Noteworthy new listings….
New high-end construction doesn’t come around very often, which makes 2957 East Valley Road ($17.6 million) special from the outset. The developer, who paid $3 million for the two-acre lot in October 2020, played it safe: the house has neither the swagger of cutting-edge contemporary architecture nor the character of something decades older. Instead, with the minimal embellishment and all those white walls, it comes off like a blank slate or, less kindly, a generic version of a Montecito estate. Still, a ground-floor primary, four en-suite guest rooms, a guesthouse, and ocean views give you a lot to work with. P.S. No photos of the pool, which I assume has a glamorous setting.
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New is the ultimate turnkey, but used turnkey is still white-hot in the Montecito market: take 719 Lilac Drive ($9.5 million), a 1985 house that qualifies as move-in-ready if you’re OK with the high-contrast style—it went into escrow immediately. The property has several appealing outdoor moments, although the lawn and trellised seating area are on either side of the motor court. But the location is prime, the price is right, and Gwyneth Paltrow is a neighbor, which will come in handy when you need to borrow a cup of bone broth.
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Speaking of high contrast, the seller of 2070 East Valley Road ($4.4 million)—who paid just $2.65 million for it this past January—went all in on black and white. There is 1930s quaintness in the ceilings and brick fireplace, but the floor plan poses challenges and the kitchen cabinetry looks like it dates from a time when refrigerators were much smaller. The main draw here might be the 1.17-acre flag lot.
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Located way above N. Patterson Avenue, 1505 Camino Meleno ($40 million) is a 556-acre lot, 450 acres of which are being used to grow avocados and lemons. (The listing includes close-ups of the fruit, in case you’re unfamiliar with them.) The house gets photos but no mention, so it’s presumably less relevant than the “four approved homesites for residential development.”
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The three-bedroom house at 2975 Calle Noguera ($1.754 million), across the street from Peabody Elementary School, would seem to be ideally positioned for a family. The 1948 charm, however, is offset by the 1948 floor plan, with just one bathroom. Bonus points for the round pool, though.
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Also worth checking out:
••• 2435 Golden Gate Avenue ($2.795 million): Summerland hot potato—it sold in September 2021 for $2.206 million and four months ago for $2.529 million—notable for the way you drive over a bridge to park on the roof (below).
••• 1560 N. Jameson Lane ($3.85 million): 1953 California cottage–style three-bedroom; you have to admire the drone shot that shows the Miramar resort and the ocean—but hides the freeway behind the trees.
••• 2745 Cuesta Road ($2.795 million): 1950 Samarkand three-bedroom that sold for $2.35 million in December 2021, with no mention of upgrades since.
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