Noteworthy new listings….
Architect Robin Donaldson—whose projects include Lynda Weinman’s and Bruce Heavin’s Pepper Hill home/museum—has listed his live/work condo at 414B Anacapa Street ($5 million), between Gutierrez and Haley. It’s indisputably cool, with industrial finishes you’re more likely to see in a larger city. On the ground floor is a garage and an office; the second floor has all four bedrooms (two of which are sized for kids); the common areas, along with a sweet deck, are on the third floor; and on the roof is a sexy soaking tub. The ground-floor office is zoned commercial, but it has a full bath, so it could function as a de facto guest suite—and if you wanted an office proper, the 1,763-square-foot office at 412 Anacapa Street, on the street side of the condominium complex, is available for $1.25 million. P.S. Those are solar panels on the front facade.
The attractive 1920 Monterey Colonial at 605 San Ysidro Road ($6.75 million) has an enviable location down a long shared private drive just above the Upper Village. While the house technically has five bedrooms (plus a guest house), it lives more like a three-bedroom—unless, of course, you rethink the layout and add a bathroom. The temptation is to make a bit more of the one-acre lot—with a garage, perhaps, or a pool—but the many handsome oaks could prove to be an obstacle.
The seller of 768 Winding Creek Lane ($7.999 million), who paid just $800,000 for the debris-flow teardown in November 2018, is offering the property without an agent. The photos have been tweaked so hard they practically vibrate, which makes it hard to get a sense of the 2023 house. On one hand, newness is always appealing, and 1.38 acres is nothing to sniff at; on the other, the creek is still there.
A freestanding home in Montecito for under $5 million is rare these days, particularly one that doesn’t need work—which should make a lot of people take a look at 505 El Bosque Road ($4.5 million). The many-windowed, south-facing living room is a winner, and folks who like a massive primary will be in heaven. The only demerit is that the property abuts East Valley Road, and the house is positioned away from the street—which helps with noise but limits the amount of backyard.
Turnkey enough, 122 Los Alamos Avenue ($4.195 million) will likely get its asking price, or close to it—a remarkable shift from prices on the Mesa five years ago. The common area is open-plan and dominated by the kitchen. Whoever added a couple of curves and popped the ceiling did a lot to make this house stand out.
The eye-catching 1980s facade of 1318 Alta Vista Road ($3.785 million) in Bungalow Haven is just part of the story—and not even the best part. While that building has its charms, including a living room with a soaring ceiling, it’s second fiddle to the 1926 house behind it, with a delightful courtyard in between. The owner’s vivacious style is a great match for the architecture; that said, the guest baths still want to be redone.
1118 Bel Air Drive ($1.995 million) will go for over ask, but by how much? It’s a fixer, to be sure—even if you love the funky 1980 lines and wood paneling throughout, you’ll probably want to move the primary sinks into the bathroom proper, and the two guest rooms share a bathroom on the other side of the hallway. The lot is just .33 acre and the neighbor is right there, but you do get a pool.
And a few others worth checking out:
••• 611 Miramonte Drive ($3.599 million): Handsome spec reno of a 1954 three-bedroom at the Cliff Drive end of TV Hill; the seller paid $1.8 million last March.
••• 1227 Viscaino Road ($3.995 million): Riviera ranch house due for an update.
••• 835 Woodland Drive ($3.35 million): 1960 Eucalyptus Hill three-bedroom with the two guest rooms sharing a bath; it’s awaiting a real renovation.
••• 2700 Torito Road ($4.45 million): 2003 Mediterranean four-bedroom in Toro Canyon.
••• 4525 Via Maria ($3.695 million): 1991 six-bedroom at the northern end of Park Highlands; more than half the one-acre lot is raw.
••• 173 Cedar Lane ($3.195 million): Quickie spec reno of a 1958 three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath; the seller paid $1.7 million in June. The listing says it’s on the Upper Riviera, but Google Maps and I beg to differ.
••• 778 Mission Canyon Road ($3.995 million): For-sale-by-owner spec reno of a Mission Canyon compound.
••• 1423 Camino Manadero ($3.895 million): 1981 four-bedroom above N. Patterson Avenue. I’m reminded of that absurd moment in the TV show “Nobody Wants This” when the woman living in L.A. had never heard the word “shalom”….
Love real estate? Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter.
Comment: