Today’s Adventure in Real Estate Photography takes us to the always popular City of Sunnyvale (motto: Costs More than Santa Clara).  Let’s see what Burbed reader shandrew has lassoed for us in the listings.

1002 YORKTOWN Dr
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
$930,000

3 Beds
2 Baths
1,661 Sq. Ft.
$560 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1956
Lot Size: 7,700 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 3 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
County: Santa Clara
Style: Ranch
Community: Sunnyvale
MLS#: 81238090

Beautiful home in PRIME Sunnyvale! Cherry Chase (966 API), Sunnyvale (843 API) and Homestead (866). Nicely landscaped spacious lot. New paint and carpet. Crown. Dbl pane windows. Recessed lights, hardwood floors. Remodeled kitchen & baths. Spacious master suite with a tub in the master bath! Living AND family AND dining AND casual dining areas! North facing. Regular sale-NOT short sale or REO.

Here’s what shandrew had to say about this property:

Check out the clouds over this house in PRIME Sunnyvale!

Compare photos 1 (above) and 22 (below), and you’ll see miraculous clouds that are precisely identical whether viewed straight on from the front of the house or viewed
to the side of the backyard.

Then take a careful look at some of the trees which apparently have been consumed by these vicious clone army of clouds.

Clouds which consume trees are apparently good for property values.

We think those clouds look like a flock of pterodactyls, which is why the trees were eaten so quickly (between picture 21 and 22).  These leaves haven’t even had time to fall down after the ptero-cirrus swooped down and chowed on the branches.

Yet the same clouds show up in the time it took the agent to install a for sale sign.  Compare this picture of the front of the house with the first one.

There’s only one good explanation for this.

Pterodactyls helped install the sign.

And it’s time for yet another week of Real Bay Area Realty.  Really!  Let’s begin the week in Mountain View, because it’s the Borg of Burbed.  You WILL be assimilated.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader ctar for sending us this magnificent manse… which of course has already sold.

683 Mountain View Ave
Mountain View, CA 94041
Listed for $985,000
Sold 9/25/12 for $940,000

Zestimate® $1,008,421
Est. Mortgage $3,289/mo
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sqft: 1,272
Lot: 4,999 sq ft / 0.11 acres
Type: Single Family
Year built: 1946
Construction quality: 6.0
County: Santa Clara
Garage sqft: 360
Last remodel year: 1946
Legal description: –
Lot depth: 100
Lot width: 50
Parcel #: 15430046
Per floor sqft: 1,272
Total rooms: 6
# Stories: 1.0
Structure type: Other

Carefully maintained 1 owner home in desirable location near downtown. Fresh interior paint and great curb appeal, this home has a gas stove, refrigerator and dishwasher in the kitchen, featuring a breakfast bar and nook. Ceiling fans in the eating area and all bedrooms. 2 car garage partially converted to finished room; parking is now 1 car garage plus carport. Beautifully landscaped yard.

When ctar sent this find to burbed, here was the accompanying commentary:

Thought you would appreciate this one – ridiculous.

burbed noted, when forwarding this submission on to our extensive team of content creators:

You’re right! It’s ridiculously below market!

As we’ve been telling you for months, Mountain View is hot, hot, HOT so the home sold long before we could get to it.  What do you think the lucky new owner is going to do with this vintage decor? We’d be disappointed if the house got flipped, because the current fixtures are so full of win.

Also this is one of the few houses with pictures of every room that managed not to show any of the toilets.  For that we award this listing the Burbed George “the Grocer” Whipple Bath Tissue Award, for real estate bathroom photography most appropriate for a 1960s sitcom.

There weren’t any toilets in those 1960s television houses, either.

Bunus: Close to Shoreline Boulevard.  Real close!

Today’s featured home is an architectural aristocrat among stupendous school districts.  Translation: wtf?  Thanks very much to Burbed reader wahnny for sending this Cupertino castle in!

