I’m going to conduct a little experiment today.  Here’s guest blogger Divasm with a fine write-up of a visit to a house previously discussed in comments.  Now, it just so happened that I also wrote the same place up, as the listing just begged for the Burbed treatment.

But Divasm actually visited the house, and, better yet, took pictures!  So at some point in the future, no doubt when I’m scrambling for new material, I’ll run the column I wrote on this house, based on nothing but the listing itself. Then you can all tell me how much it sucks compared to this in-person, on-the-ground report.

So please give a warm, Real Bay Area welcome to Divasm with today’s featured listing in Redwood City, complete with on-site photos!

3676 HIGHLAND Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062
$759,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 2,320
$/SQ. FT.: $327
LOT SIZE: 7,800 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Bay, Mountains, City Lights
YEAR BUILT: 1947
COMMUNITY: Cordilleras Heights
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81015121
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 492 days

UNOBSTRUCTED BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND EAST BAY MOUNTAINS! LOVELY HOME WITH FEATURES INCLUDING: 2 FIREPLACES-ONE IN MASTER SUITE, NEWER WINDOWS, FRENCH DOORS, DEN/STUDY, DECKS AROUND PROPERTY, FLAGSTONE PATIO WITH GARDEN, AND 2-CAR GARAGE WITH CIRCULAR DRIVEWAY. LIVE IN THIS DESIREABLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND CLOSE TO EVERYTHING!

The

First omen that this house will be, ahem, interesting is the freaking castle next door! Seriously, look at it – all you’re missing is a dragon and a moat.

Then you are welcomed by the lovely stained-glass homage to seagulls at sunset as you make your way into the house…

You’ll notice that either you are falling down drunk, or the floors are just a wee bit sloped as you travel back towards the kitchen where you find – holy 70′s chic Batman – wood paneling everywhere…I mean everywhere, including the fridge doors!

Then we go up the spiral staircase (yes, you read that correctly) to find that with the sloping floors downstairs come cracked walls upstairs…not just small cracks, some of these are big enough to someday open a portal to hell, I suspect. The best one is traveling diagonally through a blue painted window frame…apparently the owners spent all their dough on custom wood paneling for major appliances and couldn’t afford interior window sills?

According to the Redfin agent  notes there’s a view to be found up there so that makes it all ok I guess? But alas Burbed readers, this treasure is already pending, so you’ll have to find your own castle-bordering Mystery Spot of your own!

Submitted for your viewing pleasure by Burbed reader (and recently promoted Guest Editor) sfbbubblebuyer, this Redwood City redoubt was just delisted from Redfin, but I found the pictures here.  I suspect they won’t remain long, so I’m sharing them all.  And here it is on the agent’s site, just in case.

514 Sapphire St Redwood City, CA 94062
$859,000

Posted 12 days ago

Status:
Price: $859,000
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2
Home Type: Single Family
Style: Traditional
Living Area: 1,870 sq. ft.
Price/Sq Ft: $459.36/sq. ft.
Features: Neighborhood View
Garage: 2 Garage Spaces
Attached
Listing #: 81130307
Year Built: 1966

This listing is courtesy of Brian Chancellor from Sereno Group.

Lovely light & bright family home that boasts a layout that is ideal for entertaining with a large park-like rear yard with a view of the western hills. Conveniently located near downtown Redwood City, Sequoia Station, & Caltrain.

1623 OAK Ave Redwood City, CA
$400,000.00

Beds: 3
Baths: 1.5
Sq. Ft.: 1,300
$/Sq. Ft.: $308
Lot Size: 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Traditional
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1925
Community: Central Park
County: San Mateo
MLS#: 81128665
On Redfin: 22 days

Build a new home. Definite tear down. Doubt anyone would want to rehab. Being sold for land value. Sold “As Is. ” MUST BE A CASH BUYER. Zone R-2, Possible Duplex site.

