In October, 2021, I listed a classic Mid-Century Modern and wrote, “The GPS will say Mount Helix, La Mesa, but your eyes will say Old Las Palmas, Palm Springs! Built in 1958, this architectural beauty delivers quintessential Mid-Century Modern lines, walls of glass & vaulted ceilings… Create your own modern-day “rat pack” parties…”

The house was built in 1958 and looked like the kind of property Ol Blue Eyes threw parties in Palm Springs but here it was on Butterfly Lane in Mount Helix.

The home was under 2,400 sq. ft.; comparable sales supported a list price of about $1.2M. Knowing how desirable true Mid-Century Moderns are and how hot the market was, the sellers and I opted to list the house for $1.4M.

Over 200 people came to the two-hour Open House. At one point, in the middle of a crowd in the dining area, a large man placed his knuckles on the table, looked me in the eyes, and in a booming voice said, “I will offer 1.6 Million Dollars, Shut this down!”

Of course, I couldn’t shut the Open House down but I was excited my clients would be fetching such a handsome price for their property. The house received a stack of offers and ended up selling for $1.8M. To this day, it is the highest-selling home, under 2500 sq. ft., in Mount Helix’s history. 

What drove this frenzy? Yes, the market was hot. And, yes, my marketing was superb. But the style of the house was the clincher. People covet true Mid-Century Moderns.

Because of the popularity of Mid-Century Moderns, some Realtors will make a mistake – hopefully unintentionally – of calling any home built in the 1950s or 1960s, a Mid-Century Modern. This is not correct. Many houses from the 1950s and 60s, such as ranches, bungalows, Cape Cods, Neo-Colonial, Neo-Victorian, and Neo Mediterraneans can be called Mid-Centuries but not Mid-Century Moderns.

What makes an authentic Mid-Century Modern?

Well, they need to be from the middle of the century, so built in the 1950s and 1960s. The style is modern/contemporary with floor-to-ceiling walls of glass embracing outdoor light and views; vaulted or high ceilings; clean, simple lines; also slanted and geometrical lines; exposed ceilings and beams; often the roofs can be flat. Most are single or split-level.

Local famous Mid-Century Modern architects include Lloyd Ruocco (famous enough to have a style named after him), Robert Mosher, and William Krisel. I had the privilege of selling a home designed by Richard George Wheeler who had also designed the Westgate Plaza Hotel, Humphrey’s Shelter Island, the Flame, NuNu’s, and the corporate headquarters for SDG&E.

There is something space-age about these homes.

You walk in and feel the era: NASA, astronauts, kids watching the Jetsons Saturday mornings, Corvettes, fondue, avocado appliances, sideburns, men lighting ladies’ cigarettes, bouffants, go-go boots, mini-skirts, and dirty martinis. Observing the lines and angles, the homes feel like trig and calculus.

Mid-Century Moderns are scattered throughout San Diego County: Del Mar, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, near SDSU. La Mesa and Mount Helix are home to numerous Mid-Century Moderns, some outstanding ones have been featured in home tours presented by the La Mesa Historical Society.

To maximize a Mid-Century Modern Home’s allure or sales price if selling, incorporate colors and furnishings of the time.

Below are some helpful and fun-to-browse websites:

Mid-Century Colors

https://www.thespruce.com/top-mid-century-modern-paint-colors-798000

New Mid-Century Modern Furniture, San Diego

https://www.modani.com/sandiego

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Furniture, San Diego

https://www.midcenturystore.com/

https://www.klassikdesign.com/shop

Photos courtesy of Laura Lothian

– Reach eXp Realtor and La Mesa City Councilwoman Laura Lothian at: [email protected].