Noteworthy new listings….
The seller of 1437 S. Jameson Lane ($39.5 million) paid $5.5 million for the 3.27-acre vacant lot in June 2021 and built a huge spec compound—10,274 square feet, comprising a main house and three casitas. The combination of big and turnkey goes far these days, especially in Montecito, and much of the project is impressive: the amount of land; the luxe style, in the modern beige way; and a marvelous porte cochère entrance. But can it get $40 million? The ocean views are upstairs, and the living room leans toward the retail/showroom side of commercial, with the front door opening right into it; the catwalk and clerestory windows (hope the brise soleils are motorized!); and tile flooring. A bigger issue is the location, abutting the train tracks and in a part of town full of duplexes and vacation rentals. (Nothing against either, but we’re talking about $40 million.) Lastly, the listing says the compound is “moments from the beach,” which is true if you’re driving, a bird, or willing to sneak alongside the train tracks. Otherwise it’s a 13-minute walk one direction and an 18-minute walk the other.
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At the end of a shared driveway on Eucalyptus Hill, 530 Barker Pass Road ($3.995 million) is a 1981 four-bedroom that needs to be redone. The semicircular fireplace and living room bar are keepers—and perhaps the terrarium-view bathtub, too—but the kitchen is crying out for expansion. The vaulted ceilings are a head start, and you can’t quibble with the setting of the pool.
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Popping the flat ceilings at 712 Arbolado Road ($3.495 million), a 1956 three-bedroom on the Riviera, would have a dramatic effect; so would burying the utility lines that are in the worst possible spot, because the view is the main draw. (The lot is .53 acre, but a fair amount of that is hillside behind the house.) Still, I see potential.
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The 1969 house at 5513 Camino Ceralvo ($3.995 million), above N. Patterson Avenue, got quite the contemporary spec renovation; the seller paid $1.911 million in June 2024. The entrance borders on Cubist; the rest is a mystery, as there are no interior photos. I feel drawn to the little “detached flex room,” but maybe I just need some time alone.
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1322 San Miguel Avenue ($2.575 million) is a 1953 Mesa two-bedroom (with den) in good shape and nice flow, one you make it up the stairs. Both bathrooms are a little tight, but in the plus column, there’s a welcoming covered terrace in back.
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At the corner of Micheltorena Street, 1436 Laguna Street ($1.795 million) is a super-sweet 1923 cottage that’s now part of the Laguna Court HOA. In front, a porch overlooks the pretty garden; in back, you’ll find a two-car garage that leads to a deck (that could use a few more plants to help with the privacy). Best of all is the big kitchen, rare for a property of this size and/or in the Bungalow Haven District.
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And a few others worth checking out:
••• 1994 Paquita Drive ($3.75 million): 1963 three-bedroom above Foothill Road in Caprinteria.
••• 118 Chapala Street ($3.395 million): The Chapala Gardens triplex in West Beach; vestiges of 1920 charm can still be seen inside.
••• 4521 Vieja Drive ($3.398 million): 1972 six-bedroom with a different take on indoor-outdoor living (below).
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