What a deal! Only $400k for a lot you have to scrape a festering craps off of before having a chance to build something decent! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a closer look to see if the Realtor is correct in doubting anybody would want to rehab it.
Okay, so maybe I’d be afraid of dropping a hammer and causing the whole structure to collapse on me. That’s what illegal immigrantsbudget contractors are for! Plus, I’m not sure what that tiny second story over the… porch I think it is… is for. Storing midgets? Sniper loft? Emergency kayak supply location?

Anyway, let’s just concede it’s a tear-down. I figure the cheapest you can remove a house for is about 20-40k, so take a look at what your 440k could be getting you a few short blocks away! An actual house! That’s like buying this house, plowing the existing junks under, and having a house magically appear! Of course, you could scoff because since that lot has an ACTUAL house on it, it must be worth far less because raw land is impossible to come by, I suggest you have a look here for what $420k will get you with nary a house in sight! As a bonus, that you get pre-approved plans ready to build there! As the Realtor says, just pull the permit and build!

Doing that would be crazy, though! Instead, you can enjoy the blazing glory of burning down a dump to get around the demolition permits! That’s the bay area entreprenual spirit! And as the listing says, MUST BE A CASH BUYER. However, they’ll probably accept your Facebook stock options in lieu of cash.

Here’s another terrific submission from Burbed reader sfbubblebuyer, who takes the front page again today as Guest Blogger.  We’re going back to one of our favorite sources for the quintessential Burbed residence: Redwood City!  Alas, the house has sold since it was submitted, but it’s still worth admiring!

Please give sfbubblebuyer your best, warmest Real Bay Area welcome!

677 HAMPSHIRE Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063
$249,900

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 1.5
SQ. FT.: 1,080
$/SQ. FT.: $231
LOT SIZE: 5,000 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Cottage/Bungalow
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1940
COMMUNITY: Dumbarton
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81058792
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Sold

Open and bright home with well used space. Formal entry/foyer, living room is spacious, eat-in family kitchen, nicely fenced with a gated long driveway leading to detached garage. Location is convenient and close to school and school grounds. Good opportunity to own a home.

The best thing about this piece of crap is that TWO Redfin agents have toured it. One notes the mold in the bedrooms which is easily visible in the photos, and the other one notes a “shed-like structure in backyard.” Not a shed, a shed-like structure. OoooOOOH! What a mystery!

I must find out more about this shed-like structure! Perhaps it is the entrance to Batman’s west-coast secret base! Maybe it conceals a nuclear missile launch bay! Who knows? Because it’s not a shed, but a SHED-LIKE STRUCTURE!

If we move on to the listing agent, they want to make it absolutely clear that not only is this house close to the a school, it’s also close to the ground on which the school is located!

What a relief! I was afraid this house was in some Esheresque void in Redwood City where you can reach up and touch the school, but to get to the GROUNDS, you needed to climb dozens of space warping staircases to navigate your way there.

Here’s a really special find from Burbed reader tuno.

150 FINGER Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 3,040
$/SQ. FT.: $427
LOT SIZE: 0.34 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Spanish
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1949
COMMUNITY: High School Acres
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81122866
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 15 days

Wonderful Spanish Style in Wellesley Park. Beautiful Two Level Home with large 1/3 acre lot. This spacious Wellesley Park home offers 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths plus an office. Enjoy 3,040 sq. ft. of living area on two stories. This classic home abounds w/ character throughout: concrete floors and walls, custom wrought-iron handrails and copper gutters. A great home for entertaining both indoors & out!

Here’s what tuno had to say about this listing:

what caught my eye re this one was the presentation photo; you know, the first one you see, the one that is supposed to represent the house.  I thought gee, why would they want you to think that this is a high crime area???  esp. when the house is so costly?

then when I saw the baby blue formica in the kitchen, the big "martini" sign, and the other bits of wrought iron, I realized that I was looking at a genuine "swingers" house, and that the window bars are to keep excited partiers *in*.

Um, yeah, party on.  Maybe they can invite the two dudes chillin’ over.

