Want a house in the lovely Rose Garden area of San Jose?  So do a lot of people!  Central location, big houses on beautiful lots… what’s not to like?  Tracy Tea House found a real goodie that shows every rule has an exception, and every good neighborhood has some Fail.

Now this property is gone,  It’s not on Redfin at all, nor on Movoto even, and Trulia says it’s off-market.  Guess who still has it.  Zillow.

1135 Yosemite Ave
San Jose, CA 95126
$699,000

Beds: 2
Baths: 2
Sqft: 2,868
Lot: 13,068 sq ft / 0.30 acres
Type: Single Family
Year built: 1922
Parking: —
Cooling: Central
Heating: Forced air
Fireplace: –

Spacious floor plan on a large lot. Tons of potential to add bedrooms if needed. Charming home located in the Historic Rose Garden area. Formal dining room with plenty of natural light, living room with wood burning fireplace, separate family room looking out into backyard and pool. Perfect for entertaining. Hardwood floors, A/C, side yard with space for boat or RV parking.

Here’s what Tracy had to say about this find.

The price on this house keeps dropping like a stone. I looked at it a few times over the years and it is a great old place, full of charm. Except it has location FAIL. It is located at the corner of Yosemite and Race, famous for the prostitution ring, busted across the street. Shares a wall with a Mexican restaurant parking lot, and is down the street  from the “water Garden.”  If only it was located a few more blocks into the Rose garden.. Sigh..

Looks like we had best get some pictures up before Zillow gets a friendly visit from the wild and crazy lawyers who work for MLS.  They even have a much better front view than the one they led with.

There are several higher-resolution photos of an empty house.  This is a photographer who loves the interplay of light.  See these and more photos after the break.

(more…)

Looking for something a little easy on the budget?  This house doesn’t cost a lot of money.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader sonarrat for this fine find in San Jose: a prewar cottage right in the middle of everything!

878 N 4th St
San Jose, CA 95112
$495,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 832
$/SQ. FT.: $595
LOT SIZE: 6,850 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1939
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81149902
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 101 days

Charming 2 bedroom 1 bath home located in Hyde Park. Detached 2 car garage, wood burning fire place, hardwood floors, dining room and interior laundry. Located near parks, schools, shopping and downtown amenities. 101, 880 and light rail nearby. Large lot with room to expand. Do not disturb tenants.

This lawn sure doesn’t suggest it’s in the middle of a city of just under a million people, does it?  Why, this could be the suburbs anywhere, provided they were building suburbs in 1939.

Love the handy waste receptacles!

But why didn’t the agent mention the magnet middle school across the street, guaranteeing lots of traffic coming in from all over San Jose?  Plus, if you want to enroll your child in any program in SJ Unified School district, just hop across idyllic 4th Street, as this school doubles as a year-round enrollment center!  You’ll be first in line, and you can always sneak back home to refill your thermos!

We get all kinds of fan comments at Burbed.  (If you’re not reading the comments as well as the articles, you’re missing out on a lot.)  Here’s one that recently came in on a house that ran in November.  November, 2010. 

First, the old listing.  This seems like a fairly typical treatment of a property with some lexically lacking listing copy.

Here’s what our new fan, Kim, had to say about our helpful home hugging.  We’ve included a few pictures of the house under discussion, available to anyone with a search engine.

This is the most nasty real estate blog I’ve ever read. I’m surprised that nobody has filed a lawsuit against you for slander.

For the record, I live in Saratoga and know the Vendome area quite well because a few friends live there. Rankin and Ayer streets are full of beautiful houses. Did you ever visit the area? It’s more classy that Cupertino.

There are a few bail bonds offices since the County jail and court are approx 1 mile from the area. That’s all.

I know 2 attorneys and 3 engineers who reside on this street.

Pl be careful with your writing. It’s not funny. Put yourself in the shoes of the vendor.

btw, I’m not in the real estate business. I wonder if you hold grudges against the vendor or the listing agent.

