balcony at the back of the house. They share a bathroom with a claw-foot tub and a stall shower.
Outdoor space: The deck off the sunroom is spacious, with room for a table and chairs as well as a barbecue. A semi-enclosed space on the lowest level of the house is used as an exercise area. The backyard is landscaped with grass and various plants, including lavender. It also has raised garden beds and a small dining area. The attached garage holds one car and laundry facilities.
Taxes: $18,432 (estimated)
Contact: Wendy Storch, Sotheby’s International Realty, San Francisco Brokerage, 415-519-6091; sothebysrealty.com
Santa Barbara | $1.475 Million
A ranch house built in 1950, with two bedrooms and one bathroom, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is in a quiet neighborhood north of State Street, one of Santa Barbara’s main thoroughfares and a shopping-and-dining destination that draws locals and tourists. It is less than a mile from a Gelson’s supermarket and a little farther from a Whole Foods.
The beach is less than 15 minutes away. Heading inland to Santa Ynez takes about half an hour.
Size: 786 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,877
Indoors: A latticed fence separates the front yard from the sidewalk, and a paved path flanked by flowering plants leads to the entrance.
The front door opens into a living room with Saltillo-tile floors and windows overlooking the yard. The tile floors continue through a wide doorway to a dining area. The adjacent kitchen has a gas range, a Kohler sink and quartz counters.
A hallway off the kitchen leads to the two bedrooms and the bathroom. The primary bedroom is at the back of the house, with carpeted floors and a ceiling fan. The guest room next door is currently used as a home office. The bathroom has a combined tub and shower with a frosted-glass window.
Outdoor space: The patio behind the house is sheltered by a pergola and has enough space for a lounge or dining set. The front and backyards were landscaped to take advantage of the area’s mild temperatures, with citrus trees and raised garden beds for growing vegetables and herbs. The property has two parking spots: one in the garage and another in the driveway.
Taxes: $18,432 (estimated)
Contact: Michelle Glaus, Village Properties, 805-452-0446; villagesite.com
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