This house, 809 Lamplight in La Jolla, sold for $730,000 in 2002. I remember the house from then. It was one of the creepiest in all of La Jolla, decorated like a low-rent, musty version of the Playboy mansion. Made you feel like a sex offender had been holed up in it.

I did think at the time that it was a good opportunity to be remodeled at a profit, but it would have been a big project and even in 2002 prices seemed high. The house has some unchangeable drawbacks: little useable yard (they have improved this), on a noisy main street, and too low down on La Jolla Mesa to have a view.

It has been completely rebuilt, and nicely. I don’t know how much was done before and after the November 2006 sale at $1,800,000.