Glamorous farmhouse shoot for $4 million in San Roque

23 August 2024|from Erik Torkells

Notable new entries….

I never expected to see a wine cellar with floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the part of San Roque west of Hope Avenue—or even an attempt to name one of the houses there. But here is 3817 Calle Cita ($3.995 million), also known as Roseview Villa, a speculation renovation that comes with undeniable style. (The seller paid $2 million four months ago and added 1,200 square feet; here's a time-lapse video of the project.) The effect is a glamorous farmhouse with nice touches like the stone facade, copper gutters, arched doors in the master bedroom, and gorgeous doors throughout the house. Personally, I'd fence off the front yard to better pretend I'm in a fancier neighborhood. Because even in the best parts of San Roque, four million dollars is a lot of money…

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1325 Hillcrest Road ($4.675 million) will go fast and probably for more than the asking price. It's a gracious, single-story home built in 1957 with stunning views. While there are always plenty of improvements that could be made, the bathrooms are the only real weak point – the floors are modern, but the vanities are not. Fixable!

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There's a part of lower Franceschi Park—which I wrote about recently—where a rustic path leads to a beautiful stone staircase. It borders 1308 Dover Hill Road ($4.75 million), where someone spent a lot of money on the gorgeous (but steep) driveway and motor court—and apparently thought the nearby steps needed to match. The 1988 interiors need updating, but the reward is clear: The views from nearly every room of the 4,000-square-foot home are terrific. (I always wish the kitchens in these kinds of homes weren't pushed to the back, since people often spend a lot of time there.)

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All the Lower Riviera charm you could want can be found at 804 Moreno Road ($3.495 million), built in 1909 and half hidden behind foliage. There are some tight spots and the low ceilings make the rooms a little gloomy, but upstairs is a huge master suite with ocean views. And there's a guest house that looks similar on the outside but is completely different on the inside (plain white walls, polished concrete floors).

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It's hard to believe that anything in Montecito sold for $2.55 million as recently as late 2021, let alone something as large as the 3,598-square-foot home at 2775 East Valley Road ($5.65 million) on an acre near Freehaven Drive. The house dates to 1987 and seems like a suburban replica of something with actual provenance; adding character is much harder than taking it away. Still, that's a decent amount of usable land, and the street noise may not be bad since the house is set back.

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2015 Green Lane ($3.35 million) is a charming 1904 cottage on a tiny Upper East street. I haven't seen it in person; from the layout, the main rooms seem to make sense, but the back of the house is a rabbit warren. When you're that cute, you can get away with a lot. Plus: There's a guest house.

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935 Fellowship Road ($2.695 million), on a 0.32-acre lot in Alta Mesa, has more quirkiness than charm: An old hatch has been turned into an inexplicable window; a loft bed is just high enough to seem odd; and the master bedroom is in an outbuilding. But it's quintessential Santa Barbara, and I'd love to see what someone does with it.

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And a few others that are worth a look:
••• 627 Romero Canyon Road ($3.995 million): 1924 cottage with front yard pool.
••• 855 Rockbridge Road ($3.795 million): Demolition of 0.93 acres of Riven Rock.
••• 928 Olive Street ($2.585 million): Very vertical 2000 home overlooking the Santa Barbara High School baseball field and with an excellent rooftop deck (below).

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