Open House Obsession: Late-40s Hillside Cottage Made New Again

2474 Moreno Drive, Silver Lake $1.049K

What: Once a nondescript but well-proportioned traditional built after WWII, the house has undergone a sensitive and stylish renovation. On a small down-sloping lot, there are two bedrooms and one bath upstairs on the main level, a huge deck with distant mountain views, and a garage with parking for tow cars. The lower level has been refurbished as a master suite with access to the small rear yard.

What We Love: It's the perfect house for a couple (or single) with the main spaces opening up to the wide deck through sliding doors. While it looks very fresh, the renovation didn't obliterate the original traditional design. The downstairs master suite may seem a little narrow, but the sleek master bath makes up for that with French doors opening to a deck, and access to the yard is not through the bedroom but a wide hallway that could make a great office. The listing mentions good schools and that the yard is "perfect for children" but we suspect the new backyard denizens will be more along the lines of "rescue Chihuahuas."

Downside: There's no room for a pool, and in a neighborhood where teardowns are common, there's a recent stucco McMansion looming next door. The kitchen seems a little narrow.

Mark-Up: Ambitiously listed at $769K in June, 2012, the current owners paid $650K for the house in August, 2012 and now it's back on the market– renovated– looking for a gross profit of $400K. We think it will sell for somewhere in the high-$900Ks.

Where: 2474 Moreno Drive, Silver Lake, $1.049K

When: Sunday, January 13 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM

What: Once a nondescript but well-proportioned traditional built after WWII, the house has undergone a light-handed and stylish renovation. On a small down-sloping lot, there are two bedrooms and one bath upstairs on the main level, a huge deck with distant mountain views off the main living spaces, pus a garage with parking for two cars. The lower level has been refurbished as a master suite with access to the small rear yard.

What We Love: It's the perfect house for a couple (or single) with the main spaces (above) opening up to the wide deck through sliding doors. While it looks very fresh, the renovation didn't obliterate the original traditional design.

The downstairs master suite may seem a little narrow, but the sleek master bath (above) makes up for that with French doors opening to a deck (below) and access to the yard is not through the bedroom but a wide hallway that could make a great office or gym. While the listing mentions good schools and that the yard is "perfect for children" we suspect the new backyard denizens will be more along the lines of "rescue Chihuahuas."

Downside: There's no room for a pool, and in a neighborhood where teardowns are common, there's a recent stucco McMansion looming next door. The kitchen (below) seems a little narrow.

Mark-Up: Ambitiously listed at $769K in June, 2012, the current owners paid $650K for the house in August, 2012 and now it's back on the market– renovated– looking for a gross profit of $400K. We think it will sell for somewhere in the high-$900Ks.