In Plain Sight

About a month ago I was driving down the street and I saw that a For Sale sign was located in front of a house that has always intrigued me. This house has a garage that is precariously perched on the street but the house is only accessible through its long driveway.

Today I was just trawling through all my real estate websites and then I read it. That house i just described belongs to Mike Ness of the band Social Distortion. Ok, I'm not a big fan of theirs but to find out that a verifiable rock star lives in a house that I drove past basically everyday is mind boggling!

Built back in 1924, it's a shame that Mr. Ness was not able to retain any of the original details when he did this callous remodeling project. I assume that the pillar and beam running across the ceiling mark the original exterior wall and that the arches were originally part of a terrace.

The kitchen is the only part of the house to offer any architectural interest. I love that rounded ceiling, but my praises unfortunately end there.

This home must originally have been an outdoor lovers paradise. The evidence of the two story wrap around porch is clearly visible and thinly masked by the walls of picture windows. Oh, the lifestyles of the rich and the famous... This "custom vintage home" can be all yours for $2.1 million. I hope it isn't sad to say that I view this house as a fixer-upper, after all it needs to be restored to its original 1920's grandeur.

The Artsy Crowd

Located in North Tustin, this sprawling ranch house embodies that modern beatnik feeling. This house makes me feel like I should be drinking black coffee, playing the bongos, and snapping instead of clapping. There is a unique flow to this home - from any point in the great room you can peer into different areas of the house through strategically places nooks and crannies.

This is the passage way that leads to the master suite. Instead of tearing down the towering pine trees on the property, the owners worked around them in order to create a truly unique space.

These concrete counters are superb! I love how they are eco-friendly and how they provide a visual anchor in such a lively space.

I could just imagine myself utilizing this room to its fullest potential - watching television, reading a book, AND using my laptop all at the same time!

The master bedroom has walls of glass and a beautifully paneled ceiling.

From the exterior, you can see that the master addition was modeled after a Japanese teahouse.

This is an AWESOME house! Outdoor rooms radiate off the back of the house and call you to live outside all year long. Each of the interior and exterior colors seem bold, however, they flow very cohesively and heighten the artsy experience. Over all, even though this house isn't even my exact style, I would move in tomorrow. I love it just as it is.

Cima del Mundo

Located on the pinnacle of Lemon Heights in North Tustin is a house that I have christened Cima del Mundo (Top of the World in Spanish). Originally built by the prominent Utt family who owned many citrus groves, this home embodies the California ideal during the 1920's (it was built in 1928), a house in a country setting yet in the city. Originally priced at $8,900,000, the house and its 3 remaining acres were subdivided into 3 parcels. The main parcel with the approximately 7,000 square foot main house as well as the back mountain view parcel were purchased for a combined $4,000,000. This leaves the front parcel, offering 270 degree views from Irvine to the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the market for $2,499,000.

The lines on the facade were caused by the material used to construct the house, concrete. You can even see the grain of the wood used to mould the concrete up close!

This home has seriously watched Orange County grow-up from its front door!

This B-E-A-utiful beamed ceiling was salvaged from an old church in Mexico and reassembled to create this stunning room.

The dinning room could use a little sprucing up, but the bones are fantastic!

This fully enclosed courtyard is wonderful! Bedrooms radiate off the covered loggias and invite you to sit and relax a little. This is a superb escape from the vast panorama that can be seen from the front of the house.

From the front door you can see the blimp hangers on the old Tustin Marine Corps Air Station that is now being redeveloped into homes and shopping centers by the Irvine Company. On the horizon you can see the buildings that make up the Irvine Company's Newport Center and Fashion Island. And as an added bonus you can see the ocean, 12 miles away, shimmering in the distance on clear days.

I would be willing to do whatever it takes to get that house! As of today it is being renovated, hopefully it will be a non intrusive renovation that will leave the original house intact.

Insider Trading

Since you just heard me ramble on about this place called North Tustin, I thought you could use a little insider knowledge. North Tustin is an unincorporated community that borders the cities of Tustin, Orange, and Santa Ana. Traditionally, we have used Santa Ana as our mailing address due to the fact the the Grand Avenue post office in Santa Ana was considered closer than the First Street post office in Tustin (I highly doubt that).

North Tustin has always strived to maintain its semi-rural character. Most of the streets lack curbs, there are some gutters that are more like streams, horse trails meander through the area, and many houses grace lots of half an acre or more.

North Tustin is my stomping ground and I am dang proud of it. Also don't mess around with the North Tustin Advisory Committee, they're vicious (thank goodness).

To Infinity and Beyond

Alright, this blog stated out as a design/ blog of the things I like, however, this is now a blog about the Orange County real estate scene. First off I would like to share my biggest real estate pet peeve: when an agent lists the house BEFORE they have had pictures taken of the property. Can you talk about rude? Please don't tease me, just give me full on access. Also floor plans are always a plus!

To start off today I thought we might take a look at a prime piece of land in my neck of the woods, North Tustin. A prime 3.78 acre lot on Cowan Heights Drive is now pending sale for a cool $1,400,000. The seller is presenting the buyer a chance to build a new gated community with only 4 (thankfully!) houses behind the gates. The proposed name of the community is Bella Sonoma, a name which I find a little tired and out of character for the area, however what lies inside is truly spectacular (with a few tweaks)!

I like the lay of the land so far, but lets look at the two end properties for just a sec. They both have the same plan and this plan just happens to be recycled from the Tustin Ranch Estates. Specifically this is plan 2 of the Estates development.

Since this is North Tustin I would have like to see a little more originality, but this is just my opinion here. The two middle houses are of the most interest to me.

First, I would like to look at the second home (second from the left), it is to be designed in a Georgian Style, along the lines of Roland E. Coate's San Marino houses of the thirties. In a community known for sprawling ranch homes, a Georgian masterpiece would, in my mind, be a welcome addition.

The third house in the community (from the left) is a stunning craftsman home. I could move into that house is a heart beat. Even in the general layout it has a wonderful back yard. Personally I can't get enough of long and slim lap pools. I find them a breath of fresh air in a world of ugly rock pools.