Hello Everyone, There was quite a bit to see this week and spread out over a nice range of pricing. Half of the ones on my list I saw and the other half just hit the market and look good. So on to a quick market update….it is behaving oddly…..for example: I have a listing at 698 Elizabeth and it was a very nicely remodeled home with an expansive backyard and pool …..just lovely. I had so much traffic and so many inquiries during the open houses that historically I would have received like 12 offers, but I only got 5? Same thing with my listing on Mar Vista 2 months back…..tons of activity, but only 4 offers?? I spoke to a few other agents and they are experiencing similar effects on the nicer homes. The not so great homes have been languishing ever since the buying frenzies of 2021,2022 and 2024 ended. There are a lot of people circling but not a lot of biting. Only the homes closer to a million are getting a lot of traction! Maybe it’s the war and the recent bump up in interest rates? Maybe for our area it’s the fire survivors that are still wrestling with whether to buy or rebuild? Who knows….it’s just odd. Anyway…..let’s get on with my favorites for the week! 1060 Kewen Dr. San Marino $4,250,000 4bd & 4ba 3,768 sq.ft 42,949 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm What can I say this is the perfect setting for a mid-century post and beam house with walls of glass! It feels like you’ve been swept away to another world and yet minutes from the center of town. All the original architectural features are intact. The kitchen and baths have been remodeled though I would want to redo them to feel more 50s and less 90s. To be fair they made good choices given the timing of their remodel, but now there are so many better options out there to keep a home feeling as period as when it was built. 1633 Santa Barbara Ave. Glendale $1,995,000 4bd & 3ba 3,120 sq.ft 6,835 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm Who wants a dramatic looking 2 story Spanish near the Oakmont Country Club! I love the expansive living room with the high beamed ceilings and plaster fireplace! The kitchen is a nice size and opens to an ample family room that flows outdoors. I like that they beamed the ceiling in the family room addition to mimic the living room. I also like that you have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs including a primary suite. The bedroom downstairs is in an odd location off the laundry room, but still it’s an extra bedroom so no big deal. I wish it had a 2 car garage especially for such a large home, but in the scheme of things …..not a bad compromise. 1409 Laurel St. South Pasadena $1,849,000 4bd & 2ba 2,107 sq.ft 8,195 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-5 pm Under $2 mil for that size in South Pasadena! Needless to say it was a busy open house. It has a lot of nice architectural features and a pretty open flow for a character home. I would redo the kitchen and take the breakfast room and then you would have a great kitchen! Upstairs I would take the bathroom and privatize it for the primary bedroom. Then I would take the bedroom on the 1st landing and turn that into a bathroom the other 2 bedrooms could share. Whala! 2024 Brigden Rd. Pasadena $1,730,000 3bd & 3ba 1,860 sq.ft 7,843 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-3 pm The one on Brigden looks like it has all the earmarks of a flip, but it does seem decently priced given the size, upgrades and open flow of the home. They’ve used all the latest and greatest trendy finishes and so of course I’m wondering when they will be out of style, but that is the nature of remodeling! As soon as you remodel the trend starts shifting and changing…..so frustrating considering how much you are spending on doing the remodel! 1900 Niodrara Dr. Glendale $1,449,000 2bd & 2.5ba 1,963 sq.ft 11,712 lot Open Sunday 1-4 pm This one just hit the market and there’s just something about a real woodsy ranch that I always gravitate towards….especially when it sits in a woodsy setting! It just makes me feel like I’m living in some quirky cottage in a cool canyon somewhere! It just has so much detailing…check out the Inglenook for the fireplace! I just love the original kitchen with the back of the brick fireplace hosting the range & oven and then it wraps around the corner so you have a fireplace in the dining area. I love the flagstone flooring and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the backyard…..that dining room would be my hang out spot for sure! It might be too much wood for some people, but I love the casual comfort this house embodies! 1355 Rexford Ave. Pasadena $1,298,000 3bd & 2ba 1,264 sq.ft 7,320 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm This house is by far the cheapest house in the neighborhood so it will sell and sell well over I would think! It’s not perfect, but it’s a good house overall in a very popular neighborhood. I love the Ranch curb appeal and the slate entry and beautifully refinished original hardwood flooring! The stone on the fireplace is not my favorite…but not bad. The kitchen is original and in the front of the house, but you could definitely open it to the living/dining space to create a great room. It packs a lot of punch for the size with a good floor plan and 3 bedrooms and 2 original baths. The 2 baths are back to back with a door in between….I would get rid of the door to create a private primary bath…but that’s easily done when you remodel. They enclosed a porch off the living room, but I think I would turn it back into a covered porch because the yard space is so small. 1587 N Harding Ave. Pasadena $1,195,000 3bd & 2ba 1,516 sq.ft 6,927 lot Open Sunday 1-4 pm This one just hit the market and looks like a really good value for the money. Very well maintained and has been remodeled though now they are quite dated. Still nothing you can’t live with for a while. It was probably originally a 2bd & 1 bath home and it looks like they added a family room off the dining room and then a primary suite off the family room. Which you can only do when the dining & kitchen spaces face the backyard. So keep that in mind when you are looking at smaller houses and thinking of add-on potential. I’m thinking it should go for over $1.3, but we’ll see. 941 Cavanagh Rd. Glendale $1,195,000 2bd & 2ba 1,191 sq.ft 6,522 lot Open Sunday 2-4 pm I haven’t seen this one yet, but I do like a cute mid-century on a hilltop! It’s a simple home not a post and beam architectural mid-century but the way they remodeled it and styled it with their furniture accentuates that mid century vibe! It looks like it has tree top views and if I had to live in the hills I would prefer a city view, but still definitely worth a peek. 1124 E Mariposa St. Altadena $1,049,000 2bd & 2ba 1,189 sq.ft 5,779 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm I used to door knock in this neighborhood and I always admired how well this owner has cared for this home! She was meticulous and I love buying homes from meticulous sellers! It is a darling cottage built in the 20s and I just love the Batchelder fireplace….so beautiful. The dining room has French doors with leaded glass that flow out to the front courtyard. The kitchen and both baths have been tastefully remodeled! Having 2 baths is a big plus because it is hard to find a home this size that has a primary suite! It is one of the few homes that has survived so you have to deal with that and the yard is small with a one car garage….so for that reason it feels a smidge high…but if it had a regular yard I would jump on it! 253 Redwood Dr. Pasadena $899,000 3bd & 2ba 1,303 sq.ft 7,298 lot Open Sunday 3-5 pm This house is by far the cheapest house in the neighborhood so it will sell and sell well over I would think! It’s not perfect, but it’s a good house overall in a very popular neighborhood. I love the Ranch curb appeal and the slate entry and beautifully refinished original hardwood flooring! The stone on the fireplace is not my favorite…but not bad. The kitchen is original and in the front of the house, but you could definitely open it to the living/dining space to create a great room. It packs a lot of punch for the size with a good floor plan and 3 bedrooms and 2 original baths. The 2 baths are back to back with a door in between….I would get rid of the door to create a private primary bath…but that’s easily done when you remodel. They enclosed a porch off the living room, but I think I would turn it back into a covered porch because the yard space is so small.