7367 RAINBOW Dr
Cupertino, CA 95014
$995,000

3 Beds 
2.5 Baths 
1,523 Sq. Ft.
$653 / Sq. Ft.
Status: Pending Without Release
Built: 1995 
Lot Size: 1,742 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 20 days
HOA Dues: $150/month
Stories: 3
County: Santa Clara
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Community: Cupertino
MLS#: 81234699

This is one of the only two single family homes in this five unit complex. 17 years new. Comtemporary floor plan and bright, sunny natural lighting. New carpets. Newer paint. Crown molding. Hardwood floor in living and family room. Granite kitchen counter top. Private back yard. Award winning Cupertino school Regnart Elementary, Kennedy Middle and Monta Vista High.

Here’s what wahnny had to say about why this building block became Burbed:

Just came across this gem in Cupertino.

Asking price is just under $1million for a “17 year new” 3-story 1500+sqft cube house on 1700+ sqft lot.  Not exactly a “crapshack”, but it does seem pretty cramped (small rooms) and probably noisy too (close to highway, major thoroughfares).  Perhaps a small price to pay for access to the “award winning Cupertino schools”, and/or bee-line to Apple Inc.

It can’t be that bad.  The lot is 200 square feet bigger than the house, and there is some green amid all that low-maintenance cement. Plus, fewer windows means less work cleaning them and less sun damage to your drapes and artwork.  We’d say this detached home features all the benefits of townhouse living, right down to the HOA fees!

And wahnny must have been exaggerating for comic effect about the thoroughfare and highway nearby. 

See?  We know it wasn’t that bad! There’s a handy offramp as a buffer zone!

Do you want a house with trees in the front yard, but don’t want to deal with all those tree troubles?  Do you hate raking leaves?  Do you get angry tripping over roots?  How about falling branches?  Well, have we a house for you today, courtesy of Burbed reader nomadic, guaranteed to minimize those arboreal obstacles.

601 W REMINGTON Dr
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
$950,000

4 Beds
2 Baths
1,660 Sq. Ft.
$572 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1959
Lot Size: 7,245 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 36 days
Status: Pending Without Release
Pending Without Release
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Sunnyvale
MLS#: 81229511
Style: Contemporary
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

This beautiful Eichler is full of light with a slate atrium courtyard. Inside you will find new bamboo floors with radiant heat and a remodeled gourmet kitchen. The kitchen features quartz counters, alder wood cabinets and GE Cafe appliances. Enjoy the open living room and spacious dining area. You will truly enjoy this home and its location near Las Palmas Park and Cumberland Elementary.

New bamboo floors inside?  It’s the outside you need to be taking a good look at.  That hedge along the front wall will satisfy your need for tree-like objects without any objectionable tree-like behaviors.

Plus the backsplash design in the kitchen will wake you up every time you enter the room.  It’s not that the colors are particularly objectionable; we’re just not sure that design goes with the alder, the bamboo, the quartz and the stainless.

We haven’t even gotten into the slate.

So, nice open Eichler plan, recent remodel of a 50 year old house.  Ready to plop down almost a mil for the second best elementary in the Sunnyvale school district?  Maybe you should first check the location, location, location.

Because living on the corner of a secondary arterial and the route to a park and tennis center means the whole city will have many opportunities to admire your hedge!  No wonder it went pending — BOOM!

“Bunus”: Here’s what Google Streetview shows when you give this address:

This may be the first house on Burbed to score so many roadblocks in one place.

Today’s amazing abode in Almaden comes to us courtesy of Burbed reader ChinoBoy.  Thanks very much for this fab find that shows what a real estate professional can do that you can’t: get the exact price that will get your house sold!

Or maybe not.  Read on!

6521 TIMBERVIEW Ct
San Jose, CA 95120
$914,950

4 Beds 
3 Baths 
2,450 Sq. Ft.
$373 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1984 
Lot Size: 6,230 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 139 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: Tri-Level
Community: Almaden Valley
MLS#: 81215055
Style: Contemporary
View: Mountains
County: Santa Clara

WOW, NEW PRICE, Fantastic Pierce Ranch Blackwell home. Great floor plan with extra large master bedroom, plus bonus room. Formal dining room, wet bar, family room with fireplace, entertaining backyard, swimming pool with Jacuzzi. Mountain Views. Fully landscaped front and back. Updated kitchen, 3 car garage and top schools. First floor bedroom with full bath.

