Bay Area Sweet Digs

July 30, 2008

Hella Good Deals in Hercules

212549442 4a1f85402b m Hella Good Deals in Hercules

Reader Brandon commented that Pinole, a town I recently showcased, is on the decline, and recommended Hercules as a better bet in that general area. According to Brandon, Pinole was a great bedroom community several years ago, but now sadly crime is up in the town. These towns on the northern-ish end of the Interstate 80 corridor can be nice because they’re nowhere near as painfully far out as, say, Tracy or Walnut Creek or Martinez, and the prices are quite reasonable and the homes attractive.

Brandon recommended nearby Hercules, so here’s a look-see at some seemingly sweet deals there.

2361 Redwood Road, Hercules: Was $530,000, now $510,000. 4 bedrooms/3 baths, 2,409 sq ft. This is a single-family home that looks quite nice in the single photo with the listing. Uncharacteristically for a real estate agent, the listing says only, “Nicely kept home with large lot.” Worth checking out!

349 Sextant Court, Hercules: Was $239,500, now $229,900. 2 bedrooms/2 baths, 986 sq ft. This is a condo with $200 monthly dues. the exterior looks nice in the photo, though photo is a tad blurry.

374 North Wildwood, Hercules: Foreclosure, $327,900. 3 bedrooms/2 baths, 1,707 sq ft. This is a condo with, the listing tells us, assessed value of $562,240. Owned by Countrywide, a lender we’ve heard a lot about lately.

214 Meadowlark Way, Hercules: Foreclosure, $499,900. 5 bedrooms/3 baths, 2,188. This is a single-family residence with a minimum estimated value of $541,254. Somebody could get lucky on this one. Let us know if you pursue any of these! (Photo of Hercules: Will Palmer on flickr.)

Posted by Janis Mara on July 30, 2008 12:37 PM | del.icio.us | Digg

  • Kaydee, that's valuable feedback, thanks! Though personally, I'd choose a place with fast-moving traffic, because I can anticipate the problem and come up with coping strategies, as opposed to other problems that are harder to compensate for, like lack of amenities or crime. Are there grocery stores, movie theaters, coffeeshops?

    I agree with Linda - your points are well-taken, Brandon, and shine a light on some realities that are seldom discussed, almost like myth-busting. Linda's right, though, even though it may overrated, the presence of good schools is an indicator of value.
  • linda
    Great points Brandon- I do think parents worry a lot more schools now a days. But, regardless, places with better schools keep their value in a bad market.
  • Kaydee
    We looked at some houses out there, and I was scared by how fast people drive on both Redwood and Lupine. Not for the faint of heart (or those with children)!!
  • Brandon
    Janis,
    In terms of determining real estate values, I think it need to be put in perspective. According to the greatschools.com website that Linda directed us to, the schools in Hercules are par for the course in the East Bay and similar to schools in the adjacent Pinole and San Pablo areas. They are lousy compared to schools in Albany and Orinda, but you can't have caviar with a beer budget.

    If you want to uncover some really alarming trends, look at the specifics of the groups reporting test scores, not just the average rating.
  • Oh! That's an interesting perspective. Do you think perhaps the idea of using schools as a criterion for a good neighborhood is overrated? Or in some cases misguided?
  • Brandon
    I've heard a lot of discussion recently about the quality of schools in the East Bay, and quite frankly I'm not really sure what to believe. I attended a pretty low ranking public high school in SoCal and that didn't prevent me from getting accepted to a top tier university. The valedictorian graduated from Harvard iirc.

    I think lately parents have been blaming the schools as a cop out for taking responsibility for their lazy kids. A motivated person who wants to further their education will find a way. Many of my friends with lofty aspirations took night classes at the local community college concurrent to finishing the last two years of high school.

    I'm not recommending someone send their children to a school where their safety might be in serious jeopardy, but I think it's also important to apply perspective to school rankings.
  • Oooh, great tip, Linda, thanks! An excellent site to add to the list. Anytime you have such a site, don't hesitate to mention.
  • linda
    Yes, but the schools in Hercules don't look too great at greatschools.com.
  • Ahahahahaha that's great, Brandon! Good tip on the "bird" names - I see that one of the properties I mentioned is on Meadowlark, so take note, all! Meanwhile, with regard to "Swallow Way," I am biting my tongue so hard I'm about to start bleeding. That is all. Return to radio silence.
  • Brandon
    Alright, I got a mention! The further you go down Refugio Valley Road the nicer the neighborhood gets. However, the houses in the "bird neighborhood" (streets with bird names) are older and not as well finished so they may come at a lower price. Be prepared for snide remarks when people find out you live on "Swallow Way".
blog comments powered by Disqus

Share

Redfin Blogs

San Francisco Real Estate

Inventory Trends
House $/Sq.Ft.

More Bay Area Homes and Condos

Bay Area New Listings

close