County Cost Comparison: Part III

Preview »Here we are in week 3 of our series on county cost comparisons. We began with homes at or under $500,000, moved to the $750,000 price point last week, and now we have hit a cool mil (with search parameters between $990,000 and $1,000,000). I originally chose two cities randomly in each county (except for SF), and I am using the same cities each week to be consistent, and only single family homes will be analyzed (no condo, townhouse or TIC). And to reiterate: each price point from now on will have more than one property at or near that dollar amount, so I will be choosing one based on…what I myself would buy if I had to choose. This could be based on square footage, architectural style, location, or my favorite: a kick-ass kitchen. I realize this is a bit subjective (well, more than a bit), but there is no real objective way to do it that I could think of. Last week we had several people suggest that my choices were unreasonable or “horrible” because one had only 1 bathroom. While I disagree, should you think of a better way to do this, let me know in the Comment Section and I will reconsider my selfish ways.

Having reached the $1,000,000 category, we finally have a home to compare in Orinda, which strangely had no listings the last two weeks. Today Orinda had 2 between $990k and $1m and they were very different—a smaller 2/2 which is on a 31,0000 sf lot and a bit more remote and one that is slightly larger with 4 bedrooms on an 11000 sf lot. It was a tough call. Here is the full list:

Mountain View: 148 College Street, 4/3, 1873 sf, 15 acre lot $995,000 DOM: 8. I chose this home because I liked the computer-generated modern design, however there are quite a few contradictory things going on. The design looks new but the listing shows it as 50 years old. The map shows a standard lot, but the listing shows the home being on 15 acres (more like .15). It is a detached SFR but the listing shows that the “homes” are well appointed, but the neighboring home for sale at 154 College is nothing like this home, so I am unsure what “homes” they are referring to. Still, good chi and a full basement media room make this house a winner.
Santa Clara: 3303 Duke Court, 5/3, 2116 sf, 10,454 sf lot, $995,000 DOM: 31. Of the 3 homes between $990,000 and $1mil, this one seemed to have the best location, largest lot, and largest home. A traditional style home, it is located on a cul-de-sac and has a large yard with bonus playhouse.

Menlo Park: 795 Arnold Way, 3/1.5, Slim pickins in this town. All 3 listings between $990k and $1mil were east of Middlefield, two of them literally across the concrete wall from Highway 101, so this is the lesser of the evils. Located one block off Willow Road, it looks to be adjacent to a church or commercial structure. It only has 1.5 baths and is a tiny 910 sf, but it is newly remodeled and the garage has been converted to guest quarters with private entrance and yard, as well as a full bath.
San Mateo: 1898 Randall Road, 3/2, 2000 sf, 9030 sf lot, $1,000,000 DOM: 17. This home is located in Baywood Park, on the north side off Highway 92. The home is in good shape, albeit with a bit too much wallpaper. There is a nice back patio, but the backyard landscaping is a bit tired and could use some freshening.

San Francisco: 2031 Anza Street, 3/1, 1740 sf, $995,000 DOM: 31. I loved this Edwardian in the Inner Richmond, beautiful wood wainscoting and built-in hutch in the dining room, nice updated kitchen, bonus sunroom, deck and nice yard. And there is an additional bath on garage level, as well as ¼ bath off kitchen (for those of you counting toilets….)
4264 22nd Street, 2/2. 1500 sf, $995,000 DOM: 4. I couldn’t resist this Victorian in the Noe Vallley. One of my favorite neighborhoods, this home has two decks, a really nice backyard, as well as remodeled kitchen and baths.

Novato: 832 Albatross Way, 4/2.5, 2976 sf, .44 acre lot, $995,000 DOM: 59. You get close to a half an acre with this home, almost unheard of in the Bay Area at this price. Multi-level 30-year-old home in good condition with nice kitchen and upgrades/updates throughout.
San Rafael: 863 Butternut, 4/2, 2230 sf, 9936 sf lot, $999,000 DOM 48. This home has been reduced $100k and I would agree with the listing agent that this is a good value. The front gate and courtyard are inviting, but spell privacy for the homeowners. There is a great room or living room, in addition to the family room off the kitchen. French doors lead to a brick patio with spa, and expanse of lawn and mature landscaping.

Alameda: 370 Bryant Ave., 5/3, 2805 sf, 3920 sf lot, $998,000 DOM: 90+. This 2-year-old home is located near College of Alameda and undeveloped housing sites. With a Mediterranean exterior, the interior appears light and bright with good-sized rooms, as well as a great kitchen. This is in a development, and HOA are $119/mo.
Pleasanton: 2009 Foxswallow Rd. 5/3, 2560 sf, 7860 sf lot, $997,000 DOM: 49. This was a tough call, as most of the homes had a location problem, so I went with a good-sized bang for your buck home. Plenty of room to move around in, lots of bedrooms, and a very nice pool in the back yard, to boot.

Concord: 758 Ygnacio Woods Court, 4/3, 3117 sf, 8300 sf lot, $998,000 DOM: 90+. Close to Lime Ridge Open Space, this is a 13-year-old two-story home with high ceilings, nice layout, and a great backyard for entertaining (including pool).
Orinda: 54 Diablo View Drive, 2/2, 1656 sf, .71 acre lot, $995,000 DOM: 48. I like the larger lot on this home and the larger kitchen. There is a nice deck, a great view, and I envision building an office somewhere for myself on the property.