Let’s see how the other half lives again.  No, not the have-nots versus the haves, the other half of the Bay Area! Yes, it’s time for another East Bay Extreme Edition!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Stefan in Lafayette for sending us this super siting story!

1571 Hunsaker Canyon Rd
Lafayette, CA 94549
$800,000

2 Beds
1 Baths
1,100 Sq. Ft.
$727 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1980
Lot Size: —
On Redfin: 77 days
Property Type: Single-Family Home
View: Woods, Forest
County: Contra Costa
Style: Contemporary
Community: Walnut Creek/Lafayette
MLS#: 405200

OPEN HOUSE – SUNDAY 1 – 4. Extreme Privacy – Small house with wall-to-wall windows overlooking FOUR spectacular acres of trees, nature, peace and tranquility. Room for horses or 20+ cars. 2 or 3 bedrooms. Feels like a million miles away, yet only 15-minutes to the freeway. Road is paved from freeway to front door. Lafayette Schools are exceptional – some of the highest-ranked Public Schools in California. Also Open Houses on Saturday 03-02 and Sunday 03-03 from 1pm to 4pm. Please no drive-by’s on weekends during non-Open House hours or after 5pm. Offers reviewed Monday 03-04 at 3pm.

Paging Stefan in Lafayette, white courtesy phone!

Here is a two bedroom house that has room for….um, two bedrooms? But on the bright side you can have up to 20 plus cars. But the date and time for reviews of the offers has passed…does that mean me and my 20 cars are out of luck? 

Wow, so many numbers in this listing you’re going to need a CPA to audit it for you. FOUR acres, 20+ cars, 2 or 3 bedrooms, a million miles away yet only 15 minutes to the freeway.

Too bad the Open Houses were 60 days ago.  Wouldn’t have wanted to be at that agent’s desk Monday 03-04 at 3 pm!

Bunus: If you were thinking this street name sounded awfully familiar, you were right.  Can anyone find a murder at this house too, preferably San Jose Sharks-related?

Surprised it’s still there, what with all that value in the land.  Thanks to Burbed reader LomaLovr for the find.

1950 LEGHORN St
Mountain View, CA 94043
$799,000

3 Beds
1.5 Baths
1,456 Sq. Ft.
$549 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1966
Lot Size: 0.52 Acres
On Redfin: 7 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family Community: Rengstorff MLS#: 81313653
Stories: 1
County: Santa Clara

Rare opportunity to own this half acre lot with a single family home grandfathered on it. Zoned MM40 for commercial or industrial use. Single family home can be used as an office upon ok by city for business purpose. 200 sq ft basement. Property can not be developed into other residential aspects. Property can not be subdivided. Easy access to 101. Property will not last, this is under valued.

Upcoming Open Houses

Sunday, May 5: 1:00-4:00 pm

Buried in the cached copy are these comments:

Investment Property Possibilities Endless .51 acre lot Can be commercial property. Zoned MM40 Grandfathered Single Family Home on lot.

Welcome to the most difficult entry in the entire Blogging from A to Z Challenge. X is the letter that leads to cheats (like finding a house in FairfaX), tweet-style entries (X-treme anything), and words that are unrelated to the blog’s subject (wouldn’t you all like an entry on Xylophones? Hint: they’re supposed to be made of wood).

But no, we’re going to rise to this challenge properly, even if we have to go all the way back to 2010 to comply!  It was either that or another one of our tl;dr essays on the subject of how odd Xenophobia looks to residents of the Real Bay Area.  You can let us know whether we made the right choice with the property listings by speaking up in comments.

72 LORELEI Ln
Menlo Park, CA 94025
$780,000

3 Beds
2 Baths
1,120 Sq. Ft.
$696 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1956
Lot Size: 5,130 Sq. Ft.
Sold On: Aug 24, 2010
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Flood Park Area
MLS#: 81033951

Charming remodeled 3 bedroom/ 2 full bathroom home, inspired by the California and Silicon Valley lifestyle, on a quiet cul-de-sac in a wonderful Menlo Park neighborhood. Notice the professionally designed xeriscape in the front yard that utilizes California native and drought resistant vegetation. Check out the no-mow front lawn (it is very cool). Hardwood floors, open beamed ceilings.

