Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 18, 2012

15

HOMES AND PROPERTY

 Mountain Views News Saturday, February 18, 2012 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people who create them. Story by Chris Bertrand


From the curb of Park at Ramona, 
it’s not hard to imagine that 
you’ve stepped back in time to 
the Sierra Madre of 1911. When 
this 3,168 square foot, two story 
home is officially on the market in 
early March, the new buyers will 
represent only the third family in 
a century to own this meticulously 
maintained and updated treasure.

The huge, screened front porch beckons for quiet mornings 
sipping tea or long suppers while enjoying the pleasant 
sundowner breezes that rustle through the trees of this 1/3 
(+/-) acre, corner homesite.

Inside, the living and dining rooms flank the entry. 
Magnificent original beamed ceilings have been painted a 
semi gloss black to reflect the light from the windows, lamps 
and the fireplace, while making a subtle design statement. 

The eye is naturally drawn to the focal point of the living 
room, the central brick fireplace, bordered by matching 
windows and built-ins for books and display. While all 
the rooms are spacious, every room feels inviting and 
comfortable.

The dining room boasts two beautifully preserved corner 
hutches and plate rail all around. In homage to the original 
home, which was dual powered by gas and electric lighting, 
two gas sconces (decorative only) decorate the room. 

French doors from the dining room and several pocket 
doors allow for easy traffic flow for grand entertaining, or 
for partitioning the use of the home, when the demand for 
multiple separate activities arises. 

Vestiges of the past remain, beautifully converted to 
modern day use. Ice delivery once came through a door 
adjacent to the butler’s pantry. Today, the floorplan has 
been reconfigured, here and elsewhere for today’s lifestyle. 
A large butler’s pantry with original cabinetry from various 
other locations in the home is the perfect place to stage 
entertaining events, and extend the cooking preparation 
stations. 

The maid’s room from a century ago, which previously 
opened directly into the kitchen, now is a main floor office. A 
large main floor bedroom, bath and sleeping porch were also 
reconfigured into a single large family room, with a wall of 
original cabinetry and ample room for billiard play.

 The adjacent full bath was converted to a powder bath, 
and the original vintage tub was moved upstairs to create a 
delightful master suite bathroom. 

The improvements and the craftsmanship have all been 
accomplished with a masterful artistry and meticulous eye to 
detail. 

The large kitchen, remodeled by Alchemy Construction, 
was the second project by the company, after a successful 
bathroom in earlier years. The kitchen was designed with 
four functional, interactive areas. 

A compact hub offers a pass through to a casual dining area, 
and is open to the large central area that serves well as the 
natural gathering place for most parties, the kitchen. 

Upstairs, bedrooms, bathrooms, sleeping porches and closets 
have been configured to modern day use, with four bedrooms 
and two full baths, including a master suite with private bath, 
three closets and a wall of windows. 

A sun room could be an extra bedroom sans closet in a pinch, 
but it’s so beautiful as is, almost begging for a child’s toys and 
dolls, a craft studio or 
computer room. 

For those who feel the 
need to save and store 
lots and lots of… stuff, 
the huge walk-out 
basement is the ticket 
here. Not only is there 
room for storage, there’s 
a workshop area, too! 

Flowering vines on grand 
trellises provide a floral-
filled display of light 
pink purple, yellow and 
white throughout the 
year, and dappled shade 
during the summer and 
fall months. 

Reputed to be some 
of the finest citrus 
around, mature orange, 
tangerine, lime and 
lemons have provided 
decades of citrus nearly year round, while the persimmon 
provides that luscious squishy fruit that hangs like decorative 
orange ornaments, even after leaf drop. 

This home offers central air & heat, a rebuilt chimney, and has 
been bolted to the foundation. 

Today, 470 Ramona in Sierra Madre looks forward to 
beginning just its third chapter (or family) in over a century. 
It will be on the market March 1st and offered at $1,100,000. 

For more information, or to arrange a showing, contact Reni Rose, of 
Prudential California Realty in Sierra Madre at 626-355-8400 or visit 
www.ReniRose.com. Web site coming soon: www.470Ramona.com 

A CENTURY OF CHARM AND TRADITION FOR THE MODERN FAMILY


Tom Nuccio of Nuccio Nurseries in Altadena 
will present the “Wide World of Camellias” 
at the Sierra Madre Garden Club’s dinner/
meeting Monday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. 
This presentation will be 
held in the newly renovated 
Memorial Park Hart Senior 
Center, 222 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. 
The public is welcome.

