Here’s a great find from Burbed reader Tracy, in sunny, I mean spooky San Mateo!  Ooooooooo!

210 N IDAHO St, San Mateo, CA 94401
$495,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 770
$/SQ. FT.: $643
LOT SIZE: 4,000 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Attached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1951
COMMUNITY: Eastern Addition/Downtown Area
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81105556
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 301 days

CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED HOME. GARAGE CONVERTED WITHOUT PERMITS.

One photo, one line of copy, and the truth about the garage conversion!  What more could you want, other than a better look at the house in the daytime…

Gorgeous!  And maybe a look around the neighborhood…

Yeah!  What’s not to like for half a million dollars?  All this and an honest agent, too!  You should be kissing this seller’s feet and offering $600,000!

Today’s listing was sent in by Burbed reader MS.  Thanks very much for this MUST SEE NOW in San Mateo!

 

1235 TERMINAL Pl, San Mateo, CA 94401
$449,999

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,040
$/SQ. FT.: $433
LOT SIZE: 4,050 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Traditional
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1944
COMMUNITY: North Shoreview/Dore Cavanaugh
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81114350
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 189 days

MUST SEE NOW! Completely remodeled 3 BR 2 full baths including a new roof, double pane windows, new kitchens cabinet, granite counter top and new stainless steel appliances. Pergo floor throughout the house, recessed lighting throughout the house, new interior, exterior paints. Detached two car garage. Drive way on the side of the property.

Here’s what MS had to say about this home:

This house is Really for Sale. It has really not sold in 170 days.

Actually it took a while to run this, so now it’s more than 190 days.

The house foreclosed at $260K, came BOM at $500K, and has been stuck at $450K for going on three months.  It is not selling because the flippers did not fix the obvious and did not take into account what could not be fixed.

1. It’s very close to the 101 retaining wall.
2. The garage is an unpermitted conversion from a one-car to a two-car, is sagging, and backs right up to an alley shared with an chain-linked parking gate for a not-nice apartment building.
3. The crawl space goes about halfway through the house. How you get to the other half is unknown.
4. The water heater and w/d hookups are in exposed enclosures outside.
5. The neighbor across the street has an 18-foot junk mountain behind his fence with “beware of dog” sign. A mattress is perched at the apex.

I CAN HAZ STREETVU?

I agree it’s never a good sign when the lead picture on MLS isn’t the front of the house.  But surprisingly, the front exterior is not the picture of most concern.  Here’s a look at the side and that unpermitted garage.

Hmmm.  The Redfin agent toured it four times and concluded:

And we haven’t even started looking inside yet!

The seller just isn’t thinking BIG enough.  Close to SF, close to Silicon Valley, close to biotech jobs, and really, really, really close to 101.

There’s a garage (with no access for a car) which you can instead use for the next Web 3.0 startup incubator make.money.fast opportunity.  Now all that’s needed is a Web 3.0 price and a reminder to drive way on the side of the property.  Way, way on the side.

I’m thinking… $995K.  Who’s in?

It’s nice to remember what Burbed started out as: the site with expensive crapboxes.  Today we go back to our roots with a prime find, centrally located in the not-in-Campbell part of San Jose.  And if you object that this is not a lot of money, remember that the median price for a home in California is now $252,000.

 

610 FENLEY Ave, San Jose, CA 95117
Listed for $379,900   Sold for $385,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,277
$/SQ. FT.: $301
LOT SIZE: 8,024 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Traditional
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1954
COMMUNITY: Campbell
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81123104
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Sold

Large lot in Campbell Union School District, close to Moorpark and 280. Home is a project in need of alot of work; ready for a contractor. 4th bedroom added- no permits. Property is unlikely to qualify for low down financing. Utilities are off.

I’m sorry this place has already been sold to a contractor ready for alot of work, but this one is Special on so many levels.  There’s so much to admire about the photography.  For one, the agent appears to know how to set the date properly.  Also the outdoor pictures were taken at 10:00, while the indoor pictures were taken at 1:20.  Any ideas what he was doing in the interim?

What I really appreciate about these pictures is how well the landscaping complements the interior.  And do be sure to check out the listing history.  Seems like this hot potato’s been tossed to several people who decided they didn’t want a bite after all.  Wonder who the sucker lucky ducky is who caught this delicious house project?

Next, this property has been personally inspected by a Redfin Agent who is enrolled in the Witness Protection Program!

Finally: Location, location, location!

Today’s listing is courtesy of Burbed reader Swan, who noted that this property is right up the street from the Butte-ugly house. But it’s also literally steps away from this one we featured back in March.  The price, however, is not just steps away.  Your job is to figure out why!

