1722 VIEW Rd, San Lorenzo Valley, CA 95018 | MLS# 80936268
1722 VIEW Rd San Lorenzo Valley, CA 95018
Price: $449,000

Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: -
Lot Size: 0.97 Acres
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Cabin
Stories: 2
View: Green Belt, Mountains, Canyon
Year Built: 1978
Community: Felton
County: Santa Cruz
MLS#: 80936268
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 5 days
Talk of the town! Absolutely adorable Log Cabin Home in the Forest Lakes community. Custom built as a vacation home for a San Francisco family. Attention to detail and quality construction make it feel almost new yet a blast from the past. Looks and feels authentic with a warm feeling like no other. Enjoy the two large decks and live with nature. End of the road access to the best hiking and biking

It’s Friday! Let’s kick it off with an entry from Burbed reader Ruth.

I actually had to look up where San Lorenzo Valley was. Wow, talk about a vacation home. Just look at that picture.

And this one:

Ruth was a bit amazed at the colors of this house. Me too!

Frankly, I’m wondering if this is an illustration or HDR photography.

But let’s talk about the fact that this house is the talk of town. What town exactly is it that people are talking about this? San Lorenzo Valley? San Francisco? And under what context would people be talking about it? So many questions! So few answers!

Are they talking about this vacation house in your town?

831 JACKSON St, Mountain View, CA 94043 | MLS# 80935440
831 JACKSON St Mountain View, CA 94043
Price: $389,000

Beds: 2
Baths: 1.5
Sq. Ft.: 1,056
$/Sq. Ft.: $368
Lot Size: 3,468 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
View: Green Belt
Year Built: 1920
Community: North Shoreline
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80935440
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 10 days
LAND VALUE ONLY. DO NOT DISTURB OCCUPANTS!!!! Elderly person in the home. DRIVE-BY ONLY PLEASE!! Property is a tear down. Both lots must be sold together: Jackson Alley(MLS#80935436) & Jackson ST. Property faces the greenbelt. Write offer subject to inspection.

Huh. Well that’s peculiar. Let’s take a look at the matching property:

0 STIERLIN Rd, Mountain View, CA 94043 | MLS# 80935436
0 STIERLIN Rd (Unable to map) Mountain View, CA 94043
Price: $389,000

Beds: -
Baths: -
Sq. Ft.: -
Lot Size: 4,218 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Residential Land (Single Family)
View: Neighborhood
Community: North Shoreline
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80935436
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 10 days
Build to suit. “Private setting. ” LOT IS LOCATED ON JACKSON ALLEY, NOT STIERLIN RD. Property within 2 blocks of downtown Mt. View, Caltrain, VTA, & local restaurants. Close to Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, & Nasa. Water lines installed. Utilities available. Sold together with 831 Jackson St. ,MV MLS#80935456

Thanks to Burbed reader Herve for this peculiar find.

Let’s face it, Silicon Valley is the center of innovation. Nothing is invented anywhere except here. And now… the concept of easy to share houses!

So I think this is how it works, you and your buddy go buy the houses together, and then you profit!

On each of these lots, you can probably build a 1500 sqft house. That’s just another $375k on top of the land value.

If this isn’t the definition of entry level, I don’t know what is. So get on escalator of riches already and zoom up!

Let’s be thankful the senior resident offered a deal like this. Phew!

19420 BAINTER Ave, Saratoga, CA 95030 | MLS# 80845205
19420 BAINTER Ave
Saratoga, CA 95030
Price: $2,500,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 3.5
SQ. FT.: 5,000
$/SQ. FT.: $500
LOT SIZE: 1 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 1999
COMMUNITY: Saratoga
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80845205
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 262 days
BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS!!! A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH THIS 5000SF HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN A PRIME AREA. THE SITE HAS BEEN RED TAGGED BY THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA. SELLER HIGHLY MOTIVATED.

Thanks to Burbed reader Nomadic for this find.

Ok, I’m perplexed. This house was built in 1999? Really? I guess this house entered some sort of time space anomaly and came out at the end in 2009 half finished. It’s like the Series Finale of Star Trek: TNG where Picard keeps jumping through time to figure out why things are going wrong.

But that’s just my theory. This is what Nomadic had to say:

Here’s a real gem in Saratoga.  To put it in context a little bit, inventory is up 9% (month over month) and sales $/sf is currently $582 per Redfin.  This unfinished nightmare has a big lot but it’s a 5,000 sf shell that doesn’t have the basics like windows, a roof, etc. and they still hope to get $500/sf for it.  And I really hope the year built isn’t really 1999…  It’s also an odd flag lot that looks completely inaccessible to a road on the map.

