Hello Everyone!
So the market is very hit and miss right now! The buyers that are still left are getting quite picky so the good houses are getting all the attention and appear to still be selling at spring pricing, but then the homes that are off for one reason or another….are not!
Example A: The one on Almansor in Alhambra got 13 offers and is going $300,000 over asking already and they haven´t even countered everyone yet.
Example B: There is one on Lambert that is $1,550,000 for an English home with 3 + 2….a good floor plan….remodeled and is over 1900 sq.ft….it is just very bland! They do have offers over asking, but in the spring that house would have sold for at least $1,750,000 and now the agent is still trying to get someone to come up to $1,650,000.
This week there are a few homes I think will sit and others I think will fly off the shelves! Let´s see which ones are which!
586 Winston Ave. San Marino
$2,920,000 4bd & 3ba 2,874 sq.ft 9,784 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4pm
This house is on my list because I hate that they decided to take a wonderful character rich Spanish and then decided to completely flip the style on the inside. On the outside it has all the wonderful features you want in a Spanish, but when you step inside you find yourself in a super contemporary home! If you want a super contemporary home then buy one or build one but don´t ruin a perfectly good Spanish!!! They did keep the beams in the living room, but everything else is gone. The worst part is that the finishes aren´t even that high end….they are very typical and cheap! WHYYYYYY!!!
1800 Court Ave. South Pasadena
$2,088,000 3bd & 2ba 2,020 sq.ft 6,823 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-4pm
The best thing about this home is the curb appeal! It looks like a substantial home from the front, but actually on the inside it has a very compact floor plan. It has all the rooms you need, but they are all just very small! You could re-do what is there and just live with the smaller spaces and that is probably what you should do. To make it feel grander on the inside would mean re-arranging the floor plan on both levels…..creating a better staircase and then adding on. There is room in the back to add-on and still have a good amount of backyard, but honestly probably not worth it.
1745 Rubio Dr. San Marino
$1,998,000 3bd & 2ba 1,864 sq.ft 10,221 lot
Open Sunday 2-4pm
I know it doesn´t seem well priced, but it is for San Marino! This lovely traditional sits on a quiet street on the east side of San Marino. It has a very comfortable floor plan with the dining room flowing out to that wonderful covered patio with built-in bbq! The yard is also lush and private and the whole outdoor space is so nice! The home has been tastefully remodeled throughout so you can just move in and enjoy. The den is a great space and it would be even greater if it wasn´t actually the 3rd bedroom. If it had one more room, it would be perfect….but still it is a great house!
231 Starlight Crest Dr. La Canada
$1,995,000 4bd & 2.5ba 2,451 sq.ft 7,859 lot
Open Saturday 1-4pm
The Starlight Mesa is a collection of 90 homes built in the 60´s on the east side of La Canada at the top! They have an association that charges $250 per month but there is a neighborhood park, pool, sports courts and tennis courts for everyone to enjoy! This home is a good size with a good floor plan…..well except for the tiny kitchen. It has been well-maintained, but needs everything updated. The backyard is quite interesting! It is lush and private and it connects to the common grassy area! Some of the other homes backing up to this area have privatized themselves from the space, but this house has incorporated the space so that it feels as if the common area is there for your use! It is definitely a nice benefit to have that space to use when you need the kids to run off all that excess energy!
2526 Highland Ave. Altadena
$1,475,000 4bd & 2.5ba 2,608 sq.ft 9,724 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4pm
This one just hit the market, but I am familiar with the house since I met the owners while door knocking the neighborhood over the years. It seems now that they have both passed away and the house is now available. I love Highland because there are so many nice Spanishes on this street! She gave me a tour of the house once and I do remember that she did a nice job with the kitchen and I liked how the living room opened up to a covered patio overlooking the back yard. Now it definitely needs landscaping and the pool has to be redone, but it has a nice floor plan and great bones! Definitely worth it to get on this street!
2166 Casa Grande St. Pasadena
$1,349,995 4bd & 2ba 1,615 sq.ft 6,694 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 12-7pm
This home has also just hit the market. I like the English Character curb appeal even though I am not a big fan of the blue. It definitely needs landscaping and even though they made a lot of improvements, I am not a fan of the finishes…they just feel cheap and boring and I hate that luxury vinyl junk in a house that really merits hardwood flooring! Still if you can get it for close to that price it is worth remodeling the house again to give it some warmth & charm!
2278 E Mountain St. Pasadena
$1,295,000 2bd & 1ba 1,353 sq.ft 7,253 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-5pm
This is definitely my favorite house this week by far! It is just oozing with charm! Usually I am not a big fan of knotty pine, but they used just the right amount in just the right places so that it really works! The living room is so nice and spacious and flows out to that amazing covered patio with the original brick bbq and built-in cabinetry and then that flows out to an expansive brick patio that overlooks that private and lush yard…..magnificent! They did paint the kitchen cabinets a pretty blue…..I´m guessing the knotty pine got to be too much once it was everywhere in the kitchen. Definitely take the time to see and appreciate this little architectural gem!
2007 Queensberry Rd. Pasadena
$1,248,000 3bd & 1ba 1,408 sq.ft 7,500 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-5pm
This is another very charming home…..a little rougher around the edges but still very charming! Who doesn´t like a cute Spanish and this one has 3 bedrooms and a smidge more space than the one on Mountain. The living room has that delicate plaster work on the walls that remind me of cake decorations…..which I love! You can tell they are creative, but the stenciling in the dining room is a bit much for me and the dark stain on the kitchen cabinets wasn´t done very well. Travertine in a bathroom is always nice in a spanish, but then the floating sink is too contemporary for me. Where there talents really shine, is in the landscaping! That backyard is gorgeous with that Wistaria covered patio and plunge pool……what a treat for the senses!
2814 Grandeur Ave. Altadena
$899,000 2bd & 1ba 1,017 sq.ft 7,731 lot
Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4pm
At first I thought this might be a flip, but then I noticed the beautiful new wood framed windows that and I knew no flipper would spend that kind of money. In fact, the sellers have lived there for over 10 years and remodeled everything not too long ago just to end up finding a bigger home that suits their needs better! The house is small, but has a very nice flow and I really like the finishes they chose overall! The screened in porch is a nice place to lounge around on a cool summer evening and the yard is spacious! Now I do expect this home to sell for a bit more, but curious to see how much more now that spring fever has seemed to cool down.
That´s it for this week! Stay cool!