We’ve been spending too much time in Santa Clara County, which means we’re forgetting about the other eight counties in the Bay Area.  So let’s head north for today’s front-page feature.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Tom Paine for this deep subject.

4291 Gravenstein Highway S
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Listed for $535,800 on 2/1/12
Several price cuts, to $315K on 10/19
Sold for $310,000 on 11/8/12

BANK OWNED
1 Story Detached
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
2,535 sq ft
3.45 acres
13 years old
15 Photos
Style: Ranch
Lot Size: 3.45 ac
Mortgage Payment: $1,114/mo
Taxes –
Year Built: 1999
Subdivision: Sebastopol
Stories: 1
MLS #21202510
WalkScore™:18

Nice piece of property on 3.4 acres. Cash only buyers. No financing. Serious defects include well contamination, rotted foundation and extensive wood rot.

Here’s why Tom thought this nowhere-near-the-Real Bay Area estate deserved to be all tarted up on Burbed:

Think of enjoying the beautiful views in the morning, sipping that cup of extra flavorful coffee and smelling the sweet scent of rot. And you get that special REO deed that doesn’t guarantee title as a bonus!

Can’t imagine why this didn’t sell faster.  Nothing is more authentically Marin than extensive wood rot.  But you get all this prestige at a Sonoma County price (complete with a Sonoma County address)!

This is also one of those listings we had to play Where’s Waldo with, because it didn’t show up on Redfin or several others.  Plus it had different listing copy with fewer but blurrier photos on Zillow:

4291 Gravenstein Hwy S
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Not for Sale

Zestimate $392,863
Rent Zestimate $2,458/mo
Est. Mortgage $1,371/mo

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sqft: 2,535
Lot: 150,282 sq ft / 3.45 acres
Type: Single Family
Year built: 1999
Fireplace: Yes
County: Sonoma
Legal description: MAP D5 151
Parcel #: 062240030
Per floor sqft: 2,535
Total rooms: 7
# Stories: 1.0
Unit cnt: 1
Zillow Home ID: 15806148

Excellent country estate on over 3.4 acres. Home features tile entry, large living area with fireplace & fish tank, granite counter tops & island in kitchen, oversized master bedroom w/sitting area. Outside kitchen with built-in BBQ. Fantastic views of pastures, hills and seasonal creek. Pre qual with BOFA required on all offers. Cash buyers are subject to Deed restriction.

Bunus: Check out the listing history!

Today’s featured home was sent in by Burbed reader waiting_for_the_fall.  We’re delighted to receive it, not only because this is the first contribution from this long-time regular we’ve seen in a while (or maybe even ever), but also because it’s from a part of the Bay Area we don’t cover as often as Silicon Valley.  This house is in the East Bay, and a part we don’t get too many nominations for, and best of all, it’s selling for less than not a lot of money.

Remember, if a house is in Northern California, it too can be Burbable!  Send your favorites on in to one of the email addresses in the upper right corner.

8633 Briarwood Ln
Dublin, CA 94568
$425,000

Zestimate® $406,121
Est. Mortgage $1,489/mo
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Sqft: 1,338
Lot: 7,649 sq ft / 0.18 acres
Type: Single Family
Year built: 1963
On Zillow: 1030 days
MLS #: 40562786
View Virtual Tour (opens new tab)

This is a four bedroom/two bathroom home with 1338 sq. ft. The roof is approximately nine years old and Dual Pane Windows throughout. Plus Converted garage into a large beautiful family room w/storage. The living room has a gas burning fireplace. Huge private backyard with a large patio and tall trees. RV Access Parking is a PLUS!

Here’s what wftf said when sending us this place:

Will you please check out the price fluctuations on this craptastic house?  It made me dizzy reading the wild price gyrations on zillow.
And it is pending!

I give up.  The banks are winning.

Did you know you can’t spell wftf without wtf?  Because wtf is definitely the best reaction to the price gyrations on Zillow.

So is this house in the Real Bay Area or isn’t it?  It more than doubled in the ten years between 1996 and 2005, but then… not so much.  Since buying this house for 630 big ones, the current owner has tried listing it at $674K just two years later, and then started throwing prices at the wall seeing if any of them would stick.  Not sticking in addition to $674K were just under $600K (with lucky 8s!!!), reducing it to $429K (just 3 months later). 

Price goes down, price goes up.  Plus at least four different agents, at four different brokers.  It all adds up to an eyepopping over thousand day old listing!

Then again, perhaps this lovely room is what’s keeping the buyers away, since it appears to have girl cooties.

And it’s time to begin yet another exciting week of real estate reaching.  Burbed reader Tracy Tea House has a Real Bay Area Winner for us.  Well, that is if by RBA I actually mean Not In The RBA No Way No How and if by Winner I really mean Pending in 3 Days but Would You Look At Those Photos!

