June 3rd 2012

June 3^rd 2012

1680 Sunset Plaza Drive

Not my normal expensive bread and butter, at a tame 1.679 for 2,478 sqft on 5,650 sqft lot with 3 bedrooms. However this 70s home does have a very nice view that I think would be pretty hard to find at this price point. The home is small, you enter to a foyer. Kitchen off to the right, living and stairs with view and terrace in front, a small study and an odd master bedroom are to the right. Downstairs has a bed and a bath and the garage plus laundry. Home needs updating. Too many original details, though some are updated.

1575 Carla Ridge

There are many heinous modern homes in the Trousdale area. This isn’t one of them. If anything is beautiful and huge. Storage space abounds. You enter mid level, in an oddly large foyer. Upstairs brings a living are with a sunken living room, a dining room with outdoor dining and kitchen and breakfast. There is a 2 bedroom master suite with a colossal hers closet with a safe room. Her bath has orange marble and a small garden. There is another bedroom and a huge garage. Downstairs brings us to a large game and pool area. There is a swimming pool with a ramp and another bedroom. And ten zillion closets. Very big house, somewhat disjointed at times. Perfectly staged gorgeous materials, , 7,725 sqft on a 3,6155 sqft lot with some canyon views. 4 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, asking 7.595.

9129 Robin Drive

Sitting on Robin Drive with no view is this rather forgettable home. The foyer opens to stairs with the kitchen to the left and living straight ahead. Living is big and looks back to pool and small guesthouse. Remember, no view here. Off of living is library, to the right of the foyer. The kitchen opens to the dining section of the massive living room. The kitchen has a maid’s room. Three bedrooms upstairs. It is rather forgettable and somewhat dull. Asking 19,000 per month or 3.5 outright for 4 bed, 4.5 bath, 3267 sqft on 19,530 sqft lot.

1451 Blue Jay Way

Might make sense on LSD. Since the house already looks to be on LSD, would LSD make it normal? Anyways, no two rooms match. There is soft wallpaper,  kiddy Astroturf, automated doors and odd colors. The layout is okay, nothing spectacular. The pool is very long, perfect for laps. In spite of the location there is no view whatsoever. The home is asking 3.995 for 3,028 sqft with 3 bed 3 bath on 11,950 lot.

1457 Blue Jay Way

Next to Stanley Kubrick’s sacrifice house (my name for it), there is potential. This home is currently a wreck but there is potential. There is a view and 6 beds and 7 baths in 5,500 sqft on a 28,870 sqft lot. Asking 4.396 for something that needs so much work is a tad high. The living room is huge and all the ceilings here are generous. Layout is hard to tell what is what with the current state of things. But there is potential here. The realtor told me how her psychic told her three dead bees would signal a change and she found dead bee number two here.

655 Sarbonne Way

This is a mogul house. Its old Hollywood glamour and perfect layout, with huge but still well sized rooms and its on the country club. It is the epitome of money and class, it had better be at 16.995. There are 7 beds and 12 baths in 14,00 sqft on a 36,820 sqft lot on the country club. You enter a foyer flanked by powder rooms. The main hall is large and two stories and opens onto the rear living room. The living room is huge and opens to a terrace that runs down to a path to the pool. The terrace is very Old Hollywood to me, with its nice shades. Foyer stairs are nice, no double spiral crap here. To the left is the dining room and the right presents a huge library. Perfection. The huge library has a swinging shelf that brings you to a study. Study has stairs and a powder before bringing you to a game room that opens onto the rear pool and cabana with beds, kitchen and tv. Game room goes to card room then back to living. Perfection. The dining room has a pantry to the massive kitchen. Kitchen island is the size of a mini. There is a craft room to the left of the kitchen and a family to the right, backs up on living room. Craft room brings us to more stairs and then maids quarters, Probably bigger than my room. There is a detached three car garage and a basketball court. I still prefer tennis. Upstairs has the biggest fucking master bathroom I’ve ever seen. The master is huge and has his and hers everything. Each bedroom ( I lost count) is huge and has a nice bathroom. The décor here is amazing too. The only thing I would change is a tennis court and dedicated gym. Perhaps more garage space. I WANT IT. 