Given that Burbed has run a different home listing every single weekday for more than six years, our having a grudge against this particular “vendor” or listing agent is not very likely. 

Maybe Kim has a relationship with the vendor or listing agent and wanted us to take another look at this house.  And we’d be delighted to, because it’s still  for sale!

130 RANKIN Ave
San Jose, CA 95110
$550,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 1,852
$/SQ. FT.: $297
LOT SIZE: 5,000 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: French
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1937
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81200563
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 67 days

REGULAR SALE! Motivated Seller * * Home nested in a truly manificent & elegan vendome neighborhood, a rare find * * * Format entry, Seperate D/Room, Gracious L/Room w/ fireplace, French doors & windows * * Hardwood floors * * Partial basement * * Conveniently located, near light rail, Japan Town, minutes to freeways and shopping centers.

Looks like over the past year and a half, this house has had its price cut 21 percent and also managed to misplace two full bathrooms while not losing a single square foot.  That must have happened with the Format entry.

But it gets even better this time! The house is no longer a Colonial.  For $149,000 less, you now get a French chateau.  C’est magnifique!

Also, can one slander a listing?  We can think of one way, but never was this house’s repute ever discussed, for good or ill. 

But don’t just point the finger at this blog.  Even the Redfin agent is gossiping about this house!

Is she suggesting that entertaining be done downstairs and, um, other things up?  That might be an even better money-maker than the Jail Annex suggestion last time.  Thanks, Jane!

947 N 7TH St,
San Jose, CA 95112

$279,000

I’m sure it’s not this simple… but really… couldn’t you just flush the toilet and see what happens? If it doesn’t go anywhere, or just goes outside, maybe it’s not connected to the sewer?

Why is this so hard to figure out?

But more importantly, does it even matter? Aren’t we supposed to be green and all? Forget “gray water”, that’s so last century. These days, it’s about yellow and-possibly-brown (if you’re coming back from Mexico having drank the water) water.

If you hate this house, you must hate the environment.

DEALS DEALS DEALS just keep on coming!  And if you’re interested in downtown San Jose, you’re very busy so we’ll keep this quick.  Now, you may be asking yourself, how can this be the cheapest house downtown when the cheapest house in the entire county cost (gasp!) a hundred dollars more?

Well, that’s simple.  There are actually several houses listed for around this price, and the official cheapest house was one of the few that wasn’t pending.  But look, you read Burbed.  You know how the real estate business means real funny business.  You know a “pending” on a short sale means the seller is doing everything possible to jinx it, and a pending with release on a short sale means the buyer isn’t exactly trying their hardest either.  So this listing is like an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, or maybe the opposite; say a buyer with better places to invest making an offer to a seller who doesn’t want to go anywhere and won’t see a dime from the transaction.

That means all you have to do is threaten bribe heartily encourage everyone involved: seller, buyer, listing agent, buyers’ agent, bank agent, and of course, your agent to sell you this property!

560 E JULIAN St, San Jose, CA 95112
$149,900

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 1,188
$/SQ. FT.: $126
LOT SIZE: 1,242 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Victorian
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1908
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80840481
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 1154 days

Back on the market! No fault on property! Beautiful Victorian Home waiting for you.

Yup, if you’re wondering how they got a 1,188 square foot house on a 1,242 square foot lot, that’s no fault on property.  If you’re wondering why it’s been listed 1154 days, that’s no fault on property, either. Maybe agent means no tennis matches have been played here.

Also I don’t know what’s on the counter next to the sink, but I think it qualifies for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  Or at least the Burbed good housekeeping tag.

Today’s house is a Guest Post by Burbed Reader AstroWallaby!  You know how good things come in small packages?  Well today’s featured listing is only 714 square feet, so it has to be fan-fracking-tastic!  Plus a location, location, location to love, love, love!

Please give AstroWallaby a big, warm, sunny, Real Bay Area welcome as today’s Guest Blogger!

