What $800,000 Buys You in California – The New York Times

San Leandro | $789,000A 1924 Tudor Revival house with two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot

This property is in Alameda County, just south of Oakland on the San Francisco Bay, in an area where many of the homes including this one date to the 1920s and 1930s. San Leandro City Hall and a number of restaurants and small businesses are a few blocks away. San Leandro Marina, with its 30-acre park, is about 10 minutes away by car, as is Oakland International Airport.

Size: 1,154 square feet

Price per square foot: $684

Indoors: A rock-lined path leads to the front door, on the left side of the facade. To the right of the entry is a living room with vaulted ceilings and the original stucco fireplace. On one side of the room, a large window faces the street; on the opposite side, French doors open to the dining room.

To the left of the entry is a breakfast nook with original built-in cabinetry. The adjacent kitchen (which also connects to the dining room) has a garden window facing the side yard and counters topped with butcher block. Just off the kitchen is a powder room and space for a washer and dryer.

From the dining room, a hallway extends to the back of the house, connecting the two bedrooms and the bathroom. The first door on the left opens to a guest room big enough to hold a full-size bed and a desk. Across the hall is a bathroom with a patterned-tile floor and emerald-green-and-white tiles arranged in an Art Deco pattern on the walls. The bathtub and shower are separate, and a tiled dressing table, also in green and white, is built into the corner.

At the end of the hallway is the primary bedroom, which is big enough for a queen-size bed.

Outdoor space: A door in the kitchen opens to a side patio paved in brick, running from the driveway to the backyard. A pergola offers a shaded area for a dining table and a barbecue. The backyard is landscaped in grass, with several mature trees. The detached garage holds one car and has an additional area that could be used as a workshop or crafting space.

Taxes: $9,228 (estimated)

Contact: Pattie Holm, Golden Gate Sothebys International Realty, 510-915-4644; sothebysrealty.com

The house, which was recently remodeled, was designed to take advantage of the landscape, with a wraparound deck and mountain views from almost every room. It is about seven miles from downtown Nevada City and a 10-minute drive from Scotts Flat Lake, a popular camping and outdoor recreation area. Sacramento is about an hour and a half away by car, as is Lake Tahoe.

Size: 2,004 square feet

Price per square foot: $397

Indoors: A private driveway winds from the street to house, at the top of the hill. Double front doors open into a great room with large windows, a high ceiling, a gas fireplace and sliding-glass doors out to the deck.

Hardwood floors extend from this area into a dining space that faces an open kitchen with leathered-granite counters and new appliances. Off the kitchen is a laundry room with a stainless steel sink and access to the deck.

A hallway leads from the great room to the bedrooms. On the right is a guest room with an en suite bathroom and access to the deck; across the hall is a second guest room connected to a full bathroom that can also be reached from the great room.

The primary suite, at the end of the hall, has access to the deck and an en suite bathroom with hardwood floors, a porcelain soaking tub and a glass-walled shower.

Steps to one side of the deck lead to the lower level, where one room is currently used as a gym and a second could serve as an office or an art studio.

Outdoor space: Two of the bedrooms, the great room and the kitchen all have access to the large mahogany deck, which offers ample space for dining and lounging. The detached garage has space for two cars, and a flat section of the driveway has room for a boat or an RV.

Taxes: $9,384 (estimated)

Contact: Mimi Simmons, Century 21 Cornerstone Realty, 530-265-7940; mimisimmons.com

The sellers, who bought the house in 2015, updated the kitchen and bathrooms. They also added a vintage Airstream trailer to the yard, installing a kitchenette and a bathroom so it could serve as a guest suite or home office.

The property is in the Highland Park section of the city, about a mile from Figueroa Street, one of the neighborhoods two main drags. A stop on the L Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail is about five away minutes by car; downtown Los Angeles is about a 20-minute drive.

Size: 1,481 square feet

Price per square foot: $540

Indoors: A wooden gate separates the house from the street. Up a small stoop is a pink front door that opens into a dining area with hardwood floors (like most of the rooms on this level) and windows overlooking the surrounding hills.

To the right of the entry is a sitting area facing a partially open kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an aqua-tile backsplash.

There are two bedrooms on this level. The first, off the dining area, has a sloped ceiling and space for a queen-size bed. The adjacent bathroom has a combined tub and shower with white subway tiling. The second bedroom, off the sitting area, is currently used as a home office; the en suite bathroom has a black-and-white tile floor and a built-in linen cabinet.

From the kitchen, an open staircase with a wooden banister leads to the lower level, where there is a flexible space with glass doors that open to the backyard. A breeze-block-inspired room divider separates the area into two sections: one currently used as a creative work space and the other as an additional bedroom. Also on this level are a kitchenette, laundry hookups and a bathroom with a walk-in shower accented by a graffiti art wall.

The Airstream has a kitchenette with aqua tiles that match those in the main kitchen and a bathroom with a stand-up shower.

Outdoor space: Off the lower level is a paved patio with room for a dining table. To the right of the patio is a yard lined with fruit trees, including pomegranate and avocado, and a seating area that faces the Airstream. The gated driveway has space for one car.

Taxes: $10,152 (estimated)

Contact: Tracy Do, Compass, 323-842-4001; tracydo.com

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What $800,000 Buys You in California - The New York Times