for sale

• for sale: Milwaukee duplex, $258,700

  

  This bright 1929 Craftsman duplex is a great value in any market. How I wish Sacramento prices were this good! However, you can certainly still get a good deal in Milwaukee: features include hardwood throughout, leaded glass windows, built-in cabinetry, and some nice original light fixtures. Big closets, updated kitchen in the upper unit, and a neat 8-foot-wide picture window in the finished attic. Jerry Yanasak has the full specs up on his .mac account, along with plenty of photos of the interior (check out the attic and the free-standing chimney – a great use of space).

• for sale: Bainbridge Island Eco-Craftsman; $720,000

  

  Jane Martin is selling her beautiful Bainbridge Island "Eco-House":

  Green Modern Craftsman sounds almost like a contradiction in terms, but that is how the 2400 square foot Eco-House on Bainbridge Island, Wa., is best described.

  The house was designed and built by Bainbridge architect David Balas, whose modernist training at the Illinois Institute of Technology is evident in clean, minimalist lines of  the Craftsman bungalow.

  As Balas explains, “I used a small footprint and compact plan, to make efficient use of the structure (ie: maximum spans on framing lumber), as well as stacked wall construction. That  transfers loads directly and makes utility and mechanical runs more efficient.

  “The design could said to be a combination classical European architectural proportioning (co-axial relationships, golden-mean proportions) and Eastern influences (feng-shui) to produce a calm environment.”

  The Eco-house is built upon a reclaimed site that was a farm 100 years ago, and ended up being used as a wrecking yard. Balas had two flat-bed truck loads of scrap steel hauled to be recycled. Three truck-loads of blackberry brush were ground for use in mulch-making. Cluster-house zoning and wetland open-space requirements by the city planners left much of the one acre site natural.

  We’ve got lots of photographs of the house up on Flickr.

• for sale: Old Los Altos Bungalow, $1,725,000

  
  This 2200 square foot, 3 bedroom & 2.5 bath 1909 Craftsman sits on a 6600 square foot lot in one of Los Altos’ nicest residential neighborhoods. The beautifully landscaped yards include a deck, plenty of lawn, and a redwood hot tub under a Craftsman style wisteria-covered gazebo. Gleaming hardwood floors on the ground level & a well-maintained stairway, plus a beautiful built-in dining room fixture, make the wooden surfaces really shine. Wood trim throughout, new kitchen and  bath, plate rail and lots of neat and very Craftsman features all around. Garage is detached. You can download the flyer for more pictures; a few more are in this Flickr set.

  Email agent Jeanne MacVicar with questions, or call her at 650.917.7979.

• Two Bungalows, One Lot

  What kind of market is it when I think that two modest working class bungalows anywhere are worth three-quarters of a million dollars? I’m sure Gus would have a fit if he knew that it’d take a DINK lifestyle where both partners are brain surgeons to afford one of his houses today. But who am I to complain – I’ve been waxing poetic about 3/4 million dollar bungalows right here for months. Is there any such thing as inherent value, or is a good deal or the right price solely defined by market demand alone? from Craigslist:

  Los Angeles – Rose Park: A Must see! Charming California bungalows, in the Rose Park historical area. 2 on 1 lot plus a studio unit. Manicured landscaping, quite neighborhood. Front unit spacious 3Bd/1 bath, beautiful hardwood floors throughout, upgraded kitchen and bath and back patio. The back house 1Bd/1 bath, hardwood floors, back yard, laundry hookups in both units. Garage, extended driveway. Good for owner occupy and/or rentals. Call agent for the info on studio. Please do not disturb tenants.

• for sale: Sacramento Bungalow $399,999

  
  This cozy and very well-maintained bungalow is a few blocks from my own house, and right around the corner from one of the nicest parks in the city. Sacramento is organized around its parks – each is a sort of focal point for the old residential neighborhoods – and McKinley Park, my favorite, contains many acres of playground, tennis courts, an always-busy duck and goose pond, soccer and baseball fields, a garden center, the local library (which has a great collection of books on Craftsman and related A&C architecture) and swimming pool, and a gorgeous rose garden. Living across the street from it in one of the two or three nicest residential neighborhoods in the city is certainly worth the asking price of this house – although, to be fair, you get an awfully cute and almost completely restored house for the price, too.

  The current owner put in a great built-in that I didn’t even imagine was contemporary until the realtor, Jennifer Hayes (916.552.7281) told me. The kitchen makes excellent use of a tight space with nice butcher block countertops, a glass mosaic tile backsplash, and wonderful period-style stained glass fixtures, which appear elsewhere in the house as well. We have several more photographs on Flickr.

