Real Estate

$1.5 Million Homes in California

What You Get for $1.5 Million in California

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Charmaine David

Pasadena | $1.45 Million

A three-bedroom, three-bathroom 1906 Arts-and-Crafts bungalow, on a 0.2-acre lot

Bungalow Heaven is an apt name for this neighborhood, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Places. The 16 blocks that make up the district are lined with Arts-and-Crafts bungalows that represent some of the finest examples of the style, and many — including this one — are in remarkably good condition.

The Gamble House, one of the country’s best-known Arts-and-Crafts houses, is about two miles away, as are the Rose Bowl and the Pasadena Museum of History. Downtown Los Angeles is a 20-minute drive, and the studio complexes in Burbank are about 15 minutes away.

Size: 2,176 square feet

Price per square foot: $666

Indoors: The house is set back from the street behind a privacy hedge, with a sage-green facade, pops of deep red on the windows and a covered porch that shelters the front door.

Beyond the threshold is an airy great room that includes a seating area with a windowed nook and a dining area with space for a long table.

Just off the entry, behind glass doors, is the original living room. Now used as a den, it has a fireplace decorated with Arts-and-Crafts medallions and flanked by cabinetry with leaded-glass doors.

The kitchen, which faces the great room, has stainless steel appliances, a vibrant green-tile backsplash and a white farmhouse-style sink under a garden window.

A hallway off the kitchen leads to the three bedrooms, at the back of the house.

The primary bedroom is spacious, with room for a king-size bed and a long closet with custom shelving; the en suite bathroom has a steam shower and a double vanity. The bedroom next door and the one across the hall also have en suite bathrooms.

At the far end of the yard is a detached studio used as a home office; with the addition of plumbing, it could be a guesthouse.

Outdoor space: The brick patio in the backyard, off the kitchen, has room for a dining set and a barbecue. The detached garage has two parking spots.

Taxes: $18,420 (estimated)

Contact: Julia Allos, DPP Real Estate, 310-982-9277; dppre.com


Credit…Zack Brown/Atlas Imagery for Sotheby’s International Realty

Solvang | $1.495 Million

A 1978 ranch house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.6-acre lot

Since the mid-20th century, Solvang has been a popular weekend destination for wine-lovers and fans of the city’s distinctive architecture, built by Danish immigrants who moved to the area in search of warmer winters.

This house is in a gated community in the hills, about 10 minutes from the city center. It is close to a working cattle ranch, a golf course and several wineries. Santa Barbara is 45 minutes away; San Luis Obispo is less than an hour-and-a-half drive.

Size: 2,794 square feet

Price per square foot: $535

Indoors: A long driveway runs from the street to the garage. The entrance to the house is through a low iron fence that acts as a gateway to the front yard.

Behind the front door is a foyer with high ceilings and vinyl wood floors that continue throughout the house. To the immediate right is a living room with a fireplace that has a dramatic rock surround extending from floor to ceiling.

The kitchen, at the back of the house, has custom cabinetry; a long center island that incorporates a cooktop and a dedicated wine refrigerator; and access to a deck with mountain views.

Around the corner is a dining room with another rock fireplace and windows overlooking the deck.

The bedrooms are off a hallway on the other side of the house. At the far end of the hall is the primary suite, which has a bathroom with a large soaking tub, a separate shower and access to a private patio.

Next door is a guest room overlooking the front yard. It shares a bathroom off the hall with the third bedroom, which has a wall of built-in bookshelves and could be used as a home office or library.

Outdoor space: The main deck, off the kitchen, is partially covered by the roof overhang and enclosed by a wood fence. It has panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Valley’s Mediterranean-style landscape and the mountains in the distance. There are also small patios surrounding the house. The attached two-car garage includes an electric-vehicle charger.

Taxes: $18,684 (estimated)

Contact: Patricia Castillo, Sotheby’s International Realty, Santa Ynez Brokerage, 805-570-6593; sothebysrealty.com


Credit…Hopscotch Interactive, LLC

Berkeley | $1.5 Million

A 1903 Edwardian house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot

This house is half a block from a stretch of Shattuck Avenue with some of the Bay Area’s most popular restaurants, including the acclaimed Chez Panisse, Epicurious Garden, a food hall in a 1916 movie theater, and Grégoire, a French bistro. Andronico’s Community Market, a grocery store known for its organic produce and other specialty items, is directly across the street.

Berkeley Arts Magnet, a public elementary school, is around the block, and the University of California, Berkeley is about a mile away. San Francisco is a little more than a half-hour drive, depending on traffic.

Size: 1,804 square feet

Price per square foot: $831

Indoors: A paved path leads from the sidewalk to the covered front porch, and the front door opens into a bright, white foyer with honey-colored hardwood floors and a white-painted staircase.

The hardwood floors continue into the living room to the left, which has a contemporary candelabra-style chandelier and a bay of windows facing the street. This space flows into a dining room with tall wainscoting, a fireplace and another modern chandelier.

A recently updated full bathroom is off the dining room.

The kitchen is at the back of this level, off the dining room and the foyer. During a recent renovation, it was updated with new cabinets, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances. A laundry closet is tucked between the kitchen and the stairs.

All four bedrooms are on the second floor; three are roughly the same size and one is slightly smaller. The primary bedroom is to the right of the landing, with two good-sized windows and a deep wall closet. Next door is the smallest bedroom, which has space for a double bed. The bedrooms on the other side of the landing are each large enough to hold a queen-size bed and a desk.

All four share a full bathroom off the hallway, with a double vanity and a combined tub and shower.

Outdoor space: The new wood deck off the kitchen steps down to a backyard with drought-tolerant landscaping and a small gravel patio. The shell of the original garage at the back of the yard could be turned into a new garage or an accessory dwelling unit.

Taxes: $18,756 (estimated)

Contact: Mark Hardwicke, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Reliance Partners, 510-501-0713; reliancepartnersre.com

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