The last few months of the real estate market have been marked by sluggish sales and hesitant homebuyers.
However, real estate agent George Penner seems to have found an exception to that trend: a circa 1954 Buff and Hensman home in the desirable South Pasadena neighborhood.
“When these come on the market, they usually attract a large audience,” he explained in an interview with Homes.com. “We had an overflow of traffic throughout the house…we had over 100 people in the house on Thursday.”
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom house officially hit the market Sept. 12. By Saturday, it was pending sale — with a backup buyer in place in case the first deal falls through.
The home was listed for $2.75 million. Its sale price is not yet available.
Penner, a real estate agent with Compass’ DPP Real Estate team, said that’s because of a mix of market conditions and the home’s history.
“Interest rates are tapering back…which provides greater affordability for some,” he said. “These homes, in particular, generate a lot of velocity and a lot of traffic because there’s a limited number of them.”
A historically significant home in South Pasadena
All else equal, the more than 5,000-square-foot home at 820 Burleigh Drive has the benefit of a rich architectural history, according to Penner.
The home was built by famed California architects Buff, Straub & Hensman, known for their contemporary, post-war properties. At the time this property was built, there was an influx of homebuilding, which made it difficult to find usable lots, Penner explained.
That meant getting creative — like with this property, which is built around a stream.
“They would have to find these parcels that were oftentimes more difficult to build,” Penner said. “So, the architects camped out on the site…just to sort of figure out how they would design an architectural home to fit on this [lot].”
Since then, the home has been updated and expanded while maintaining its character. The sellers brought on Barbara Lamprecht, an architectural historian, to consult with them on their renovations, according to Penner.
“One of the nice things that the current homeowners have done is really retain the architectural integrity of the property,” he said. “They also added a little square footage — both on the lower level, converting an auxiliary storage space into livable space with a bonus room and a bathroom, as well as laundry and storage. And to access that lower space, they added an inner staircase.”
Even with those adjustments, the home maintains the simplicity and style Buff, Straub & Hensman are known for.
“The natural light, the use of expansive windows, the immediate connecting to the outdoors, the simple floor plan, but very usable floor plan,” Penner said. “People feel like it’s a very comfortable space.”