Best Buys in Ojai
Your resource for the best in Ojai real estate, Ojai
property, and Ojai homes for sale. Updated daily!
property, and Ojai homes for sale. Updated daily!
Ray and Cheryl Deckert/Broker Associates
Keller Williams Realty ~ Ojai, California
Cell: 805.272.5221 ~ Office: 805.649.4443
Email: RayandCheryl@kw.com
Keller Williams Realty ~ Ojai, California
Cell: 805.272.5221 ~ Office: 805.649.4443
Email: RayandCheryl@kw.com
Your Subtitle text
Your Daily Resource for the Best Real Estate in Ojai, California
Best Buys in Ojai is an online real estate service provided by professional Real Estate Brokers Ray & Cheryl Deckert. Our purpose is to highlight what we feel are the "Best Buys" in terms of what's currently available in Ojai real estate.
And what exactly is a "Best Buy"?The homes you'll find here on Best Buys In Ojai are listings from ALL brokerages - not just our own - and include: Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, Troop Realty, Prudential, Ojai Valley Real Estate, Ask Now Investments, and others.
In plain terms, it's a property or home for sale in the Ojai Valley that we feel offers tremendous value - value in terms of price, amenities, location, and/or more. It's a property we've already previewed and approved, so we know our clients will love it. Because of this attention to detail, you can be assured that anything listed on Best Buys in Ojai is a choice property, and we feel confident that your time will not be wasted in viewing it.
We update this blog daily and have become a trusted resource in highlighting "Ojai's best" for both buyers and sellers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote of the Day
"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."
- Doug Larson
- Doug Larson
|
Click here to jump straight to the Best Buys list
Click here to see ALL LISTINGS in the Ojai Valley 5/20/12
CLICK HERE TO SEE OLDER POSTS- 8:55 a.m.
5/19/12 - 10:45 a.m.
Did anyone else see the strange cloud formation in the western sky last night at about 7:30? We were driving home when we saw it so we stopped and took a couple of pictures (unfortunately, we only had an iPhone camera). It was the only cloud out there. Weird! 5/18/12 - 2:45 p.m.
5/17/12 - 6:10 p.m.
5/16/12 - 5:10 p.m.
5/15/12 - 7:00 p.m.
5/14/12 - 2:10 p.m.
5/13/12 - 9:55 a.m.
|
|
Click on the property addresses below for more detailed information and pictures
$349,000 - 1173 Forest Avenue This is a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom, 1,023 sq. ft. home. Although the link reads that lot size is 10,000 sq. ft., it's more like 13,000 sq. ft. (according to listing agent). Recent upgrades include a newer roof (it's about 6 months old), newer carpeting and fresh paint. The home is very clean and ready to move into, although some of the interior surfaces are a bit dated. The back yard is nicely maintained and includes several out-buildings. There is also a 2- car detached garage. Given our current (fast) market, we don't expect this one to last. SALE PENDING 4/23/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this property. $374,800 - 42 Prospect Street This is a 3 bedroom/2.5 bath, 1,594 sq. ft. home in Oak View. The house is well cared for, cute, and clean. The only thing you might need to do is change out the carpeting or have it professionally cleaned. The Ojai Valley Trail is just a few steps away, and there is enough space for RV or boat parking. At this price, you won't find a nicer home! SALE PENDING 1/26/12 $395,000 - 708 Grand Avenue This is a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom, 952 square foot home - in town - with a large back yard and mountain views. This was initially listed at $339,000 as a short sale, but immediate interest (there are supposedly 2 over-list offers coming in on it) increased the price. This is now a regular sale. The house is older (but still cute), with hardwood floors and a great back yard. The only obvious need for this home is that the exterior needs repainting. ADDED 5/11/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home! $399,900 - 245 N. Encinal Avenue This is a remodeled 3 bedroom/1.75 bathroom, 1,086 sq. ft. home. Everything has been done for you, just move right in. Includes new appliances, new paint, new carpet, a nice garage, new tile, and wood floors (the link reads "hardwood floors", but to our senses these are NOT hardwood). You might want to double check on that if it's important to you. The front and back yards have been newly landscaped as well. There are also partial mountain views from the back yard. This price compares favorably to 2 recent sales in the immediate area, which were right in this price range (and sold quickly). PRICE REDUCED 5/16/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home. This is a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom, 2,112 sq. ft, home on .50 acres. We've seen this home several times since it was first listed in June, 2010 at $649,000. Since then the price has been gradually lowered a little at a time. This latest price reduction makes it a Best Buy, however, it is also now a short sale. This horse property is clean and move-in ready. The only drawback to this property is that there is some traffic noise. However, having shown this home to clients on a few occasions, we did note that the windows (which we believe to be double-paned) do a great job of shutting out the noise from the road. Also, with the way the home is situated on the lot, the noise level on the back patio is mitigated quite a bit. SALE PENDING 1/17/12 $495,000 - 11864 N. Ventura Avenue
This is a 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom, 1,902 sq. ft. home on 1.3
acres. There is also a non-permitted 1 bed/1 bath structure, and in
addition, a separate storage or office structure. There is a ton of
potential with this property, is just needs some finishing touches.
