Hello Everyone! There was a lot to see on Caravan this week and a lot that just came on that looks interesting as well! Especially around a million which is nice for all those first time buyers! Last week I mentioned that this price range was really active, but strangely the cute house on Palm Terrace for just under a million did not get any offers and I just don’t understand why? I know it wasn’t an ideal location, but it was not bad?? I don’t get it?? Now I’ll take a minute to talk about rebuilding Altadena! As I drive around town I can finally feel some momentum gaining…..more work….more framing going up and it lifts my heart! As we all grapple with the decisions of who to work with on our rebuild, I did want to give you a few referrals of people I have worked with in the past. Now your general contractor will of course have their people, but when it comes to the finish work you might want to have a bit more say to get the end result you really want. Now of course I can’t guarantee their work, but I am only recommending people I have had a good personal experience with during the remodel of my house and will be using them again! Window Dealer Daniel Bateman (805) 900-7676 Amazing deals on anodized exterior w/wood interiors Cabinet Maker Felipe Vasquez (626) 665-8091 Countertops Vinicio Yac (626) 679-8296 Designer Hannah Showalter (626) 710-7987 Tile Installation Raul Castro (626) 825-5130 Hardwood/Laminate Install Jimmy Sanchez (213) 999-4743 $6,795,000 5bd & 5.5ba 6,009 sq.ft 15,686 lot Open Sunday 2-4 pm This week we continue with our little showcase house tour on Hillcrest! One of the 642 Canterbury Rd. San Marino $5,588,000 5bd & 6ba 5,603 sq.ft 20,842 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm I’m a sucker for a brick front home and this home is so lovely in so many ways! The owners were an older couple who spent $1 million remodeling the home 10 years ago! Needless to say only top of the line finishes were used throughout. The finishes are so tasteful and the layout is so comfortable. Of course you have all your formal rooms, but then you have a great open kitchen to a family room that flows out to an absolutely gorgeous backyard! But if I have to say something negative, the cabinetry work has too many ornate details for my personal taste. But those should just be embellishments that you can take off if you feel the same way! Don’t miss your chance to see this house! $1,550,000 3bd & 2ba 1,637 sq.ft 7,685 lot Open Saturday & Sunday 12-3 pm This classic traditional has some very lovely features. I love the brick pattern on the fireplace in the living room and of course the original windows and hardwood flooring. It’s not an open floor plan, but I like the cozy aspect of it. Personally I would have used the breakfast nook to make the kitchen bigger, but it’s still a cute kitchen. It does feel a bit crowded….but that’s because the tenant has so much furniture. It’s darling furniture but just too much of it. 1881 Paloma St. Pasadena $1,475,000 3bd & 2ba 1,680 sq.ft 10,564 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm I love a good Bungalow style home and this one looks quite promising. The first open houses are tomorrow so I will have to check it out, but the price is definitely attractive…especially given that the lot is so large! Yay! It looks like it has the original windows and hardwood flooring and that it gets very nice light! A little too much green on green in the kitchen for me, but nothing a little paint can’t fix. Both bathrooms have been redone, but one more recently than the other. The backyard looks idyllic with the pond and the Wisteria in full bloom! Definitely worth seeing if this is your price range! 930 N Catalina Ave. Pasadena $1,090,000 2bd & 1ba 872 sq.ft 4,326 lot Open Saturday, 2-4 pm This house is also tiny and also a surprise! It flows very well and has had a lot of remodeling done to it. Of course I wish it had the original hardwood flooring. If you have the money I would rip out the luxury vinyl and install hardwood. So worth it…..in my opinion the best upgrade you can do to a home! I also would like the upper kitchen cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling, but something you can do later…..not urgent at all. This little house packs a lot of punch! 1295 E Woodbury Rd. Pasadena $995,000 2bd & 2ba 1,654 sq.ft 8,932 lot Open Saturday, 1-4 pm Now Woodbury is usually considered not a great street, but there is a pretty section between Lake & El Molino and then there is the section that is part of the Historic Highlands like this house! It just came on the market and definitely looks like a fixer, but a great neighborhood and a great size for the price! It is only 2 bedrooms, but with all that square footage I would think you can find a 3rd bedroom somewhere? Maybe it is officially a den. I have to wait till I can get inside. But if you can deal with a project this is a nice option! 491 E Penn St. Pasadena $989,000 2bd & 2ba 1,190 sq.ft 5,022 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm This one just came on but seems very well priced for the size and condition. It has cute curb appeal and the fireplace is original, but unfortunately the windows have been replaced with vinyl and the hardwood floors are now also vinyl. Even though the kitchen is mostly white, I do like the saltillo tile on the floor and you can always paint the cabinets or change the backsplash to add some pizazz! The bath has cute wallpaper and again saltillo tile which I like….but I hate a fiberglass tub enclosure so that would have to go and the other bathroom is black and white so again….not offensive….but not special either. 1158 Bella Vista Ave. Pasadena $924,000 2bd & 1ba 832 sq.ft 7,023 lot Open Sunday 1-3 pm I almost skipped this house because it is so tiny….but I was so surprised how much I liked it! I love the feel and flow of this home. It's so cozy and adorable! The landscaping in the front gives it such a cute cottage look and inside it has a great flow for the size. You have a decent living room and the dining flows out to the back and the kitchen is a good size. One bedroom is off the living and the other is off the dining with the bath in between ... .so you don’t have a central hallway….but still very well laid out! Then when you step out onto that deck it almost feels like you are in Big Bear with all the mature natural landscaping and I don’t have cats but a huge fan of the enclosed path the owner created for the cats that runs along the sides of the yard…..so creative! Definitely worth seeing and totally a house I would live in if it were just me! 1843 Kenneth Way, Pasadena $899,000 3bd & 2ba 1,544 sq.ft 10,212 lot Open Sunday 2-4 pm This little pocket of Pasadena is between the freeway and the Rosebowl and so a relatively quiet neighborhood except for the freeway noise ;) This one is especially close to the block wall of the freeway and particularly noisy, but still I think it’s a good house for the price. It is a lot of house for the money with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Although one of the bedrooms was opened up to look into the step down family room so it really works as an office right now. Still it looks to be well maintained overall. The only thing is that I noticed a funny smell and I’m hoping you just have to change out the carpeting to get rid of it! $799,000 2bd & 1.5ba 1,510 sq.ft 20,611 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm There is a very unique condo complex in Lower Hastings that has always been very popular! Sure there are a few like this on South Orange Grove, but not many and at double the price! This complex and the units themselves were designed with a lot of midcentury flair! I love the living room with all the 2 story glass that flows out to the expansive balcony. The wood paneled ceiling and 2 story block wall accent are also striking! The kitchen is a good size….just not a fan of the cabinet door style….which can be changed and then painted some fun color! I like the finish choices in the downstairs bath….the primary upstairs is a little boring. But I love the original wood on the closets and built-in cabinetry upstairs and the loft feel of the primary with the glass wall overlooking the lower level! Definitely a great complex worth your time to see!
MY FAVORITE HOMES OF THE WEEK... MARCH 20, 2026
1275 Hillcrest Ave. Pasadena
most prestigious streets in all of Pasadena. This Mediterranean home has a wonderful layout with an indoor outdoor flow that is so hard to find in character homes……though the wider the lot the easier it is to create that flow. This home has more formal detailing. You won’t find a lot of rustic elements here that make a home feel more Spanish. It is a beautiful home and in the estate area, but I wouldn’t call it an estate. Even though the house is certainly estate size, over 6000 sq.ft, it is not an estate sized lot.
2151 E Mountain St. Pasadena
395 Cliff Dr. #105, Pasadena
