Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Beaches, Bing Crosby, and horses running in circles

I’d really like to know what kind of stone this is.

The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view.
The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view.

Welcome, friends, to our periodical check-in on Some House We Can’t Afford. I normally try to pepper these intros with a bit of background information on the neighborhood we’re visiting. But today, we’re headed up to Del Mar, and while it’s mid-August and this is, remarkably, our first visit this year to the land where the turf meets the surf, the truth is we’ve been here many, many times before. Beaches, Bing Crosby, horses running in circles, waypoint for Prohibition-era Hollywood elites on their way to Mexico, we’ve covered it all.

So, let’s dive right into our tour of a “modern estate [that] offers mega views and the very best location” in the “private hills of Olde Del Mar overlooking the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean,” according to the Zillow pitch for 1930 Balboa Avenue, a 4482-square-foot mansion built in 2005 and remodeled (less than a decade later) in 2014. Location-wise, Zillow says it’s “walking distance to the beach, the area’s best restaurants & shops plus the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack” before noting that “this exceptional property sits on an elevated, fenced 17,000 square foot lot offering plenty of space to relax and play.” That all seems inviting enough; let’s have a look around.

Nearly 500 square feet of bedroom area alone.

We begin with a tiled sitting area surrounding a gas firepit overlooking the ocean, which looks to be a little more than a quarter mile due west. The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view, and an old-growth Torrey pine would surely offer welcome shade during the day. An aerial view that follows shows us that we were just sitting near the top of the lot, outside a newly-constructed two-bedroom guest house. The main house, with a pool deck and some outside entertainment spaces of its own, lies just down the hill.

Back on the ground, we’re looking at the pool, which is of the disappointingly small lap-swimming variety, but at least there’s a spa attached. From my brief pool-owning experience I can say with confidence that the hot tub is going to see far more use than the pool itself, so that’s a plus. The glass block windows of the house looking out are a touch I’d expect to see on a house at least 50 years older than this one, but they’re not unappealing.

Inside, our first stop is a living room with two stories’ worth of windows spanning from floor to ceiling. A door leads out to a deck over a carport, and floating wood block stairs with glass railings lead up to the second level, while we get a glimpse of the kitchen. There, some uniquely patterned stone spills down the back side of a counter and matches an adjacent dining table. The next shot shows us that the table is actually built into a center island, and while we see some sleek European-style cabinetry and a fancy appliance package, the listing text skips the trope of rattling off a list of every manufacturer of every product that went into the kitchen’s construction. Too bad, for once; I’d really like to know what kind of stone this is.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Next, we’re off to the palatial primary suite with nearly 500 square feet of bedroom area alone. The spartan furnishings and “fully retractable glass doors that open to the ocean” really emphasize how much space we’re working with here. I can see those glass blocks by the pool from the inside now, but the odd thing is that the corner they occupy seems to be sealed off from the inside by another set of windows. There’s no further explanation as to what’s going on in this seemingly empty space, but the giant clear window next to them makes me wonder why privacy glass would be used at all.

While I would’ve liked those blocks to be part of a shower or tub surround, the actual bathroom is considerably more substantial, with a floating dual vanity equipped with vessel sinks, a freestanding tub, and a walk-in shower with at least three heads. It also looks like there’s a window looking down on the living room, which makes me realize, upon second look, that most of the rest of the bathroom is completely open to the floor below. I’m not sure I love this, even if the angles would make it hard for someone downstairs to take a look up. There’s also a massive closet that seems like it’s intended to display clothes as much as store them, and then we’re off to see some more bedrooms and baths, each apparently an en-suite and some large enough for their own private sitting areas.

At some point, we jump to a second kitchen that’s well-appointed but not as fancy as the first, and opens to a large empty room. I think we’re in the guest house now. We get only a few peeks at this space, but it appears modern, functional, and not really exciting in any way. Then we’re back outside, looking at the view from a bunch of angles already covered — albeit this time with some fancy digital editing on the photos.

Public records list a Nevada-based LLC with the same name as the property address as the current owner. It last sold for a reported $3.8 million in 2012, before the recent remodeling work and addition of the guest house. The Balboa estate was listed for sale in early April with an asking price of $10,950,000, since reduced to $10,695,000.

1930 Balboa Avenue | Del Mar, 92014

Current owner: 1930 Balboa Ave LLC | Listing price: $10,695,000 | Beds: 6 | Baths: 7 | House size: 4482 sq ft

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

WAV College Church reminds kids that time is short

College is a formational time for decisions about belief
Next Article

Morricone Youth, Berkley Hart, Dark Entities, Black Heart Procession, Monsters Of Hip-Hop

Live movie soundtracks, birthdays and more in Balboa Park, Grantville, Oceanside, Little Italy
The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view.
The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view.