That said, it could easily be moved into comfortably without having any
work done at all. The house is quite charming, and the view from
upstairs are killer. There are also several decks/patios from which to
drink in the outdoors. The only demerit would be that it's on Ventura
Avenue, so there is some traffic noise. However - on the plus side -
the house sits a good 200 or so feet from the road. Priced to sell
quickly, this is also an APPROVED short sale. SALE PENDING 2/27/12
$599,900 - 4877 Reeves Road This is a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom, 2,000 sq. ft. home on 1.42 acres on the East End. You may note that the MLS link reads that it has 5 bedrooms, but according to our count it only has 4 bedrooms. This home was last on the market in November, 2011 at $675,000. The home is older, but it's in pretty good shape. The wrap-around 2nd floor porch is probably it's best feature. The kitchen and bathrooms are dated, but everything here is liveable as is. The home has been repainted inside and new carpeting has been installed, but the real value to this property is the acreage. There is a creek running along the property line, but despite the recent rains over the weekend, it was dry. The land is flat and usable, and there's a large 3-car garage and another out-building which could be used as a tack room, including stalls (albeit small ones). Fair warning; this is a bank-owned property and may be involved in a multiple-bidding situation, so prepare yourself mentally if you intend on writing an offer. SALE PENDING 4/6/12 $615,000 - 1183 Shippee Lane
This is a 2 bedroom/1.75 bathroom, 2,040 sq. ft. home on over 3 acres. It is a short sale,
and it's been on the market now for 8 months. The home does need
updating, but you might be able to pick it up for even less!
Considering it's 3 acres on the East End of town, this should be a good
deal at the right price. SALE PENDING 3/29/12
$599,900 - 205 Park Road This is a 7 bedroom/6 bathroom, 3,423 sq. ft. home across from Sarzotti Park in Ojai. We have seen this house several times over the past few years, so we feel confident in labeling this a Best Buy without having seen it recently. This is a bank-owned property. Since we've dealt with several of the bank-owned properties with this listing agent - be prepared to be countered with "bring us your highest and best offer." In other words, figure out the highest price you'd be willing to pay (including over the listing price) before you head into any deal. It will save you heartache down the road if you don't get it! UPDATED 5/4/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home. $627,000 - 411 Grand Avenue This is actually two homes; two legal units with different utility bills, addresses, etc. This is brand new modular construction, with a total square footage of 2,300 for both homes combined. One is a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom, the other is a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom. It strikes us that since these are set up duplex-style (with a seemingly shared wall), this might better served by knocking out the adjoining wall and making it one large 5 bedroom/3 bathroom home. Whatever your liking, it's all new, it's close to town, there are mountain views from the front, and there is a swimming pool. WITHDRAWN 5/14/12 $624,900 - 16096 Maricopa Highway Built in 2008, this is a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom, 2,818 sq. ft. home on 1.59 acres located in a woodsy area just off Maricopa Highway, about 5 miles north of Von's grocery store. If you check out the pictures on the link, the easiest thing to say is that the home is every bit as nice as the pictures depict. All of the flooring is either wood or tile (all good quality). The kitchen is nicely done with granite counter tops and all G.E. Monogram appliances. There are 2 large fireplaces, one of which is located in the kitchen/dining/family room area. This is the epitome of a "greatroom" in that it's quite large and open, yet contains what would normally be 3 different living spaces. The other large fireplace is located in the master bedroom, which quite honestly, is ridiculous. I roughly estimated it's size at 27' x 25' (the bedroom, not the fireplace - ya wise guy/gal). I would consider opening up a 2 story roller-rink if I owned this home. But it sure is beautiful! And with the deck that is just off the master bedroom (accessed through a set of high-quality sliding doors - see 1st picture on link), taking one step outside allows you to hear the stream rushing just across the way. So this home is