Friday, May 2, 2008

Cute Nichols Canyon Casa For Sale

SELLER: John Ales and Wendy Gazelle
LOCATION: Courtney Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $1,247,000
SIZE: 2 bedrooms, 1.75 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Gated character Spanish. Classic flowing floor plan, warm and inviting living room w/ imported tile fireplace, generous dining room. Italianate cook's kitchen with Viking range, SS appliances, travertine counters, sun lit breakfast area and French doors to large flat yard w/ outdoor fireplace, al fresco dining patio, big play area, fruit trees. Two generous bedrooms, one with French doors to yard. Travertine tiled baths. Enclosed patio makes a great office.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Listen puppies, not only is Your Mama is on the move and on the run today, we're also limp as a noodle after a long, late and liquored up night at Radio City Music Hall with the dee-vine Dolly Parton. So we gonna have to keep this one short and sweet and, like it or not, yer just going to have to tolerate it without complaining because neither Your Mama nor our pounding headache is in any mood to listen to the children piss, moan or whine. So please, we beg of you, shhh, please keep it down while Your Mama recuperates and tends to some of the nasty bizness that has got to be taken care of today.

Actor John Ales–a man we have never heard of but who appears to have had heaps of small parts on on programs like Chicago Hope, CSI: Miami and Without A Trace–and his actress wifey Wendy Gazelle–a ladee Your Mama has also never heard of but appears to have had a lot of small roles on big shows like Numb3rs, Grey's Anatomy, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation–have recently put their modest and lovely Los Angeles house on the market with a $1,247,000 asking price...

...which, quite frankly, is a lot of damn money for a two bedroom house even if does offer a bougainvillea draped front porch area perfect for nursing a hangover in the bird chirpin' morning shade.

Anyhoo, property records indicate this young, married and working the Tinseltown treadmill couple purchased their 1,817 square foot Spanish-style casa on Courtney Avenue in September of 2003 for $849,000. The two bedroom and 1.75 bathroom house is gated and hedged for maximum privacy–which we love, natch–and its lower Nichols Canyon location means there's easy access to all the swinging hot spots in Hollywood without having to navigate the twisted and dangerous roads in the canyons after a few cocktails. Not that we'd ever encourage or condone anyone boozing and driving, of course, but you know what we're sayin'.

Both Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter are awfully fond of these comely casas that line the streets of Los Angeles, and but for the lackluster but not particularly problematic furnishings and the too Italianate for our taste kitchen with its ready to pounce pot rack, we could be very happy here as long as there was room for a swimming pool in the back yard.

Other pluses in our book of good real estate things is the property's location near rustic Runyon Canyon where Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter like to run our long bodied bitches Linda and Beverly while all the outdoorsy celebrity types hike with their trainers. We love that there are fruit trees in the back yard and who doesn't love an al fresco dining area? Would we prefer another bedroom? Sure, of course, but even better would be a little room and bath out by the pool where we could stash family and friends without them disturbing our morning constitutions and evening rituals.

Alright children, we gotta run our dull and gin soaked mind out now, but if anyone has $1,200,000 to spend on a little house in Los Angeles and you like Italianate kitchens, this just might fit your fancy.

17 comments:

Alessandra said...

While it is a little over-priced, the charm factor is undeniable. The right buyer will walk in, be utterly enchanted and scoop it up.

My only minor complaint is with the kitchen (quelle surprise!) and that butcher block table. In the picture, it looks far too small for the space and out of proportion. Granted, it will leave with the sellers, but it irked me and took me away from the romantic imagery of the home.

Anonymous said...

I like it. Def overpriced though. Maybe it has a large yard that explains the price. There are homes for sale in that area on big lots and about 4000 sq ft. for less than a million more.

pch said...

Looks fairly spacious for what is probably a 1920s bungalow...maybe some additions. Nice. But am I the only one who thinks it's weird to place the landing of the front steps right in front of a column?

Anonymous said...

Love this place basically. Good points pch and alessandra, both fixable, although it would bug me to potentially be paying more for a place than it's worth, with rehabbing what's already been rehabbed in mind. But, if it has sufficient yard space, the charm, location, and privacy would be very tempting.

Anonymous said...

continued.. the more I look at this photo, the more I'm liking the unusual configuration of the front steps and landing with a column squarely ahead. I think the fact that much of the left arch is covered with greenery while the right one is entirely open, combined with the angle of the photo, make it appear esthetically unbalanced when it really isn't. It's different yes, but works well and adds interest to this paricular bungalow.

Anonymous said...

The lot is 7,500 s.f.

I think it is priced well.

kiddo said...

yeah, 1800+ sq living ft is pretty big for a 2 bedroom. That's the size of most 3 bedrooms so I would say it's priced fair.

Anonymous said...

7500 sf lot is a decent size for the area. I'm with Mama on this one. It just needs a pool and a casita for guest quarters.

Your Mama said...

Sat. May 3

Listen Kids,

We got software problems that prevent us from posting until they get worked out. So sit tight and have some patience. Some things are out of our control.

M.

lil' gay boy said...

It's a lovely little casita of the type you don't really find too much of here in the East, although there are a few examples close by.

However, out from under the California sun, regardless of the lot size, they just don't have the same charm as this one does.

A guest house and pool would certainly be in the offing, but even without, it's a nice little spread, if a tad pricey for 2 bedrooms (even @ 1800 sq.ft.)

luke220 said...

It's been on the market since end of January, which means overpriced!

Anonymous said...

If they paid $850,000 in 2003, it's worth substantially less than THAT. So, yes, overpriced I'd say.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE WRITE SOMETHING NEW, IT HAS BEEN DAYS!

Anonymous said...

4:52, If you read above comment from Mama from yesterday, there are technical difficulties affecting new topics at the moment.

I'm SURE you don't mean to be "yelling" at Mama by posting in all caps?

Anonymous said...

Mama's most recent post is a very interesting modern liveable house. I was fortunate to spend the last two days exploring the mansions in Newport and would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit them. The Newport Preservation group does a fantastic job presenting these amazing treasures. I would particularly recommend the Elms, The Breakers and Chateau sur Mer. I have known these mansions only through photographs and seeing the scope and quality of the craftsmanship of the past was amazing. The tours themselves were detailed and well worth the trip.

Your Mama said...

Children,

Your Mama as set up temporary digs at realestalkertoo.blogspot.com

You'll need to check there in the short term and until we get our permanent home back up and running.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Anonymous said...

Oh No!

A neighbor of Average Ho's beloved 2260 Sunset Plaza mess has been robbed.

-----------------------------

HOLLYWOOD - A multi-million-dollar home in the Hollywood Hills, apparently owned by Internet entrepreneur and MySpace founder Brad Greenspan, was burglarized, police said today.
The burglary was discovered Saturday afternoon at the home at 2177 Sunset Plaza Drive, and may be the latest in a string of unsolved break-ins in exclusive Hollywood Hills neighborhoods, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Michael Harrington of the Hollywood Station.

The home is on the south side of Sunset Plaza Drive, near the top of the Hollywood Hills. Property records indicate the home was sold to Greenspan for $2.9 million in 2004.