$2 Million Homes in California – The New York Times

Sonora | $1,983,888A 1988 clapboard-and-stone house with five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms and several outbuildings, on a 5.82-acre lot

Constructed as a family home by a local builder, this house is 10 miles northeast of the Gold Rush town of Sonora and about 45 miles northwest of Yosemite National Park. The area is popular with second-home owners from Silicon Valley, who enjoy the proximity (about 25 miles) to Pinecrest Lake and the Dodge Ridge Ski Resort.

Size: 5,383 square feet

Price per square foot: $369

Indoors: The front door opens to a main level with brick floors, columns created from hand-hewn logs, and wall and ceiling accents of shingled pine. Straight ahead, down several steps, is a vaulted, carpeted living room that has open beams and a stone fireplace flanked by window seats. Turning left, you find a dining room and beyond that a kitchen with antiqued quartz-topped cabinets, a copper sink and an Aga range. A nearby family room has a large wood-burning brick fireplace and access through glass doors on two walls to a wraparound porch. To the right of the front door is a large laundry room with a workplace for sewing or other crafts. Off the living room is a carpeted room described as a man cave with a portal leading to a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

Overlooking parts of the main level are balconies extending from two of the second floor bedrooms, including a Hobbit-like guest bedroom with a wood-clad angled ceiling and a wall of built-in drawers. The master suite, which includes colorful timber wall paneling, a walk-in closet and an en suite rock-walled bathroom, has a balcony that overlooks the living room. The master includes a private deck with an exterior staircase leading down to a hot tub. There is also an upstairs wing with two childrens rooms and a shared bathroom.

Outdoor space: Among the outbuildings are a 1,280-square-foot caretakers house with one bedroom and one-and-a-half bathrooms; an animal house with a fenced outdoor area that was the domicile of the sellers prized pig; horse stables with a tack room and washing area; and a barn that can serve as an addition to the three-car attached garage or as a shop. A man-made half-acre pond has Gunite surfaces and a swimming deck. The pond can be filled by creek water that flows on the property in summer, or by a well.

Taxes: $24,799 (estimated)

Contact: Adam Wilson, Century 21 Wildwood Properties, 209-743-3910; century21.com

A recently built townhouse with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms

One of three units in a 2018 development, this property is in the walkable La Jolla village center, surrounded by shops and restaurants and less than a mile from the beach. An elementary school and an open-air farmers market are practically its neighbors. The San Diego International Airport is about 11 miles southeast.

Size: 2,319 square feet

Price per square foot: $862

Indoors: The only corner unit in the complex, this four-story home has floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides that admit abundant light. The upper floors have ocean views. An elevator takes you from a private two-car garage at the base to all of the levels. The main floor includes a living and dining room with a 14-foot ceiling, engineered wood floors and an exposed brick wall. An open kitchen has cabinetry and a breakfast bar with quartz countertops, metallic silver subway tile and stainless steel appliances. Above it, on the second level, is a study area overlooking the great room, and a guest bedroom suite. The master suite and a second bedroom suite are on the third level. The master bathroom includes double sinks, a stand-alone tub and a glass walk-in shower.

Outdoor space: Cantina doors open to terraces on the north and east sides of the living room. Parking for two additional cars is in a driveway.

Taxes: $22,000 (estimated), plus a $539 monthly homeowners fee

Contact: R.J. Hall or Jeff Grant, Sand & Sea Investments, 858-336-9836; paragonrels.com

A local contractor bought and restored this former working ranch in 2019, smoothing the connections between the original structure and two later additions, rebuilding many portions, updating the plumbing and electrical systems and installing a new metal roof. The existing configuration is believed to date to 1953, with the surrounding barns going back to the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

The home is six miles west of the Sonoma County city of Sebastopol and less than three miles southeast of Occidental, a community with cafes and redwood groves. Big-box stores in Santa Rosa are about 13 miles east. Dozens of wineries are within an hours drive.

Size: 4,044 square feet

Price per square foot: $493

Indoors: The residential portion of the ranch consists of two detached units: an approximately 2,850-square-foot main house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms (including a master suite), and a 1,200-square foot building with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Both kitchens and all of the bathrooms are new, and a half-bathroom was added to the main homes living area. All of the doors and windows were replaced as well.

The main house interior centers on a single large room with vaulted ceilings and engineered wide-board oak floors. At one end is a black-painted brick fireplace and hearth; at the other, a kitchen with custom walnut built-ins, including a bar counter that divides the space. Glass accordion doors open to a western-facing deck with an outdoor brick barbecue. The master bedroom leads out to this deck, as well, and has a private stone-clad bathroom with a soaking tub and separate shower.

The kitchen in the second unit occupies a corner of the living space; another corner is tiled and holds a wood-burning stove. The two bathrooms have white surfaces, including a wall of subway tile, and combined tubs and showers.

Outdoor space: Three barns that held dairy cattle, chickens and a workshop have been repaired and repainted. A pump house has a rebuilt floor, new Sheetrock, new windows and an added deck. A mix of hardwoods and fruit trees include heirloom apples, pears and citrus.

Taxes: $24,938 (estimated)

Contact: Pamela Bernier, West County Realty, 707-477-6182; 1570jonive.com

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$2 Million Homes in California - The New York Times