BLACK FRIDAY DEALS continue all this week!  This is the time to find the lowest-prices throughout the Bay Area!  Plus we’ll continue to bring you all the regular Burbed features you expect.

Today, the cheapest house in all of Alameda County!  Woot!  And when we run out of Bay Area Counties, don’t worry, there are plenty of Special Cities to find more DEALS for you.  Feel free to place your requests!

So, Alameda County, where would your absolute rock-bottom cheapest house for sale be?  You have so many excellent contenders for the role, it’s hard to pick just one city!  When I searched for properties under $100K countywide, I got more than 200 results.  Heck, even under $50K I still have to sort ten different houses!  How low can we go?  $40,000?  $30,000?

6024 FORTUNE Way, Oakland, CA 94605
$14,000

BEDS: 1
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 700
$/SQ. FT.: $20
LOT SIZE: 1,800 Sq. Ft.
TYPE: Detached
STORIES: Other
YEAR BUILT: 1923
COMMUNITY: Oakland
COUNTY: Alameda
MLS#: 40549840
SOURCE: EBRD
STATUS: Pending
ON REDFIN: 25 days

Partially burned property. PRICED TO SELL! Great investment opportunity. Make your offer today!

Yes, this one is pending, but the state of this house combined with the street name make it a winner.  And remember, if it’s partially burned, that means it’s partially burn-free!

Great news: the fireplace looks like it’s still standing.

$229,000

 

871 35th St Oakland, CA 94608

 

Beds:	3
Baths:	2
Sq. Ft.:	1,422
$/Sq. Ft.:	$161
Lot Size:	4,560 Sq. Ft.
TYPE:	Detached
STYLE:	Other
STORIES:	2
Year Built:	1910
Community:	Brockhurst
County:	Alameda
MLS#:	40505697
Source:	EBRD
Status:	ActiveThis listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	8 days

Real hardwood, large kitchen, new carpet and paint throughout, huge rear yard. A real Gem!

Thanks to Burbed reader Joe for this find!

First, let’s enjoy the listing photos, which appear to be taken from another website. Classy!

Next, let’s take a gander at the fine location of this house:

What? No mention of the great views of 580?

But the reason why Joe brought this up, and why I’m hoping all the forensic accountants can step up and help us out here is this:

HUH??????????????????????????????????????

Any idea
what happened here?

$88,000

3929 ANGELO Ave Oakland, CA 94619

Beds:	3
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	1,049
$/Sq. Ft.:	$84
Lot Size:	4,370 Sq. Ft.
TYPE:	Detached
STORIES:	1
Year Built:	1906
Community:	Brookdale
County:	Alameda
MLS#:	40503515
Source:	EBRD
Status:	Price ChangeThis listing experienced a price change within the past 7 days. Scroll down this page to the Property History to see the last list price for the home.
On Redfin:	22 days

Contractor special. Fire damaged

Thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for this find!

Wow. What a deal! Just $84 per square foot! And it’s from 1906! That means its historic!

Yeah, it has a little fire damage – but how much could it cost to fix this?

Any takers?

Trulia has yet another view of the perpetual Rent versus Buy debate, and they’ve got lots of colored bubbles to help.  Bubbles are great.  They lead to high housing prices and if you own the house, you get to paint it any color you want (as long as you don’t live in a fascist HOA community).

The map at right is from Trulia’s Rent vs Buy tool.  The rent ratio is calculated by comparing the median list price of a 2 bedroom condo or townhouse listed on Trulia to the average monthly rent, for the 50 largest cities in the United States.

You see the problem right away, don’t you?  2 bedroom condo or townhouse.  Excuse me, but who the heck wants to buy a 2 bedroom condo or townhouse?  Maybe some of us have to (if we want to own anything), but for those who can buy a single-family detached house, the ratio we want is the cost versus the rent of a three bedroom, two bath house with a yard.  Those are difficult to find in San Francisco, and almost nonexistent in New York City, but for everywhere else, such a thing is not only possible but highly desired.