very nice, as is the price. What are the downsides? There isn't much space between the neighboring houses. In fact, if you look at the 1st picture on the link you'll see the yellow house to the right, which is roughly 20 feet away from the subject home. It's not much different on the left side. Most of 1.59 acres is located behind the home, up a very steep hill - rendering it virtually unusable. There is also a bit of traffic noise noticeable from Maricopa Highway (although the vehicles are not at all visible). Still, the home itself is a great buy at this price and we can't state this enough, it's in very, very good condition. This is a bank-owned property. PRICE REDUCED 4/25/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home. $715,000 - 202 Chico Road This is a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom, 1,828 sq. ft. home on .90 acres in the heart of the Arbolada. There are wood and tile floors throughout, and the lot itself feels like in you're in a park-like setting. The home is clean and ready to move into. At this price, this is a screaming deal (and that's the first time we've used that phrase on BBIO). It is a short-sale, so as we always say, your patience will be rewarded. If you have been looking for a home at a reasonable price in the Arbolada, we would suggest you move quickly on this one. SALE PENDING 2/6/12 $799,000 - 2255 McNell Road This is a 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom, 2,394 square foot home on 1.75 acres on the East End. This property is unique in that the sloping topography contains several massive boulders (one of which would make a great children's fort)! There is a great porch off the master bedroom which overlooks the valley. Two of the bathrooms have granite tile counters and floors, and the 1/2 bath is unique in it's half-cylindrical shape and stone sink. If your needs include a large studio, this home has that as well (note the beautiful wood ceilings too). The home does have needs: The carpeting should be replaced and there are some cracked roofing tiles that need attention. Inspections of the septic and air conditioning/heating systems have been performed and both are in good working order. Most people who have seen this home would remodel the master bedroom (and second bedroom) on the southwest side of the home in order to take further advantage of the valley views. Here are some high resolution pics for you to take a gander at. SALE PENDING 4/24/12 $879,000 - 909 Cuyama Road We previewed this home back in January when it first came on the market. The price was just reduced by another $70,000, making this a Best Buy. This is a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom, 2,228 sq. ft. home on .57 acres in the Arbolada. The home is absolutely turn-key, nothing needs to be done. The pictures on the link are pure in that there is nothing hidden - the house is actually as nice as the pictures appear. After hearing feedback from realtors and the public in general, some people feel the layout of the home is not conducive to moving around in it. You see, the home is built in somewhat of a "U" shape and thus, to get from one end of the house to the other you must "walk around the block" so to speak, or, go outdoors and cross over through the courtyard (which is actually a beautiful trip, mind you.) This is a great price for this home. PRICE REDUCED 5/15/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this property. $999,000 - 2800 Maricopa Highway
This is a 2 bedroom/2.5 bathroom, 2,200 sq. ft. home on over
10 acres, surrounded by avocado trees. There is another room that can
be used as a 3rd bedroom (or den). The home is in nice shape, and with a
little TLC with respect to the grounds, it could be made a great place
to escape. It's located a good distance from the highway, so traffic
noise shouldn't be much of an issue. Here's
an aerial photo of the property. The driveway, while paved, does need
some help here and there along the way up the winding path. This is a short sale, so with a little patience and some work, the home could really be a beauty at this price. SALE PENDING 2/2/12
