Today we’re Making the last post of the first half of this Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Today’s letter: M for Mountain View. Of course Mountain View, what other city has best Manifested Bay Area Bubble 4.0? Sure, Palo Alto can show insane prices and we can find people camped out for days to buy a condo in the East Bay.  But Mountain View has More. More Multiple offers. More Maximum overbids. More Million dollar crapshacks.

And Most of all, More close to Google.  Thanks very Much to Burbed reader LomaLuvr for this Masterpiece.

1112 BORANDA Ave
Mountain View, CA 94040
$13,000,000

16 Beds
12 Baths
25,353 Sq. Ft.
$513 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 2008
Lot Size: 0.73 Acres
On Redfin: 24 days
Stories: 2
Community: Miramonte
MLS#: 81308939

Great opportunity to own a condo mapped project . Currently run as an apartment complex. Units may be sold individually. Quality built in 2008. Great location with walking distance to Bubb elementary, downtown MV. Each high end unit is 4/3, 2100 sq ft, 2 parking spaces plus storage room, private patio and yard. Luxurious master suite with walk in closet, inside laundry. Access controlled building.

Can’t Make an onsite visit? There’s a virtual tour where all you need is to Move your Mouse. Also that’s where we learned there are 12 units in the “community.”

We chose this because it’s a Mystery. Is it 4 units for sale in a 12 unit Maze? Who gets to Maintain the controlling interest in the other 8?  How Much will you have to Milk the Planning Commission to Metamorphosize these Maisonettes into condos? Who owns the rest of the Multiple-Family Complex? How Much is too Much to Mooch for HOA?

So Many Matters to Mull over.

Reminder: It’s tax deadline today. Don’t Mistakenly Meander with the Mail.

We’ve been telling you for many months that real estate was taking off in the Greater Googleplex.  Thanks to Burbed reader bublidoo, we have something better than another data point.  We have red-hot proof. Let’s roll through the red light on the way to this piping hot property!

722 SONIA Way
Mountain View, CA 94040
$1,099,000

0 Beds
— Baths
1,221 Sq. Ft.
$900 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1947
Lot Size: 7,750 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 1 day
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Community: Miramonte
MLS#: 81302687
Stories: 1
County: Santa Clara

AMAZING Location. Steps away from Downtown Mtn View. Large Lot – Build your Dream Home

Okay, bublidoo, tell us more.

Houses needing a little TLC selling over 1M have been seen before, a burnt house for 1.1? Figured it could be an interesting data point for you. A realtor would diagnose "hot hot burning hot", probably. Address seems to match. None of this is verified in any way, so please consume at your own risk.

We’re rather impressed with all the news stories provided on the fire, but one of them doesn’t just “seem” to match. It flat out has the exact address.  So what are you all waiting for? Get over there to overbid so you can Build your Dream Home.

Today we have a short but sweet guest post from z2amiller!  It’s another luscious listing in the location, location, location land of Mountain View, but this time z left the confines of the immediate neighborhood and found us something even better.

Unfortunately it was sent over the transom as a PowerPoint slide deck.  Given how close this house is to a thriving commercial district, you should be jumping on it as a Web 3.0 opportunity.

Please give z2amiller a big, warm and profitable Real Bay Area welcome as today’s Guest Blogger!

911 BORANDA Ave Unit A, Mountain View, CA 94040
$594,500

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 523
$/SQ. FT.: $1,137
LOT SIZE: 3,160 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Cottage/Bungalow
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1900
COMMUNITY: Miramonte
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81144771
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 39 days

Cute cottage style bungalow with nice size backyard. .. tiki hut with tropical look and feel. .. perfect for entertaining. Property is walking distance to downtown Mountain View. Gorgeous kitchen, with cherry wood cabinets, newer stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and beautiful hardwood floors.

This one made me WTFOL (WTF out loud): @ ~600K

• 523 sqft (Not counting the tiki hut! Tiki hut?)
• 523 sqft house with a $100K kitchen (stainless steel, granite, cherry cabinets)
• Bedroom Desk (picture 7, with laptop) is a Costco steel wire rack – with 523sqft you have to think vertically!

• Okay actually the tiki hut is kind of awesome (photos 11-14)

• Only a short block away, and more importantly, downwind from Clark’s Hamburgers – your tiki hut will always smell like fresh hamburgers!
• Appears to be in the backyard of a strip mall with a tattoo parlor (Revolution Ink)
• Look at the shape of that lot!   Maybe 3100 sqft but at it looks like about 1/3 – 1/4 of that is useless.

