$1.5 Million Homes in California
Walnut Creek | $1.549 Million
A midcentury-modern house built in 1959, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is one of more than 300 in the Rancho San Miguel neighborhood built by the prolific midcentury developer Joseph Eichler. The neighborhood abuts San Miguel Park, which has play areas for children and dogs, and is near John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center, which has an emergency room and imaging facilities.
The property is about a five-minute drive from Heather Farm Park, with its skate park and public swimming pool, and from a shopping center with a Whole Foods market and a Safeway grocery store. Driving south to San Jose or inland to Stockton takes about an hour.
Size: 2,085 square feet
Price per square foot: $743
Indoors: The bright orange door facing the street opens to an atrium — an Eichler signature. A home office with a skylight is off this space, through glass doors.
Straight ahead from the atrium is a kitchen with skylights; updated appliances, including a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher and a Dacor oven; and glass walls looking out on the back patio. The adjacent living room has a brick fireplace, expansive windows and sliding-glass doors that open to the patio.
All four bedrooms are off a hallway extending from the atrium. The primary suite, at the far end, has a bedroom with patio access and a bathroom with a walk-in shower that has frosted-glass doors. The other three bedrooms share a hallway bathroom with a combined tub and shower. (One guest room is currently used as a gym; another, as a den.)
Outdoor space: The back patio holds a dining table and a grill. A stone path leads around the side of the house to a more private patio framed by mature landscaping. A gate at the far end of the property offers access to San Miguel Park. The detached garage holds two cars.
Taxes: $19,368 (estimated)
Contact: Dara Buzzard and Ronni Schwartz, Dudum Real Estate Group, 925-640-5547; 43sanmarinoct.com
Burbank | $1.595 Million
A Cape Cod-style house built in 1947, with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and two half bathrooms, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house is in Burbank Hills, a neighborhood with easy access to popular hiking trails and to the Starlight Bowl, an outdoor music and arts venue. It is a five-minute walk from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and less than a mile from John Muir Middle School.
Driving to Hollywood Burbank Airport, also known as Bob Hope Airport, takes about 10 minutes. The Autry Museum of the American West and Travel Town Railroad are about the same distance away, in Griffith Park. Driving to downtown Los Angeles or Studio City takes about half an hour.
Size: 1,749 square feet
Price per square foot: $912
Indoors: A paved path leads from the sidewalk to the front door, which opens into small entry area with stairs to the second level and access to a powder room. This space flows into the living room, to the left, which was updated during a recent renovation with a sleek white fireplace flanked by open shelving. At one end of the space, tall windows face the street; at the other, glass doors open to the rear deck.
Behind the living room is an open dining area facing a kitchen with new stainless steel appliances, a backsplash of glossy white tile laid in a herringbone pattern and a deep pantry. A guest room with built-in storage is off the kitchen.
The other two bedrooms are upstairs. The primary suite, to the left of the stair landing, has mirrored closets, a private balcony overlooking the swimming pool in the backyard and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and separate soaking tub. The guest room, at the other end of the hall, has the use of a hallway bathroom with a glass-walled shower and patterned-tile floors.
A laundry room and the second half bathroom are in the detached two-car garage near the pool.
Outdoor space: The deck behind the house steps down to an expansive lawn. Beyond is a swimming pool surrounded by a paved area for sunbathing and sheltered by mature landscaping. A fire pit, a children’s playhouse and a built-in bar with a barbecue are also in the backyard.
Taxes: $19,932 (estimated)
Contact: Zach Krasman, Compass, 310-906-9382; compass.com
Albany | $1.549 Million
A 1925 Tudor Revival house with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is on a quiet street near Jewel’s Terrace Park, which has a playground, a picnic area and, on occasion, a soft-serve ice cream truck. Two organic grocery stores are a few blocks away. The stores along Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley and the University of California campus are about 10 minutes away by car.
The property is less than two miles from the North Berkeley BART station and from Albany Beach, on San Francisco Bay. Driving to San Francisco takes about half an hour. Oakland is 15 minutes away.
Size: 2,075 square feet
Price per square foot: $747
Indoors: Several flights of exterior stairs lead up from the street to the covered entry. The front door opens into a sunny foyer with hardwood floors that continue into a bright living room with street-facing windows and a fireplace with original stone detailing.
Through a wide doorway is a dining room with a built-in wood cabinet that has etched-glass doors. This space connects to a kitchen with wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a windowed nook with room for a breakfast table and a door to the backyard. Stairs at the far end of the kitchen lead down to a spacious family room with backyard access and a washer and dryer.
One bedroom is on the main level, off a hallway extending from the dining room. It has the use of a full bathroom off the hall.
Two more bedrooms and a full bathroom with a combined tub and shower are on the second level, reached from stairs in the entry hall.
The primary bedroom, on the top floor, is large enough to hold a king-size bed; it includes a windowed walk-in closet and a separate sitting area. A half bathroom is connected to the bedroom.
Outdoor space: The wood deck behind the house is partially covered by a pergola, offering a pretty spot for outdoor dining when the weather permits. The lawn beyond is enclosed by a wood fence. The detached garage has one parking spot.
Taxes: $19,368 (estimated)
Contact: Sean Fruth, Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, 415-608-9581; sothebysrealty.com
For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here.