And this is why ChinoBoy was kind enough to share:

House has been on the market for 122 days. 

If you look at the price history, 3 price reductions, and now today they suddenly raise the price.

Logically, if they had offers at the last price, it would have sold, so why raise the price again?

LOL i know, this market is ridiculous!

WOW!  Good thing we’ve got some “Agent Insight” to help you decide if this is a good choice.

Um, we can see that in the picture, Keith.  But, um, thanks.  Meanwhile, check out the price history!

WOW!  How’s that price increase working?  Does it make this house even more Special?

It’s time to put on your hemp sandals and splash with a bit of patchouli oil, because we’re driving the VW Microbus up the long and winding road to a groovy getaway.  Thanks very much to mystic crystal hip chick and Burbed reader Tracy Tea House for this psychedelic shack in the Santa Cruz mountains!

21864 Bear Creek Road
Los Gatos CA 95033
$999,000

Bedrooms: 5 
Bathrooms: 3 full, 1 partial 
98 days on Trulia
1,515 views
Property type: Single-Family Home
Size: 4,426 sqft
Lot: Ask agent
Price/sqft: $226/sqft
Year built: 1983
MLS/ID: 81219243
Zip: 95033
Provided by: californiamoves.com

This home appraised last March for $1,050,000! Want a “green” home? Your geodesic dome has efficient wood heating, solar hot water, R30 insulation, PGandE bills of less than $60/month!! 164 acres feels like a kingdom. Great potential for horses, vineyards, hiking or just getting away to relax. Wonderful decks for entertaining. Outstanding views. Los Gatos Schools. Please do not drive-by.

The home may have a Los Gatos mailing address, but just like its 1960s architectural influence, it sits proudly on the Santa Cruz side of the County Line.  There is no doubt this is an authentic hippie pad, or at least that it could have been.  Too bad it was built in 1983.

Here’s what Tracy had to say about this geodesic goody.

I just love a good dome! This one features… Logging roads! Don’t drive by. In fact if this was my dome, I might never be able to leave. I’d get a few horses, some vineyards and watch the view. Working in the valley… forget about it. At 999 it’s a little high for a second mountain home, maybe when it gets down to 888???

A little high.  Snort.  Don’t bogie the bong.  Share.  Peace, man. 

Oh that sky, it’s, it’s, it’s… it’s the HDR processing that makes the blue so intense and the horizon so actinic.  Or maybe this is really bad acid.

Feels like a kingdom already.

We’re heading south today, for a look at this New Almaden NODder. Thanks very much to Burbed reader nomadic for keeping an eye on what’s in shadow inventory, and what’s trying to stay in the sunshine.  Let’s see how shortly this spread will be selling.

20891 ALMADEN Rd
San Jose, CA 95120
$975,500

$975,500 Price
4 Beds
3 Baths
2,888 Sq. Ft.
$338 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1920
Lot Size: 1 Acre
On Redfin: 161 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
View: Canyon
County: Santa Clara
Stories: 1
Community: Almaden Valley
MLS#: 81210207

Magical one-of-a-kind Historic Home in New Almaden! Unique historic home is loaded with CHARM! Huge porch, formal living/dining room, family room, 4 bed/3 bath (2 master suites) w/ an updated country kitchen and a workshop on a 1 acre lot. Needs a tiny bit of TLC and many newer updates! MUST SEE! Get more info: TEXT “71699″ to 79564

Get more info by texting!  Because there’s only so much info you can fit on the internet.  But text messaging?  Hope you’re on the unlimited plan.

Why did nomadic send this place in?  Let’s find out!