Sorry no time for a full write up, only bullet-point snark

Every house has a story.  Your job is to find out what went wrong with this one.

1580 Meadow Ln Mountain View, CA 94040
$1,495,000

Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Sq. Ft.: 2,531
$/Sq. Ft.: $591
Lot Size: 0.31 Acres
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Ranch
Stories: 2
View: Green Belt
Year Built: 1954
Community: Miramonte
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81047957
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 96 days

almost 13,500 lot w/ HUGE backyard! ~2500 sf of opportunity! Needs TLC but can be a showcase home again! Prime location with Top Los Altos schools, walk to 3 neighborhood parks; coffee-groceries-banks-bagels all around the corner! Even close enough to Castro St shops/restaurants! Hardwood under the carpet, big family room, giant master suite upstairs, original master downstairs, southern exposure

Mountain View has plenty of homes built during the 1950s.  The nation was on a home-building kick, the Baby Boom was booming, VA loans made buying easy, and people wanted houses in the suburbs.

Today, this part of Mountain View sells for more than anyone buying those 50s tracts would have ever imagined: 100 times original sales prices.  But most of these homes are still very well-maintained.  What made this house lose its mojo, when it has coffee-groceries-banks-bagels all around the corner?

I don’t know and the listing isn’t telling me.  Maybe this can get you started:

Property Information

• Earthquake Disclosure
• Environmental Report
• Geological/Flood Report
• Pest Control Report
• Preliminary Title Report
• Property Inspection Report
• Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement
• Roof Report
• CC&Rs
• Home Warranty Split 50/50
• Zoning: R1

It’s not enough that there’s hardwood under the carpet.  So, why don’t you make something up?  After all, doesn’t the idea of a fixer-upper for a million and a half deserve some kind of acclaim?  Better yet, buy it, fix it up right, and you, the home and the coffee-groceries-banks-bagels all around the corner can live happily ever after.

Especially the banks.

1407 ERNESTINE Ln Mountain View, CA 94040

$1,198,000

Beds:	3
Baths:	2
Sq. Ft.:	1,539
$/Sq. Ft.:	$778
Lot Size:	5,184 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Ranch
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1954
Community:	Miramonte
County:	Santa Clara
MLS#:	81021198
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	10 days

Great Saint Francis Acres Location with Top Los Altos Schools. This home has been updated top to bottom. Gleaming Hardwood Floors, Remodeled Kitchen & Master Bath, New Entry Door, New Roof & Gutters done last year, New Water Heater, New Landscaping, New Tile at Entry, Kitchen, Baths and Family Room Floors. New Sliding Doors to Rear Yard, many other features just completed.

The recession is officially over.

This is the perfect listing for hump day. Turn that frown upside down with this house. Wow. $778 per square foot… and it’s even got new sliding doors to rear yard! Wowsers! That’s unheard of! That’s at least a $50k improvement in price!

This just a sign of things to come as Spring Bounce wraps up, and we move into Summer Jam. Let’s watch those prices soar again!

1147 NILDA Ave Mountain View, CA 94040

$1,200,000

Beds:	3
Baths:	2
Sq. Ft.:	1,788
$/Sq. Ft.:	$671
Lot Size:	5,406 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Ranch
Stories:	1
Year Built:	1952
Community:	Miramonte
County:	Santa Clara
MLS#:	80956134
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	21 days

wow!this is perfect 10!Best property in questa park home!The house was rebuild from studs in 2004 with all top of the line materials!First class kitchen w/ top of the line appliance, granite counters, maple cabinets, family rm w/ buildt in cabinets 48" panasonic HDTV, sound sysytem, remodeled bathrooms, the master retreat is fit for a king w/ view of the pool and water fall, hardwood floorsand high ceiling.

This house is definitely a perfect 10. Just look at these pictures! Especially this one:

You know what the problem is? You don’t have the 3D glasses that are needed to see these pictures in their full glory. That’s right! Who knew that the team from Avatar was available to do home photos too!

If you squint your eyes, you can see see some Na’vi in the background – look for them.

It’s kind of unfortunate that all the money was spent spiffying up these photos, so that there wasn’t enough for spell checking and spaces.

But in any case, check it out – the house comes with a 48” Panasonic HDTV. WOW.

Great for you to watch Avatar when it comes out!