Berkeley: The Real Story On Sales Prices

One of the best indications of the health of the property market is what homes actually sell for compared to their asking prices.

This cute 3/1 bungalow at 2748 Matthews Street (pictured above and reviewed by me in March here), directly opposite Berkeley’s infamous Tardigrade house, sold for $655,000, 6% more than its asking price of $619,000. The house had been freshly decorated and I felt like it would have made a great starter home.

Then there’s this peaceful 1940s home at 35 Quail Avenue (above) which I reviewed in March. It went for $925,000, 3% above its asking price of $895,000.

This 1939, 3/2 home at 1184 Keeler Avenue designed by Elizabeth Austin (above — reviewed by me here) sold for $1,181,000, 21% above its asking price of $975,000.

The price paid per square foot of each of these homes was $570, $435, and $680 respectively.

It’s true that these three homes all had instant appeal — at least to me — but if these examples are anything to go by — one in the west of the city and two in the hills — it doesn’t seem as if news of the real-estate slump has reached Berkeley yet.