June 16, 2008
All Aboard the Foreclosure Bus
Someday, we’ll all look back at this period in disbelief—a time when everyone knew that the “foreclosure theme song” meant the chirping of a neglected smoke alarm with low batteries in an abandoned home; and the term “foreclosure bus” referred to busloads of potential buyers visiting such homes, calmly viewing kicked-in doors and abandoned childrens’ toys without a flicker of concern.
Cindi Hagley, a stand-up comic and broker-associate in San Ramon, provides trivia contests, prizes (such as A’s tickets and vacations) and “get to know you” games on her “luxury limo bus” tour of Tri-Valley foreclosures, the San Francisco Chronicle tells us. How fun for the participants as they prepare to cash in on others’ misfortune. Okay, okay, I am happy for those hardworking, thrifty renters who can finally buy a house, I really am. But I feel bad for the children (and abandoned pets) in these scenarios, forced to leave homes and schools they like, their lives disrupted for reasons they can’t understand.
So, having shed a tear for those whose loss is our gain, here’s a list of bank-owned foreclosures in Martinez. This is a city worth considering; it’s home to a Shell Oil refinery, and the smell is perceptible in some parts of town, but not all, so don’t necessarily cross it off your list for that reason. (Photo: respres on flickr.)
920 Walnut Street, Martinez: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath; $269,900. (Square footage not given).
320 Robinson Street, Martinez: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,184 sq ft; $275,000; $232 per sq ft.
1413 Court Street, Martinez: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,078 sq ft; $335,000; $312 per sq ft.
730 Palm Avenue, Martinez: 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,116 sq ft; $350,000; $314 per sq ft.
sc said:
Can you please post the SFR forclosures in Walnut Creek, LAfayette, and Orinda? Are there any?
June 17, 2008 1:48 PM
Janis Mara said:
Hey there, sc! Glad you asked that question. For those of you who aren’t hip to the lingo, SFR stands for Single Family Residence (so many of our Sweet Digs readers are sophisticated in the real estate realm, this may not be necessary, but just in case).
sc, that’s a great question. I just quickly checked for Walnut Creek and found four SFR, bank-owned properties on Redfin. Here’s an idea: to do this yourself, go to www.redfin.com; put “Walnut Creek” in the search box; click on “Price, Listings,” which appears to the right of the search box; then choose “House” and “Bank-owned properties.” To find Lafayette and Orinda, just substitute those cities’ names in the search box. Happy Hunting - let us know how it goes!
June 18, 2008 9:43 PM