 

1548 S BERNARDO Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
$795,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,435
$/SQ. FT.: $554
LOT SIZE: 7,956 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Mountains, Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1956
COMMUNITY: Sunnyvale
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81135131
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 24 days

Award winning cupertino school, Hardwood floors throughout great large yard for the Family, Convient location

Ah, I’ve figured it out already.  This house only has “award winning cupertino school.”  The other house down the street was “with all three good Schools- West Valley, Cupertino Middle, Homestead High (FUHSD).”  It even ordered us to “Compare the price to other homes with all three Good schools!”  So it’s two schools better despite being on the exact same block!  That should cover eighty thou, no problem.  After all, if you don’t claim the schools, you don’t get the sale.  Don’t believe me?  Ask the owner on Butte Court how fast that place turned over since being listed 31 days ago and counting.

Meanwhile today’s tragedy is asking $80K less than the one up the street that wouldn’t shut up about schools.  Someone ought to take that pricey house down a peg and remind it that CUSD is a failing school district anyway.

These pictures re-emphasize what a crapbox we’re looking at, but at least this house seems to have included a refrigerator.  And a convient location.  To the freeway.

Here’s a find courtesy of Burbed reader SEA, from ages ago in comments.  Too bad it’s pending; opportunities like this one aren’t going to wait!  (Don’t worry, the bank will.)

 

2085 ADDISON Ave, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
$280,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 1,540
$/SQ. FT.: $182
LOT SIZE: 7,800 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1947
COMMUNITY: West of U.S. 101
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81129142
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 58 days

Nice home in East Palo Alto, Close to Freeway 101 and near Appt. buildings. This home features Living room, kitchen, 1 fireplace, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, natural sunlight, open space, & needs TLC.

Here’s what SEA had to say about this nice home:

Sure it’s in the wrong zip code (94303), but we’re talking instant equity, cash flow positive from day one.

That’s right, $506k in instant equity. Alternatively, the instant equity is 180% of the listing price (Or 90% based on the 2004 sale). How could one go wrong with such a deal?

Besides, don’t we have the Facebook Effect to save the world? Or does the Facebook Effect only apply to the RBA?

And if you think 2007 was insane bubblicious pricing, there’s still the $250K of instant equity from 2004!  I’m with SEA, there is absolutely nothing that could go wrong with this deal.

Look at that convenient location!  You can walk to Menlo Park AND Palo Alto!  If you worked at Facebook you’d be sitting pretty!

And you can probably fit about ten bazillion vehicles on that driveway, so you can make extra money operating a parking lot and shuttling people over to Stanford games or their jobs downtown!  Plus that garage would make a spectacular (not to mention profitable) rental unit!

The house has been pending since early July, so call up the bank, offer a little more money (or a cut of your parking concession), then grab this house and just relax while the income rolls in! 

Here’s a great find in a decent part of Sunnyvale, which is like the quality line of Velveeta products, or the Premium label at JC Penney.  You know it’s not that terrific, but it’s better than what the typical shopper buying that brand is going to get.

 

1090 BUTTE Ct, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
$903,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,380
$/SQ. FT.: $654
LOT SIZE: 7,752 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1957
COMMUNITY: Sunnyvale
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81134393
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 23 days

Staged for sale. Court location, just off of 85 freeway. Fresh interior paint. New flooring and crown molding accent. Great year around patio room, makes for great office. Garage converted into a large well finished multi-purpose room and separate laundry. Updated kitchen. Detached workshop taken as is. Large landscaped yard.

Maybe this listing needs to be translated from Realtardese back to English.

Staged for sale – As opposed to staged for impressing the neighbors

Court location – See you in bankruptcy court

just off of 85 freeway – This is completely 100% true!  If the house were any closer you could use that solar-powered call box!

Fresh interior paint – To cover up all the blood, phlegm and tobacco stains on the walls

New flooring – Above dripped onto the old flooring

and crown molding accent – Owners need dental work AND elocution lessons

Great year around patio room – 1957 was the bee’s knees!

makes for great office – Since every year after then was a pretty ordinary one

Garage converted into a large well – It was pretty easy, we didn’t repair the roof and let the water collect

finished multi-purpose room – You can eat AND watch TV!

and separate laundry – Get to work! Darks here, lights here, bright colors in this basket.  Don’t put your clothes drying rack in the garage, we converted it into a well.

Updated kitchen – Premium Formica with Naugahyde stools in harvest gold and avocado green!

Detached workshop taken as is – Leaving you with none of it

Large – compared to lots in South Palo Alto

landscaped yard – We didn’t rip the lawn out yet.

Oh, oh.  You know what they didn’t say?  There’s no mention of those amazing CUPERTINO SCHOOLS.  Gasp!  Is this seller not aware that this house has CUPERTINO SCHOOLS?  And the Realtard didn’t mention it either?  Maybe none of them know!  Hurry!  Buy this house before they figure it out and mark the price up to $1,088,888!

Here’s an on-the-ground report from Burbed reader Sam Adu, direct from comments.  In case you were wondering if they were making any more land, it looks like they are.  Unfortunately, this county land is going to end up in Campbell.  Hurry, offers are due Wednesday! Thanks very much for the Open House report, Sam!

The best ‘burbed-esque house I visited yesterday was, of course, in Campbell…or should I say a soon-to-be annexed part of Campbell.