The listing history might inspire you.  They took an interesting approach to getting RBA returns – just HELOC it out and do a short sale for 2x the purchase price after 13 years – I wonder how much they sucked out. (After all, they won’t actually get the purchase value back out.)  I remember them trying to sell at the peak prices just after the real estate crash and thinking “good luck with that.”

What’s this?  Something about an inspiring listing history?  Redfin doesn’t have much on the old pricing, so Zillow to the rescue!

Uh, yeah.  Good luck with that.  But on the upside, if you’ve always wanted a pony, this place is horsie-ready should your magical fairy godmother ever come through with those wishes.

Anyone have any idea why Zillow has reasonably-sized pictures and Redfin doesn’t for this property? Does it have anything to do with the agent who relisted it in July?  (See the EBRD listing in Redfin, the pictures look fine there.)  Does Zillow indicating the place isn’t for sale anymore have anything to do with that?

So many questions.  So many horsies.  So much historical mortgage equity withdrawal.  MUST SEE!

And let’s wrap another exciting week of real estate win with this Burlingame bonanza!  We’ll show you the house, you find as many intriguing pieces of flair as possible.

1515 CAROL Ave
Burlingame, CA 94010
$965,000

2 Beds 
1.5 Baths 
1,570 Sq. Ft.
$615 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1920 
Lot Size: 5,250 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 4 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Burlingame Park
MLS#: 81230242
Style: Traditional
View: Neighborhood
County: San Mateo

cute & cozy home near schools, Safeway, restaurant, transportation & Burlingame shpping area. Livin rm w/ woodburing frplc, spacious formal dining, updated kit w/ eating area, 2 bedrm both are master suite, plus a den( Can be used as a play rm or office ) separate parking garage. Crown molding, hardwd flr throughout, recess lighting in the den, separate laundry rm w/ 0.5 bath. Needs TLC. Great flr plan.

The dining room has a cooler on wheels with a coffee pot atop, but the kitchen features a recumbant pineapple.  Keep looking through the photos, because there’s lots more to find in this Burlingame bungalow!  Does this property merit a Good Housekeeping tag of approval, or does the owner merely have a whimsical way with staging?

Bunus: DHO (Dog Hanging Out) in photo #7!  Any idea what’s in that shopping bag?  It must be important!

We haven’t had any Willow Glen properties in a while, or even not-really-in-Willow Glen-but-claiming-to-be listings.  Today’s featured home was sent to us by bmwman91.  Thanks very much for this #winning not-Willow Glen wonder.

2143 GLENKIRK Dr
San Jose, CA 95124
$975,000

BEDS:  4
BATHS:  2.5
SQ. FT.:  2,344
$/SQ. FT.:  $416
LOT SIZE:  8,288 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT:  1964
COMMUNITY:  Willow Glen
COUNTY:  Santa Clara
MLS#:  81224337
SOURCE:  MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN:  33 days

REG Sale. LOCATION LOCATION! Needs some cosmetic updates , JUST A BIKE RIDE TO DOWNTOWN WILLOW GLEN. Upgrades Include: CUSTOM CROWN MOLDING, NEW PAINT, REFNSHD WOOD FLRS, 6 BURNER GAS RANGE STNLSS STEEL DSHWSHR, TRSH COMPCTR, TILED FLR. BATH W/ TILE FLOORS & JETTED TUB. FURNACE & CENT AIR apprx 12 YRS OLD. , COMP ROOF apprx 14 YRS. , AUTO SPRINKLERS.

Here’s why bmwman91 shared this house with us:

[The owners] are clearly savvy about cashing in on some of the instant equity that the last seller left hidden in the medicine cabinet in 2005, by listing it for $145k more than was paid for it at the peak. Maybe they need the extra cash to buy some furniture.

Since when was 2005 the peak?  This place might have topped out in 2006, easy!  But we agree about the furniture.  That table sure gets around!

One thing we aren’t sure about is what neighborhood this house is in, but it sure is not Willow Glen.  Google maps isn’t really helping, as it seems to have this house in a neighborhood dead zone.

