Hello Everyone, August is notoriously slow with vacations and then kids going back to school….it distracts buyers and so not the best time of year to come on the market… but there are still buyers out there for the right house at the right price! This week there were a lot of beautiful homes to see but not a lot of affordable ones. Still for people who want to see some amazing architecture this is your weekend! The next three homes were all designed by G. Lawrence Stimson and are all beautiful examples of Arts & Crafts Architecture! Stimson bought 8 lots on the street and built custom estates on each one. What a treat to be able to see 3 of them all steps away from each other at the same time!! 224 Oaklawn Ave. South Pasadena $4,329,000 5bd & 4ba 3,829 sq.ft 19,501 lot Open Saturday & Sunday 2-4 pm This one is in the best condition! The woodwork detailing is similar, but the tone of the wood overall has a more honey color rather than the dark brown we are used to in most Craftsmen. I really liked it and the yard is absolutely gorgeous! For me this is the best priced of the three because of its condition! 217 Oaklawn Ave. South Pasadena $4,300,000 6bd & 5ba 5,722 sq.ft 23,787 Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-4 pm This one is the largest of the three so in theory the best priced, but then restoring it will obviously cost that much more and really who needs 5700 sq.ft? But if you have the time and the money this would definitely be a project that could be a masterpiece done properly! 309 Oaklawn Ave. South Pasadena $3,295,000 5bd & 2.5ba 3,629 sq.ft 15,311 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm The woodwork in this one was my favorite. I loved the front doors on the first one, but on the inside of this one, I felt the woodwork was more interesting. This one also needs a lot of restoration work, but I liked the floorplan the best. 2755 E California Blvd. Pasadena $2,495,000 4bd & 3ba 2,721 sq.ft 11,890 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm So being on a busy street is not ideal and this isn’t the prettiest section of California Blvd, but I do like what they did with this home! I like the private courtyard they created in the front with that 50’s/asian inspired fountain. It gives you that extra entertaining space that the backyard is lacking because so much of it is a pool. Of course, who doesn’t like the great open living space with glass sliders that recess into the wall creating the perfect indoor/outdoor flow. I also like that there is another more private living room that makes for a nice den or media space. The floor plan is very nice with 3 generous bedrooms including a primary suite that looks out onto the backyard. You can tell the floor plan for the bedroom side of the house is original because the bathrooms are still original. It’s the only part of the house they didn’t remodel…..odd but now you can put some of your own design choices into the space! 2535 E Chevy Chase Dr. Glendale $2,495,000 5bd & 3ba 3,281 sq.ft 66,150 lot Open Sunday 2-5 pm & Wednesday 10 am - 1 pm Even as a realtor in the area, it is not often we get a chance to see one of Lloyd Wright’s concrete textile block homes….let alone a chance for the general public to get in and see one! This is your chance….these homes are so unique with so much architectural innovation. Now to be honest with you I couldn’t live in one, because they are maintenance nightmares. The block like any concrete product is porous and so you are always battling water intrusion issues. In fact, this house is being sold after damage due to water intrusion. Still you should definitely go out of your way to see this home…..I promise you won’t be disappointed! 41 E Bonita Ave. Sierra Madre $1,695,000 3bd & 2ba 1,891 sq.ft 13,577 lot Open Saturday 1-3 pm & Sunday 12-2 pm Bonita….pretty….and this is definitely a pretty street in Sierra Madre! This house has a lot of features that I like and some that I don’t. I love the rich wood detailing that this original ranch style home offers. In the living room you have the stained and pitched beamed ceilings with huge picture windows that look out onto the spacious brick courtyard! The wood was painted in the dining room, but it still gives a wonderful textural background to the space. I wish the kitchen were bigger and more open and I don’t like that the 3rd bedroom is off the kitchen side of the house. I also wish the garage was in the corner because it divides the backyard space so you have to go around the garage to get to the rest of the yard and it’s so lovingly landscaped too! Still I think it’s a good value for what you are getting! 2080 Queensberry Rd. Pasadena $1,645,000 3bd & 3ba 1,668 sq.ft 6,345 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm This home is charming with a good flow and nice upgrades! The formal living room gets great light and the Batchelder fireplace is pretty. Someone did a very nice job of opening the kitchen up to the dining room. You can tell it was done a while ago because of the style of the cabinetry, but they did a nice job painting out the cabinetry and changing the counter tops to freshen up the look. Downstairs you have 2 bedrooms and 2 upgraded bathrooms…though not completely redone. Upstairs you have a generous primary suite with a completely new bathroom! The backyard is lovely with lots of mature trees that really shade the space nicely! Definitely worth seeing if this is your price range! 1707 Garfield Ave. South Pasadena $998,000 2bd & 2ba 1,660 sq.ft 7,075 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm So this is definitely the cheapest house in South Pasadena by a long shot! It is definitely a fixer but I like the bones. Nice architectural detailing and the rooms are all nice and spacious. In fact the breakfast room is so large that you could flip the kitchen and breakfast area to create a kitchen/family room space that flows out to the backyard. Or maybe flip it and create a 3rd bedroom in the back. With 1614 sq.ft you have some options on what you can do with the space! Curious to see what price he actually gets for it!
