La Jolla | $4.2 Million
A 1987 house with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is less than a five-minute walk from sandy beaches and the ocean, and less than 10 minutes from a stretch of La Jolla Boulevard with a coffee shop, a grocery store and a bakery specializing in bagels. It is about a five-minute drive from La Jolla Village and from the La Jolla Tide Pools, a popular place to catch a glimpse of crabs and other sea creatures.
Driving to the University of California San Diego campus takes about 15 minutes. Downtown San Diego is about half an hour away.
Size: 1,917 square feet
Price per square foot: $2,191
Indoors: This house sits behind a rock wall topped by a white picket fence and cascading vines. The wood gate in the center opens to a courtyard.
Beyond the front door, around the corner, is a foyer with French limestone floors and a staircase to the second floor. This space connects to a living room with a fireplace and glass doors that fold back to offer access to the courtyard.
Through a doorway at the back of the living room is a kitchen with custom-made white oak cabinets; quartzite counters; stainless steel appliances, including a Wolf range with a hand-plastered range hood and a Miele dishwasher; and a long island with a waterfall counter, an integrated sink and space to seat four. A powder room with a floating marble sink and a dining area with access to an interior courtyard are off the kitchen.
All three bedrooms are on the second floor. The primary bedroom, at the far end of the upstairs hall, has hardwood floors and large windows that fill the space with light; the en suite bathroom has a double vanity and a walk-in shower. Attached to the primary bedroom is a guest room that could be used as a nursery or home office. Each of the other two bedrooms has enough space for a queen-size bed. One has the use of a bathroom with a long double vanity and a walk-in shower; the other has a bathroom with handmade Moroccan tile work on the walls and a deep soaking tub with brass hardware.
Outdoor space: In addition to the two outdoor spaces on the ground level — the interior courtyard and the front courtyard, which has a built-in barbecue, an outdoor shower and space for dining furniture — there is a roof deck, reached by exterior stairs, which offers ample space for entertaining and ocean views. The attached garage has two parking spots.
Taxes: $52,500 (estimated)
Contact: Jenica Martin, Douglas Elliman, 925-787-1911; elliman.com
Palm Springs | $4.188 Million
A recently renovated 1970 house with three bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and an attached casita with a bedroom and a full bathroom, on a 0.3-acre lot
This house in the Deepwell Estates neighborhood was designed by Howard Lapham, a modernist architect, for Edgar L. McCoubrey, the city’s 10th mayor. It was recently renovated to emphasize the indoor-outdoor connection, with the front and back facades opening to a 3,000-square-foot wraparound deck.
The property is less than a mile from the resorts on Palm Canyon Drive, including Ace Hotel & Swim Club, and about a five-minute drive from a Ralphs supermarket. Palm Springs Art Museum is less than 10 minutes away. Driving to Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge takes about half an hour. Los Angeles is about two and a half hours away.
Size: 3,321 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,261
Indoors: The property is surrounded by white walls, with a gate at the front.
The house has no traditional front door. Instead, tall glass sliders open to the main living area, which has stone-tile floors, high ceilings and a fireplace with a sleek black-stone surround. Along one side of this space is an eating-and-cooking area with an oversized center island that seats six; a stainless steel gas range and other appliances are integrated into the custom-design wood cabinetry.
Two identical bedrooms (one currently used as a home office) are off the living area; both have en suite bathrooms with walk-in showers and access to the deck. A laundry room, a powder room, a linen closet and storage space are also off the living area.
The primary suite, to the left of the living area, has a bedroom with enough room for a king-size bed, a separate sitting area, a large walk-in closet and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and a deep soaking tub that sits in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.
The attached casita, which has its own exterior entrance on the left side of the house, is equipped with a mini refrigerator, a walk-in closet and a full bathroom.
Another full bathroom is accessible from outside the house, near the pool area.
Outdoor space: A resort-style swimming pool with built-in tanning shelves is off one side of the open living space; updated landscaping is off the other. The deck, which includes an outdoor kitchen, offers views of the San Jacinto Mountains during the day and is illuminated by gas tiki torches at night. The attached garage has space for two cars.
Taxes: $52,356 (estimated)
Contact: James Gault, James Gault & Associates, and Scott Ehrens, Compass, 310-621-7765 or 760-880-1492; compass.com
San Francisco | $4.195 Million
A 1908 Edwardian house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is in Pacific Heights, a few blocks from a bird-watching area on the Presidio, a restaurant housed in former military barracks and Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line, a 1,200-square-foot art installation made from eucalyptus tree trunks. It is close to Alta Plaza Park, where wide steps ascend to a flat area with city views, and about a 10-minute walk from the shopping and dining along Union Street.
Oracle Park, the city’s baseball stadium, is about a 20-minute drive. The Civic Center neighborhood is half an hour away by public transit. Driving to San Francisco International Airport takes about 40 minutes.
Size: 2,774 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,512
Indoors: Brick steps run from the street up to the covered porch. The red front door opens into a foyer with a double-sided brick fireplace, an imposing staircase and a built-in bench seat under the window in between.
On the other side of the fireplace is a living room with built-in cabinetry and windows overlooking the neighborhood.
The dining room, across the foyer, has another brick fireplace and another built-in window seat. The adjacent kitchen has been updated with stainless steel appliances, including a Bosch oven. At the far end of the room is a sunny breakfast area with views of the grounds of Casebolt House, a private residence and city-designated historic landmark next door.
All four bedrooms are on the second floor. The primary bedroom, to the right of the landing, has a white-painted brick fireplace, built-in bench seating and large windows that offer views of San Francisco Bay in the distance. Next door is a smaller guest room. The other two bedrooms, on the opposite side of this level, have their own fireplaces; one also has access to a space used as a study. All of the bedrooms share a bathroom off the landing with a claw-foot bathtub and a glass-walled shower.
The second full bathroom is on the lowest level of the house, along with space that could be used as a den or guest quarters.
Outdoor space: Off the lowest level is a terraced garden with a stone patio at the top, offering a view of the greenery below. The yard is sheltered by high walls and mature landscaping. The attached garage holds one car.
Taxes: $52,440 (estimated)
Contact: Janet Feinberg Schindler, Sotheby’s International Realty, San Francisco Brokerage, 415-265-5994; sothebysrealty.com
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