Hello Everyone, There actually isn’t much of anything new to report…..the inventory keeps slowing down as we approach the holidays and the buyers still seem hesitant to jump in! I doubt much will change as this year comes to a close, but if you’re a buyer this is a good time to keep an eye on those overpriced homes that need to sell before the end of the year. It’s the season to low ball!! Now for some updates for Altadena! I watched the Edison Zoom meeting and the great news is that a lot of Altadena is going underground! To find out if your neighborhood is going underground just go to the permit center on Woodbury and Edison is there to help you with any questions! Trust me, if your neighborhood is going underground…..you will have a lot of questions! I wish I could say that there would no longer be any unsightly utility poles, but not all the utility poles are solely owned by Edison. If your area is going underground and the pole is owned by Edison, then they will take down the pole. However, if the pole is owned jointly, say with AT&T or Spectrum, then they will leave the pole and the other owners are responsible for it. Hopefully, the other utilities will go underground so that we can get rid of the poles altogether! Also be forewarned that Edison has to put their transformers somewhere! My home is located in Phase 1 of undergrounding and our neighbor already has a huge green box in their front yard. These are necessary and you need one for every 4-5 homes in general. If your area is undergrounding and you are rebuilding you have to prepare to buy a panel that can be serviced from above and from below. Until they go underground in your area, the pole will service you from above and once they’re underground you’ll have to connect to the panel from below. This means that you need to trench and install a pipe and conduit from your panel to the location Edison selects while you are rebuilding.. If your house survived, you still have to change your panel and trench to the new spot when they come to your area. Needless to say….just make sure you are coordinating with Edison during this process! Now so you know….all this is at your cost which can easily run $8-10k. However, the county is working on a grant and so if your insurance will not cover that cost, you can apply for the grant to get a rebate for the cost of trenching. 1155 Linda Vista Ave. Pasadena $6,995,000 5bd & 7ba 6,571 sq.ft 24,111 lot Open Sunday 2-4 pm There are very few times that a house at this price and with this much architecture is available to see at a public open house! So make sure you don’t miss your chance to see this one! Beyond the unassuming facade, is a Modern marvel which was constructed just a few years ago and is an artistic blend of concrete, steel, wood and glass! Now to be honest I’m not a fan of all the design choices, but overall it’s a wonderful house set on an amazing lot! I love the compound feel with the guest house on one side of the pool and the rec room on the other and then another structure that houses 2 bathrooms for guests using the pool. Such a well thought out home that should not be missed! 2065 Oakdale St. Pasadena $2,990,000 4bd & 4.5ba 3,425 sq.ft 6,085 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-4 pm This house is more your typical contemporary 2 story box and it really doesn’t belong in this Cal Tech neighborhood sitting amongst all the period 20’s homes. However, I honestly think it’s a good value. It is a lot of house for the money especially given that it is very well done….has a nice flow and sits in a great neighborhood. 500 Sierra Vista Ave. Pasadena $2,195,000 3bd & 3ba 2,599 sq.ft 10,703 lot Open Saturday 2-4 pm & Sunday 3-5 pm Not only does this home sit on a lovely little street right on the San Marino border, but it is such a nice house….so well done! It has been completely transformed with seamless additions and elegant and tasteful upgrades! It has a wonderful flow keeping the formal living room in the front, but then leading to a great room with an expansive kitchen, dining and family room space that flows out so nicely to the backyard. The primary suite was another beautifully done addition. And don’t miss the guest house over the garage! It really is a stunning home….. the only flaw is that the backyard backs up to Sierra Madre, but not a horrible compromise for such a wonderful home! 1779 Harding Ave. Altadena $1,495,000 4bd & 4ba 2,273 sq.ft 7,557 lot Open Sunday 2-4 pm I remember this house from last year. It was a good home with a funky garage conversion that needed a lot of help. They paid just under $1.5 for it and then sunk a ton of money into it…..mostly in that garage conversion! It is a more traditional layout with the living areas in the front and bedrooms in the back, but a decent flow. The master suite must have been added on in the 80s because it is huge with high ceilings. They also spent some money remodeling that bathroom! Originally they came on at $1.6 and I thought it was a decent price then, but what do I know because it just sat….I would think at this price it should definitely move! 1710 N Oxford. Pasadena $1,149,000 2bd & 2ba 1,198 sq.ft 5,551 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-4 pm Now this is not my favorite pocket neighborhood in Pasadena, but it does seem well priced given the condition I see in the pictures. However, we won’t really know until we can get inside this weekend. I like that it’s remodeled and that it has 2 bathrooms. I don’t like that the entrance is on the side….it actually adds to the bad curb appeal of this house. But if you don’t have curb appeal, then hide the house with great landscaping is what I say! I also don’t like that the pool takes up nearly all the yard……now if I like the block and the flow of the house…..then filling in the pool would be worth it. 738 Stonehurst Dr. Altadena $988,000 2bd & 1ba 1,282 sq.ft 6,160 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 1-4 pm This pocket on the far west side of Altadena was left unscathed in the Eaton Fire. Nearly everything west of Lincoln was spared, most likely to do with its proximity to JPL. Trust me they will do whatever they need to in order to keep a fire away from JPL! This cute midcentury ranch has a very nice flow and great light. It is a 2 bedroom and 1 bath, but it also has a nice den that overlooks the backyard. Whoever the owner is believes in a minimalistic kitchen! I mean there’s basically no kitchen, but the space is there to put in a very nice kitchen. The backyard also needs some love, but still a good value and definitely worth seeing! 1640 Pasadena Glen Rd. Pasadena $975,000 2bd & 2ba 1,357 sq.ft 10,725 lot Open Saturday & Sunday, 2-4 pm The Eaton Canyon neighborhood right off the golf course is an area filled with upscale large ranches and mid centuries on very large lots! However, wind down a street right off of Vosburg in that neighborhood and you will find yourself in the Glen! An enclave of smaller homes surrounded by Oak trees….feels a lot like Topanga canyon! The house looks like a very well maintained and upgraded mid century ranch. Nothing really special actually, but the setting ….now that’s special!! 533 E Rio Grande St. Pasadena $680,000 2bd & 1ba 926 sq.ft 6,592 lot No scheduled open houses. Please contact me for a private showing! This house just hit the market and I’m trying to figure out why the agent priced it soooooo cheap! Seriously…..I have not seen a price that low even in the worst neighborhoods around here in I don’t know how long! Even if it’s a horrible fixer it’s still sooooo cheap! I will definitely have to check this one out and see what’s going on!
