Mansionmania Tournament: Round 3, Heat 7
 

Mansionmania continues with our Sweet 16 3rd-round contestants. You will choose among each pair of houses with the following assumptions:

• The purchase price for you is $0.
• All maintenance, utilities, property taxes, HOA fees, and cleaning is included.
• You must live in the home for the rest of your life.
• You can't travel more than 100 miles from home (via google maps drive time) other than 1 two-week vacation each year.
• You get $250,000 per year as a living allowance
• You get an additional living allowance at the cheaper home, which will be valued at 1% of any cost difference annually. I will note this amount in the poll.
• You get the furnishings. If unfurnished, you get an allowance that will give you mid-grade furniture in every room.
• You get any vehicles in the garage. But only the garage - nothing parked outside.

I encourage you to click on the maps in the listings to see the general location and neighborhood.

Also, I will only enter contestants if they have a sufficient number of photos to judge, as determined by me.

Your entries in this heat are:

Hawaii:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...0_M91907-82962

California:

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...0_M16709-05739

I'm going Hawaii here. I just don't like the interior design of that California house.

Okay, here are my criticisms of both houses:

I got nuthin'. They're both perfect.




If we dive into minutiae, here's how I would decide.

1. Advantage California: It's all one unit rather than a compound, so I won't get annoyed at walking from the kitchen to the home theater during a tropical rainstorm.

2. Advantage California: The views. The Hawaii view is fantastic, but the California view is one of a kind.

3. Advantage Hawaii (or not): It's mostly one level so I can age in place. However, California has an elevator, which actually means it's more accessible. So this may be a push.

4. Advantage California: California has the better pool by a long shot. However, Hawaii's pool can be used year-round. Slight advantage to California.

5. Advantage Hawaii: Neither has a large outdoor area to throw a football around, but you're less likely to die falling off of Hawaii's yard.

6. Advantage California: San Francisco may not be the greatest city, but it's still a big city with big-city services.

7. Advantage Hawaii: The stipend in Hawaii gives you the full-time chef.

8. Advantage California: It's like it's a spy house. It's all unassuming from the front, and then it opens up into this fantastic home. I love that element.

9. Advantage Hawaii (or not): I kind of like cooler weather but you can't diss Hawaii here. This might be a wash or even slight advantage to California for me personally.

The truth is there's no wrong answer here. But in the end, I think California has more stuff nearby to help me fill my days, and I'm just gaga over the home design and setting. I would grin at that view every single day.

Barbarian.

Hawaii. Better house, better weather, better money.

Hawaii. I just do not like San Fran weather. Feel like I'd be enjoying that view from inside more than outside.

People that don't know confuse Bay Area weather with "California" weather... it isn't! That house having an outdoor pool (unless it is heated) is mostly worthless! The wind coming off of the bay is crazy cold and the fog doesn't burn off most days until the afternoon.

The 100 miles was disappointing as I need an additional 50 miles to get to the other racetrack that I would want to spend a lot of time at!

I would have to go with Hawaii only because I don't like the weather in the Bay Area and the 100 mile limit keeps me from going to a racetrack that I love to race my motorcycle.

The color scheme of the Cali house is not my favorite; however, the views are awesome and I like that it is a multi layer house.

Hawaii gives me more options to do with nature. I could easily fish and kayak daily in waters that don't require me to wear a wetsuit.

The layout of the Hawaii place could make it to where it can be a different place every month or a great place to have friends come visit.

I would not have guessed California is more expensive than Hawaii, especially considering the Hawaii location. Both places are resorts, really.

In this case it comes down to amenities. Cali by far has the lead there, but how far does the 100-mile radius cover on the Hawaiian Islands starting at the big island?

Looks like you could make Kilauea from that location.

Hawaii it is

This was the easiest round 3 choice by far. Hawaii all the way.

This is my favorite of the California properties, and I am voting for it.
The 100 mile limit makes the Hawaii place a one-note entertainment place - even though it is a fabulous note.
I think it would be easier to get my friends and relatives to visit me in SF than in HI, and I would put them up.

Hawaii house reminds me of Honeymoon In Vegas.

I've been to both of these locations (in general, not these actual houses) recently. Give me perfect weather 100% of the time over cold and damp any day.

People apparently don't realize that there isn't much in the way of anything on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hard to spend that extra $ there.

Dig the CA house, and it's driving distance to Russian River Brewing.

Access to the beach, a sushi place in walking distance, and that kitchen. Oh, that kitchen!

I'll agree no wrong answer but I'm taking Hawaii.

How could you be that close to a body of water and not be able access it (Cali). That's just criminal.

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/b2b...2&odnBg=FFFFFF

I agree 100%. Other than cars, hookers, and blow, what would you spend that extra cash on? San Francisco is a beautiful city with so many things to do and see. I will agree that the pool is kind of a waste because it's a rare day when the temps get much above 75.

Many pools are just entertainment backdrops.

It is like people have never heard of heated pools.

Thought it was going to be a tough decision, but forgot we had a northern CA house, and don't really care for the house or location.... at least not compared to Hawaii.

I guess I'm not sure what benefit there is to living outside SF compared to Kona. Kona has great restaurants, some of the best beaches in the world, jungle and mountain hiking nearby, fishing and whale watching tours. What would I be missing by not being in SF? Pro sports in person is the only thing I can think of that I'd be interested in, and even that is better on TV anymore.

SF just has so much more of all of that. Except for the best beaches. I've heard those Hawaii beaches start to close in on you after a while.

I'm taking Hawaii but I do want to note that the pool does not seem to belong to the property if you look at pictures #4 and #5 and pay attention to the property line. Still, I could use a little of my surplus cash from the first year and put a custom one in.

Let's see -- One of the top 15 symphonies in the world along with a vibrant current music scene, world-class restaurants, museums, and art. There's a couple of pretty good universities around for your kids if they're smart enough. You can fish and hike close by if you want to go to that route. Outstanding vineyards within the 100 mile limit. Oh yeah, sourdough breasd that can't be matched.

The house for sale includes multiple properties as defined on that map. The pool definitely belongs to this property.

Some of those are interesting. The biggest draw, universities, would be difficult to base a decision on because my children could easily choose any other university. Fishing and hiking would be odd reasons to choose SF over Hawaii. None of them outweigh easy access to beautiful beaches like those on the Big Island.

Hawaii. I figured I’d run that Cali house a ways but I’d probably get a shack on Hawaii to the semifinals.

I haven’t been a big location guy because I hate humidity and stupid heat. ****ing Hawaii was paradise.

A lot to love about both spots. Hawaii would be my choice though, prefer the house and the weather. I trust all the unknowns about living way out there in the middle of the Pacific would sort out favorably, have a hunch.

Hawaii by a mile.

While the views in the CALI house of San Fran, GG bridge and the location is great (about 20-25 minutes to Napa/Sonoma), the house reminds me of a giant conference center/hotel.

To wake up, climb stairs to the ocean and snorkel or swim from your house and see whales, turtles, dolphins is paradise!

This is a super tough one for me. I've been voting this Cali home in all the heats, but Hawaii, to be able to just plop into the ocean any old time is amazing. Probably the biggest drawback of living up here near this California home is can't go in to the ocean like I could in L.A.

Hawaii. and would probably have visitors 9 months year.