After wasting everyone’s time far far away from the RBA yesterday, the least we can do is finish strong for the week.  And what could be stronger than a house full of curb appeal for an amazing low price?  How about a house full of Burbed appeal for an amazing price you can’t have, because the listing got canceled?  We’ll leave it to you to figure out if this is a new way to say Pending/Do Not Show.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Dr. Jim for sending this one in.

3284 Ramona St
Palo Alto, CA 94306
$1,449,000

Loan Payment:  $4,966/mo
Bedrooms:  3
Bathrooms:  2
Size:  1,601 sqft
$/Sqft:  $905/sqft
Type:  Single Family House
Year Built:  1950
Lot Size:  6,250
Days on Movoto:  38 days
Neighborhood:  Midtown
MLS#:  81237014
Status:  Cancelled

Great Location Midtown home on one of the most saught after street in Palo Alto, home has good bones and sq ft. Bring your imagination to make this your dream home with few upgrades, North East facing lot with lots of sun light. Walking distance to El Carmelo Elem and JL Stanford middle.

The house has good bones, which you can dig up in the back yard.

And it also has sq. ft., namely 1601 of them.  But that’s not why Dr. Jim brought this princely palace to our attention:

Midtown Palo Alto crapshack for $1.45 million. And horrible ad copy to boot!

Oh dear, has Dr. Jim no poetry in his soul? Doesn’t he understand you have to to bring your imagination to make this your dream home with few upgrades?  And if you want a dream home with many upgrades, you should bring your stock portfolio.

Seriously, does nothing please you people?  It’s on a North East facing lot with lots of sun light.  That’s like two lots in one in only 6,250 sq. ft. to go with the good bones.

Bunus: The toilet is so awesome they show it twice.  Check it for additional good bones.

Mor Bunus: Check out the Movoto logo in the listing above.  The graphic designer let us know exactly what s/he thinks of the house!

Let’s look at another seven-digit property in the Best Place in the Universe, Palo Alto!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader dollarbin for this item, which will definitely have lower gardening bills than yesterday’s home.

The update is at the end of the article, and it’s important.

3424 COWPER Ct
Palo Alto, CA 94306
$2,890,000

BEDS: 6
BATHS: 5.5
SQ. FT.: 990
$/SQ. FT.: $2,919
LOT SIZE: 6,102 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 3
YEAR BUILT: 1952
COMMUNITY: Midtown
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81216133
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 1 day
NEW LISTING (24 HOURS)

Two blocks from elementary & middle schools, Mitchell Park & public library. Corner lot on cul de sac court. Living room with high ceiling & huge windows; wired for surround sound. Big gourmet kitchen with granite counters & island, Subzero fridge. Eating nook opens to backyard. Brazilian cherry hardwood floors. Formal dining. Powder room. Large bedroom with full bath (possible in-law suite).

Here’s why dollarbin sent in this six bedroom behemoth on just 6100 square feet:

This is probably a typo and will be corrected soon but…

6 BR
5.5 BA
990 Sq Ft?

I’ll save a screen cap in case they change it.

And it’s a good thing you did, dollarbin, because there were changes made to the listing on May 14th.  Does that mean the $2,919 per square foot price sat there on MLS for two entire weeks or was the realtard fiddling with this listing a little at a time?

Here are the changes to the listing:

SQ. FT.: 990 3,853
$/SQ. FT.: $2,919 $750
YEAR BUILT: 1952 2006
ON REDFIN: 1 day 21 days

Two 2 blocks from elementary & middle schools, Mitchell Park & public library. Corner lot on cul de sac court. Living room with high ceiling & huge windows; wired for surround sound. Big gourmet kitchen with granite counters & island, Subzero fridge. Eating nook opens to backyard. Brazilian cherry hardwood floors. Formal dining. Powder room. Large bedroom with full bath (possible in-law suite). Guest suite (or 2nd Master suite) with full bath.

