Property type:	Single Family
Bedrooms:	4
Bathrooms:	2
Sqft:	2,055
Lot size:	11,310 sq ft / 0.26 acres
Year built:	1950
Parking type:	Off street
Cooling system:	Central
Heating system:	Forced air
Fireplace:	Yes

 

322 San Juan Way, La Canada, CA 91011 for sale: $944,500.00   After 24 years, we’re putting our home on the market as For Sale By Owner, from June 15 til July 31, 2010. Pre-qualified serious buyers only please call (818) 952-3222 or (preferably) email 322sanjuanway@gmail.com to make an appointment to see our house. Appointments will be set for select days June 15-July 31. We are serious sellers and will work with you to meet your escrow needs. We already have the termite and home inspection reports available in pdf.  We will purchase a one year home protection plan for our buyer.  Brief home description: 1950 ranch rambler 2066 square feet, lot  11,310 sf, 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, country kitchen, new roof, central AC/Heat, pool, hot tub, landscaped yards.

Why are we moving: We are in our autumn years, the kids have graduated from college (and are off the family payroll!) and we are ready to down-size. In a nutshell: we don’t need the La Canada address for the fine public schools nor this size house. We want a smaller abode with a much smaller lot. We loved our pool; it was a focal point of many a party….but we’re into the therapy pool at the Aquatic Center for the knees now. We loved puttering around in the flower and vegetable gardens….. it’s just too much for us. We are going to get into a leased house or condo, and do some travelling.

Why should you consider a home in La Canada?  Because you want to live on tree lined streets in a quiet, safe, small town---yet be close to everywhere:  10 minutes to old town Pasadena, 20 minutes to downtown LA.  Because you have children: the public schools are great and….free.  

What we love about La Canada: Our home is in the eastern end of La Canada, just north of Foothill, and is close to everything: all the public schools (blue ribbon award schools: Paradise Canyon Elementary, La Canada Middle School and La Canada High School) are within walking distance. Yes, kids do walk to school here. Horse and hiking trails a block away. Trader Joes, Ralphs Fresh Fare, the Los Angeles County Library and numerous small eclectic restaurants, are just a few places within ½ mile. Not to mention beautiful Descanso Gardens, the UA Theatre, Sport Chalet, the Rose Bowl, the Barkley Community Center and Angeles Crest Highway: the gateway to the San Gabriel Mountains for hiking, camping or just to get away for an afternoon! This Rancho area of La Canada is full of lovely families who take walks, know their neighbors, organize block parties, and can hook you up with a baby sitter before you get your moving truck unloaded.

What we love about this house:

Interior:  There’s a lot to love, but the vaulted ceilings and floor plan were key for us. The vaulted ceilings lend height and character to the ranch style house and the many many windows allow natural light to flood the rooms. The floor plan is the best: ~The large bright living room, with wood burning fireplace, has an entire wall of east facing windows. The living room flows into the dining room, which has a built in wine rack and wet bar, and leads you into the heart of the house: the country kitchen, where all our guests like to gather as we communally prepare dinner.  Step right out the glass kitchen doors to the dining patio and large backyard with pool. The kids “west wing”, with two bedrooms joined by a central den and bathroom (own water heater), is reached by the long hall.  Perfect for those slumber parties. There are separate entrances/exits to the back patio and to the dog/play yard from the den. The Master Bedroom, main bathroom, and smallest bedroom (which we use as an office) are in the center of the house.

Exterior: We landscaped front and back because we love being outside; the dozen trees we put in over a decade ago are now huge! Guests naturally follow our stepping stones stream-like pathway from the street as it flows toward our front patio. Here you can relax in one of the patio chairs and listen to the bowl fountain…..watching for the finches to bathe. You are under the mature birches and mighty Sequoias. Notice the sitting wall which we recycled from our old driveway. Check out the “wave pattern” of the bricks on the patio. The space was designed to create a feeling of comfort and ease. Now as you enter the front door, travel right on back to the back patio to rest your eyes on the lush green of our thoughtfully landscaped back yard. Fragrant and drought resistant native plants have been incorporated into the beds. The large deep pool with diving board and fountain is a kid magnet. No need to heat this pool --with the French gray plaster heat is absorbed; you’ll be swimming from the middle of May til late October. The gas-fed fire pit is a perfect private quiet spot for thoughtful talks and roasting marshmallows. The above ground secluded electric hot tub will be appreciated by mom and dad after a long day. We love the rustle of the leaves in the tall trees, a sanctuary for our hummingbird families. The pool is deep and can be blissfully relaxing or a riot of splashing laughing children.  There’s yet another yard too, and it’s quite large. We call it the dog or play yard. It’s the fully fenced yard on the west side of the driveway. This is where our young boys built tree houses, played on the swing set and in the sandbox. They played ball, dug deep holes to who-knows-where and for-who-knows-why, and had many a tented camp out--the dog happily supervised them on all their adventures.   All yards are on automated irrigation. The front and rear yards have landscape lighting.

Extras:  We’d rather not remove or have to craigslist the above ground hot tub, upright piano, “From Dusk til Dawn “ pool table in the garage/work-room, and some of the furniture.   If you can use any of it, we’ll just leave it for you.

Good to know: New roof: just 6 years old. We are hooked to the sewer (a BIG deal in La Canada); buyer must assume bond.

Why are we attempting to sell our house on our own? --We know that these days one is advised to  “stage” their home, and, frankly, we’d just rather not go to all that trouble.  We’ll have to put all our personal stuff out of sight.  The stager will want us to paint the walls white, remove “extra” chairs/furniture so the rooms will look a little larger, fan the magazines on the coffee table, etc.  ~Please. We live here. We invite you to see our home, the home we’ve lived in for 24 years---where we’ve raised a family and had Thanksgiving dinners and birthday parties. We have vacations mementos on the sideboards and family photos on the walls. We’re sure you can use your imagination to see your family here.  Further, while we respect the realtor profession and know they work hard in helping owners sell their homes…..a 5% commission is a lot of money. We’re setting a lower price for our house than we would if we list with a realtor; saving both ourselves and our buyer some money. If we don’t sell by July 31, we will take our house off the market and list with a realtor……and increase the price to cover the commission.  We figure we don’t have anything to lose by trying to sell ourselves.

While we are sad to leave this home, we know the time is right for us. We hope your family will create many happy memories here.

 

 

: (818) 952-3222

: 322sanjuanway@gmail.com

 

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