Saturday, November 19, 2011

The season for tear downs and build ups

So my post today is half update and half rant...

First, does everyone remember this post about a double-wide lot for sale in upper Lunada/Montemalaga?  Well that home finally sold for $1.04M not too long ago.  The 120-foot wide lot is undergoing the planning process in the city of PVE at the moment, and it looks like the architects hired for the job are Cauthen Design (http://www.cauthendesign.com/). 



From the website and the planning documents, Cauthen is run from a home in Huntington Beach.  If you look at some of the houses they've done, they look all very McMansion-y and Mock-terranean-ish.  See Exhibits A, B and C below.

 (Source: Cauthen Design)

 (Source: Cauthen Design)

 (Source: Cauthen Design)

The last photo there is not as offensive - actually, it's not half bad.  The first two, however, look like tract homes from Riverside or Ladera Ranch - yet both are actually homes here on the Peninsula!  Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that whatever "Fias Homes LLC" has decided to build is tasteful and takes full advantage of the wide lot. 

Now onto another new home about to go up.  This one is in Valmonte and actually replaces a mid-century home that was designed by a regionally famous architect.

(Source: MLS)

This Valmonte home was actually purchased by Rick Tomaro, brother of architect Louie Tomaro and who is responsible for Tomaro Design's Construction Services division.  He and his wife currently reside in an RPV home which they have just listed for sale at just under $1M (see below).  That home, built in 1962, was remodeled by Tomaro to reflect modern living while retaining most of its 1962 quasi-Crafstmen style.

(Source: Google Maps)

So it looks like the Tomaros are moving on up from RPV to PVE, from a 1,972sf home on a 9,147sf lot to what I can only imagine will be a brand new 4,000sf home on a generous 10,800sf lot in the heart of Valmonte.  The Tomaros bought the Valmonte property in September for $905K.  It was originally listed at $829K as a short sale (the previous owners bought the home in 2007 for $1.15M).  It is worth noting that the Valmonte home has some architectural heritage and its a shame that this undercared for mid-century home will be lost.  Rick Tomaro has hired his brother Louie to design a new home for this property.

The 1,312sf  1950-build home sits on a corner lot, which measures 100 feet wide by approximately 108 feet deep.

(Source: Google Maps)


Let's hope here too that Tomaro works his magic and designs something tasteful - either a traditional/Cape Cod style home or a subtle Italian home.  Tomaro has very limited experience with the Spanish style, so its unlikely that this home will employ that school of architecture.  My guess, based on their previous home in RPV, is that he opts for something more tastefully American.  Maybe something like the below:


Or this:



Both are tastefully done, new construction Cape Cod/Traditional style homes in Valmonte.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Valley ...err Lunada Bay home hits the market!

Remember that bluff-adjacent "italian" home I blogged about here and here? Well, it finally hit the market (see photo below).  The home, which measures 5,297sf, sits on a bluff adjacent 15,700sf lot.  The lot itself was purchased for $1.5M the end of last year.  This mock-terreanean home is listed at $3.8M.  Some quick simple math - 5,297sf of living space plus 600sf of garage space is 5,897sf of gross space.  Assuming a range of $200 to $250/sf construction costs, that implies a total cost of $1.2 to $1.5M.  If we take out 5% realtors' commissions off the asking price, Mulligan and Co stand to make a tidy profit of between $600K to $900K.  Can't wait to see how (bad) the interiors look.  Stay tuned.

Updated! More pictures posted from MLS listing (see below).







The interior of the home is equally bland.  Its standard fare for spec builds in the area.  The ceilings look low for a new build - 8 or 9 feet, not the 10-feet you see in higher end builds.  The kitchen looks 'builder grade', ie whatever was on clearance at Home Depot.  The entryway looks poorly thought out and planned - a singular door that plops you right in front of the stairs - no double-height foyer, no particular architectural details, nothing.  This home is thoroughly uninspired.

KEY STATS
Location: Lunada PVE
Style: Italian
Year built:  2011
Architect: Jesus Meza
Square footage: 5,297sf
Lot size: 15,700sf (irregular)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Some "before" pictures

Remember that Tomaro Tuscan in Montemalaga (link here) ? Well I found some under construction photos of the home which was managed/built by TriSam Development in Torrance.  Enjoy!



(Source: TriSam Development)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Money may buy you many things, but taste isn't one of them

So today I just thought I'd do another quick post.  Remember that Lunada Bay Spanish home that's listed for sale for $2.8M designed by Doug Leach?  Well, its basically done and I'm not a fan!

Judging from the updated MLS pictures, it looks like Mulligan/Leach opted for some beige derivative for the exterior color instead of the more authentic white.  Also, as I suspected earlier, the front is too busy.  Too much going on.  The windows are too big, too ornate with lights on either side, a column separating the two panes.  Insufficient white space separating all the ornamentation on the facade.  Also, why oh why did Mulligan opt for a cheap plastic garage door that was painted brown?  Why not splurge the extra cash on an authentic wooden garage door?  If you're spending $1M on construction costs, what's an extra few $K? 

Can someone explain to me why there is a small wall separating the driveway and the entryway?  If you opt for parking your car in the driveway and want to enter the front door, why must you walk all the way around to the pedestrian path?

 (Source: MLS)
(Source: MLS)

I understand the lot is width-constrained.  This lot I believe is 67 feet wide, implying that the home itself is approximately 50 feet wide.  That is still plenty of space.  Especially considering that several other homes have managed to achieve creative, tasteful, and restrained designs even on 60' wide lots in which the facades are constrained to 43' wide.  Take for example this other home in the Valmonte neighborhood which is also listed for sale at $2.4M.


 (Source: MLS)

(Source: Google Maps)

That 3,683sf home built in 2001 sits on a comparatively small 7,886sf lot which is about 63' wide.  Yet despite these constraints, the home has loads of architectural features - all tastefully done.  It's not one big mass of a home with faux Spanish or faux Italian elements.  Its authentic.  Its well done indeed.

Even the siting and layout takes advantage of the natural features.

(Source: MLS)

I'm not sure who the architect was on this project.  The original homeowners, who have listed this home for sale, bought the lot with an older home on it in 1998 for $750K.  They tore that home down and built this beauty in 2001.

KEY STATS
Location: Valmonte PVE
Style: Cape Cod
Year built:  2001
Architect: Unknown
Square footage: 4,000sf
Lot size: 7,886sf (63'x130')



I have to say, that despite the atrocities of the Leach/Mulligan Spanish home, there are some truly beautiful homes in PVE.  Furthermore, for all my issues with the Art Jury being asleep at the wheel, they have at least prevented some absolute extremities of design from popping up in the city.  Unlike Beverly Hills.  Check out this home below, which is currently listed at $5.8M and spans 8,675sf.  The listing description heralds the house as a "one of a kind" home "with French and Italian style."  I think the photos say it all - no further commentary needed.



(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: MLS)