What $3.2 Million Buys You in California
Beverly Hills | $3.195 Million
A Belgian farmhouse-style home built in 1946, with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is on Benedict Canyon Drive, a twisty road that leads from the heart of Beverly Hills to Mulholland Drive, considered by most to be the dividing line between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley. Benedict Canyon and the streets just off it are popular with buyers looking for privacy and proximity to hiking spots like Franklin Canyon Park and Stone Canyon Reservoir.
This property is less than two miles from Mulholland, putting it about 10 minutes by car from Sherman Oaks, in the Valley. It’s about the same driving time in the other direction to the Beverly Hills Hotel and the shops and restaurants of Sunset Boulevard.
Size: 2,283 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,399
Indoors: Behind the gate at the center of this home’s street-facing fence is a large lawn, with a paved path leading to the front door.
The sellers added wall coverings from Wallshoppe to the foyer. Just off this space is a powder room. Newly installed oak flooring continues from the foyer into an airy living-and-dining room with a fireplace, oak built-ins and glass doors that open to the backyard and pool.
Around the corner is a kitchen with soapstone counters, a farmhouse-style sink, a built-in banquette upholstered in pale green fabric and glass doors that open to an outdoor dining patio.
To the right of the foyer is the primary suite, which has an accent wall papered in a gray-toned tropical scene; an area for a desk in front of diamond-paned windows facing the front yard; and an en suite bathroom with a glass-walled shower and a soaking tub.
On the other side of the foyer are two more bedrooms; they share a full bathroom with a walk-in shower. The attached garage has been converted into guest quarters with one bedroom and a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The backyard, which can be reached from the kitchen and the living area, has a swimming pool with tiles that match those in the kitchen. The area around the pool is paved with stone and has plenty of room for sunbathing. The outdoor dining area off the kitchen is covered by a pergola. The driveway has room to park two cars.
Taxes: $39,936 (estimated)
Contact: Michael LaMontagna, Alexis LaMontagna and Jade Mills, Hilton & Hyland and Coldwell Banker Realty, 310-280-8080; hiltonhyland.com
Los Gatos | $3.198 Million
A Craftsman bungalow built around 1910, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house was one of the town’s Bellringers during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration, awarded a decorative bell to inspire preservation efforts. It is in the Almond Grove neighborhood, one of Los Gatos’s oldest areas, prized for its proximity to shopping and dining. Santa Cruz Avenue, a major thoroughfare, is a block away, with a juice shop, a brewpub, a wine bar and restaurants serving a range of ethnic food. San Jose and Cupertino are a 15-minute drive; Mountain View is about 20 minutes away.
Size: 2,255 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,418
Indoors: A white picket fence trimmed with flowering jasmine separates the front yard from the street, and steps lead up to a covered porch big enough to hold a swing.
Beyond the front door is a living room with high ceilings, recessed lights, a black-marble fireplace and a built-in entertainment center. To the left of the front door is a dining area with a porch-facing door.
The dining and living areas flow into a bright, windowed kitchen with skylights, soapstone counters, a wall of cabinetry and two ovens built into a center island.
A long hallway between the living room and the kitchen leads to a sunny guest room connected to the primary suite by pocket doors, making it a convenient nursery. The primary bedroom has high ceilings and glass doors that open to a patio; the en suite bathroom has a separate tub and shower. Across the hall is another guest room; next door is a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.
A separate guesthouse functions as a one-bedroom apartment, with a living room, a kitchen and a full bathroom with a shower.
Outdoor space: A small patio behind the main house has room for lounge chairs or a dining table. The gravel area nearby has two planter beds for gardening. Parking is available on the street in front of the house.
Taxes: $39,972 (estimated)
Contact: Greg Simpson, Keller Williams Bay Area Estates, 408-832-2323; gregsimpsonestates.com
Carmel-by-the-Sea | $3.195 Million
A 1940 cottage with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, on a 1.3-acre lot
This house is in Carmel Highlands, a part of city known for its quiet streets and sweeping ocean views. It is less than five minutes from Malpaso Creek Beach, which sits next to a large tract of land that the actor and former city mayor Clint Eastwood sold to the county. Carmel Beach is 15 minutes away, as is the city center, where restaurants and galleries attract a mix of year-round residents and weekenders from the Bay Area. Monterey is 20 minutes away; San Francisco is about a two-hour drive.
Size: 2,398 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,332
Indoors: A long driveway leads from the street to the garage. Behind a nearby patio is the front door, which opens into a kitchen with wood cabinetry and a stainless-steel Thermador range. Off the kitchen is an office with skylights and a wall of windows; a laundry room is at the end of a hallway that extends from the kitchen.
Beyond the kitchen is a dining room with hardwood floors and glass doors that open to a flagstone patio. Through the dining room is the main living area, which has a stone fireplace, a window seat and glass doors that open to another patio, with views of the ocean beyond.
Two en suite bedrooms are on this level. One, off the dining room, has a private patio with a hot tub; the other, between the dining and living rooms, has a wood-burning fireplace.
Stairs lead from the kitchen hallway to the second level, which is configured as one large primary suite. The bedroom has a balcony off one side and a large deck with ocean views off the other; the en suite bathroom has a combination tub and shower.
Outdoor space: Spots for relaxing outdoors include several patios, one with a firepit. There is also a wood deck built for yoga near grove of mature trees. The attached garage holds two cars.
Taxes: $39,936 (estimated)
Contact: Vilia Kakis Gilles, Sotheby’s International Realty, Carmel Rancho Brokerage, 831-624-1566; sothebysrealty.com
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