Yes, dear readers, our entry for today is Xeriscaping.  Xeriscaping is landscaping with drought-resistant or desert-native plants. The point of xeriscaping is to conserve water and reduce yard waste, and it’s also one of those trendy terms we find on this parody site (of late neglected). And we’ve covered many a house with those kind of front yards! So now that we went back to 2010 to find the only use of the word in any Bay Area home listing anywhere (and they had to turn it into a fracking noun while they were at it), let’s come up with a more recent offering more suitable to the needs of the current home buyer.

201 RIO CHICO Dr
San Jose, CA 95111
$440,000

6 Beds
3 Baths
1,769 Sq. Ft.
$249 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1959
Lot Size: 5,100 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 63 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: South San Jose
MLS#: 81305376

This is an excellent opportunity for an investor or a large family. This house needs a little TLC and is located near schools, shopping and freeways. Thank-you for showing.

Xeriscaping without all the fuss, and no pretentious neighbors anywhere near this location, location, location to say you’re doing it wrong!  Or to imply that it is not very cool. We apologize for the City-owned parking strip with greenery.  Thank you for showing.

Welcome to one of the Scrabble “bunus” rounds of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! Yes, some of the letters are worth more points, because they’re Quite harder to play. And there aren’t any cities in the entire Bay Area that start with the letter Q, so we’re going to have to come up with another Quality. And we’ll have the same Quixotic Quest again when we deal with X and Z!

So, are there any other place names we can use? Neighborhoods, local landmarks, that sort of thing?  San Francisco has 118 distinct neighborhoods, and not one starts with the “Scrabble Challenge Trio.”  Ditto for the 33 hoods in San Jose.  (Which raises a Question: why does San Jose, with more geography and more people, have much fewer place names?)

Fortunately, we are about to be Quietly rescued by Redfin, who helpfully has their very own Quirky neighborhood names!

Update 10:16 AM: See added picture and graf toward the end. Quite Quintessential.

2705 NORBERT Ct
San Jose, CA 95148
$740,000

4 Beds
2 Baths
1,713 Sq. Ft.
$432 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1978
Lot Size: 7,980 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 3 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
View: Mountains, Neighborhood, Valley, City Lights
County: Santa Clara
Stories: 1
Community: Evergreen
MLS#: 81312097

AMAZING EVERGREEN HOME–ONE HOUSE AWAY FROM GROESBECK HILL PARK! BRIGHT VAULTED ENTRY, GOURMET KITCHEN WITH STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, GRANTITE COUNTERTOP, SEPERATE DINING RM W/ GRANITE WET BAR, TILE IN KITCHEN AND HARDWOOD FLOOR IN HALLWAY, BAY WINDOW IN LIVING RM, CEILING FANS IN MOST ROOMS, FLAGSTONE PATIO WITH SPORTS COURT, FRUIT TREES, CUSTOM-BUILT VIEWING DECK IN BACKYARD! RENTS $3,100/MO

Upcoming Open Houses

Saturday, Apr 20: 2:00-4:00 pm

Now while this home isn’t the sine Qua non of Questionable real estate, it has certain Qualifications for the front page. Head off to the comments with your Questions and Quell any doubts that we would come up with some Quip.  Or Quirk.

Update 10:16 AM: Or in the case of this Quality structure on the left, we’re wondering how it will fare during the next Quake.

We could share even more pictures. Or we could always Quit.

We’re back with our second week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, so let’s resume! Today’s post is brought to you by the letter G. And when we hear G on this blog, we think of our absolutely positively favorite development eveh! That’s right, G is for Gables End! Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for Guaranteeing Gables End will always be one of our Guideposts.

If you’re a new reader to Burbed, you may not have heard of this townhouse complex before. Gables End was built right at the end of the Bubble, on some land that was under the Gentle Guidance of the EPA, but the development sold out anyway.

Why? Close to Google!

851 DONOVAN Way
Mountain View, CA 94043
Sold for $740,000

3 Beds
3 Baths
1,352 Sq. Ft.
$547 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 2008
Lot Size: —
Sold On: Mar 6, 2013
HOA Dues: $197/month
Stories: 1-3 (Low Rise)
County: Santa Clara
Property Type: Townhouse
Community: Rengstorff
MLS#: 81305251

Fabulous newer townhome! Wonderful floor plan with lots of natural light throughout. Open kitchen has granite counters & ample cabinets, spacious living room w/ large windows, wood flooring throughout main level, crown molding & decorative touches throughout. High ceilings. Lots of storage both inside & in the attached 2 car garage. Close to park, shopping & freeway access. Don’t miss!

