Berkeley Home Price Reductions Are Kicking in Faster
That’s how it feels to me as I peruse the Sunday open-house list or scan the Redfin data of homes on the market. I have seen homes reduced after barely two weeks on the MLS.
Here’s my pick of this week’s reductions that caught my fancy:
285 Stonewall Road (pictured above): This home isn’t for everyone, but someone is going to fall in love, grab it and refuse to let go. Designed by architect Max Jacobson in the 1980s, it was ahead of the curve in having a thermal sink heat system. It is very “Zen” with a dedicated meditation space and soaking tub. It also has several decks overlooking the Claremont hills; a professional office and walk-in pantry. Its price is down from $1,250,000 to $1,175,000.
250 The Uplands: I had to write about this one as I visited it over the weekend and fairly swooned at how gorgeous it was. (The agent’s photos don’t do it justice, you need to see it in the flesh.) I know, I know… its price is stratospheric, but that’s part of the fun of open-housing. It’s all fantasy land. The setting is glorious (although not the location on a treacherous bend on the street—not to be attempted lightly by foot); the proportions are magnificent, the finishes are sumptuous and all in all I could move in tomorrow if someone could just see fit to give me $3,395,000 (down from $3.6 million after 53 days on the market). It last sold for $2.1m in October 2001. One visitor from San Francisco said he thought the city had nothing to compare with this house. A celebrity literary couple were also viewing it at the same time as I was there so you might have to act quickly if you want to snap this one up.
780 Spruce Street: This 4/3.5 powder-blue mid-century modern with fabulous Bay views comes in at $365/sq ft after being reduced from $1,125,000 to $1,075,000 after just 23 days on the market. I haven’t seen inside this one but it looks like it has some nice features—floor-to-ceiling windows, granite worktops, wood-beamed ceilings, large decks—and it’s a spacious 2,985 sq ft.