So who cares if Trulia says San Jose has a price to rent ratio of 15 (which puts it right over the line for the BUY column)?  That means BUY don’t rent the condo.  The question is whether to buy the house, and they aren’t helping with that decision.

Here are Trulia’s Rent vs Buy numbers for some cities of interest.  Remember, under 15 means buy, over 20 means rent, and in between, it depends.  Maybe that means live somewhere else.

City	Avg List Price	Avg Rent	Price to Rent Ratio
Fresno	$90,446	$936	8
Sacramento	$152,696	$934	14
Oakland	$278,245	$1,625	14
San Jose	$298,621	$1,691	15
Los Angeles	$491,055	$2,460	17
San Diego	$396,409	$1,670	20
San Francisco	$774,728	$2,996	22
Portland	$307,858	$1,145	22
Seattle	$461,330	$1,546	25
New York City	$1,383,612	$3,538	33

The biggest surprises on the full list?  Omaha, at 26 and Fort Worth at 30, although Trulia notes the Fort Worth sample size was insufficient. These numbers don’t show whether attached housing is seen as a city norm or not, and if not, at what discount does attached housing go for compared to detached.  I suspect the odd results for Omaha and Fort Worth are for that very reason.  There may be so few attached units that the results are meaningless.

So where does San Jose fit on the scale of urban to suburban?  Given the name of this website, perhaps San Jose house price rent ratios are in the thirties.

2580 38TH Ave Oakland, CA 94601

$99,000

Beds:	3
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	1,200
$/Sq. Ft.:	$82
Lot Size:	1,800 Sq. Ft.
TYPE:	Detached
STYLE:	Other
STORIES:	1
Year Built:	1910
Community:	Oakland
County:	Alameda
MLS#:	40451794
Source:	EBRD
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	8 days

Call Leon Washington at 510-638-1087 for any questions. Regular sale

Thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for this find!

Here’s what sonarrat had to say:

Ever wonder how you fit a 1200 sf house on a 1800 sf lot?

yes, that really is the house!

What a curious property! It looks something that would be fitting for the show 24! Is this where the weapons of mass destruction are located? Is this where the “harsh interrogations” happen?

But… no… that really is the house. Go figure!

And… it’s shockingly affordable. At just $82 per square foot, most readers here can probably charge it to a credit card.

Sure… this was probably a zoning mistake:

But hey, their mistake is your gain! Buy it today and rent it out! Start your slumlording today!

1407 23rd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606 – Zillow

For Sale: $780,000

* 2 beds
* 1.0 bath
* Built in 1900

Thanks to Burbed reader Jason for this find. While Jason claims that this is a bargain, I’m a bit perplexed as to what exactly you’re getting. Let’s take a look at some of the other photos:

I don’t get it. Does this include the store front? If so, that’d be pretty awesome as you could turn that into your living room. You could fill it with LCD TVs that you’re buying with equity that you would otherwise be throwing away by renting. And when people walk by, they’ll be incredibly envious of your pride of ownership!

Hey check out what’s going on in the neighborhood:

That’s right… new housing. This area is starting to gentrify. Soon there will be a starbucks, a jamba juice, a babies r us, and 24 cupcake and fro-yo stores! And then your 1900 era propery will suddenly be worth $2 million as yuppies all over will be falling over themselves to buy your house.

What are you waiting for? You can’t possibly lose!

1607 High St, Oakland, CA 94601 MLS# 40409403 – Property Details

$480,000

Status: Active
Bedroom: 4
Bathroom: 2

* Year Built: 1922
* Lot Size: 4869
* Square Footage: 1792
* List Date: 5/9/2009
* Garage Spaces: 0
* MLS#: 40409403
*

See All Homes for Sale in Oakland
Bird’s Eye View Pictures
Description of 1607 High Str, Oakland
Unique property with a detached studio large fenced in area with security gate.Beautiful fireplace, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Presently being use as a business also. Plenty of off street parking. Completley painted in and out. Everything new appliances stay.

Thanks to Burbed reader Sonarrat for this find.

Wow… everything is “completley painted in and out”. And it’s currently being used as a business. Let’s take a look at some close ups!

