Siteline | Renovated 1925 Tudor on the Riviera

Noteworthy new listings….

I loved the 1925 Winsor Soule Tudor at 1809 Mira Vista Avenue ($8.95 million) years ago, before it was restored, and I still love it—but not quite unconditionally. The innate style is fabulous, and it’s on a great Riviera cul-de-sac. I do wish the power lines in the view could magically disappear, and if it were up to me, the bathrooms would be more traditional. Meanwhile, what a difference eight years makes: when the property sold for $3.25 million in 2017, the deal included the .46-acre lot next door at 1725 Mira Vista. That’s no longer the case; it was sold off in February 2021 to the neighbor above, who reportedly wants to protect her view.

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Built in 2007, 799 Lilac Drive ($14.5 million) is recognizably a Don Nulty Mediterranean, but with a bit more grace than usual—I’m thinking of the angled main building, the sinuous interior staircase, the curved Y-shaped stairs down to the pool—and lovely hard and soft landscaping. It comes off better in person that in the photos; the pale stone feels more fresh than tired. The complex includes a pool cabana and a large apartment over the garage, which leads to the only substantial quibble: it’s a lot of house packed into a relatively small one-acre lot.

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The two-bedroom, two-bath condo at 1301 Plaza Pacifica ($9.9 million) in Bonnymede was the talk of this week’s brokers’ caravan: that price is high enough that, as one agent mentioned to me, he wondered whether the unit had been combined with a neighboring property. (Nope.) The justification for nearly eight figures is that the unit is oceanfront, single-level (once you’re inside), ground-floor, and turnkey. A likely* bonus is that there’s nothing to the west except a swath of fenced lawn and, beyond that, the Coral Casino’s kiddie pool. (*Does anyone ever use that lawn?) But the main factor driving the price is scarcity. There’s nothing else this nice available in the compound, and the primary clientele might feel that it can spare the money more than the time.

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The 2006 house at 2035 Creekside Road ($11.75 million), between Sheffield Drive and Ortega Ridge, looks pretty much the same as when it sold in June 2023 for $10.25 million. At that time, it “gave me serious Don Nulty vibes even though it was designed by Ketzel & Goodman: it has that Texas-on-the-Mediterranean energy so prevalent around the turn of the last century. It’s big—six bedrooms, 6,698 square feet, plus an 800-square-foot guest house in back—and I could see someone turning it into something very appealing simply by stripping away a lot of the ornamentation.” What has changed is that the 2.49-acre vacant lot directly to the south was just sold, presumably to someone who will not let it lie fallow.

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There’s irresistible Santa Barbara charm at 1010 Garcia Road ($4.795 million), a 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival with terrific Lower Riviera views, wonderful architectural details, and more privacy than you tend to get on the hillside. The two levels are not ideally integrated—they’re linked via stairs in the kitchen—and the kitchen and baths would benefit from a refresh.

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Turnkey in the mid-twos is rare in Santa Barbara, but 224 Vista de la Cumbre ($2.45 million) in San Roque delivers. It’s small, with three guest rooms sharing one bath, and the primary is off the kitchen, but I don’t think any of that will matter.

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And a few others worth checking out:
••• 2240 Bella Vista Drive ($10.2 million): 1992 Mediterranean five-bedroom that could use updating.
••• 1060 Ladera Lane ($6.25 million): 1991 Mediterranean on Viola Lane midway between Ladera and Toro Canyon.
••• 872 Ladera Lane ($3.995 million): Entry-level Montecito three-bedroom.
••• 365 Loma Media Road ($4.795 million): Widescreen views with a lower-level apartment and office.
••• 45 Via Alicia ($5.9 million): Regrettable architecture but nice view.
••• 2870 Holly Road ($3.495 million): Ditto.
••• 4530 Via Clarice ($4.995 million): 1980s house on San Antonio Creek Road; the seller paid $4.6 million—nearly $1 million over ask—in May 2022.
••• 1109 Olive Street ($1.995 million): Sweet 1926 two-bedroom between Figueroa and Anapamu; the upper level is not for tall people.
••• 10697 Calle Quebrada ($4.75 million): 1984 five-bedroom on 10.27 acres out by El Capitán.
••• 801 S. McClelland Street ($1.095 million): 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival in Santa Maria with neat old bones; it’s across the street from Magic Dragon Asian Cuisine.
••• 2720 Quail Valley Road ($3.295 million): Tricolor Solvang four-bedroom (below).