708 AMANDA Dr
San Jose, CA 95136
$580,000; Sold for $574,000 on 8/15/2012

4 Beds
2 Baths
2,170 Sq. Ft.
$265 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1976
Lot Size: 10,075 Sq. Ft.
Sold On: Aug 15, 2012
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 2
Community: Blossom Valley
MLS#: 81227632
Style: Contemporary
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

HUGE court/level lot for organic garden/potential pool/or extension, pre-wired for spa install & located on quiet part of the st. Kitchen remodelled, smooth textured walls, new qual. paint new carpet; new dual pane windows. Refinished real hardwood floors in kitchen/dining; copper plumbing; section 1 clearace/roof, property, NHD reports avail. API Score 847RachelCarson Elem; Seller to consider all offers!

Here’s why Tracy sent this Winner along:

Since you like Redfin I have found you a good one: I love the fact that they list there is room for an organic garden!  The pictures are really artistic, just like I like them. Pink color, weird shot of stairway. It actually looks real good for a flip, and the price is right, look at this one before it goes away!

Looks like we’re looking in the rear-view mirror, and what we’re seeing is just astounding.  Someone cranked the Red filter up to 11.

And we assure you the inside photos continue the Avalanche of Awesomeness.

Photos like these moved a house in three days.  Could you imagine just how many months it would take to sell your home if you didn’t hire a professional real estate photographer?  Good thing this seller did… and considered all offers!

Let’s head up north again, where Burbed reader Tom Paine has another catastrophic cottage in Cotati!  Actually this may be the first property of any type in Cotati ever featured on Burbed.  And if you object that Cotati is awfully far for a daily commute to Google, Apple, or Facebook you’d be right.  But if you’ve been working at one of those firms long enough, you could buy this place for cash and spend your day redecorating.

751 Richardson Ln
Cotati, CA  94931
$599,900

BEDS:  4
BATHS:  2.5
SQ. FT.:  2,553
$/SQ. FT.:  $235
LOT SIZE:  1.12 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Residential, Detached, Single Family
STYLE: Custom, Ranch, Spanish/Mediterranean
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Pasture
YEAR BUILT:  1974
COMMUNITY:  Cotati/Rohnert Park
COUNTY:  Sonoma
MLS#:  21213213
SOURCE:  BAREIS
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN:  25 days

New to market. This wonderful Custom ranch style home with dual pane windows & sliders. Nice cheery kitchen leads to the Family and Living rooms with wood burning stove & Fireplace. All bedrooms are large with Character from the Harley Davidson room to the Coca Cola room to a Mickey mouse bathroom this home exudes fun and charm. Huge Master bedroom and bath with air jetted tub overlooks backyard. Detached 2 car garage and HUGE RV Carport. .

Here’s why Tom wanted to bring this listing to your attention:

OOH, a mickey mouse room! And a Coca Cola Room! And a Harley Davidson room! Where’s the PT Barnum room?

The kitchen may be cheery, but the bedrooms are large with Character.  Plus a view of a pasture.  Country living doesn’t get much better than this.

715 ESTHER Ln
Redwood City, CA 94062

$520,000

Having owned Burbed for so long, I sometimes feel like I’ve seen everything. This house proves that’s not the case.

WTF is this? A squared off house that looks like it’s from a lego set?

But wait, it gets better… let’s look at the other photo!

Doesn’t this remind you of a certain house in Abbottabad?

What’s going on in this house? What’s up with that door that leads straight into a fenced yard? What’s in the shed? WHO is in the shed?

Too many questions. Not enough answers. Or maybe we’re all better off not knowing the answers…

Here comes another weekend, so let’s end on a high note.  This one is on the high end of the Peninsula: Daly City!  If you went any further north you’d be out of the burbs!

38 CLAYTON Ct
Daly City, CA 94014
$549,950

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,870
$/SQ. FT.: $294
LOT SIZE: 3,978 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Attached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
VIEW: City Lights
YEAR BUILT: 1977
COMMUNITY: Blossom Valley
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81222584
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 1 day
NEW LISTING (24 HOURS)

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms upstairs with an in-law unit down (not warranted). Remodeled kitchen. Updated bathrooms. Beautiful city views. Two car side by side garage. Quiet cul-de-sac location.

We didn’t even know that there was more than one Blossom Valley, let alone a Blossom Valley with City Lights views.  And there are indeed City Lights views in the first picture, thanks to the glare off the car in the driveway. 

Wonder why the listing copy isn’t screaming “Views! Views! Views!”  Because this one ought to be adding another $150K to the asking price.

And we meant it about the big lot.  Take a look!

And check out the listing history!  This house could be the basis of its own soap opera.

Finally, it’s about time we ran another pink house in honor of our founder’s taste in paint.