537 JACKSON St, San Jose, CA 95112
$518,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 725
$/SQ. FT.: $714
LOT SIZE: 5,617 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1955
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81129934
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 144 days

R2 Zone. Main house with private 1500sqft warehouse/workshop. Warehouse/workshop built without permit. Tenant occupied. BIG REDUCTION. SELLER MOTIVATED

Tipping the scales at $714 per (permitted) foot this 725 square bantamweight contender for your investment dollar punches way above its weight class, as it includes a non-permitted twice-the-size-of-the-house attached warehouse!

And you’ll need it, if for no other reason than to store the grossly distended pride of ownership that comes along with buying what has to be the *shortest* house of in the neighborhood.

And with that R2 zoning you’ll be able to share that pride with the tenant that conveniently comes with the property, assuming you can convince the city to let you call whatever space is left over in your permit-impaired palace a second unit.

Listed in July for $590k, now’s your chance to steal it following a "BIG REDUCTION" to $518k. I have no idea why suddenly its "SELLER" is so "MOTIVATED" but don’t miss out on your chance to grab an extra $72k of instant equity. After all, Zillow thinks it might be worth up to $749,840!

(Ignore all the recent comps and those small-minded fools at eppraisal.com, this house is totally worth the extra $200k+. Owning your own illegal warehouse is a privilege reserved for those willing to pay for it.)

A while back, we featured this pretty amazing listing on Bonita Avenue in San Jose.  Burbed reader SEA noticed that there was a McMansion complex wedged in right behind and observed that a number of the units had owners who forgot the old adage: Buy low, sell high, profit!  Here’s how things looked when SEA reported in:

Looks like those former owners all got the saying backwards.  And obviously all that instant equity couldn’t be left alone, since these homes were quickly snapped up!  Fortunately, another house in Rayos del Sol is for sale, so it’s not too late to grab some instant equity for yourself.

305 RAYOS DEL SOL Dr, San Jose, CA 95116
$439,900

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 2,222
$/SQ. FT.: $198
LOT SIZE: 2,613 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 2006
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81129495
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 23 days

Beautiful home located in a nice complex with lovely grounds. Spacious 4 bed 2.5 bath with remodeled kitchen , freshly painted interior , new living room carpet , new a/c , new water heater, cozy fireplace and spacious rooms throughpout. Inside laundry with good storage space. great first time buyer or investor. New appliances with be installed when property is in escrow.

These pictures really do say it all, so you might as well enjoy every single one of them… after the break.

(more…)

Here’s this week’s find by Burbed reader Tracy.  It’s a house, I think.  It’s just not as big a house as it’s pretending to be.

1515 Pomona Ave, San Jose, CA 95110
$279,000

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 3
SQ. FT.: 2,225
$/SQ. FT.: $125
LOT SIZE: 8,033 Sq. Ft.
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1947
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81120310
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 17 days

welcome this property has 2 units 2/1 in front unit and 3/2 unit in back permits unknown buyers to verify. The property is a fixer upper .

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

What’s behind the blue curtain? Worst photography, ever, all that’s missing is a man peeing. The property seems to have a very large unit in the back, with no permits…

At least the price seems right, as this place is a dump! But pictures of dirty laundry? Shame!

Piles of dirty laundry?  For real?

And you asked what’s behind the blue curtain, but do you dare open the door and see what’s behind that red one?  Wow, this house is in even better shape for the real estate photos than the two dudes chillin’.  I bet this place is in just as fabulous a neighborhood, too.

Also, piles of instant equity in this place for you to unlock; sold for $650,000 in 2005!  What are you waiting for?  I’m waiting to figure out how to view the house in the back with more bedrooms and maybe even some permits that unknown buyers are to verify!  Think they put away their laundry?

Thanks to Burbed reader Tracy for this, um, well, I guess you could call it a house.

