Hello Everyone! There was a lot to see this week, but not a lot that I actually liked….which was disappointing. Even on this list there are a few I would not have talked about if it weren’t for the fact that there were so few I really liked. And that got me thinking about how now that we are going to have 6000 new builds in Altadena….you need to be pickier about the house you buy. Pre-fire, we were much more forgiving of floorplans that weren’t what we like today……open and flowing out to the back. Our character-20’s homes for the most part had a formal, not open floor plan and then our 50’s homes that had more open floor plans tended not to have too much character. The homes that consistently get the most per square foot are character/architectural homes with an open flow. Well……now that we are building all these newer homes in theory they should have that open flow that so many buyers want. So unless the home you are looking to buy has a lot of character, I would definitely advise you not to compromise on the floor plan because in 5-10 years so much of your competition will have an open flow. It makes sense to me…..anyway let’s get on with my favorites for this week! 1299 Boston St. Altadena $2,896,000 4bd & 4ba 3,304 sq.ft 9,001 lot No scheduled open houses. Please contact me for a private showing! I remember this home when it sold over 20 years ago and I always admired the floor plan with spacious formal rooms and an open flow. This was sold privately and then remodeled by an investor. Boston lost homes down the block so I’m always curious how it will do with the pricing. There was a similar Spanish that was flipped on Grand Oaks that sold for $2.6, but that area was intact….but then again this house has a better floor plan in my opinion. The house has mostly hardwood flooring, but the entryway, kitchen and family room area have limestone tile flooring. I’m more of a purist and would have preferred hardwood flooring or some version of saltillo tile. I like most of the finishes in the kitchen & baths. I like the rustic touches in the cabinetry. I really don’t like their choice of the wall tile in the kitchen & baths….it just seems too trendy for this home. 2450 E Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena $1,899,000 5bd & 3.5ba 3,496 sq.ft 9,107 lot Open Saturday 2-4 pm & Sunday 1-4 pm This was definitely my favorite house this week! I know it’s kind of plain on the outside and it sits on Orange Grove, but I just love all the details on the inside and the floor plan is great….especially for an older home like this! I think you can punch up the curb appeal with more color on the house and maybe sand blast the brick, add a tree, and landscaping would work wonders. I love all the wood in this house from the paneled staircase, beamed ceilings and wood paneled den! I like how big the dining room is and how it overlooks the backyard….of course it’s screaming French doors to me, but an easy fix! The kitchen needs work, but it is a nice space. The bathrooms are original, but I love them and probably would do very little! It is just a very well designed and very well built home and worth seeing if you’re in the area. 1511 Coolidge Ave. Pasadena $1,638,888 4bd & 2ba 1,719 sq.ft 6,652 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 12-3 pm This one was supposed to be open, but showings were postponed till the open house. If the floorplan is good, then it’s a nice price for such a remodeled house! It’s pretty stark on the outside, but again I think a tree and some nice landscaping could warm it up. I like all the wood finishes they used on the inside to warm it up too. Like I said, if the floor plan flows well, then I think it is a nice price! 1485 E Mendocino St. Pasadena $1,600,000 3bd & 2.5ba 2,340 sq.ft 13,858 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm Unfortunately we lost so many original 20’s character Spanish style homes in the fire, but this one survived! Even though so many are trying to replicate the Spanish they lost, it will be unaffordable to add all those finishes that give it the Old World feel. No matter how nice they are, they will be crisper cleaner versions and so I definitely cherish these originals that have survived! Even though it is surrounded by quite a few burnt out lots and this property lost its garage, I still think it’s very well priced for everything it has to offer. For larger families you will probably want to convert the bedroom off the kitchen into a nicer kitchen/family room area and then build a primary suite on top of that because you only have 2 bedrooms upstairs. Still, it has all the charm you expect! 2589 El Sol Ave. Altadena $1,198,000 4bd & 2ba 1,577 sq.ft 5,643 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm This home specifically got me thinking about my floorplan theory. It feels like a very nice value with nearly 1600 sq.ft completely remodeled with popular finishes. The homes in this area are mostly 3 bedrooms & 1 bath with very similar layouts. In this home, they added on a primary suite off a short hallway right off the kitchen. So the only way to get to the backyard is through the primary suite or down the driveway which is certainly not ideal! Before the fire, I would say that it was a small price to pay to get a nicely redone spacious home at this price, but now I’m much more hesitant. 466 Wickliffe Dr. Pasadena $799,000 2bd & 1ba 1,305 sq.ft 5,643 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm This one just hit the market and when I first saw the price I thought that it must be like a tear down fixer! Wickcliffe is a cute street off Los Robles with mostly spanish style construction on smaller lots. Pre-fire this would have sold for over $1 million all day and night. Considering that this is not in a fire area and not a fixer…..I don’t know why the agent would price it sooo low! So if you see this house don’t think $800,000, think more like $950 to a million and maybe a bit more!
