Encinitas twinhome condo to own or Airbnb

We tend to go big here at Unreal. Whether that means massive houses or more modest ones with a long history, one thing they usually have in common is that they’re going to take some serious maintenance to keep up — whether that means specialized contractors to care for antiquated systems, or a whole crew of maintenance workers just to keep enormous estates clean and the grounds well-groomed.

Maybe that’s a bit much for you: the sophisticated, deep-pocketed buyer who just wants an opulent home near the coast and who has little interest in putting in the work of hiring people to do work for you. No, of course we’re not suggesting that you’re lazy — you spend so much time doing business of some sort or other that you deserve some time off. We get it.

So: “Here is your opportunity to own a newly built twinhome in downtown Encinitas WEST of Coast highway,” according to the Zillow pitch for 815 4th Street. Yes, it’s a condo, but it’s a two-unit development, so you’ve got only one neighbor to deal with, instead of an HOA board. And at $202/month, the dues are certainly reasonable. With four bedrooms and four baths spread across 2450 square feet of living area, it’s not exactly cozy, but it’s not as if you’re going to wind up buried in the effort of furnishing a house the size of an airplane hanger. Remember, you need time off. As a matter of fact, this one’s available fully furnished! Let’s have a look.

We start with an aerial shot showing us where we are, which is “stone throws away from the bluff!” and also a few blocks from the beach access you’d need to get down that bluff, or from downtown Encinitas. At first, I was thinking the ocean itself might be a little far to reach with a stone throw, but given that there’s just one street and a seemingly vacant lot separating the condo from the bluff, maybe it’s manageable. Besides, the listing says “throws,” plural.

Let’s head inside. Right away, we’re brought into a sleek, modern kitchen. It’s fancy, but it looks like it was designed to actually be used, and I like the book-matched stone on the side of the bar island in the center. The natural-looking wood floor (it’s probably vinyl) is enough to stop me from complaining about a lack of color (the way I normally do in these newer homes).

After viewing the kitchen from several more angles, we move into the living room, where a mammoth TV is mounted above what looks like a fireplace — I can’t tell if it burns gas, or if it’s one of those fake electric ones that just shows you a picture of fire while a fan churns out a gentle zephyr of hot air. (But even the latter wouldn’t be too bad; I installed one in a client’s home a few weeks ago, and it was nicer than I expected.) More shots show us that we’re situated in one big long contiguous rectangle, with a dining area sandwiched between the kitchen at one end and the living room at the other. There are retractable glass doors that work to extend the space out to the patio, where a big cantilevered umbrella shades a conversation set.

Next we get some bedrooms and bathrooms; these are fine, if a little devoid of life, thanks to all the white and gray. The cabinetry, stone, and tile are all of the same caliber I use when remodeling considerably lower-end properties, and we’re not getting a list of $1000 designer faucets or anything from the listing, but everything seems serviceable and new. Really, it’s fine: the same stuff people ask me for when I’m upgrading bathrooms.

Continuing on, we get to look at a staircase from a few different angles (or possibly a few different staircases) before visiting a small game room and a very large garage. There, we find a ping-pong table that would’ve been too big to actually fit in the game room.

Okay, now we’re back outside for another look at the downstairs patio, then up to the rooftop deck. It’s an appealing space, with room for a barbecue and some patio furniture, but I wonder why we don’t get to see any of the “panoramic ocean views” the listing promises. We’re so close to the ocean that I’ve got to imagine there are some good water vistas to be had, and yet...nothing. Pro tip: if you can see any kind of water body from your listing, you should include photos of it!

Public records list a Frank and Myra Fan as the home’s current owners; it last sold in early 2022 for just over $2.4 million, before the construction was even complete. It went back on the market in late April with an asking price of $3.5 million. If that’s a bit much, you can also rent the home out on Airbnb for $800/night.

• 815 4th Street | Encinitas, 92024
• Current owners: Frank and Myra Fan | Listing price: $3,500,000 | Beds: 4 | Baths: 4 | House size: 2450 sq ft