May 20th 2-5

941 25^th Street

A pleasant surprise, as I rarely get out to Santa Monica. A new build Spanish style that actually manages to stay true to its roots, instead of delving into McMansion. Yes, it is large but the rooms are proportionate and the detailing is magnificent. There are two levels and a basement plus a detached three car garage on the alley. The lower level has a giant laundry room, media room with bar and powder and a frankly depressing bedroom. The main level has a sunken living room with a small terrace on the front yard, large foyer with sweeping stair, library, dining, panty with secondary staircase and the kitchen family room sprawl. None of the rooms are gargantuan, but good sized. The layout is very open and wraps around a small garden courtyard with a fountain. There are many nice details, such as the myriad of Juliet balconies, older windows and tiling. It is done well. The downside is a small yard with no pool and some rooms are very dark. Its 5 bedroom, 8 bath (you need that many) in 5,600 sqft on an 8,300 sqft lot asking 4.5 million.

1162 Sunset Hills Road

There are some spectacular modern homes above the sunset strip. This is just not one of them. It was anemic and a tad dull, plus is smelled funny. It has all the requisite Hollywood rooms, the main rooms plus the gym, sauna, spa and theatre. It just is done in such a cold fashion. The only room with a view is the double height kitchen/family room and that view is sidelong at best. This room seems to be the focus of the whole house. There are the lower entertainment levels opening to the boring pool and depressingly concrete yard. One word; Landscaping. There is a truly spectacular cabana though. All and all, too many things aren’t working here. 4 beds and 7 baths in 6,343 sqft on an 8,430 sqft lot asking 5.2 million.

9140 St Ives Drive

A hop away from the aforementioned home is one full of character, view and all at a lower price. This home on Saint Ives is different in the best way, it sets itself apart from its neighbors but not in a grotesque way. The home is small from the street, but that is just deception. There is a very nice entry courtyard and then the main house. The main level features an open and very nice kitchen, dining and living. And it is very small. But I would actually buy the furnishings here too. The upper level has two bedrooms, both good sized with private bathrooms. The master is bigger with direct views. Both bathrooms are unique, thank god. Lower level is tall, great big ceilings. It’s sort of a game room with a bedroom of to one side. Outside there is a nice wood deck with a curving zero edge infinity pool with shelf and tub. It is different and gorgeous. There is a huge cabana with fireplace off to a side. On an even lower level, down a very narrow spiral staircase is a Moroccan themed gym and spa. Not digging it as much, but still nice. I really like this house, it is unique. The downside is that it is a touch small. 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms in 4,500 sqft on an 8,000 sqft lot or so. Asking 4.295.

1764 Viewmont Drive

This home is in a little gate community tucked above Sunset Plaza, stuffed in the hill between two terrifying retaining walls. The first thing you notice is the private street; it’s not a pothole minefield like most Hollywood streets. The home has three levels. Bottom level has garage, theatre and another bedroom that opens onto a very tiny yard. Mid level is entrance, with powder living room, dining room and kitchen. Rooms open onto a deck and small but infinity pool. Seriously nice views but a very steep drop down that giant retaining wall. Some nice touches, the home is a weird modern style. Top level has master and two bedrooms sharing a bath. It is a very slick home, but maybe a touch boring when compared other Hollywood Hills homes. Seriously, everything is looking the same now. Its 6,000 sqft with 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths on top of a 8,593 sqft lot. Asking 5.995 though knowing Hollywood it will be on the market every few years or so. 

May 20, 2012 1 of 5

117 South Burlingame Ave.

It is sort of an overgrown Colonial styled manse. The rooms are huge, but for the most part every room is devoted to sitting. There are plenty of utterly purposeless rooms. The rear yard is small and features a small pool. The front yard is mostly dominated by a retaining wall that holds the driveway. The rooms all have the same generic wood floor, all the bathrooms have the same generic marble tile. It is boring. 7,600 square foot home with 6 bedrooms, 8 baths on a 20,000 lot asking almost 8 million.

More to Come

So here I am back and working.
Many more open houses are soon to follow, I've already been out scouring new material to post here to just hang tight.