Let’s take a look:

Huh. Well look at that. Good thing you have a teleporter.

So now you know what red tagged means in Santa Clara – it’s red tagged because of unusual phenomenon.

Maybe you can mine for dilthium crystals underneath!

Thanks Nomadic!

130 MAPLE Ln, East Palo Alto, CA 94303 | MLS# 80923674
130 MAPLE Ln East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Price: $549,000

Beds: 4
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 2,150
$/Sq. Ft.: $255
Lot Size: 2,422 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Contemporary
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 2006
Community: East of U.S. 101
County: San Mateo
MLS#: 80923674
Source: MLSListings
Status: Pending Without Release
On Redfin: 66 days
Top-of-the-line, luxury home built in 2006,just minutes to the heart of Palo Alto! Upscale living room w/ cathedral ceilings & gas log fireplace. High ceilings throughout. Expansive gourmet kitchen w/ cherry wood floors, granite slab, island, exquisite cabinets & stainless appliances. Great investment or enjoy a quality home close to Palo Alto!

Thanks to Burbed reader Herve for this find.

The fact that there’s a Jaguar in this picture is telling. It says: “Buy this house, with the ridiculously tall front door arch, so you too can be the owner of a Jaguar.”

Or perhaps it says: “Come home to 130 Maple Lane in East Palo Alto – you’ve made it. You’re a successful executive, driving a luxury car from a company that also makes the cheapest car in the world.”

You’ll come home each day… race up (and up and up and up) those steps, to burst onto the balcony and enjoy a relaxing mai tai, as you stare at the sun setting over the mountains, and looking down at your Jaguar – wondering if it is leaking oil again – and embracing your success.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sold!

21976 MCCLELLAN Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014 | MLS# 80933440
21976 MCCLELLAN Rd Cupertino, CA 95014
Price: $895,000

Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 832
$/Sq. Ft.: $1,076
Lot Size: 7,840 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Spanish
Stories: 1
Year Built: 1956
Community: Cupertino
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80933440
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 8 days
A chance to live in a great neighborhood! Nice Driveway leads to this charming home on a large lot. Quiet location away from street. Walking distance to Top schools (Monta Vista, Kennedy & Lincoln). Large, well manicured backyard to entertain guests. Ample parking space outside in front of 2 car garage. Walk to parks and golf course. Great potential to expand, build new home, or rent.

As we continue to wait for our saviour, Jesus Christ 15% annual year over year home value appreciation, some will suffer. This Cupertino house is one of them.

At just $1076 per square feet, I really feel for this owner. Just a year ago, this probably would’ve sold for $1576 per square foot. But… his loss is your gain. Just check out this hot kitchen you’re getting:

Check out the array of colors in this staged house. Can you say “Googly”?

But more importantly, let’s check out the aerial view:

Check it out! Walking distance to the Bay Area’s famous De Anza College! And check out that interesting driveway – wow it’s like having a private street!!

Here’s an idea… just put up an arm there so that when the lot at De Anza gets full, you can offer parking! Sweet! Monetization! Cha-ching!!

Silicon Valley’s Jobless Unplug From Tech – WSJ.com
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Jobless workers in Silicon Valley are giving up on the region’s dominant technology industry and trying to switch to other fields, as the area’s unemployment rate spikes above the national and state average.

…

As a result, Silicon Valley’s unemployment rate — which was below California’s average and largely tracked the national average last year — has soared, surpassing the state average in May. By June, the area’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 11.8%, worse than California’s 11.6% and the national rate of 9.7%, according to the latest figures from California’s Employment Development Department. The rate of job losses was particularly steep in sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, where employment dropped more than 13% in June from a year earlier.

Blah blah blah. Ignore the fake doom and gloom news. The reality is that while tech might be ramping down a little, it’s only to take a breather before Silicon Valley reinvents itself as the world’s major clean energy industry center.

But… even before we reach that, let’s look at this fascinating tidbit:

That’s partly the situation facing Bernie Maloney, 46, who was laid off from Hewlett-Packard Co. as a project manager last year after a 16-year career there. Mr. Maloney has been looking for a tech job that would allow him to create and launch products. But job interviews have so far been “very thin for me,” he says.

After joining ProMatch in June, Mr. Maloney widened his job search to clean-energy companies and biomedical-device firms. He says he has gotten some traction with clean-energy companies, but suspects it will take several more months to land a job. “I’m looking at this as an opportunity to look at other fields,” says Mr. Maloney, who made $175,000 a year at H-P, excluding bonus.

