Open house pick of the week: Wilhelmina Rise

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties

Many people love to have a home with a view, but hate the pain of the long drive up and down the hill to get anywhere. This new listing—open this Sunday—has a view without being very far up. (Click here for details.)

“Technically, it’s located on Maunalani, but you don’t have to drive a whole long way up Sierra Drive to get there,” says realtor Cliff Colvin. “It sits on a spot not far up the hill, so you get a view, but you’re so close that you feel like you can reach down and touch what’s below.”

The panorama is so spectacular, the current owner designed the home with a very open layout to maximize the vista—you can even get views from the garage. Well, what was the garage, anyway: the owner has converted it into a spa, complete with an eternity pool so you can swim laps in a small space. (You have the option to keep the pool or reclaim the garage.)

I asked Colvin where people would park if there’s no garage, but it turns out the front of the house has a long driveway that can fit three to four cars in tandem, plus another two in the carport area. There is also ample street parking.

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home has two levels and is set up for multi-generational living. The downstairs has no stairs at all, and there are five steps to get to the upstairs. “This kind of home is really hard to come by,” Colvin says.

Both levels have views, but they’re more spectacular from upstairs, where there are large picture windows—which are actually vinyl, not glass, and hurricane-resistant for winds up to 185 miles per hour. Most of the breezes you’ll get aren't hurricane force, however; the home is in a cool spot so there is only one air conditioning unit in the house, and it’s rarely used.

The lot is about a half-acre, which is half a football field, and it’s zoned R-5, so you could potentially develop the property into four units.

The home will be open this Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. Happy house hunting!