Archive for September, 2007
September 28, 2007
If you’re interested in exploring Richmond as a possible place to live, this weekend would be a good time to do so. The Home Front Festival by the Bay is going on at the Rosie the Riveter Home Front/World War II National Historical Park at Marina Bay and other Richmond locations.
This national park on Richmond’s waterfront commemorates the brave women who welded, hammered and otherwise helped build ships during that war, and draws visitors from all over the country. The festival takes place Saturday and Sunday and has food, arts and crafts vendors, street theater, music and kid’s activities.
Also on Saturday are tours of the Red Oak Victory ship at Shipyard #3. On Sunday, there’s a 5k/10k run along the Bay Trail, which runs throughout Richmond on the water (and then into neighboring cities). For more information, check the Web site. There’s a lotta cool stuff going on in Richmond, as a reader commented on an earlier post of mine, and this is a good example.
September 28, 2007
The median price of a home in Contra Costa County was $570,000 in August 2007, exactly the same as August 2006, according to DataQuick Information Systems. Though this might seem to suggest stability, it’s probably more an indication of how much things have slowed down.
July home prices in Richmond’s North and East neighborhood, which is bounded by San Pablo Avenue to the east, 23rd Street to the west, MacDonald Avenue to the south and the city of San Pablo to the north, do a better job of telling the story.
Seven properties sold in July, roughly two-thirds fewer than in 2004 when the real estate boom was still raging, according to 20-year North and East Realtor Michael J. (that’s what he goes by). Three of them sold under asking price - actually five if you count credits given by the sellers. (Photo by Editor B)
September 28, 2007
Lake Merced, Stern Grove, Ocean Beach, Sloat, Fort Funston, Pine Lake Park… You can live within walking distance to them all. Here’s a map to prove it, and 4 listings you can check out (after your hike, swim, rowing, biking, picnic, of course) this weekend:
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$1,499,000
Open Sat 9/22 2 - 4pm, Sun 9/23 2 - 4pm
2 bed / 1 bath
2930 24th Avenue
$899,000
Open Sat 9/22 2 - 4pm, Sun 9/23 2 - 4pm
123 Meadowbrook Dr.
$728,888
Open Sun 9/23 1 - 4pm
1386-1388 47th Avenue
$1,049,000
Open Sat 9/22 2 - 5pm, Sun 9/23 2 - 5pm
1401 Eucalyptus Dr.
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September 28, 2007
Back in July, I posted a picture of an upcoming spec house at 144 Seale Ave (Palo Alto: Casa Nueva with “Wine Cave”), which originally was going to be listed for $5,195,000 by Linq Properties.
This week this house finally went on the market for $6,485,000, a whooping $1,290,000 more than the original price, and $3,487,000 more than the similar new spec house on the block (120 Seale), which has been listed on Redfin for 106 days.
One can only speculate about the logic of this pricing strategy, given that the market in Palo Alto began softening this month. (And it has a one-car garage.)
144 Seale will be open on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, and now I’ve really got to see that $3.4M wine cave in person.
September 28, 2007
Here is my pick of the open houses to check out this Sunday:
60 Bonnie Lane: a 3/1.5 “English-style” house (pictured right) with oak floors in north Berkeley with partial views. Price: $799,000 ($549/sq ft).
2742 Prince Street: a 3/2 Craftsman on a particularly nice street in The Elmwood. Price: $1,150,000 ($516/sq ft).
88 Fairlawn Drive: a 3/2 contemporary (1950s actually) home with views. Price: $895,000 ($711/sq ft).
1109 Russell Street: a 2/1 ‘bungalow/cabin’ with”large yard”. Price: $579,000 ($529/sq ft).
September 28, 2007
Now that it’s fall, the number of weekends to jump in the car and cruise out to West Marin (i.e. any towns beyond Fairfax) to enjoy the pristine life out in the “country” and inhale the sweet and salt ocean air at Point Reyes are numbered.
West Marin is a prime benefactor of the preservation of open space and the scenery out here is similar to what it was decades ago. Because it’s considered a bit remote, prices in West Marin are “reasonable” relative to other Marin towns. Though it makes for a tough commute if you work in SF, you will definitely get more bang for your buck out here…not to mention serenity and a lifestyle unique to the bay area.
If you are heading out on Sir Francis Drake to Point Reyes this Sunday, be sure to stop by these West Marin open houses anytime from 1-4 pm:
80 Hill Ave, Woodacre - 3 Beds, 2 Baths, 1864 SF, $799,000 - Lots of land in this home that needs “…needs some love.”
219 Redwood Dr, Woodacre - 4 Beds, 2 Baths, N/A SF, $950,000 - Creekside setting with a legal second unit to help pay the mortgage.
352 Meadow Way, San Geronimo - 2 Beds, 1 Baths, 1436 SF, $569,000 - Been on the market for almost a year. Price reduced $100K from original listing price.
105 Rosario Rd, Forest Knolls - 3 Beds, 3 Baths, 2600 SF, $1,525,000 - Gorgeous secluded 3 year old country craftsman with all the bells and whistles.
September 28, 2007
Searching from Millbrae to Redwood City, it looks like well over 50 open homes this weekend with the criteria of single family residence with 3 or more bedrooms and under the $1mil mark. I have listed the more interesting ones for each of the cities.
