Mission Bay Coastal House

The pool runs the length of the lawn with a square spa at one end. It is heated and saltwater, and at dusk it lights turquoise while the sky over the bay turns orange and violet. The outlook is water: a broad blue bay, a long sandy spit and a low headland on the far side, out to the ocean.

Inside is white and vaulted, with exposed white beams, pale wide-plank oak floors and a plaster fireplace with the television above it. Glazed doors open onto a covered terrace with a high wood counter and bar stools facing the lawn, so the living room and the pool work as one space. The kitchen has a marble-look waterfall island with three stools, a stainless range and a double gas oven, which matters when fourteen people are staying and one of them is cooking.

Four bedrooms hold eight beds, including a room with two metal-framed bunks; the bathrooms have oak double vanities and bidets. The street is residential, so quiet hours apply and parties or events need prior approval, you must climb stairs to use the house, and the pool and spa are used at your own risk.