A lineup of all of this weekend’s open houses can be found at sbopenhouses.com, courtesy the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors. Here are five of the most intriguing ones:
If you hiked the San Ysidro Trail before the debris flow, you undoubtedly noticed 1800 E. Mountain Drive ($5 million)—the roofline of the guest studio/garage was especially prominent. The house suffered significant damage, but now it’s back, and the views are as good as ever. Plus: the trail is right outside your door, and perhaps someday the bridge to San Ysidro Ranch will be rebuilt. / Open Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
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1295 Mesa Lane ($4 million) might not look like much in the photos above, but it’s within walking distance to Montecito’s Coast Village Road, and yet it suffers little road noise from nearby Olive Mill. Moreover, the house is in excellent shape, and the landscaping is established. The only demerit is that the rooms are a bit dark; next time the roof has to be redone, you might want to trim the eaves and add a few skylights. P.S. The word is that the seller priced it relatively accessibly in order to do a deal soon, so don’t dawdle. / Open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
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An adorable house on an adorable street, 444 Pimiento Lane ($3.8 million) feels like a small-town gem in the best possible sense. The house doesn’t really need any work, although you might like to replace the blue kitchen countertops and do a little updating in the bathrooms. And anyone with kids or dogs—and the patience to deal with noisy picnickers—will love the private door onto Manning Park. / Open Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
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On the back of Eucalyptus Hill, 904 Skyview Drive ($5 million) was an uninspired house that got a glamorous spec makeover, turning it into the belle of the block. The taste choices are generally solid, though it helps to imagine the place once the landscaping has grown in; the views—including of Lynda Weinman’s underground palace—are guaranteed to dazzle. One caveat: There’s no closet in the upstairs master bedroom. / Open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
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If you’re looking for a ranch house with views and potential, consider 1704 Mission Ridge Road ($2 million). And from the east side of the house, you can see the bust of Italian botanist Dr. Francesco Franceschi, eponym of Franceschi Park, poking up from the hillside. / Open Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
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