Noteworthy new listings….
Any opinions about 4265 Cresta Avenue ($20 million) can wait till after I see it later this morning, so for now it’s just the facts: the 2003 house, designed by Barry Berkus, has six bedrooms, seven full baths, two half baths, a home theater, wine cellar, and gym; also on the 2.46-acre lot are a swimming pool, two hot tubs (including one outside the primary bedroom), a tennis court, and a pair of two-car garages. The sellers paid $8.2 million in August 2020 and clearly did a lot to take the stuffing out of a property that, last time it was on the market, the listing agent compared to Monticello and the White House. UPDATE: Well, this isn’t the house that’s going to change my mind about the too-much-ness of Berkus’s architecture; it’s especially unwieldy from the front. But the inside is looking sharp, and it’s all extremely livable, making a compelling case that the price is justified. P.S. The service wing off the kitchen is next-level.
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I’ll also check out 3221 Campanil Drive ($6.998 million) today, but the plush orange wall-to-wall carpet is a telltale sign that updating is in order. While the stone lends a midcentury air, in a “Brady Bunch” sort of way, the architecture is pure 1970s, and the ratio of five bedrooms to three and a half baths is not ideal. In the property’s favor, Campanil is a neighborhood on the rise; the 1.5-acre lot appears to have plenty of room on the south side to work with. UPDATE: It’s definitely a project. The split-level entrance has drama, but the the bedroom layout wants to be changed (unless you want two primaries sharing a bath). I’d consolidate some rooms and consider an ADU elsewhere on the lot.
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3595 Padaro Lane ($34.9 million) is a 1996 contemporary right on the sand, with five bedrooms and a one-bedroom guest house. The style is minimalist and of the moment, with the focus on the astounding ocean view, but with the main living areas on the upper floor, stairs abound. P.S. Is the beach scene on the TV in the home theater, with the real thing right outside, a metaphor for how we live our lives today?
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The 1948 three-bedroom at 31 Cedar Lane ($3.995 million) on Eucalyptus Hill got redone after the sellers bought it for $2.1 million in 2021, and while it looks fresh, some of the choices—especially the fireplace surrounds—won’t be for everyone. It could be great for a family of introverts: the bedrooms are relatively large, compared to the communal spaces (small living room, dining table attached to the kitchen island).
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Th highlights of 3706 Avon Lane ($3.25 million), at the corner of Grove Lane in San Roque, are the atrium living room and the guest apartment with its own entrance from the street. The latter comes at the expense of the garage; cars parked in the driveway would diminish the appeal of the backyard a bit.
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Given the location off East Beach, with motels across the street, 428 Corona del Mar ($3.399 million) will likely continue to be put to work as a vacation rental. But the 1911 cottage is adorable enough that you might be tempted to keep part of it—perhaps the two-bedroom apartment upstairs—for yourself. P.S. Indoor hot tubs just don’t have the same magic.
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The floor plan at 1225 Calle Cerrito Alto ($2.995 million), on the hill behind the Westside, is a bonkers even before you get to the wing hidden behind a bookshelf and accessed via a three-rung ladder and stairs. None of that will matter, however. The setting, at the end of one of those classic Santa Barbara culs-de-sac that most people don’t know exists, with insane views of the city, mountains, and even the ocean, will make this go fast and for over ask.
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Also worth checking out:
••• 611 Miramonte Drive ($3.875 million): Floops of a three-bedroom spec reno at the Cliff Drive end of TV Hill that sold for $3.65 million in February.
••• 5445 Baseline Avenue ($6.795 million): 1990s Mediterranean four-bedroom on 6.54 acres east of Santa Ynez.
••• 1221 Laguna Street ($1.879 million): “Bungalow, guest house and converted garage (no permit)” between Anapamu and Victoria, painted almost entirely in yellow and green (below).
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