$925,000

 

1400 WHIPPLE Ave Redwood City, CA 94062

 

Beds:	3
Baths:	2.5
Sq. Ft.:	1,890
$/Sq. Ft.:	$489
Lot Size:	6,000 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Ranch
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1980
Community:	High School Acres
County:	San Mateo
MLS#:	81115802
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active
On Redfin:	49 days

“PRICE REDUCTION” AMAZING REDWOOD CITY HOME WITH TONS OF UPGRADES! NEW REMODELED KITCHEN W/ HIGH-END STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES & RECESSED LIGHTING. ENERGY SAVING WASHER/DRYER, UPGRADED BATHROOM & TOILETS, FORMAL DINING RM. HAND STRESSED WOOD FLOORS THROUGHOUTS, NEW INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PAINT, NEW DECK & OUTDOOR LIGHTING, NEW FENCE & MORE. QUIET FROM BUSY STREET, THIS HOME IS WALKING DISTANCE to DT

Thanks to Burbed Reader Overheard in San Carlos for this find!

Wow… a price reduction? In this booming economy? What’s going on!

Oh… it’s one of those price reductions. A “nudge nudge wink wink” kind of price reductions.

But what really caught the attention of O.S.C. was the comment about walking distance. According to Google Maps, this is a .8 mile walk to the Redwood City Caltrain station. It requires a pleasant walk down bucolic and peaceful streets like Broadway and, the street of royalty, El Camino Real.

Is this considered walking distance by your standards?

Discuss!

Today’s featured listing is from Burbed reader Tuno!  Thanks very much for this this fab find, the kind of listing that this site is famous for!

442 1st Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063
$219,722

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1.5
SQ. FT.: 810
$/SQ. FT.: $271
LOT SIZE: 6,975 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1952
COMMUNITY: Dumbarton
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81054683
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 170 days

Huge Yard. Smaller home and its rented right now. Great income property they rent out part of the yard for income also. 2 bedroom 1 bath needs some love.

Here’s what tuno had to say about today’s house:

just an amazingly crappy crapshack that sold for 501K (!!!!!) in 2004.  it is so very, very awful.  and I *like* awful little houses.  but *yuck*.  and they claim as a selling point that part of the *yard* is presently being rented out!!!

They rent out… part of the yard… for income also.  And this is a 2/1.5 right?  Well 2/1 of that 2/1.5 needs some love.  That means there’s a perfectly content half bathroom.  And the inside pictures aren’t that bad as crapshacks go.  But the outside!  Ahhhh, and remember, this yard is working for you!

Look how many vehicles are parked here, obviously the property owner is making so much in rent he’s buying extra trucks and boats!  Remember: 1. Buy a house.  2. Rent some or all of it out.  3. Profit!!!!!!

Want to make even more money? TIME-SHARE!  Like fifty bucks to park in your yard during a big event near your house.  Or five hundred dollars to helpfully inform the cops the “bad guy” they’re looking for just headed toward the airport.  Rent your house, and then rent it during your tenants’ vacation or work hours; PROFIT MORE!

Sometimes Burbed readers find a great house to share but can’t wait for us to write it up, post it and finally have it appear.  After all, we only post one house per weekday.  So instead they post the house to comments, and then we think, dang!  That’s such a terrific find, if only they’d sent to us for a write-up.  And sometimes we think, oh hell, we’ll write it up anyway!  So, you may have seen this before, but it’s getting the Full Burby!  Our thanks to Burbed reader Tuno for this insightful look at socioeconomic disparity.

Remember, if you prefer the element of surprise, you can always send listings and contributions to either burbed or madhaus (at) burbed.com.

367 Alameda de las Pulgas, Redwood City, CA 94062
$509,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 750
$/SQ. FT.: $679
LOT SIZE: 0.25 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Cabin
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1926
COMMUNITY: Cordilleras Heights
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81100851
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 43 days

Bank Owned Home located in one of the most desirable areas of upper Redwood City. This home offers 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, kitchen and living / dining room combo. The lot size is approximately . 25 acres. This home has great potential. Seller is extremely motivated – all reasonable offers welcomed.