We all missed it! Gone in four days!  And Given our Generous coverage of the Gables End Gin-up, watching a resale Generate a Greater fool buyer at 9.6 percent above asking price just brings tears to our collective eyes. And it’s no Glitch! Here’s another Gables End unit, asking $719,000, virtually Given away for $805,000!

You Get it, even Gables End is now part of the Greater RBA. Oh, this is just so Gorgeous.

How would you like to live in Los Gatos and not spend a million dollars?  Wish granted!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader wahnny for this, um, residence.

16005 SHANNON Rd
Los Gatos, CA 95032
$788,000

1 Beds
1 Baths
668 Sq. Ft.
$1,180 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1940
Lot Size: 10,800 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 4 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno
MLS#: 81307108
Style: Cottage/Bungalow
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

Los Gatos Schools. Unique property on desired street. Upscale neighborhood surrounded by multimillion dollar properties. House has beautiful country setting with beautiful redwoods. It’s tranquil and private. One of a kind with creek and stone bridge that adds to its charm. Close to town, restaurants, Whole Food Market, etc. Additional storage or workshop inside of garage. Lots of potential.

You know this is going to be a good one when they don’t’ show the house until picture #5.  Now let’s check in with wahnny.

Some additional data points that further support the Bubble 4.0 hypothesis.

A cobbled-together 1940s cottage in (possibly RBA) Los Gatos.

The photos don’t do it justice.

Visited during open house (along with several other groups), and although nicely staged, the place is tiny (or, as the Redfin video understates, "compact")! 

It was amusing to listen to the realtor speak of all the positive possibilities (e.g., the house could be torn down or rebuilt (e.g., adding 2nd level)) while minimizing the downsides (creekside property is literally in a flood zone, and would require special build permits/fun with the county).  Yes, yes, value is in the land, but is it really worth more than the Bubble 3.0 sold price?

We also love how the video states that the house is “on the water” and that the 1-car garage means “you’ll always have a place to park your car!”  Also the view of the back patio reminded us of a famous house.

See some resemblance?

If you don’t recognize this house, click here.

People often ask if we’re in another Bay Area housing bubble. We usually reply that if you live in the Real Bay Area, you’ve been in Bubble 4.0 for at least a year! But not everyone is fortunate enough to live in the RBA. What if you live in the Real Gray Area, or the Corridor of Not Quite?  What if you live somewhere that Is Not Special At All?

Do you know how to absolutely, positively demonstrate it’s a fact that we’re in another bubble? When places you know are never used in a sentence with “RBA” (unless with a negative) start showing up in these questions.  When even Irvine is calling Bubble again, we have to really start taking better measurements. So, let’s head over to… Gilroy.

2367 SUNFLOWER Cir
Gilroy, CA 95020
$785,000

3 Beds
4.5 Baths
3,082 Sq. Ft.
$255 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1996
Lot Size: 0.36 Acres
On Redfin: 1 day
Property Type: Attached Single Family
Stories: 2
Community: Morgan Hill/Gilroy/San Martin
MLS#: 81305783
Style: Contemporary
View: Green Belt, Mountains, Neighborhood, Valley
County: Santa Clara

Beautiful Country Estates Home located on 15,000 sq. ft. lot with wonderful Hillviews. Very spacious floor plan with lots of usable land and a great location! Master bedroom located on 1st floor. Located in a cul-de-sac at the top of the hill. Shows beautifully. Don’t miss your opportunity to own this lovely home. Luigi Aprea and Christopher High School district. This is a regular sale!!

This listing is the perfect mix of mild disdain for the customer with admission that Gilroy is still The Land The New Bubble Forgot. Either than or this agent is still stuck in 2009: This is a regular sale!!

Sheesh, is MLS now charging brokers $10,000 per photo or something? What’s with this 3-in-one tiling display, when most listings manage to cough up nine photos? You would think a 3,000 sf house would have more than one inside room to show off.

Place doesn’t have much of a back yard, either. (Sorry, Streetview Not Available At This Location.)

So, Bubble or Not in Gilroy?

