Sonoma | $1.6 Million
An 1891 farmhouse with three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest apartment, on a 0.4-acre lot
This home is less than two miles from Sonoma Plaza, offering easy access to the popular shops and restaurants in the historic city center. It is less than a mile from a brewery, a pizzeria and several cocktail bars, and about a 10-minute walk from Maxwell Farms Regional Park, which has a playground, a skatepark and walking trails.
Napa and Santa Rosa are about a half-hour drive away. Healdsburg is 45 minutes away. Driving to Sacramento or San Francisco takes less than an hour and a half. Mendocino is three hours away. Lake Tahoe is a three-and-a-half-hour drive.
Size: 1,864 square feet
Price per square foot: $858
Indoors: This house sits behind a wooden fence and a yard landscaped with gravel and drought-tolerant plants. Wide steps lead up to the covered porch, which is big enough for a bench swing, several chairs and a table.
The bright pink front door opens into a foyer with refinished fir floors. The living room, to the left, has a wood-burning fireplace and French doors that open to a sunroom. On the other side of the living room is a windowed dining room with original built-in cabinets.
The updated kitchen, at the back of the house, has stainless steel appliances, butcher block counters and floating shelves and glass sliding doors that open to a deck. A powder room and a small bedroom used as a home office are also in this part of the house.
The other two bedrooms are off the foyer. They share an updated bathroom with a combined tub and shower.
The garage, which has been converted into guest quarters, has a sitting area, a sleeping alcove and a full bathroom.
Outdoor space: The yard is planted with mature, fruit-bearing citrus trees. A bocce court and a hot tub are behind the house, along with a fenced area for dogs and plenty of space for entertaining. The property has two off-street parking spaces.
Taxes: $20,004 (estimated)
Contact: Holly Barker Lee, Sotheby’s International Realty, Wine Country-Sonoma Brokerage, 415-987-7116; sothebysrealty.com
Seal Beach | $1.599 Million
A 1941 cottage with two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is within easy walking distance of a seafood restaurant and cocktail spot, a doughnut store, a surf shop and a Pavilions supermarket. It is also close to a well-rated public elementary school and to the casual restaurants and independent boutiques on Main Street. The beach is about 10 minutes away on foot; Seal Beach Municipal Pier, a popular fishing spot, is about a 15-minute walk away.
Driving to Huntington Beach or downtown Long Beach takes about 20 minutes. Downtown Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport are about 40 minutes away.
Size: 860 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,859
Indoors: The house sits behind a white picket fence and a yard with a covered patio.
The bright blue Dutch front door opens into a recently updated living room with wide-plank floors, built-in cabinetry and glass doors that open to a deck. The wood floors continue back into an open kitchen with custom cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, a large island topped by butcher block and a Dutch door that opens to the deck behind the house.
Both bedrooms are off the living room, at either end of a short hallway; each is big enough to hold a queen bed. They share a bathroom with a combined shower and deep bathtub lined with white subway tile.
The laundry room, which has a side-by-side washer and dryer, and a powder room are reached from the rear deck instead of inside the house.
Outdoor space: The patio in front of the house is partially covered by a pergola. The deck behind the house has plenty of room for entertaining. An outdoor shower, a detached structure that could be a home office or guest room and a two-car garage with epoxy floors are also behind the house.
Taxes: $19,980 (estimated)
Contact: Kim Kelly, Compass, 562-972-7765; compass.com
Santa Barbara | $1.595 Million
A 1952 ranch house with three bedrooms and one bathroom, on a 0.2-acre lot
This house, which has a new roof, tankless water heater and gutters, is in East Mesa, a section of the city known for its cool breezes and proximity to the water. It is a 15-minute walk from Thousand Steps Beach and a five-minute drive from Mesa Lane Beach and Shoreline Park, which has a playground and a grassy area for picnicking on the waterfront. Stearns Wharf, the city’s pier, and several oceanfront seafood restaurants are about 10 minutes away by car.
The wineries of Santa Ynez and Los Olivos are about 45 minutes away. Driving south to Los Angeles takes about two hours.
Size: 1,248 square feet
Price per square foot: $1,278
Indoors: The front door, sheltered by a covered porch, opens into a combined living and dining room with wood floors and street-facing windows covered by slatted shutters.
The sunny kitchen, off the dining space, has white cabinetry, white-tile counters and stainless steel appliances. At the back of the kitchen is a windowed nook with a door to the covered patio behind the house.
All three bedrooms are off a short hallway extending from the living room. The primary bedroom, which faces the street, has enough space for a king bed and a desk. The bedroom across the hall is big enough to hold a queen bed. The third bedroom is accessible from the main hall and the kitchen. They share a bathroom with a windowed tub and shower.
Outdoor space: The back patio has enough space for a dining table and a grill. It faces a large terraced backyard, landscaped with grass and tall palm trees offering shade. The attached garage holds one car.
Taxes: $19,932 (estimated)
Contact: Kit Peterson and Susan Irwin, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, 805-689-5535; kitpetersonrealestate.com
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