Here’s what Tuno had to say about the house:

this is one of my favorite houses at the moment, because it is a perfect Serf House.  if you go to street view and look at it (you may have to scroll up the road a little), it looks like an ordinary very modest little house.  then turn around and see what is across the street.  Presto  -  you can be the live-out serf!!!
the house across the street may not be as magnificant as your examples, madhaus, but *they* don’t include serf huts.

Well, we’d best take a look at that Street View and see what Tuno is talking about!  Here’s the so-called Serf House we’re featuring today.

Not many Street View photos manage to fit three different houses on three different lots into one picture, but this one did it!  Wondering how?  Have a gander at those lot lines!

Hey, let’s have that peek at the house across the street, because its profile is wider than it is deep.

Whoa!  The other place had both neighbors elbowing their way into the picture, but this housing tumor just crowds the lens!  After looking at this across-the-street view, you’ll feel like you live in picture #9 from the listing:

They’ve even left the door open for you!  Maybe the current live-out serf is hard at work threshing the wheat.  No wonder the seller is extremely motivated!

Everything must go!  The banks say get these houses off the books, so here’s your opportunity to become a homeowner in time for the New Year!  Thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for this listing.

843 Chestnut St, Redwood City, CA 94063
$275,000

Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 1,020
$/Sq. Ft.: $270
Lot Size: 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Year Built: 1946
Community: Lenolt
County: San Mateo  
MLS#: 81058167
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 5 days

Great opportunity to own a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. Wood flooring and double pane vinyl windows throughout. Roof is about 2 years old. Shopping center and public transportation close by.

Here’s what sonarrat says: “This isn’t just another one of those houses next to Caltrain.. no, in this case, the freighters run right down the middle of the street. Endless hours of fun for the rail enthusiast!”

Yes sir, those train tracks are right in front of the house.  Good thing there’s double pane vinyl windows throughout!

Let’s get a better view of the tracks.  After all, a house for a train fanatic needs the appropriate features called out.  Whooo-whoooooooo!  Perfect house for an engineer!

Purchased in 1996 for $200K and a steal at twice the price,  buy with Redfin and save $1,031!

$175,000

170 NORTHUMBERLAND Ave Redwood City, CA 94063

Beds:	1
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	630
$/Sq. Ft.:	$278
Lot Size:	2,625 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Cottage/Bungalow
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1905
Community:	Dumbarton
County:	San Mateo
MLS#:	81020028
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	ActiveThis listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	204 days

Bank Owned. Small Cottage Style house with loads of potential. Large Living Room. Granite Kitchen Countertops(no oven)Seller will install stove w/ accepted Offer. Good size bedroom overlooks backyard. Inside laundry!Cute front and back yards. 1 Car Carport. Close to Caltrain, shopping and restaurants! $75.00 Doc Fee paid by buyer. All contracts/offers subject to Indymac/OneWest Sr. Management Approval

Black Friday Mania Deals continue! Today, let’s look at the cheapest house in San Mateo County! Go figure, it’s in Redwood City!

I love how this house offers the buyer the chance to pay $75 for the doc fee – don’t you just hate it when the seller insists on doing that? I also love how the seller will install the stove once there’s an accepted offer. Hey, you can’t blame him – there might be sneaky renters posing as buyers who will come in during the open house, rip the stove out, and sell it for scrap so they can buy some more heroin. You know how those renters are, always jonesing for the next hit!

Oh… wait a minute… now I know why this house looks familiar…

http://www.burbed.com/2008/08/07/time-to-do-your-christmas-shopping-in-redwood-city-sales-are-on/

August 7, 2008

Time to do your Christmas Shopping in Redwood City – sales are on!

170 Northumberland Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063 MLS# 80780395 – Property Details
170 Northumberland Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063

Hey, this was a great deal then… it’s an even better deal today! Go for it! What are you waiting for!