There’s a few more names that pop up as you zoom in, but nothing for the area bounded by Hamilton, Leigh, Curtner, and Meridian.  We’re going to go with Cambrian with Campbell-San Jose as a second choice.  Maybe even Dry Creek.  But Willow Glen?  We don’t think so, unless it’s this not-Willow Glen neighborhood called “Willow Glen South Lincoln Glen.”  You know, where they have to point out it’s a REG Sale.

So readers, your job is to explain why this not-in-Willow Glen house is worth $145K more than it was in 2005.  Be sure to support your answer by referring to this fine example of a listing photo.

It’s been too long since we’ve checked in with Burbed reader Tracy Tea House and her amazing collection of what-the-heck-is-THATs from the East Side. 

Today she’s back with another San Jose special for all you would-be Silicon Valley millionaires, but this one’s on the other side of the Valley.  Tracy likes Trulia for all her househunting needs, so let’s check in with them.

1454 Bing Drive Bing Drive
San Jose CA 95129
$998,000

Bedrooms: 4 24 days on Trulia
Bathrooms: 2 
Property type: Single-Family Home
Size: 1,650 sqft
Lot: 6,098 sqft
Price/sqft: $605/sqft
Year built: 1965
MLS/ID: 81224226
Zip: 95129
Listing agent: Michelle Carr-Crowe, ABR,ACRE,ALHS,ASP,CDPE,RECS,SRES, Top 5% US RE Agents
Broker: Just Call (408) 252-8900 Michelle Carr Crowe at Keller Williams Cupertino 

HURRY! Special Fourth of July HOT BUY! 1454 BING Dr., San Jose 95129, Open Sat. & Sun., 1:30-4:30 You and the people you care about are invited to see our HOT BUY! Effortless Elegance & Entertaining can Easily be Yours in this Lovely & Upgraded Lynbrook High Home. Featuring a Formal Foyer, Separate LR & FR & Skylight-Illuminated Dining, a Custom Tile & Oak Kitchen, 4 Light & Airy Bedrooms, and 2 Jaw-Droppingly Gorgeous Remodeled Baths, it all add up to Fabulous! Quality Upgrades include Dual Pane Windows, Copper Plumbing to the Main and Cement Tile Roof. COOL Central Air Conditioning, Wet

Put your best foot forward, invite the reader into your book with a great cover photo, you’ve got one chance to make a great first impression so always lead your listing with a terrific all-over picture of the house.  A photo of the house.  Not a photo of the flyer for the house.  Wow, this is worse than confusing Call by Name with Call by Value.  And in this listing the facade shot at left doesn’t appear until the fourth photo, but don’t worry, the agent put in another one right next to it in case you skip past.

See that green thing above the flyer and left of the price?  This property is “Active Contingent,” which means an offer was accepted but you just never know which contingency could derail the whole deal. That’s good news for you, because that means you can submit your own backup overbid!

For old times’ sake, head over to Redfin, where’ you’ll find:

• Different first photo, plus photos of school signs (this one is second)
• All home photos repeated
• But the street name isn’t
• Lot is 124 square feet smaller
• San Jose address in the “Cupertino” community (while being 1.1 miles from Cupertino)
• Pending Without Release (can’t figure out if that’s the same as Active Contingent since Redfin doesn’t define Without vs With Release)
• A Virtual Tour link!
• And different listing copy:

Effortless Elegance & Entertaining Can Be Yours! Fabulous Floor Plan Features Sep. LR & FR! Custom Tile & Oak Kit. Boasts Garden Window, Roll-Outs, Custom Details! Skylights! E-Z Care Laminate, Hardwood, Quality Carpet! E-Z Walk to Rainbow Park! E-Z Walk to Nat. -Recgnizd Cupertino Scls! Miller-API 981 & Lynbrook-API 943! Cool Central A/C + Private Hot Tub for Summer Family Fun!

It’s not enough to name the schools, now they also include the API scores. But the listing copy on Trulia is more deserving of the Burbed Seal of Approval.