It just goes to show… the average tech guy makes an average $175,000 in salary (before bonus) in Silicon Valley.

Once green tech rolls in – we’re looking at $250,000. With two earners (because A people marry A people) – $500,000. Using the rule that a house should be no more than 6x your salary: $3,000,000

Is it just me or is the future looking amazingly bright?

Fleeing Silicon Valley – Part 1
Thousands of people are fleeing Silicon Valley; and, it not just migrant workers but also skilled workers. They all say the same thing – that opportunities exist in more places today and the opportunity costs are much lower. The economics of Silicon Valley are not working as they used to.

In fact, it’s hard to get a moving truck in Silicon Valley and it costs about $3800 to rent a U-Haul truck from San Jose to the Mid West, but only $1500 to move the other way. This is because far more people are moving out of the Bay Area than are moving in. The exodus has been going on since 2005 but has accelerated due to the down turn, residential rents are falling and top tier office rent is down 25% in a year. Many in Silicon Valley aren’t even aware of the exodus, they are working even harder just to keep up, in a ecosystem where the opportunities are shrinking and resources are getting expensive.

Recently, a friend on mine quit his $200,000 VP job at a public company in Silicon Valley to move to North Carolina to work for 25% less. He said in North Carolina, things cost much less and you can buy the best house in the best neighborhood for $500,000. Something that is not attainable in Silicon Valley.

Wowsers. I totally missed this piece written in April!

How dare WebGuild publish such blasphemy. At Google, I think they would call this “not googly”. Here at Burbed, I think it’s definitely “not burbedly”!

The Bay Area is the only place in the world with good weather, smart people, great sushi, tech companies, venture capitalists, and the Bay Area. I 100% guarantee you won’t find any other place with those qualities!

Frankly, I’m not sure how WebGuild can claim that people are fleeing. The only people I personally know who are leaving are losers like doctors who have no reason being here anyway. They’ll never become rich like all the tech people! What do they have to offer? Besides, I’m sure Ruby on Rails can eventually replace their services in some form or another.

Let’s face it, this piece was nothing but link bait for web guild. There is nothing bad going on in Silicon Valley. There never has been. Now let’s resume our focus on beating New York Manhattan in being expensive and exclusive, and watch out to make sure Seattle doesn’t creep up on us!

It’s Saturday. Time for Burbed’s book of the week!

The Part-Time Real Estate Investor: How to Generate Huge Profits While Keeping Your Day Job

Fortune Magazine states, 97 out of 100 self-made millionaires made their fortunes through Real Estate Investing, and the next 10 years will be a Golden Era for the informed Real Estate Investor. If you are saying to yourself That sounds great but I can t quit my job and begin investing full time. I ve got bills, kids in school, car payments, and a mortgage to support, you re in luck. This new book is for you! You will learn how to become a skilled professional Real Estate Investor who can generate thousands, and yes, even millions of dollars, in your spare time. Unlike starting a retail business where you need to be there every day, you can work a full-time job and invest in real estate on the side, and reap huge profits. The key is time. The real estate investing business is a perfect part-time business because real estate is a business where the assets appreciate and cash flow is generated even when you are absent. This new book will give you the information and advice necessary to buy, finance, and successfully manage a small number of positive cash flow producing properties in your spare time. Investing in real estate is one of the safest and smartest investments you can make. Real estate appreciates at a rate far greater than the rate of inflation, builds equity, provides a steady return on investment, provides cash flow, and can offer substantial tax benefits. With the sound guidance in this book you will be able to retire comfortably and EARLY! A sampling of what s covered in this encyclopedic book includes: how to find below-market deals, investing with little or no down payment, seller financing, foreclosures and REOs, investment property, negotiating, purchase offers, managing rental property, flipping, auctions, tax sales, financing, mortgage terms, agents, cash flow, inspections, contracts, tenants, lease agreements, insurance, taxes and accounting, escrow, essential mathematical calculations, sample forms, development, taxation, exchange rules

Let’s face it, most average tech employees have tons of free time. You get to work at 10, you leave at 5, and you play tons of foosball in between. (What? You don’t?)

Why not use that time to become rich? In your spare time, you can be dealin’ and wheelin’. Just like how you were day trading back in 1998! Nothing could possibly go wrong!

What’s notable is that all the reviews are positive. So… that definitely means this is a good buy.

And when you do become wealthy from this part time endeavor, please help this site out, click this link to learn more!