Welcome, friends, to our periodical check-in on Some House We Can’t Afford. I normally try to pepper these intros with a bit of background information on the neighborhood we’re visiting. But today, we’re headed up to Del Mar, and while it’s mid-August and this is, remarkably, our first visit this year to the land where the turf meets the surf, the truth is we’ve been here many, many times before. Beaches, Bing Crosby, horses running in circles, waypoint for Prohibition-era Hollywood elites on their way to Mexico, we’ve covered it all.

So, let’s dive right into our tour of a “modern estate [that] offers mega views and the very best location” in the “private hills of Olde Del Mar overlooking the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean,” according to the Zillow pitch for 1930 Balboa Avenue, a 4482-square-foot mansion built in 2005 and remodeled (less than a decade later) in 2014. Location-wise, Zillow says it’s “walking distance to the beach, the area’s best restaurants & shops plus the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack” before noting that “this exceptional property sits on an elevated, fenced 17,000 square foot lot offering plenty of space to relax and play.” That all seems inviting enough; let’s have a look around.

Nearly 500 square feet of bedroom area alone.

We begin with a tiled sitting area surrounding a gas firepit overlooking the ocean, which looks to be a little more than a quarter mile due west. The hillside perch of the property affords a commanding view, and an old-growth Torrey pine would surely offer welcome shade during the day. An aerial view that follows shows us that we were just sitting near the top of the lot, outside a newly-constructed two-bedroom guest house. The main house, with a pool deck and some outside entertainment spaces of its own, lies just down the hill.

Back on the ground, we’re looking at the pool, which is of the disappointingly small lap-swimming variety, but at least there’s a spa attached. From my brief pool-owning experience I can say with confidence that the hot tub is going to see far more use than the pool itself, so that’s a plus. The glass block windows of the house looking out are a touch I’d expect to see on a house at least 50 years older than this one, but they’re not unappealing.

Inside, our first stop is a living room with two stories’ worth of windows spanning from floor to ceiling. A door leads out to a deck over a carport, and floating wood block stairs with glass railings lead up to the second level, while we get a glimpse of the kitchen. There, some uniquely patterned stone spills down the back side of a counter and matches an adjacent dining table. The next shot shows us that the table is actually built into a center island, and while we see some sleek European-style cabinetry and a fancy appliance package, the listing text skips the trope of rattling off a list of every manufacturer of every product that went into the kitchen’s construction. Too bad, for once; I’d really like to know what kind of stone this is.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Next, we’re off to the palatial primary suite with nearly 500 square feet of bedroom area alone. The spartan furnishings and “fully retractable glass doors that open to the ocean” really emphasize how much space we’re working with here. I can see those glass blocks by the pool from the inside now, but the odd thing is that the corner they occupy seems to be sealed off from the inside by another set of windows. There’s no further explanation as to what’s going on in this seemingly empty space, but the giant clear window next to them makes me wonder why privacy glass would be used at all.

While I would’ve liked those blocks to be part of a shower or tub surround, the actual bathroom is considerably more substantial, with a floating dual vanity equipped with vessel sinks, a freestanding tub, and a walk-in shower with at least three heads. It also looks like there’s a window looking down on the living room, which makes me realize, upon second look, that most of the rest of the bathroom is completely open to the floor below. I’m not sure I love this, even if the angles would make it hard for someone downstairs to take a look up. There’s also a massive closet that seems like it’s intended to display clothes as much as store them, and then we’re off to see some more bedrooms and baths, each apparently an en-suite and some large enough for their own private sitting areas.

At some point, we jump to a second kitchen that’s well-appointed but not as fancy as the first, and opens to a large empty room. I think we’re in the guest house now. We get only a few peeks at this space, but it appears modern, functional, and not really exciting in any way. Then we’re back outside, looking at the view from a bunch of angles already covered — albeit this time with some fancy digital editing on the photos.

Public records list a Nevada-based LLC with the same name as the property address as the current owner. It last sold for a reported $3.8 million in 2012, before the recent remodeling work and addition of the guest house. The Balboa estate was listed for sale in early April with an asking price of $10,950,000, since reduced to $10,695,000.

1930 Balboa Avenue | Del Mar, 92014

Current owner: 1930 Balboa Ave LLC | Listing price: $10,695,000 | Beds: 6 | Baths: 7 | House size: 4482 sq ft

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Morricone Youth, Berkley Hart, Dark Entities, Black Heart Procession, Monsters Of Hip-Hop

Live movie soundtracks, birthdays and more in Balboa Park, Grantville, Oceanside, Little Italy
Next Article

Big swordfish, big marlin, and big money

Trout opener at Santee Lakes
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader