Siteline | Hedgerow Flip With a Zipline in the Backyard

Noteworthy new listings….

The seller of 150 San Leandro Place ($4.85 million), on a cul-de-sac that feels more like Montecito Oaks than the Hedgerow, paid $4.313 million last April with an eye toward remodeling and expanding the 1970 house. It’s more or less the same as it was nine months ago, but with unsubmitted plans for four en-suite bedrooms. The backyard is a different story: there’s now an extraordinary treehouse, which the listing agent said cost $175,000, with a zipline from a tree platform across the yard. (The neighbors must have gotten a shock when kids started flying through the air.) Given the many nearby schools, the property was always more likely to appeal to a family—and the treehouse seals the deal.

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The Mediterranean villa at 4230 Cresta Avenue ($40 million) in Hope Ranch sold for $13.6 million in 2018, and judging from some of the finishes, it doesn’t appear to have been touched all that much since then (or possibly even since it was built in 2012). There’s a lot to work with—four-bedroom house (although two bedrooms appear to share a bath), guest house, pool house, six-car garage—and superb views, but don’t get too excited about the 4.8-acre lot, as much of it is hillside behind the compound.

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The listing for 2794 Bella Vista Drive ($14.5 million), above the north end of Ladera Lane, mentions “state-of-the-art renovations,” which may have been made before or after the seller bought it in January 2022 for $9.2 million. It looks much the same as before—big (five bedrooms plus a guest house) and move-in ready, with broad ocean views. I haven’t seen the 1964 house in person, and I’d be curious how the garage is accessed, which is unclear from the photos.

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After the stunning Glass Pavilion at 780 Ashley Road ($6.995 million) was irreparably damaged in the 2018 debris flow, the ruins sat there for a while, a stark reminder of nature’s power. The 3.25-acre lot is now ready for its next chapter: “All necessary groundwork has been completed, including extensive site studies, surveys, and reports, [and] Santa Barbara County’s expedited approval process for like-for-like builds further streamlines the development process.”

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1968 Inverness Road ($6.35 million) in Birnam Wood has been renovated since it was last on the market, and while the new surfaces are an improvement, the floor plan remains wonky: you enter the house by going around to the right, and the main way to reach the pool is via the primary bedroom. The house is small, without a lot of usable land—much of the 1.6-acre lot is golf course—so it makes more sense for a part-time resident.

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The 2016 Craftsman at 4765 Dorrance Way ($3.25 million), a couple of blocks off the beach in Carpinteria, has tremendous curb appeal, and many of the surfaces feel fresh. It’s tight, though: no foyer, one-butt kitchen, small bedrooms, and a room above the garage that looks like a rug burn waiting to happen

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I don’t think 340 Woodley Court ($2.6 million) off N. Ontare Road will be available for very long. Whoever raised the ceilings of the 1962 three-bedroom did the property a huge favor—it feels more comfortable than it should for the size. I wish the backyard were a bit larger, but small kids won’t mind. P.S. Why does the primary bedroom window extend all the way to the floor?

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838 Toro Canyon Road ($2.285 million) is a five-acre lot with permitted plans by AB Design Studio and “ready for your personal finishes. Single level design with a variety of interior floorplans available.”

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And a few others worth checking out:
••• 926 Canon Road ($3.995 million): Hope Ranch four-bedroom in need of updating.
••• 999 Camino del Retiro ($2.895 million): 1991 three-bedroom above Cathedral Oaks Road in need of updating.
••• 2430 Mesa School Lane ($2.395 million): 934-square-foot two-bedroom on a West Mesa flag lot.
••• 523 Santa Barbara Street ($2.2 million): 1920 two-bedroom bungalow between Haley and Cota.
••• 2620 Las Encinas Road ($2.595 million): Five-building compound—all of which appear to be smushed together—near the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (below).

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