338 BONITA Ave, San Jose, CA 95116
$354, 250

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 3.5
SQ. FT.: 2,000
$/SQ. FT.: $177
LOT SIZE: 1,332 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 1972
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81116912
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending Without Release
ON REDFIN: 18 days

Two story, with separate living quarters on second floor. Has great potential, some updating completed, needs finishing. Property is situated at rear of flag lot. Single family, zoned R2, 2828 sqft interior, 7054 sqft lot per county records, buyer to verify zoning, permits & all square footage.

Here’s what Tracy had to say about this, um, delightful domicile:

Weird flag lot
Strange prices

Oh oh.  When the listing says a lot is one size and the realtard says ignore that, it’s actually five times bigger, we know there’ll be hijinks aplenty closing on this one!

Also, if the listing figures are accurate, that means the FAR is 2000 sf/1332 sf = 1.50.  I don’t know what the allowable FAR is on an R2 lot, but I suspect it’s a lot lower than that, like maybe on the order of 0.5.

Plus it’s a really patriotic house.  Not only will you be rescuing the economy by purchasing it, it’s even on a flag lot!

Wow, the satellite imagery is so much more informative than the plat map! 

Here’s a nice view of the house, complete with deck (CAN YOU GO ON THE DECK?) and a few dozen of the neighbor’s favorite vehicles.  And I call shenanigans on this realtard.  If 338 Bonita is a 7000 sf lot, that means it backs up to a trailer park full of 5000 sf manufactured tin boxes McMansions.

Also be sure to try to check this place out on Google Streetview.  Dick Cheney spent millions of our tax dollars on an undisclosed location.  You can have one for under $400,000!

Here’s a find from Burbed reader, now promoted to Burbed Guest Editor, sonarrat.  However, sonarrat asked me to handle this one because of a particular feature set, and no, it is not the little gold star this house somehow has earned from Redfin.

107 S 19TH St, San Jose, CA 95116
$1,149,800

BEDS: 8
BATHS: 6
SQ. FT.: 4,400
$/SQ. FT.: $261
LOT SIZE: 10,500 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Mountains, Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1999
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81111392
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 30 days

Grand home, perfect for large family nearby Naglee Park Area of San Jose * 8bed/6bath with a office * 2 gourmet kitchens * 2master suites * guest quarter with 2bed/1bath/livingroom/walking closet * Marble floors * 3car garage * Huge parking lot for many cars, RV and boat * 12years young * remodeled through out the house 2years ago, just like new * Easy access to majors freeways, parks, and SJSU.

What makes a home grand?  Is it a 4400 square foot house in the middle of a bunch of hundred year old scrapers?  Is it having twice as many bedrooms or baths as a typical family needs, or even wants?  How about twice the kitchen or twice the master suites?

No, while these things may make the house ostentatiously oversized, only one feature allows a house to call itself grand, and I’m sure you remember what it is.

Dat’s right!  Mawbul kawlums!  But this house goes one better than that.  Not only is it a stucco box that found room for six a dem dings, it has marble floors, too!

This has got to be the first time I’ve seen a house with marble columns manage to look like a 1960s cracker box.
But hey, it’s got a huge parking lot for many cars, because the 3 car garage is obviously not enough.  (Wow, did the builder run out of money and not bother matching the garage doors?  Or is this some political commentary saying the Right has its eyes closed?)

I’m glad they included this shot of the parking lot, or I would have suspected they just paved the entire quarter acre lot to save money on pesky greenscaping.

Yeah.

Definitely what happened.  Can’t say there isn’t anything green out here.

Picnic table: definitely green.

So.  Let’s move on.  You can check out the two full kitchens yourself, I assure you they have the obligatory stainless and granite.  Instead, how about this listing history?

Yes!  Marble columns, flip,  AND foreclosure!  Isn’t that grand?  Let’s check with Zillow on those missing listing prices.

“Any time I roll anything out, my plan is the best one in the room and people are starting to realize that.Their plan is s**t and my plan is gold. Walk into my plan and you’re going to win, win, win.”