My Blog
Real Estate

$1.3 Million Homes in California


This home was built with dirt excavated from the site, using a construction technique known as SuperAdobe that was developed by Nader Khalili, an Iranian-born American architect who founded the nonprofit organization California Institute of Earth Architecture.

The property, which has recently served as a vacation rental, is about 15 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and a number of trailheads suitable for hikers of varying skill levels. A Walmart Supercenter and several coffee shops and casual restaurants are nearby, on Twentynine Palms Highway. Palm Springs is about an hour away. Driving to Los Angeles takes about two and a half hours.

Size: 1,339 square feet

Price per square foot: $967

Indoors: All of the structures are set back from the street, off a long driveway.

The main house is divided into two wings linked by a hallway. Each wing has a circular living room with a domed ceiling, a full bathroom with a walk-in shower and two sleeping pods. The pods, which are large enough to hold double beds, are built into the adobe walls of the living areas and can be curtained off for privacy.

The two wings share a kitchen with an organically shaped counter and stainless steel appliances, including a gas range. Off the kitchen is a sunny dining room big enough to hold a small table and a few chairs.

The property includes several detached, dome-shaped structures. One holds the primary bedroom; it has enough room for a king-size bed and night stands. Two smaller ones each hold a queen-size bed. The fourth domed building holds a full bathroom with a deep tub and separate shower.

Outdoor space: A fire pit near the main house is surrounded by adobe seating. There is also an outdoor kitchen next to a pergola-covered dining patio. The seller added drought-tolerant landscaping and an in-ground swimming pool and spa. The driveway has enough space to park four cars.

Taxes: $16,188 (estimated)

Contact: Emory Orr, Ben Belack Group, The Agency, 704-577-0949; theagencyre.com


This recently updated apartment is in a complex a few blocks from Santa Monica Boulevard, putting it within walking distance of entertainment and dining in West Hollywood, including the Troubadour nightclub and Dan Tana’s, an Italian restaurant that opened in 1964. It is less than a mile from West Hollywood Park, which has a pool and a dog park, and from the Pacific Design Center.

Beverly Hills and the U.C.L.A. campus are less than 15 minutes away by car. Driving to downtown Los Angeles or Los Angeles International Airport takes about 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

Size: 1,154 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,105

Indoors: The apartment’s front door opens directly into a living-and-dining area with a sleek Napoleon electric fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding-glass doors that open to a balcony.

Off one side of this space is a den that the sellers use as a home office. Off another is the kitchen, which has sleek cabinetry, a Gaggenau refrigerator, an electric cooktop, a separate oven and a built-in microwave.

The bedroom, which is around the corner, is large enough to hold a king-size bed and a desk. It has a walk-in closet with a custom-built storage system, large windows facing the Century City skyline and an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and a wood vanity that has two sinks.

Outdoor space: The covered balcony off the living area is big enough to hold a cafe table and chairs. Building amenities include a heated swimming pool, a gym, a community room and guest suites that are available to rent. The apartment comes with one parking space.

Taxes: $15,936 (estimated) and a $1,069 monthly homeowner association fee

Contact: Jeffrey Hobgood, Sotheby’s International Realty, Beverly Hills Brokerage, 310-305-7653; sothebysrealty.com


This house is in the Seacliff section of Aptos, about a mile from the wide, sandy Seacliff State Beach, which has hiking trails and a campground, and from a shopping center with a Safeway grocery store. It is about a 10-minute drive from Aptos Village County Park and from well-rated public elementary, middle and high schools.

The attractions of Santa Cruz, including the city’s popular boardwalk, are less than 20 minutes away. Driving to San Jose or Monterey takes about 45 minutes.

Size: 1,067 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,216

Indoors: Up a short flight of stairs, a low gate opens onto a deck with a built-in table and seating. The entrance to the house is beyond, under a covered porch.

The front door opens into a combined living-and-dining room with a built-in banquette that maximizes seating space and a built-in bar with a Heath ceramic-tile backsplash. This space is partially open to a galley kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

A hallway off the kitchen leads to the primary bedroom, which has a walk-in closet with a custom-built vanity and sliding-glass doors that open to the back patio. Another bedroom in this part of the house has a loft that the sellers use a children’s play area. These two bedrooms share a full bathroom off the hallway.

The third bedroom, which has a built-in desk, is behind the kitchen, along with an updated bathroom that has a walk-in shower lined with white subway tile and a glass door that opens to the side patio.

Outdoor space: In addition to the deck in front of the house, the property has a rear patio enclosed by a wood fence and mature hedges, creating a sense of privacy. The driveway has space to park two cars.

Taxes: $16,224 (estimated)

Contact: Eli Karon, Karon Properties, 310-701-4779; karonproperties.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here.

Related posts

Rents finally falling, but not in OC. People are struggling

newsconquest

Loan charges plunge simply as house costs set every other report

newsconquest

Price to Rent Ratio in Real Estate: A Guide

newsconquest

Leave a Comment