Redwood City
615 Hawes Street, 3/2, 1188 sf, DOM: 23 $749,000 Open Sat 1-4
1938 Maddux Drive, 3/1, 1095 sf, DOM 8,$819,000 Open Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30
San Carlos - None
Belmont
1916 Lyon Avenue, 3/2, 1330 sf, DOM: 15 $889,000 Open Sun 1:30-4:30
322 Upper Lock Avenue, 3/2.5, 2086 sf, DOM: 42 $968,000 Open: Sun 1-4:30
Redwood Shores - None
San Mateo
3981 Casanova Drive, 3/1, 1080 sf, DOM: 3, $738,000 Open Sat/Sun 1:30-4:30
3714 Hacienda Street, 3/1, 1440 sf, DOM 5 $819,000 Open Sun 1-4
Foster City - None
Millbrae
15 Fairview Place. 3/2, 1560 sf, DOM: 4 $875,000 Open Sun 2-4
San Bruno
3900 Coronado Way, 3/2, 1160 sf, DOM: Lots $759,950 Open Sun 1-4
270 Allen Drive, 4/2, 1600-1900 sf, DOM: 2 $815,000 Open Sun 1-4
September 28, 2007
A blast of hot air hit Contra Costa County (the “in” folks call it CoCo County, by the way) over the last few days, reminding us how much we like the area’s usually temperate climate. Here’s a bunch of homes perched on the edge of the water in Point Richmond, a Richmond neighborhood that’s more like a separate city with its marina, its lower crime rate and higher property values. (Photo: jdvolcan.)
213 Seacliff Way, Richmond -$900,000, 3 bedrooms/3.5 baths, 2,255 sq ft
107 Seapoint Court, Richmond - $750,000, bedrooms/baths unavailable, 2,255 sq ft
1307 Sanderling Isle, Richmond - $1,120,000, 2 bedrooms/3 baths, 3,119 sq ft
1301 Quarry Court, Apt. 411, Richmond -$420,000, 1 bedroom/1 bath, 864 sq ft
September 28, 2007
One thing that struck me as I looked at the new listings from September 17-23 was the number over the $1,000,000 mark. Somehow it seemed disproportionate this week, as if all the biggies decided to list all at once, enticing the high-end buyers to get out and look. Of the 36 newbies, 21 are over a million dollars and 3 of those are over two mil. Redwood City is the listing leader with 24 of those 36 listings, with Belmont showing 7 and San Carlos lagging with only 5. Below are the 5 most interesting homes over the million-dollar mark, and 5 that are under.
1178 Virginia Avenue, Redwood City 2/1, 900 sf, $735,000
Cute starter home.
1938 Maddux Drive, Redwood City 3/1, 1095 sf, $819,000
Very well priced, won’t last long.
48 Clinton Street, Redwood City 3/2, 1384 sf, $849,950
Lovingly updated Craftsman with large backyard. Price reflects mixed-use neighborhood (duplexes, apartments and medical offices).
1088 Hewitt Drive, San Carlos 4/2, 1560 sf, $899,000
Lowest price for a home this big in the SC hills. Listing shows property needs work.
1706 Ralston Avenue, Belmont 3/3, 1770 sf, $899,000
Windows, windows, windows. Very nice home, located on busy street, which is reflected in price.
1050 Lakeview Way, Redwood City 4/3.5, 3090 sf. $1,450,000
Like your own cabin in the woods near Upper Lake! Really well done home on 1/3 acre runs on its own solar.
1435 West Selby Lane, Redwood City 4/3, 2050 sf, $1,469,000
This went on the market back in March for $1,450,000. Not sure what happened. Review is here.
33 Pine Avenue, San Carlos 3/3, 2050 sf, $1,499,000
Quarter acre with light and bright home, pool and spa.
377 Roble Avenue, Redwood City 3/3, 2650 sf, $1,995,000
Large home on over half an acre. Separate unit in rear and has potential for subdivision.
747 Hillcrest Way, Redwood City 3/2.5, 2600 sf, $2,245,000
WOW factor on this one – high-end remodel of 1928 home, which has been featured in Sunset and Vogue Living.
September 28, 2007
…I got a wee bit excited about today’s Daily Stats leader—a SFR in the nice Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose for only $699,000. On the market for less than a week, 2266 Plummer is a large (1,112 sf) rancher with 2 bedroom and 1 bath. While the number of bedrooms is small in today’s market, it can make for a great starter home, particularly when the home sits on a lot of almost 10,000 square feet. But then I noticed that it was pretty close to Curtner Avenue, a main thoroughfare, and by zooming in on the property (gotta love those Virtual Earth maps!) I found that it backs up to a commercial building and parking lot. It is hard to tell if it is a medical or office building, which would be fairly innocuous due to its M-F 9-5 hours, or if it is a restaurant or other long-hour enterprise, which would make it less desirable. Then I tried to read between the lines. While the house is nothing fancy, it looks clean from the outside, with newer fence and simple but living landscaping. And while the listing says it is very clean and ready to move in to, there are no interior shots to prove this, making me wonder what it is not showing. I did find that there is a separate living unit on the property, but I am not sure if one of the photos illustrates this, or if it is legal or even livable. Seems like I have more questions than answers, meaning the agent did not do a very good job with this listing description. And the saddest part is that someone bought this home back in February for $950,000. Ouch. Nothing like losing $251,000 in exactly 7 months.
Recent Sweet Digs Bay Area Posts:
A Tale of Two Cities: Contra Costa Open Homes
Do You Dream Of Growing Your Own Grapes?
Interesting Numbers
What’s Your Quake Risk?
DIY Property Photo Tips
SF: Beach Access, Part 3: Crissy Field
Oakland: Waiting for the Phone to Ring