You’ve gotta admit – it really is painted. Personally, I think there’s something very exquisite about the decor. It’s very much like an old cigar lounge, a back room gentleman’s club kind of ambiance. I wonder if some of the rooms have bear or tiger skins.

One thing that still puzzles me is what kind of business is being run out of this house. Let’s take a closer look outside:

What are your guesses as to what’s going on here?

820 53RD Ave, OAKLAND, CA 94601 | MLS# 40395593
820 53RD Ave OAKLAND, CA 94601
Price: $105,000

Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 603
$/Sq. Ft.: $174
Lot Size: 2,500 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Single Family Detached
Style: Contemporary
Year Built: 1916
Stories: 2
Neighborhood: OAKLAND
Area: Oakland Zip 94601
County: Alameda
MLS#: 40395593
Source: EBRD
Status: Active
On Redfin: 48 days
Cute Home Must See! There are two additional living space that each have two bedrooms, one bathroom and a small kitchen. There is a Total of 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 3 kitchens with three seperate entrances. This home is great for a growing family.

Thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for this find!

Wow… 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens. All in 603 square feet? And just for $105,000?

Forget the fact that affordable housing is now clearly available in Oakland – let’s look at the fact that Oakland now has violated time/space!

The catch is that they didn’t list what dimension those entrances are… or what time they are in.

Any Lost fanatics or Star Trek fanatics that want to step up to explain this? Do we need the power of Q?

2615 Wallace St, Oakland, CA 94606 | MLS# 2935161
2615 Wallace St Oakland, CA 94606
Price: $37,500
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,520
$/Sq. Ft.: $25
Lot Size: 3,454 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Multi-Family
Year Built: 1912
# of Rooms: 9
County: Alameda
Listing #: 2935161
Source: Bank-Listed Foreclosures
Status: Bank Owned
On Redfin: 82 days

Burbed doesn’t usually venture to Oakland, but Burbed reader Jeff thought this $37,500 house was important to share. Here’s what he had to say:

I know Oakland is somewhat offtopic for Burbed, however, this neighborhood is about as interesting as it gets.

First the house itself (theHouse.jpg) with the Christmas lights and three satellite dishes, its boarded up castle next door (neighbor.jpg), and finally an apartment that screams “Timber!!!” (furtherOver.jpg)

Let’s take a look shall we?

Wowsers!

But guess what? If you buy this, you’re looking at $383,000 in instant equity! Here’s what Zillow has to say:

ZESTIMATE®: $420,500   What’s this?
* Value Range: $302,760 – $449,935
* 30-day change: -$17,500
* Zestimate updated: 01/23/2009

Last sale and tax info

Sold 08/11/2008:
$338,960 *

That’s right! It has a Zestimate of $420,500. Can you say free money?

1470 17th Ave, Oakland, CA 94606 MLS# 80784432 – Property Details

$289,000

* Status: Active
* Bedroom: 2
* Bathroom: 2
* Year Built: 1910
* Lot Size: 1498
* Square Footage: 744
* List Date: 3/14/2008
* Garage Spaces: 1

* MLS#: 80784432
Rare opportunity! You can own a single home for less than $300,000. Very cozy 2 bedroom and 2 full baths in a very quite neighborhood. Close to Hwy 880 and walking distance to park. This home has alot of upside potential and ideal for the first time home buyer.

Burbed doesn’t usually venture to Oakland, but since Burbed reader Alex sent this in, I figure I’d share it with you.

Frankly, I’m tired of people complaining that there’s no affordable house in the Bay Area. Oakland is part of the Bay Area, not the Real Bay Area, but the Bay Area nonetheless. This house has very easy access to 880, another draw.

But what I think fascinated Alex the most was some of the photos that the Real Estate agent felt necessary to include. Let’s take look:

Sweet! You get a pair of men’s legs and the right to sleep in your living room. You can totally be all starving artist like here. Like Salvatore Dali!

Wow. Check out this awesome kitchen. It leaves me speechless. But suddenly I’m sort of wondering if this is actually also the bathroom. How confusing.

Anyway, you get the point. There’s plenty of affordable housing – you just have to quit being whiny!