We’ve just been alerted that we’ve been neglecting Mountain View property, which we are contractually required to discuss every ten minutes.  And it’s been ten whole days! Fortunately, Burbed reader Michael Boltonestater sent us this beaut, which we promptly misplaced during the Black Friday Sales.  Consider this a “we found it in the back of the storeroom” slightly mussed listing. It’s both pending… and selling shortly!    

492 N WHISMAN Rd
Mountain View, CA 94043
$750,000

4 Beds 
2 Baths 
1,748 Sq. Ft.
$429 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1965 
Lot Size: 0.25 Acres 
On Redfin: 33 days
Status: Pending With Release
Stories: 1
Community: Whisman
MLS#: 81241148
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

Short Sale! Charming two unit property located in Whisman Area of Mountain View. Huff Elementary, Crittenden Middle and Mt View High. Live in one, rent the other or great investment opportunity! HUGE 10,890 sf corner Lot. R-2 zoning provides multiple use scenarios. Both units are 2 bed /1 bath w/ laundry, garage AND carport. Please DO NOT Disturb Occupants!

It’s a great investment opportunity!  That’s because the current owners are passing the savings along to you rather than the bank.  Yes, savings.  If you had bought this property in 2006, like these investors did, the RBA would have done its magic and increased it by more than half its value in just six years.  And if you were smart and leveraged yourself with a 20% down, 10% down, 5% down, or even ZERO DOWN, then your investment returns would be much, much higher! 

Let’s calculate them, shall we?

So a little over a million dollars, put down 20%, looks like that investment… is now going to be someone else’s instant equity. So, bets on the over/under compared to 2003′s sale price?  Now that provides multiple use scenarios.

It’s been far too long since we’ve checked in with East Palo Alto.  Today’s featured home, courtesy of Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer, shows that you can have luxury at an affordable price.  Remember, if you’re choosing from luxe, low, large, and location, you can usually have two.  Let’s have a look at today’s low and large!

919 RUNNYMEDE St
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
$750,000

6 Beds 
4 Baths 
3,036 Sq. Ft.
$247 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 2010 
Lot Size: 6,733 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 127 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Community: East of U.S. 101
MLS#: 81228693
Stories: 2
County: San Mateo

2Homes!!2years new luxury 2 story homes * 3,000plus living space * Main unit4bed/2.5bath 2nd unit 2bed/1.5bath which is rented for $1,600 * Vaulted ceiling * This stunning property boasts a bright & open floor plan that is easy for entertaining * Gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances * 3 car garage, Patio * 1st floor master bed W/ walking closet *

When PG sent this in, the house was simply noted as “East Palo Alto wonder.”  As, we wonder why anyone would build a house in East Palo Alto to this level of finish.  Let alone two houses. 

Then we realized that the builder either took too long to catch the last bubble, or is positioning to catch the next one.  And isn’t $750K a reasonable price to pay for 2 houses in an up-and-coming neighborhood (that is, if by up-and-coming, we really mean “last up, first down”?)  Good thing the agent is pinching pennies by not wasting them on extra spaces in the listing copy.

Also, check out how well these luxe lodgings fit in with the neighborhood!

Let the gentrification begin!  Again!

Some of you seemed a little miffed that there was no featured house yesterday.  Worry not!  We have a complete piece of crap an exciting opportunity for you today!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader peninsula.man for keeping an eye on this Willow Glen wonder.

2417 WESTGATE AVE
San Jose, CA 95125
Offered at $749,000

Active Contingent
Type  Single Family Home
MLS #  ML81234991 
SqFt  1,897
Beds  2 
Baths  1 Full 
Lot Size 8,400 SqFt
Year / Age  1949 / 63

Bring your contractors and do-it-yourselfers. This needs a total remodel or tear down and a new home. Many newer homes around it. Large lot near the gates at Willow Ranch. Take a look and make us an offer. This is a probate sale. Please use CAR form PPA and PAK. A real estate commission will be paid to the successful bidder only. SUBJECT TO OVERBIDS IN COURT

Here’s what peninsula.man had to say while hoisting this listing over the transom:

Honestly this house made me speechless. The idea that someone would buy a 750k tear town in the south bay…is just absurd.

Oh come on, this is the kind of house upon which Burbed was founded, all the way back in 2006.  Three quarters of a million dollars for a house that’s, if not uninhabitable, at least suffering from some poor design choices? 

All we can say to that is… SUBJECT TO OVERBIDS IN COURT.  And… bring it!