1912 Lutah Maria Riggs House in a Primo Location

Noteworthy new listings….

The seller of 749 Fuera Lane ($20.085 million), a 1912 house by Lutah Maria Riggs, paid $10.925 million in October 2020. According to the listing, a “recent remodel has been executed with a seamless blend of sophistication and grace.” The last deal was off-market, and the property was not open this week, so we only have the photos to go by. The architectural grace is evident, even if the interiors feel a bit flat for $20 million, and a decorator can fix that. What gives it a shot at getting near the asking price is the prestige of owning a Riggs house on 2.23 acres in an A-plus location between the Upper Village and the San Ysidro Ranch. UPDATE 10/15: I missed some nuance in the listing: the house was built in 1912 and subsequently remodeled by Riggs in 1930. I’ll leave the headline as is to remind me to read more closely.

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When I first saw the price of 1781 Glen Oaks Drive ($16 million), I thought it had to be a typo—$16 million for a farmhouse in Glen Oaks? Visiting the property, however, clarifies the appeal: the house is truly turnkey, with good energy and a sweet two-bedroom guest house above the garage, and it’s on 3.22 acres. (You could land a helicopter on that lawn.) A couple of quibbles: the primary bedroom is a little tight, and the pool is tucked up against the back of the house, where it gets less sunlight.

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The listing for 4312 Via Glorieta ($6.996 million) in Hope Ranch says it was built in 1956, but it feels more like a turn-of-the-last-century house, thanks to the window shapes and the metal-and-glass staircase. What it lacks in interestingness it makes up for in livability, with a backyard ripe for entertaining and expansion.

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According to a plaque on the premises, 1833 Santa Barbara Street ($4.765 million) was built in 1915 for the Keeney family, in an architectural style called Bay Region Traditional. (There’s next to nothing online about the style, beyond a reference to the former Hostess House in Palo Alto, which doesn’t particularly resemble this house.) The plaque also says the house is “simply and naturally Californian,” but it’s like no part of the state I know. No matter: it cuts a terrific figure at the corner of E. Pedregosa, and its uniqueness is a virtue. Inside you’ll find plenty of history, along with seven bedrooms and five and a half baths.

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Why is 512 Plaza Rubio only $2.75 million? The street is a marquee moment, across from the Mission and its park, and the 1954 house has curb appeal and a splendid living room. Even if it requires a makeover, I have to imagine it’ll go fast for over ask.

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I wouldn’t be surprised to see 98 Loma Media Road ($2.675 million), built in 1952, fixed up and flipped. There’s plenty of character to work with, although it wants to be a one-bedroom house—guests can have the studio above the garage.

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Same goes for the 1950 house at 920 Jimeno Road ($2.25 million) on the Lower Riviera. It has less innate character, and you’d need to bury the horizon-level power lines, but who can resist a house you can see right through?

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409 E. Valerio Street ($2.444 million), between Laguna Street and Olive Street, is a 1910 Craftsman with charm aplenty. The two and a half bathrooms make it unlikely to be used a four-bedroom house. It’s apparently a condo, but what the $300-per-month HOA fee gets you is unclear.

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Also worth checking out:
••• 3408 Madrona Drive ($3.795 million): 2005 five-bedroom in San Roque.
••• 2135 Sycamore Canyon Road ($2.495 million): 1957 four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath.

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