University president’s elegant East Sac home finds buyer after just 5 days on the market
Sacramento State President Robert Nelsen’s beautiful home on a tree-lined street in East Sacramento went into contract within five days of being listed at just over $1 million.
The elegant three-bedroom, two-bathroom property sits high on a corner lot at 945 45th St. in a neighborhood desirable enough to withstand a general downturn in the housing market as interest rates rise and inventory shrinks.
“There will always be people who want to live in that community,” said listing agent Elise Brown with Coldwell Banker Realty. “(East Sacramento) is just a super awesome place to be. That has always been a helpful element for real estate. Right now, there’s low inventory — there’s just not much available — so if you have a great house and it’s priced reasonably for the market, it’s going to sell fast.”
Another selling point was the size and layout of the house. The residence spans 2,604 square feet.
“There are not a lot of single-story homes that are this size in these neighborhoods anymore,” Brown added.
The home, originally built in 1949, is unique, versatile and packed with amenities.
“It’s on a corner (and) the entire living room, which is extremely large, has nothing but windows, so it is probably one of the lightest and brightest homes from natural light that I’ve come across,” Brown said when asked to name a few of her favorite features. “And because it sits up so high on the block you get this pretty view of the neighborhood. It also has fun and interesting art deco vibes and some mid-century vibes.”
And then there’s the kitchen with its bright, fun pop of color.
“I love the blue kitchen,” Brown said. “The kitchen has bright blue cabinets, which some people were not all that keen to, but I think it’s just so vibrant. It’s so fantastic. The blue tile is in phenomenal shape and really accents (the room). It’s a cool feature that you don’t often get.”
An elegant brick retaining wall and facade bring great curb appeal and a stately feel to the residence. Once inside, the home opens up and lends itself to easy large-scale entertaining. The ceilings are tall and bedrooms are spacious.
A large primary suite comes with two closets, one with a set of built-ins, and a fireplace.
Brown said another attractive feature is the 300-square-foot finished basement, not included in the overall square footage, which could be used in a number of ways, such as for a game room, home gym, home theater or storage space.
“There are a significant number of homes in that era that had basements, but not all of them end up getting finished,” she said. “That’s something that is always a huge value-add in real estate.”
Outside, there’s a covered tile patio, as well as a side patio, two fountains and a two-car attached garage.
There’s a whole-house fan and a large indoor laundry room, too.
The sale is pending after multiple offers came in, Brown said. The deal is expected to be finalized soon. The exact asking price is $1.089 million. The home last sold for $800,000 in 2015, according to public records.
Nelsen announced late last year that he is retiring this July.