He actually changed “Two” into “2.”  Talk about brilliant editing, along with remembering that the house is 54 years newer!  And you want to see another divergence from the public record?  Take a look at this:

Looks like the agent found both an extra bedroom and an extra story that the county doesn’t know about.  What’s all those unfinished square feet, an eight-car garage?  Why are the property taxes less than one percent of the valuation?  So many questions!

So with all that Facebook money floating around, why is this home still for sale?  Perhaps multimillion dollar Midtown homes circa 2006 aren’t what the market wants?

Update 9:32 AM: The house was delisted yesterday and relisted today by a different agent and broker for $2.75M.  Now take a look at it, after the break!

(more…)

It’s been far too long since we’ve heard from Burbed reader dollarbin.  Let’s check in with this palace in Palo Alto!

2783 RANDERS Ct
Palo Alto, CA 94303
$3,248,000

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 5
SQ. FT.: 5,255
$/SQ. FT.: $618
LOT SIZE: 8,712 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 3
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2010
COMMUNITY: Midtown
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81146955
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 147 days

Elegant newly constructed (2010)3 level executive estate in midtown Palo Alto in a cul-de-sac * One of a kind quality & workmanship with mahogany paneling & hand carved custom doors * Gourmet kitchen with S/S appliances, granite counters, custom cherry cabinets & a breakfast bar * Brazilian teak flooring & imported marble floors throughout * Includes library, exercise & media rooms.

Here’s what dollarbin had to say, when passing this parcel along:

Anybody send you this one yet?

Who says Palo Alto is free of McMansions? I had given up the dream of spending less than $700/sq ft in Palo Alto, but this Spec House misadventure proves it saves to buy in bulk. Plus it has a totally classy fountain burbling in the front yard.

This listing caught my eye because I noticed they have a flyer sign out on Colorado Ave that actually lights up at night, so I looked up the Redfin knowing it would be full of win.

Wait… spec house misadventure?  How can anyone have a misadventure when they’ve lit your way there?  Although the price history may tell us a thing or two.

And here we thought the misadventure was the .60 FAR or the 11 HDR.  So let’s help this poor spec house.  What is keeping it from generating dozens of overbids?

Bunus: Mawbul kawlums are rectangular!  Break out the red arrows!

Update 10:41 am: Two more kawlums lurking on the right of this picture, noted by Burbed reader SEA.  Mawr red arrows, please!

Today’s home is courtesy of Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer.  Thanks very much for finding perfection in Palo Alto!

742 LOMA VERDE Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94303
$1,495,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 2,008
$/SQ. FT.: $745
LOT SIZE: 6,996 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Modern/High Tech, Contemporary
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1974
COMMUNITY: South Palo Alto
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81205952
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 5 days

Sophisticated and contemporary atrium model Eichler in Midtown neighborhood. Bright and open 4/2.5 floor plan of over 2k square feet features slate and bamboo floors and walls of windows. Contemporary kitchen showcasing stainless counters and appliances, dramatic baths, and large lot with spa, and attached 2-car garage make this the perfect home. Award winning Palo Alto Schools.

Here’s why PG thought you’d love this house:

Perfect for Yahoo! employee

I can’t imagine why Petsmart Groomer would say that.  Yahoo! isn’t even in Palo Alto.

Check out what the sellers left in the atrium, though.  Just wrestle this puppy out over the roof, and you’ll have a much easier commute all the way to Santa Clara!

And if the wind is blowing the wrong way, you’re perfectly equipped to hold the meeting at home.

It’s been far too long since we’ve heard from Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer.  PG has been sending in some great finds that are often pulled off MLS by the time we’re ready to give them some good ol’ Burbed lovin’.  But this one was willing to stay put long enough for a big ol’ sloppy Burbed kiss.

651 E MEADOW Dr
Palo Alto, CA 94306
$1,267,000

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 3
SQ. FT.: 2,438
$/SQ. FT.: $520
LOT SIZE: 6,572 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 1956
COMMUNITY: Midtown
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81200978
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 9 days

Welcome to this spacious home featuring 5 bedrooms & 2 separate offices with 3 full bathrooms. This special home has a large living room and a fireplace, a convenient separate family & inside laundry room. Attached one car garage w/ ample extra storage. Nice sized patio and fenced yard with mature landscaping and fruit trees. Close to parks & excellent Palo Alto Schools – buyer to verify schools.