$1,039,000 - 12751 Blue Heron Circle This is a 6 bedroom/4.5 bathroom, 4,840 sq. ft. home on 2 acres in Rancho Matilija. We've had this on an open house before, so we know the home well. The house backs the horse trail, and there are magnificent views from both the front and back yards. There's also an attached 2 bedroom guest house. The house is located at the far end of the neighborhood, so there is no traffic noise from Baldwin Road. The house does have some deferred maintenance here and there, but it's not too bad. New paint and carpet would get you 75% of the way there. PRICE REDUCED 4/25/12 - Call us if you'd like to see this home. $1,299,000 - 12339 Linda Flora Drive This is a 6 bedroom/5 bathroom (which may include the guest house) 4,329 sq. ft. home on a 2.31 acre lot in Rancho Matilija. The home is expansive and features a great family room on one end of the home. The kitchen was remodeled a few years ago, but the rest of the house appears to be original (built in 1987). As such, the home might feel a bit dated to some, but there's a lot of space here for the money. Since there aren't any pictures on the link yet, here are some from when it was listed previously in June, 2011. ADDED 5/11/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home. $1,495,000 - 350 Verano Drive We had this one on the list before (it happened to be our own listing), but the listing was cancelled, so we removed it. Is it now back on the market at a lower price than before (it was $1,799,000). In the interest of full disclosure, the seller readily admitted that we provided them with exceptional service, however, they took issue over our decision to move from Coldwell Banker to Keller Williams - and thus cancelled the listing we had with them.
Moving on...we still feel this is a Best Buy! It's a 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom, 4,339 sq. ft. home with a separate studio on 4.4 acres - with income-producing avocados and a killer 2,000 sq. ft. heated and air conditioned workshop. The entire house interior has been recently painted, new carpeting has been installed, and the kitchen was updated with a new sink and granite countertops. If the workshop isn't part of your plan, you could always rent it out as commercial space (it's already zoned for that) - and with its own separate driveway entrance and the fact that it's completely hidden from the main house - you'd never know someone was there. We should note that the master bedroom is rather small (especially when compared to the other bedrooms), and to some, the interior is a bit dated. BACK ON THE MARKET 3/20/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home. $1,875,000 - 812/824 N. Montgomery This is compound living in the city of Ojai. Bring your whole family! Start a cult! Seriously, this is a very unique property with 5 structures located on 2.68 acres. To be honest, we lost count of what number of bedrooms and bathrooms are in each structure, but suffice to say that you won't need to use an outhouse if nature calls. The "main" house has an older feel to it, but it's been upgraded with a newer kitchen (see 4th picture on the link). One of the guest houses was recently built in 2004 and is the newest house on the property (the kitchen of this house is the 6th picture). All five structures are permitted, and all are clean and livable - so putting your most annoying relative in any one of them will not suffice as a punishment. The grounds are beautiful and solar power helps defray the costs of living the good life. SALE PENDING 5/12/12 $1,995,000 - 10934 Alto Court This is an amazing 6 bedroom/7 bathroom, 6,950 sq. ft. home on 14.36 acres in Saddle Mountain. There are no pictures on the link as of yet, so here's an aerial photo to whet your appetite. There is also a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom guest house which is very private, located a couple of hundred feet away from the main house. If you look at the aerial photo, the building furthest from the main house is the guest house. The other building closest to the main house is the pool house. This would make a great entertainment area (and we noted that even the pool house has its own A/C unit). The lighted tennis court is located down the walkway/steps and is in very good condition. There is a large courtyard (floored in what looks like marble tile) that leads to the swimming pool. Now, if this home were turnkey we'd say it would be worth at least $3,000,000. So why isn't it priced at $3,000,000? The kitchen surfaces seem a bit dated (but all bathrooms seemed okay to us). There is some deferred maintenance, however, nothing that looks major. There are some broken/loose tiles throughout the home and exterior walkways, we noticed a broken light fixture, some of the french doors leading to the outdoors are weathered, and the pool could use resurfacing. BUT, if we were in the market or had the need for this kind of space, we'd buy this in a heartbeat and worry about the maintenance as we went along. ADDED 4/20/12 - Call or email us if you'd like to see this home.