Tom Nuccio, back by popular 
demand as the program 
presenter, will show and 
describe new camellia and 
azalea introductions, as well 
as discuss Nuccio’s hybridizing 
and propagation techniques. Tom is 
part of the family owned Nuccio Nurseries. 
With more than 600 cultivars and species 
available, Nuccio's is one of the most recognized 
sources for camellia and azalea introductions 
worldwide. Family members began 
the business as a backyard operation in 1935 
in Alhambra. 

Today it is located on six 
acres in north Altadena at 
3555 Cheney Trail.

A catered dinner will be 
served at the meeting. Cost is 
$9 with reservations needed 
by calling 355-0606. If you 
wish to attend only the program 
there is no charge or 
reservation necessary. Arrive 
by 7:15 PM. 

Please visit the Nuccio website at: www.nucciosurseries.
com and also the Sierra Madre 
Garden Club’s new website at: 

www.smgarden.org.


WIDE WORLD OF CAMELLIAS

WHEN LESS COSTS MORE


“Timing the market” in real estate doesn’t work the way it does with stocks. Homes are 
bought and sold more out of necessity than to make an easy buck. However, some indicators 
give a clue when it’s a good time to buy. Like now!

Despite the fact that rates are low and prices may still drop, now is the time to move if you 
have good credit and funds for down payment. It would be a mistake to “wait and see” if 
rates or prices fall any more. Why?

Rates are low now because of federal bailouts, but continued low rates can fuel inflation. 
Fear of inflation causes “the Fed” to raise those rates. Waiting for a lower price on a home 
while interest rates rise could make the home more expensive.

Example: purchasing a home now for $177,000 at 5% could make the total cost around 
$370,000 by the end of the loan term. But what if you wait for prices to fall more, and next 
year you get that home for $160,000. You saved $17,000 - right? Wrong!

If rates rise 2% during that time, you could pay over $400,000 over the life of the loan - 
$30,000 more than if you bought now! If the math is still fuzzy to you, call me and I’ll be 
glad to crunch the numbers with you. You’ll be glad you did.

JEANNE KEATING JOINS CENTURY 
21 VILLAGE 

 Andy Bencosme, Managing Broker of CENTURY 21 Village 
in Sierra Madre recently welcomed veteran REALTOR Jeanne 
Keating to his Sierra Madre office. The announcement was 
made at the office’s weekly marketing and sales meeting.

 Keating said that she is very excited about her new association 
with Village and that she chose the Sierra Madre office for 
the wonderful atmosphere, friendly agents and Bencosme’s 
extensive real estate knowledge.

 Keating has been a REALTOR for over 20 years and was honored 
as the 2011 REALTOR of the Year by the Arcadia Association 
of REALTORS.

 

Keating is a Los Angeles native and a longtime resident of Sierra 
Madre. She has a strong commitment to professionalism 
and education. She has earned the Council of Residential 
Specialists (CRS) designation, Seniors Real Estate Specialists 
(SRES) designation and an e-PRO Internet Specialist designation from the National Association 
of REALTORS.

 Jeanne Keating and all of the friendly CENTURY 21 Village agents can be contacted at 38 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd in Sierra Madre or by telephone 626.355.1451 or on the internet at 

www.c21village.com 


LOVELY SIERRA MADRE LOCATION,

READY TO MOVE IN, PRIVATE CORNER LOT

304 Sunnyside Ave., Sierra Madre | Offered at $739,000

Beautiful, bright, open floor plan. Located in lovely Sierra 
Madre. This is a large corner lot; the home is 3 good sized 
bedrooms, 2 baths. The kitchen is open to dining room. 
There is an indoor laundry room located off the kitchen. The 
home has just been painted inside and out, pretty hardwood 
floors, the roof was put on in May 1999. All the windows 
have gorgeous wood shutters-. This home is ready for 
you and yours! Showing is easy, just call me!!! No need to 
preview, great condition!

Features: 1,590 sqft | 9,647 Lot Size | 3 BR | 2 BA


CAROL 

CANTERBURY

Prudential 

California Realty

626-252-6322 Cell

CarolCanterbury@
hotmail.com

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!

Call Patricia - 626-818-2698