Carmel Valley | $949,000
A 1964 A-frame cottage, on 2.5 acres
This two-bedroom, one-bathroom house is in the hills of Carmel Valley. The center of town, lined with wine-tasting rooms, casual restaurants, bookstores and art galleries, is 10 minutes away by car, while Carmel-by-the-Sea and the beaches along Carmel Bay are a 30-minute drive. The golf courses of Pebble Beach and the Monterey Bay Aquarium both take about 40 minutes by car.
Big Sur is about an hour south. Heading north, Santa Cruz is 90 minutes away and San Jose takes less than two hours.
Size: 800 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,186
Indoors: From the driveway, a gate in a picket fence opens to this home’s front yard, with the door at the back of a wide deck.
Inside is a combined laundry room and office, with a side-by-side washer and dryer and space for a desk. Through this area is the kitchen, where the countertops are butcher block and the cabinets are painted blue. There are colorful tile backsplashes and a window above the farmhouse sink.
On the other side of the kitchen is the main living area, anchored by a fireplace with a stone surround and a wood mantel. Arched windows on either side of the fireplace overlook the front yard, and a dining nook is tucked into a corner of the room.
The lofted primary bedroom is at the top of a staircase beginning in the living room. A windowed alcove has space for a queen-size bed, with room for a dresser or a chair at the other side of the room. The full bathroom, with a combined tub and shower, is at the bottom of the stairs.
The second bedroom is also lofted, reached via a ladder in the living room.
Outdoor space: A spacious deck along the side of the house accommodates separate dining and sitting areas. A walking trail winds across the property, which is lined with mature trees and flowering plants. The driveway, recently repaved, holds two cars.
Taxes: $11,868 (estimated)
Contact: Kristin Dotterrer, Sotheby’s International Realty, 831-262-2301
Sacramento | $949,000
A midcentury modern house built in 1956, on 0.2 acres
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom house is in River Park, a mostly-residential Sacramento neighborhood that’s within a 10-minute walk of beaches, playgrounds and walking trails along the banks of the American River. Also 10 minutes away on foot is a public elementary school, with middle and high schools both within a 10-minute drive. The campus of California State University, Sacramento, including the school’s football stadium and soccer field, is five minutes away by car.
Downtown Sacramento and the California State Capitol complex are 20 minutes away. Davis is half an hour away, and Lake Tahoe is a two-hour drive.
Size: 1,901 square feet
Price per square foot: $499
Indoors: A semicircular driveway separates the house from the street, and the front door opens directly to the living room. Here, wood beams run across the ceiling, and a gas fireplace has a cement block surround. Sliding-glass doors on one side of the room connect to an enclosed patio, and clerestory windows along the opposite wall peek out at treetops.
Behind the living room is a combined kitchen and dining area, with new quartz countertops and a green tile backsplash. The appliances are stainless steel, and a pendant light with a paper shade hangs above the dining area.
The primary suite is at the top of a staircase that begins in the dining room. The bedroom fits a king-size bed, while a nook around the corner could hold a desk. The en suite bathroom has been updated with a walk-in shower and a long double vanity.
The other three bedrooms are on the main level, off a hallway extending from the dining area. One of the bedrooms has its own bathroom as well as sliding-glass doors that open to a private patio. The other two bedrooms share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower and a new wood vanity with brass hardware.
Outdoor space: The enclosed patio functions as a den, with ceiling fans and space for a sectional sofa. Glass doors open from here to a fenced backyard with fruit-bearing lemon trees. A paved driveway has space for two cars.
Taxes: $11,868 (estimated)
Contact: Lynel Ford, Lynel Ford Realty, 510-846-6415
Los Angeles | $949,000
A two-story hillside house built in 1937, on 0.4 acres
This one-bedroom, one-bathroom house, which used to be a meditation center, is tucked into the hills on a large lot planted with fruit trees and rosemary and lavender bushes. A small market that sells coffee, wine and household necessities is 10 minutes away on foot. Beverly Glen Park is two miles away, and driving down into Westwood, home of U.C.L.A., takes five minutes. The center of Beverly Hills is a 10-minute drive, and both West Hollywood and the Getty Center are 15 minutes away.
Driving into Sherman Oaks takes around 25 minutes, and the beaches of Santa Monica are half an hour away.
Size: 900 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,054
Indoors: The house is set back from the street, behind several sets of outdoor stairs.
Once at the top, the front door opens to a foyer. Continuing into the living room, the floors are hardwood and a midcentury-inspired free-standing fireplace is framed by two original casement windows. A rattan chair hangs from the ceiling, and on the other side of the space is a dining area with its own casement windows.
The kitchen is off the foyer, with wood countertops and windows that look out over the property. Also off this part of the house is the bathroom, which has a shower stall and black and white tile floors.
The lower level, which has its own exterior entrance, can also be reached via a ladder descending from the living room. This part of the house is divided in two: One side serves as a large walk-in closet and dressing area, complete with built-in shelves, and the other serves as the bedroom with space for a queen-size bed.
Outdoor space: A fenced-in patio off the living room overlooks the neighboring hillsides, and a second patio has space for a dining setup beneath a pergola. One off-street parking spot is included.
Taxes: $11,498 (estimated), plus a $796 monthly homeowner association fee
Contact: Brian Griffin, Compass, 707-332-2936
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