This is a 6 bedroom/4 bathroom, 4,600 sq. ft. home on 5.6 acres in Upper Ojai. There's also an 1,100 sq. ft. guest house. We've seen this home several times (it's been on the market for over 2 years, starting at $2,499,000), and it is turnkey and spectacular! The outdoor entertainment areas and the surrounding views simply must be seen. This new price should get the ball rolling. ADDED 12/13/11 Call or email us if you'd like to view this home.
$2,495,000 - 2259 McNell Road This home has just been reduced by another $455,000, making it a Best Buy. This is a 5 bedroom/5.5 bathroom, 4,730 sq. ft. home on 1.86 acres at the very end of McNell Road. (The driveway is gated, so a drive-by viewing is out of the question.) The home is designed in the style of a classic Italian villa, and has been depicted in magazines by Martha Stewart and Giada De Laurentis. This is obviously a special home with an abundance of charm and character. Because of the sloping nature of the landscape as well as the surrounding foliage, the property feels somewhat smaller than the acreage suggests. SALE PENDING 5/17/12 $2,495,000 - 1250 Foothill Road We originally had this as a Best Buy until it was taken off the market last September. The price has been reduced $500,000 since then, so...wow! This is a 4 bedroom/4.5 bathroom, 4,177 sq. ft. estate home on 5.17 acres. The house is absolutely turn-key, the grounds spectacular, and it's even powered with solar-electric. If you want even more privacy, you can purchase an additional 8 acres adjacent to the property, making it a 13 acre estate. There are no interior pictures on the link yet, but I'm sure they'll be coming soon. SALE PENDING 5/17/12 All right, we know, we know! How can a property, at this price, be considered a Best Buy? As you may know, this is the home of actor Larry Hagman, located in Upper Ojai. We just saw it again a couple of weeks ago, and really had to mull over whether or not it belongs on this list. You see, we didn't want to put it on the list right away because we didn't want to appear to be taking a "shot in the dark" at getting the rather large commission that would entail a sale in this price range. While, yes, that would be nice - the bigger issue here is that this is a 40 acre estate, on which sits a 17,516 square foot luxury home, as well as a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom guest house. I will put a list of bulleted amenities down below, but the thing that struck us most about this property was the greatroom (with indoor pool). With giant sliding glass doors (there must be at least 20 feet of open space to walk through) on either side of the room, they bring nature and tranquility into the room in a way you've never seen before. You have an ocean view that extends for miles (clouds notwithstanding) on one side, while the other side of the room opens up into the courtyard. From hilltop edge to courtyard on the other side, it's at least of 120 feet of serenity and views.
Then there are the walkways and pools that seem to hug the main house; appearing to follow you around so that every room you gaze out of has a water feature or lovely walking path. Here is a short list of amenities:
As you know, we try to keep it real here at BBIO, so here's what we saw in the property that may not appear as fanciful: (1) The interior decor, while charming, is a bit dated. Paint, wallpaper, and fixtures are among the things that could be modernized (2) There is some minor deferred maintenance throughout the property, and (3) If you're smitten with the town of Ojai, you'll need to calm down, as the drive to town will take you about 20 minutes. But it is a beautiful drive (you get to drive past Black Mountain Ranch) and HEY, what do you want for $399 a square foot on 40 acres! If you'd like to see this property, give us a call. We are sure this is by appointment only, and you will likely need to be pre-qualified. ADDED 9/8/11 |
Best Buys In Ojai are the opinions of Ray and Cheryl Deckert, not of Keller Williams Realty, and are NOT guaranteed. Listings are chosen from the MLS, and may or may not be the listings of Keller Williams Realty. Information contained in the Best Buys list has not been verified and is not guaranteed.