This house is Special, the listing copy says so.  The above pictures showcase the luxurious living you get for one and a quarter million dollars.

Or as PG says, “Simply beautiful.”  Let’s see if the Redfin agent agrees.

But the closest schools are a fifth of a mile away, if we go by Redfin’s own school information.  Could the agent have been referring to this place directly across the street?  It looks a church-run day care center.

Oh good, they take older kids as well as babies.  So you’ll be guaranteed to be running into extra traffic at both ends of your commute, and most of the time in between.  It’s the little touches like these that make this house so Special.

Plus, the current owners are taxed on a $100K assessment.  Buy this house, remove one more Prop 13 entitlement boomer, and help balance the City budget!

If we’re going to do college towns, it’s only fair we find you a DEAL in Palo Alto!  Why not pick up this place and save big on your Stanford bill?  Then sell it at a profit when your new graduate is ready to move on!

746 SAN CARLOS Ct, Palo Alto, CA 94306
$820,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,012
$/SQ. FT.: $810
LOT SIZE: 4,200 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1945
COMMUNITY: Midtown
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81150030
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 9 days

Great value single family detached home with 2 bedrooms & 2 baths! Bright & open kitchen next to dining area & living room with access to the backyard through the double door sliding doors. Recently upgraded with new Berber carpeting, new kitchen and baths flooring. New light fixtures, designer mirrors in the bathrooms. Fresh paint! New Stove & hood! Good size yard for kids & entertaining!

Actually, other than these somewhat hideous chairs, I’m having trouble coming up with much else to complain about this listing.  It isn’t too small, or too old, or next to the freeway.  It doesn’t look like it’s only being held together with three layers of Extra-Lead gloss paint last applied in 1949. It isn’t even a thousand dollars a foot, like some small homes in this perennially overpriced city.

That means this is as close to a DEAL in Palo Alto as you’re ever going to find.  On MLS for more than a week, so I suggest you start overbidding immediately.

$3,288,000

2577 RAMONA St Palo Alto, CA 94301

Beds:	9
Baths:	6.5
Sq. Ft.:	4,627
$/Sq. Ft.:	$711
Lot Size:	8,070 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Contemporary, French, Mediterranean
Stories:	3
View:	Mountains, Neighborhood
Year Built:	2006
Community:	Midtown
County:	Santa Clara
MLS#:	81105993
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	ActiveThis listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	12 days

VERY NEW/ BEAUTIFUL 9 BD/6.5 BA; GREAT 4 TODAY’s LIFE/ENTERTAINMENT; PRIME LOCATION/QUIET 2Side CueDeSac ST; LOTS NEW HOUSE AROUND; FUNCTIONAL/FLEXIBLE FLR PLAN/RMs; 2 PRKG W 400 SF; GOMT KITCHEN; MASTERBR W SIT RM; TOPLINE MTL/APPLICANCES; THEATRE/DANCNG FLR; SAUNA; BAR; GYM, GAME RM; WINE C; LOTS FEATURES; HG CEILING; 2 GREAT ROOM/2 LAUNDRY; GRAND/BRIGHT/DETAILS; BIG FRONT/BACK YARD W PATIO/TRILLIS

Thanks to Burbed reader M for this find!

Here’s what M had to say:

I know we aren’t supposed to discuss the city which cannot be named, but this house is just so perfect.

http://www.mlslistings.com/2577-RAMONA-ST-Palo-Alto-CA~i19$1013434$RES

Love the agent’s grammar. He will make just $100,000 on this sale, so he clearly can’t afford keyboard that doesn’t produce all caps. Oops, there are a couple of words in there that aren’t, like "QUIET 2Side CueDeSac". What exactly is a CueDeSac? I’m guessing either a place to store your custom-made pool sticks, or a bag that hold
s your signals to go on stage. No matter, this house has LOTS FEATURES and is GREAT 4 TODAY’s LIFE/ENTERTAINMENT. Hey, there is also a "TRILLIS", which must mean something that supports the piano flourishes your little snowflakes can play. With nine bedrooms, everyone in a family of nine can have their own bedroom with one left over for the in-laws.