 

1125 SHAMROCK Dr, Campbell, CA 95008
$380,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 791
$/SQ. FT.: $480
LOT SIZE: 9,558 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1954
COMMUNITY: Cambrian
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81135861
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 5 days

Ready for expansion or to bring out the city gardener in you! Adorable home on an almost 10,000 sf lot. Updated – Kitchen, bathroom, dual paned windows, hardwood floors, electrical panel, foam insulation. Schools, Farnham, Price, Branham. This county area to be annexed to Campbell. HAFA approved short sale-can close in 45 days! Open Sat 8/20 1-4pm. Don’t miss this opportunity. Offers 8/23.

I’m always captivated by homes with huge walls surrounding them (i.e. 183 Dillon, Campbell). It must be how they remind me of my very short stay in a Ghanaian prison during some unrest we had in the late 90s. I wasn’t mistreated in there but all the guys on my street were definitely fearful and we were surrounded by these humongous walls in prison.

Anyways, we visited 1125 Shamrock yesterday. There is a zero lot line in the rear of the house with a giant rear hotel wall (easily seen in pics) abutting the property.

The real estate agent recommended that we paint a mural (or graffiti?) on the hotel wall to pretty it up. I liked to imagine myself throwing a tennis ball against that wall all day long for my lab and waking up all the hotel guests. Who the hell would be getting a hotel room in that part of Campbell though?

Redfin picture #3 of the place has a ‘cat on a dresser’, which is almost as good as ‘dudes on a couch’. It was funny visiting the place because that dang cat was sitting in the exact same spot when we were there.

Right next to that cat (and cropped out of the picture) is a bookshelf full of scientology dvds+books. Black cat + Scientology material + foreboding wall = Mr. and Mrs. Adu high-tailing it out of there.

Too much bad ju-ju at that house for us…not to mention that the house is smaller than the Adus’ current apartment.

This new listing appears courtesy of happy-piggy over on Redfin’s Bay Area forums.  It’s definitely a flip, because the house changed ownership all of five weeks ago (as I write this).  Your challenge, dear Burbed readers, is to find as many reasons not to line this flipper’s pockets as possible.

Yes, we’re going to play What’s Wrong With This House.  See how many problems you can find!

178 LAS ASTAS Dr, Los Gatos, CA 95032
$949,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,354
$/SQ. FT.: $701
LOT SIZE: 7,208 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1958
COMMUNITY: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81133706
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 1 day
NEW LISTING (24 HOURS)

GORGEOUS REMODEL * MAPLE CABINETS * CHERRY FINISH * SLAB GRANITE * S/S APPLIANCES * WOOD FLOORS THROUGHOUT * CUSTOM TILED BATHS WITH GLASS ACCENTS * SEAMLESS GLASS DOOR * HIGH END CARPET * NEW INTERIOR DOORS * HARDWARE * MOLDING * SEP LIVING WITH MARBLE FACED WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE * * SEP FAMILY ROOM * RECESSED LIGHTING * HUGE LOT * CENTRAL HEATING & A/C * NEW LANDSCAPING * DOUBLE PANE WINDOWS & SLIDERS * LOS GATOS SCHOOLS *

So, what is that in the first picture?  Looks like the agent made a real point of minimizing something.  See what I mean?

Harder to see in the second picture (#18 on the Redfin page), but there I see something strung up there, more than enough to equip a sitar.  Let’s go to our eye in the sky to check this out.

No, I wasn’t seeing things.

YOWZA.  And here’s what happens if you look at the house on Streetview and then look straight up:

I’ll leave the rest of the hunting to you guys, but be sure to check the neighborhood out to make sure there aren’t any other issues lurking nearby.  Have fun!

Unfortunately, the artist was influenced by Pablo Picasso.  Picasso was definitely a great artist, but he was no architect.

Today we are back in Campbell, with a house built after 1956, even!  Also there’s at least a 25% chance this house might not have been a meth lab.  But note that the listing doesn’t claim it’s meth-free, so no promises.

It also doesn’t claim there aren’t any Cubist painters in the garage, either.  I do wish these agents would be a little more helpful.

2947 DEL LOMA Dr, Campbell, CA 95008
$699,950

 

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 1,927
$/SQ. FT.: $363
LOT SIZE: 8,470 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1982
COMMUNITY: Campbell
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81127945
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 21 days

Beautiful Spacious Campbell Home! Great price. 1927 SqFt/ 3 bedroom 2.5 bath. In ground pool & spa. 8400 sqft lot. Abundance of Natural Light! Bright and light open floor plan. Dual Pane windows. Large kitchen. formal dining. inside laundry. 2 balconies. atrium. a very cool floor plan.

Speaking of influential Spanish painters, no doubt this home designer had some influence, in turn, on the real estate photographer.  That is why we have these museum-quality prints, suitable for framing.  Or slashing.

Not only that, Captain Obvious is now working for Redfin!

Next to 85 freeway, you say?

That is so unfair to this house!  That row of trees should screen all that harmful pollution, noise, and fumes from the back yard.  And what the trees don’t catch, the swimming pool will!

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.

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