What You Get for $850,000 in California
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Idyllwild | $845,000
A 1988 house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.3-acre lot
This house is made from old-growth redwood, with windows and decks facing the hills and, in the distance, Tahquitz Peak, one of the highest points in the San Bernardino Mountains. Idyllwild, a community in the San Jacinto Mountains, feels remote, with bed-and-breakfasts, a handful of restaurants and a year-round population of weekenders, many based in Los Angeles or San Diego.
This home is a 10-minute drive from popular rock-climbing spots and hiking trails. Palm Desert is about an hour away; driving to San Bernardino takes a little over an hour.
Size: 1,800 square feet
Price per square foot: $469
Indoors: A long driveway leads from the street to the main entrance on the front deck.
The glass front door opens into a windowed foyer with access to a full bathroom. Beyond is a sitting area with tall windows that offer striking views of the rugged landscape. This space flows into a dining area with a wood-burning stove, high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding-glass doors that open to a deck. A breakfast bar separates the dining area from the kitchen, which has wood cabinets and windows looking out into the trees.
A staircase in the foyer leads to the second level, which is divided in two: On one side is an open mezzanine that could function as a guest room or office, with access to another deck; on the other side is a bedroom big enough for a king-size bed, with access to a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The main deck, off the dining area, has wood floors and a low wood fence, with sweeping views of the San Bernardino Mountains and space for an outdoor-dining setup. The deck on the bedroom level runs alongside a large boulder, and could hold a set of chairs or a bench.
Taxes: $10,560 (estimated)
Contact: Jennifer Parker-Stanton and Jake Lazere, DPP Real Estate, and Daniel Miracle and Bill Cochran, Compass, 323-351-3278; dppre.com
Credit…Triston Ioppini
San Miguel | $850,000
A 2006 ranch house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 10-acre lot
San Miguel is a popular spot on wine tours of the Paso Robles region, because of its proximity to more than 30,000 acres of vineyards and to notable examples of Spanish-style architecture, including Mission San Miguel Arcángel, built in the early 19th century and added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s.
It is about 20 minutes from the city of Paso Robles. San Luis Obispo is a 45-minute drive, and Fresno is about two and a half hours inland.
Size: 1,685 square feet
Price per square foot: $504
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, on an expansive lot.
The glass front door opens into the living area, which has high ceilings and a sunburst-style light fixture hanging above the sitting area. Beyond, in front of sliding-glass doors that open to the back patio, is a dining area. This space flows into an updated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and quartz countertops. Adjacent to the kitchen is a laundry room with patterned-tile floors.
A hallway off the living room extends toward the bedroom wing of the house. The primary bedroom, at the far end of the hall, has high ceilings and sliding-glass doors that face the rear patio; the updated en suite bathroom has a walk-in shower lined with geometric tile in a graphic pattern. Two more bedrooms are off the hallway; they share an updated bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
In addition to updating the kitchen and bathrooms, the sellers installed a new HVAC system and a solar panel on the roof.
Outdoor space: A stone patio wraps around the house, with canopies for shade in back and a mature tree for shade in front. The property also has pear, pomegranate and avocado trees, as well as a covered garden with plants that bear strawberries, blackberries and red and golden raspberries. The attached garage holds two cars.
Taxes: $10,620 (estimated)
Contact: Mark Hazell, Home & Ranch Sotheby’s International Realty, 805-423-7927; sothebysrealty.com
San Diego | $845,000
A 1925 Craftsman bungalow with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is in Cherokee Point, a neighborhood bounded by the 805 and 15 freeways, putting it within a 15-minute drive of downtown San Diego. It is a few miles from breweries, a small-batch ice cream parlor and the Observatory, a restored 1930s theater that hosts live music and theatrical performances.
Park de la Cruz, a city-operated skate park, is within walking distance. North Park Community Park and Adams Community Park, green spaces with children’s play areas, are a couple of miles away.
Size: 1,088 square feet
Price per square foot: $777
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, behind a low fence and a small front yard landscaped with drought-tolerant plants.
The turquoise front door, framed by a small covered porch, opens into a living area with new wood-laminate floors. A breakfast bar with a quartz counter separates this space from the open kitchen, which has white cabinets, a farmhouse-style stainless-steel sink and a laundry closet with a side-by-side washer and dryer.
A guest room is directly behind the kitchen, and at the back of the house is an enclosed porch that serves as a sunny home office. A full bathroom is accessible from the bedroom and the hallway.
From this part of the house, stairs lead up to the primary suite on the second floor. The bedroom overlooks the backyard; the bathroom has a combined tub and shower.
Outdoor space: A wood deck off the sunroom steps down to the backyard, which is landscaped with artificial grass and a mature tree that provides shade. A white-painted wood fence surrounds the yard.
Taxes: $10,560 (estimated)
Contact: Kevin Bass, Prestige Properties Enterprises, 858-229-3252; kevin.coastalhomesbytiffany.com
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