I’m sure many people want to cook in a GOMT KITCHEN, no matter if it actually contains TOPLINE MTL or APPLIANCES.

Never had a sale since it was new in 2006. I guess it isn’t one of the LOTS NEW HOUSE AROUND. At this rate, it’s going to be Old Palo Alto without ever being lived in. Buy it now or be priced out forever!

Dude this house is totally aimed at all the Facebookers and Twitterers who are about to become rich! Know your customer! Speak their language! Shrt is betr. Drp lttrs to sv spce. TL;DR.

788 Clara Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | MLS# 80927131
788 Clara Dr Palo Alto, CA 94303
Price: $1,550,000

Beds: 5
Baths: 3.5
Sq. Ft.: 2,915
$/Sq. Ft.: $532
Lot Size: 5,663 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Traditional
Stories: 2
Year Built: 1954
Community: Midtown
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80927131
Source: MLSListings
Status: Pending With Release
On Redfin: 138 days
BEST $$$$ PER SQ. FT VALUE FOR THIS SIZE HOME IN MIDTOWN! NOT REPRODUCABLE! EXPANDED AND REMODELED. RECENT UPDATES. FLOWING FLRPLN W/ ABUNDANT NTRL LT. DRAMATIC 17 FT FRML ENTRY. GLEAMING HW FLRS, CUSTM MLDGS, RECSD LTNG ABOUND! LRG FDR W/ CSTM BLT-INS. HUGE LR, KIT, SEP FR FLOW TO LRG PRVT YARD W/ FLGSTONE PATIO, LAWN, & SUNDECK! WALKING DISTANCE TO TOP RATED P. A. SCHLS, PRKS, SPNG, TRNS. EZ COMMUTE TO 101 OR 280!

Thanks to Burbed reader Galileo for this find!

This house is not reproducable – or reproducible! The fact that it is built with such loving care in Palo Alto prevents that from happening.

Frankly, I think this is significantly underpriced, which probably explains why it’s pending already! It’s got so much going for it. Heck, even the house number is lucky! I bet there 32109 bids, and still growing. $532 per square foot? What a tease!

However, what really makes this house not reproducable, is the neighbors! Let’s take a quick walk down the street to meet one!

Oh excellent! There’s an antique car collector down the street! In fact, it’s right next door!

This will provide for a fantastic learning experience for your children. In between MyTwitFace, they can learn how to change a carburetor air filter, and find empties for recycling! Now that’s diversity!

They’ll also learn about fairness – for example, how your children’s parents will be paying $15,000 a year in property tax while their neighbor pays one order of magnitude less – $1,370. Hey, after all, 780 Clara Street helped build this community. They’ve earned it.

2731 ROSS Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | MLS# 80922362
2731 ROSS Rd Palo Alto, CA 94303
Price: $1,299,000

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,912
$/Sq. Ft.: $679
Lot Size: 6,786 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Ranch
Stories: 1
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1946
Community: South Palo Alto
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80922362
Source: MLSListings
Status: Pending Without Release
On Redfin: 28 days
Great Midtown location, this spacious rancher is bright, freshly painted and move in condition! 3 big bedrooms/2 updated bathrooms including a master suite w/ walk in closet. Kitchen has granite counters, gas range, wall ovens, eating area and storage galore! Separate family room with privacy doors, fireplace and access to backyard. Refinished hardwood floors; detached rear garage; lush garden . ..

Burbed reader Herve wanted me to feature this house… mostly because of this…

According to Herve:

Bought in July 2005 for $1,225,000.

Asking price now: $1,299,000 (5% commission would be $65K).

Ouch. Is this house selling at a loss?

But on the flipside, let’s look at how quickly this house went into pending.

My guess – it was an under pricing ploy. This scheme quickly generated 23 bids, pushing the final sales price to $1.4 million.

What do you think happened?