• for sale: Milwaukee Craftsman $369,000

  
  Danny Parmelee sends us a listing for this well-maintained and very airy 3,000 square foot 4 bed, 1.5 bath 100-year-old 3-story Milwaukee Craftsman. Lots of nice features in this 1905 home, like 2 fireplaces, solid oak doors, multipane windows and original hardware. New kitchen has maple cabinetry and high-end appliances, and the backyard is big and fenced. Milwaukee seems to be full of these pretty foursquares. Unlike many other areas, most seem to have been taken care of quite well, with little of the painted-over wood and carpeted hardwood floors and things like that you see in some communities.

  More photos on Flickr; The agent can be reached at 414.810.8210.

• for sale: Oakland Bungalow $695,000

  
  This attractive Oakland brown-shingle is more  than just a pretty facade with original period detailing. In 2003, a series of improvements and enhancements began. Outside, the shingle siding was replaced and the exterior repainted. The yard had a face lift, with a new redwood deck for outdoor dining, a redwood fence in the backyard, and fresh landscaping in both the front and rear yards (including soil amendment, irrigation, tree removal, drainage, automatic watering and sprinklers) A charming flagstone rear patio and front steps were also added.  Inside, the hardwood floors were refinished, the fireplace was repaired and the chimney repaired and reinforced. A brand new tile floor was installed in the upstairs bathroom, and in the dining room the wainscotting was refinished. Last but not least, the old knob & tube fuse box was replaced.

  As you can see, the changes are not just cosmetic; especially in the basement. It was seismically retrofitted, the foundation repaired, and the retaining wall replaced. Insulation was blown into all exterior walls and into the (10 foot!) ceiling. The old water heater was replaced with a tankless, the furnace was replaced and heating ducts were  redirected.

  • located 545 Jean Street, Oakland CA [map]
  • 3 bedrooms, incl. large master with 2 closets; 1.5 baths
  • large kitchen with new appliances
  • near Piedmont, Grand and Lakeshore avenues and related shops & restaurants
  • big basement & room for expansion
  • huge lot, lovely backyard, lower terrance & firepit; driveway with room for 2 cars
  • contact Eric Wong at Windermere Real Estate with questions
• for sale: San Diego Bungalow $799,000

  

  This 2-story 1925 bungalow (1954 square feet of living space), has been lovingly restored to bring out its original features and charm. The home includes dual master suites with private bath and additional bedroom and bath upstairs. One bedroom/den/entertainment room and full bath downstairs. All bathrooms have been fully renovated. Many restored features including leaded glass windows, wood built-ins, large dining room at the center of the home with high wainscoting, fireplace and many period light fixtures.

  Tasteful upgrades troughout the home including forced air dual-zoned heating and air conditioning, remodeled kitchen with ceramic tile floor and maple cabinetry, remodeled bathrooms with Moen fixtures, 6 foot jacuzzi tub w/dual showerheads, water heater with recirculating pump, new built-in entertainment center in master bedroom and extensive storage, professionally landscaped yard with fountain and large outdoor decks at front and back of home.

  Contact Assaf Avissar at 619.325.4128 with questions or to arrange to see the property.

• for sale: Pasadena Bungalow $775,000

  Built in 1925, this home is over 1500 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a large family room, living room, dining room, and updated kitchen. Beautifully restored hardwood floors and crown molding throughout the house, along with hand milled window moldings. Amazing handmade tiles adorn both bathrooms, and the living room contains with an original brick fireplace. French doors in the sunroom lead out to a formal A & C-inspired garden. The two-car garage has been drywalled for insulation.

  This home is located in the North Pasadena Heights Landmark District. It was featured in the LA Times as Home of the Week and received three historical preservation awards. Check out the listing, or take a virtual tour. The agent, Dustin Anderson at Keller Williams Realty, can be reached at 626.755.8778.

• Duncan-Irwin House For Sale

  
  The Lippincott Group, a Prundential-affiliated realtor in Pasadena, has Greene & Greene’s Duncan-Irwin House listed for sale. The Los Angeles Times has a nice article on the 7-bedroom, five-bath 6,400 square foot house and mentions that the asking price is $4.5 million; win the lottery and you, too, can own a piece of history. From the listing:

  The Duncan Irwin House is named for its
  first two owners, and the original house was built in the 1800s and
  moved to the present site around 1901. Greene and Greene designed
  extensive additions and alterations to the original house in 1903 for
  Katherine Duncan and in 1906 for Theodore Irwin. The completed vision
  of Greene and Greene has created an organic house that seems to have
  grown up from the banks of the Arroyo Seco. Rustic vine-covered
  retaining walls and terraces of stone and clinker brick merge with the
  site and massive trees seem intertwined with the broad pergolas which
  extend from the house.

  Located overlooking Brookside Park, the home is set in
  the neighborhood known as "Little Switzerland" with many other Greene
  and Greene designed neighboring homes. The house features a
  free-flowing floor plan with an inner courtyard which features a
  goldfish pond. Gorgeous wood, tile, brick, stained glass and original
  fixtures adorn the interiors.