The Race Is On for These 3 Listings

It's Olympics season, but you don't have to be in Paris to enjoy a race for the gold.

Just pull up a seat and check out what's going on up on the plateau in the Sand Section.

Three Spanish-style homes are now competing for buyers' attention:

• All were built within a 5-year period (2000-2005).
• Two are next-door neighbors on 31st St., while one is 2 blocks over on 29th.
• Prices range from about $4M to $4.9M.

Who will get gold, silver and bronze in this competition for buyers' dollars?

Let's take a good look at each of the racers.

468 31st (5br/5ba, 3745 sqft.) was first to the line, hitting the MLS on June 3.

The 2000-built home is marginally the smallest of the three in this particular competition.

It's officially described as a "stunning Spanish Mission Colonial style home," featuring 4br together on the middle level, big, open spaces up top, and a first floor that features a beachy-themed bonus room apparently carved out of an extra parking spot on that lowest level. The attractive stone entry area and covered outdoor patio in front make for a nice hangout space where you'd hope to see and talk to neighbors all the time.

The property's vacant, painted, cleaned and staged, making it somewhat easy to "see" as it stands, and as to potential.

At this writing, the home is still priced at its start: $4.599M, and has 57 DOM.

468 31st is listed by Kevin Sanderson, Vista Sotheby’s International Realty.

Next-door neighbor 464 31st (4br/5ba, 4026 sqft.) came online on the MLS just a few days after 468, with an official start date of June 6. Both homes debuted with brokers' and public open houses on the same weekend. This one is at 54 DOM at this writing.

This 2003 build features an entry on the middle level, warm walnut flooring throughout, a sizable primary suite up front on the middle floor with 2 more ensuite bedrooms in the back, and then, downstairs, a sizable den/family room with a smallish bedroom (the 4th). Upstairs, there are living spaces at the front and back, with the kitchen and dining in the middle. The spaces are somewhat compartmented.

The home was occupied at the time of our visit, and therefore a little busier and fuller, but it's not too hard to see and understand the property.

Of the three "racers" we're discussing here today, only 464 here has made any price cuts – going from $4.496M down to $3.995M, with the most recent cut just a few days ago. That latest cut created a gap of over $900K between the highest and lowest prices among these three Spanish homes on the plateau.

464 31st is listed by Donna Sallen, RE/MAX Gold Coast REALTORS.

444 29th (5br/5ba, 4236 sqft.) gave the other two homes a head start of two weeks, starting on the MLS on June 20. It's at just 40 DOM as we write.

This one is also the newest and priciest of the 3 listings: a 2005 build with a current asking price of $4.899M.

The wood flooring and beams are uncommonly light in color, matched with some exterior slate tile and interior travertine from the original build. However, these style details are counterbalanced by much more current white marble counters and flooring in the kitchen, primary bath and some other spots. What may have had more of a Mediterranean flavor originally now has a reasonably modern Spanish type vibe today.

444 29th is listed by David Caskey, eXp Realty of California Inc.

For buyers looking to get into the Sand Section, specifically in the distinctive "flats" north of Grand View (the Plateau), suddenly, there's been a significant selection to sift through. In fact, there's only one more home on a full-sized lot in the neighborhood, a more traditional-style home further north at 459 35th.

These three Spanish homes are basically begging every buyer to take a look and compare.

Which floorplan will buyers like more?

Which finishes?

Which location?

What price?

It's taking a while for the race to take shape, but we'll check in as each competitor closes in on a "finish line" for their own marketing, and either makes a deal or closes. Watch this space.