Here’s a find in the East Hills of San Jose, in Almost-But-Not-Quite-Evergreen.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Tracy Tea House for this disappearing domicile.  Yes, disappearing, the listing went Pending-Do Not Show the day we wrote this and we had to search for it on literally SEVEN different real estate sites until we found one that hadn’t pulled the pix fast enough.  Today’s Thank-goodness-somebody-out-there-is-lazy real estate website is SAWBUCK.

3157 Markwood Court
San Jose, CA 95148
$586,000

Bedrooms : 5
Bathrooms : 3
Lot Size : 0.29 ac
Finished Sq Ft : 2,253 sq. ft.
Type : Detached Single Family
Style : Traditional
Year Built : 1976
Subdivision : Evergreen
Stories : 2
MLS# : 81220317
WalkScore™ : 38 (Car-Dependent)

Diamond in a rough. Good location, near schools, EastRidge Mall. No warranty on Swimming pool/spa. Big lot. Two separate storages with no permit at rear. A lot of potential for this property. As-is sale.

Here’s why Tracy sent this Evergreen edifice in:

Not only does it have the favorite phrase Diamond in the rough.” The pictures are “works of art.” From the sideways one, the stairway cage or the coiled hose… Classic… especially the non-warrantied swimming pool. 

Humm I wonder what is wrong right with it??

That’s “Diamond in A rough” not “diamond in THE rough.”  Perhaps they left a word or two out after rough.

Tracy also notes that the listing copy used to end with “Price reflect deferred maintenance on property.” instead of the current “As-is sale.”  We’ve added both the as-is and needs work tags. 

The pictures, all of them. are indeed works of art, if by “art” we actually mean “seriously, WTF?”  We’ve got every one of them for you (in case Sawbuck feels the need to abide by MLS rules) after the break.

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2115 PULGAS Ave
East Palo Alto, CA 94303

$588,888

Over the years, here at Burbed, we’ve seen a lot of unusual listings. But this one… this one… definitely caught my attention.

Let’s break it down:

1. Price ending in 888: For a house in East Palo Alto? Really?

2. .35 of an acre? Huh?

3. What’s up with the black and white, “I faxed a newspaper clipping” photo?

Now that, my friends, is a feature that instagram definitely needs.

But going back to the original point – who exactly is this listing targeted at? How do all these strange pieces fit together?

Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer week continues, now featuring this fine find in superb Santa Clara! Who needs to drive all the way to San Francisco for overpriced property when you can do that in your own backyard?  But it’s hot, hot, HOT in the Valley too!  This is place not only went pending in five days, the listing photos were yanked down everywhere I looked.

Thank Woz for Movoto!

3086 Arthur Ct
Santa Clara, CA 95051 
$599,000

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Size: 1,104 sqft
Type: Single Family House
Year Built: 1954
Lot Size: 5,148
Days on Movoto: 14 days
Neighborhood: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81210711
Status: Off Market
Views: 58

This contemporary-style hm on a cul-de-sac has ample natural lighting w/many windows&skylights*warm wood ceilings in the living rm&kitchen add to the ambiance*fully fencedyard(incl front)offers privacy&outdoor areas to use*you’ll appreciate the lower cost Santa Clara-owned utilities & award-winning Cupertino schools*convenient location for freeways,shopping&parks*Shows nicely too!

Poor Movoto.  Seems all they’re good for is for finding expired listings that everyone else dutifully removed when asked.  Burbed readers send in links to housing finds using Redfin, Zillow, Trulia, ZipRealty, even Realtor.com. 

It’s been a long, long time since a contribution linked to Movoto, and they once were the Official Burbed Listing Link.  Does anyone use them? This poor house only had 58 views, and 54 of them were probably from our putting today’s feature together.

Anyway, the listing copy demonstrates the usual proof that real estate agents are highly-esteemed professionals.  And while you’re trying to decipher that copy, enjoy these photos, after the break.  Someone associated with this house may be asking Movoto to take them down real soon now.

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Here’s the very last house on a very long list of quality finds, thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat.

433 S FAIR OAKS Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
$549,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 1,078
$/SQ. FT.: $509
LOT SIZE: 5,661 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1951
COMMUNITY: Sunnyvale
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81200122
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 89 days

Remodeled Kitchen and Bath a few years ago and still looks new, large back yard. Double payne windows. Central Heat and air conditioning. Concrete patio, big back yard. Walk to Ellis Elementary school. Room to expand drive way for 2 car off street parking. Even though this is on Fairoaks the back of the homes where the bedrooms are is very quite so you can sleep in easily.

Is this supposed to be the dining room, right next to the front door?  Now that’s innovation, which is practically Silicon Valley’s middle name!

What sort of lens would get that stretched-out effect on the front door while making the table look like it’s all the way in Santa Clara?

Have a look at some of the other photos of this house and see if you notice how space and time have completely taken leave of their senses.

Remember, this is house is barely over a thousand square feet, but you can store an unlimited amount of potential here!