Today is Tuesday, which means it is Broker Open House day from 11-2. I don't always go to these, unless I have a buyer for something, or a competing listing, but I am glad I did today. It was interesting, and good to see the new homes out there. They all range from $1.9M-$2.2M and have their pluses and minuses. In general though, except for the first house below, I all thought they weren't really as cool or designer as the prices suggest. They were definitely nice, but none of them really had the top tier finishes. The builders, and even their agents, may think they are the best of the best, but to be honest they really weren't. In general, except for the first one, they didn't have that "WOW" factor I guess is the best way I can put it. What do you think?
Greenfield Modern
Listed at $1,895,000 in the Westside Village, this 2600 sq. ft award winning architectural had a real point of difference, and was easily the best of the day.
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The best part, how the walls literally disappear, and make the space feel larger as well as that Cali indoor/outdoor feel.
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4270379824/[/flickr]
Maplewood Listing
Listed at $2,195,000 on a hilltop in a great location, this 3000 sq. ft home had some real nice outdoor space no question, but in general I though the finishes used were nowhere near top of the line. For this price, in this location,they should be. Master bedroom was quite small as well, which will be a problem for selling I believe.
On a side note, this gentleman fell off his bike right after I took this pic. He was 70 years old, and was super nice, and appreciative of me helping him up.
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Huge rooftop deck with nice views.
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Brooklake Modern
Listed at $2,199,000. This house is 3800 sq. ft and was okay. It is big, but it tried to be architectural and designer and frankly it just isn't. I actually liked the inside better than the outside. The master was nice though, very large, and again with the pocket doors that slide away and lead out to a nice deck with views.
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4269638929/[/flickr]
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4269639917[/flickr]
Mountain View "Green House"
This property was listed at $3.4M and boasting of "green" features in 2008, but is now in foreclosure and listed at $1,930,500 by the bank. It is still a mammoth house at 5,000 sq. ft, and in a great location (arguably the best location compared to the others). It needs some touching up, and as you can see has great views, but the developer took out most of the fixtures to probably use on another house. This is not uncommon for developers to do. May be the "best buy" of all enclosed on this list, due to location and size.
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4269642845/[/flickr]
Appliances Gone.
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4269640865/[/flickr]
[flickr size="small" float="left"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/42659427@N02/4270386150/[/flickr]
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The Blevins Residence, 1965. Jenkins & Barker, AIA. This is my favorite type of home, one where the current owner takes a cool 1960's house with great lines, and transforms it into a modern masterpiece with updated finishes. That is exactly what happened here. The current owner purchased a dated, but cool and oozing with potential, 1965 home in a prime location with explosive views for $1,550,000 in 2009 and transformed it into the showplace it is now. Lying just off Mulholland Dr on desirable Torreyson, it is now a fantastic 3,600+ sq. ft modern home on a large over 13,000+ sq. ft lot with rolling lawns and a large pool. The fact that it has grass on a large mostly flat lot is key, as it is tough to get both an updated house, views, a pool, and a good sized yard in the hills at a "reasonable" price. The listing describes it's views, which overlook the entire valley and out to the San Gabriel Mountains, and nod to it's modernist roots by saying, "A pure homage to the indoor/outdoor aesthetic of 60's modernism, the bright & open high-ceilinged public rooms feature walls of glass with views from every room." Pure poetry and like living in a work of art. 
Listing & Photos courtesy of David Gray - Prudential CA - Beverly Hills
