In today’s installment of Yes There Is Too a Bay Area Bubble 4.0, we present a few signs what it looks like when a region is not in a real estate bubble.  Notice that there is nothing like this in the Real Bay Area.  When we have a recession here, homeowners simply don’t list their properties at a loss from typical RBA overbidding.

Not so in the “Gateway to the Delta.”  Remember, you can’t spell Solano County without S-O-L.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Tom Paine for shooting us this article.

9 Worst Recession Ghost Towns in America

The Fiscal Times (Slideshow)

Rio Vista, CA

Once envisioned as an 855-home suburb with families populating the grid of freshly paved streets and sidewalks, now the only life you’ll see in this desert development are cows and eucalyptus shrubs. Thirteen abandoned model homes lie clustered in the center of the development, and streets like “Serenity Drive” stretch on past empty dirt lots into the barren distance. Construction was halted in November 2008 when developer Shea Homes abandoned the project.

Photo: Webecoist.com

These three photos below are from that link as well.  Truly stunning, spooky, and sad, these would make great material for Edgar Martins.

Be sure to check out this older story from the Chronicle on this unsuccessful development.

There’s more of the death of this development’s boosterism on the Rio Vista Wikipedia page.  The Census data for 2007 predicted the city’s population of 7,800 would swell to 20,000 by the year 2020.  The 2010 Census update mentions no such expected population surge.  Meanwhile, population dropped to 7,300.

This charming graph, courtesy of Zillow, gives you an idea of just what a “recovery” looks like far from the Real Bay Area. This shows the median sale price per square foot over the past ten years.

There are photos of other places on both sites further from exurban Bay Area.  California City (Not Anywhere Near the Bay Area, Hell, Not Even in Northern California) has huge areas that were platted out but never built on.

Just wait until you get to the Florida pictures!

This was a National Geographic Photo of the Day for Wednesday, May 8th.  Yes, it’s real.  No, we don’t care if you think it’s shopped and that you can tell by the pixels.  It’s real. We swear we are not making this up.

Click to learn more about where in Mexico this was taken and what the photographer noticed about this place.  Then tell us if you saw any Open Houses today that were in a tract of suburban sameness.

Yes, this is indeed your Weekend Open Thread!

Yesterday we had a look at a Redwood City house with a curious price history.  Today’s featured fortress has fewer data points, but don’t worry, it makes up for it in overbids! Thanks very much to Burbed reader LomaLuvr for launching this one.  And we’ve got fresh data to share!

548 VIEW St
Mountain View, CA 94041
Sold for $1,061,000

2 Beds
1 Baths
994 Sq. Ft.
$1,067 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1924
Lot Size: 6,300 Sq. Ft.
Sold On: May 7, 2013
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Downtown
MLS#: 81308770

Great Location! 1924 cottage on approximately 6300sft lot two blocks from Castro Street! Mostly original cottage sits on this large lot, ideal for renovation or maybe rebuild. Excellent location two short blocks to Castro Street. Theatre, coffee shops, restaurants and train station all within blocks!

Actually, LomaLuvr sent this in long ago, before we started in with the A to Z thing all April. But it’s good news for you that we waited, because now we have the winning overbid, and it’s 18% over asking. Ha! You call that a bubble? Why back in our day, an agent could list a house full of crappy photos near the train tracks and the buyers would throw offers through the windows tied to gold bars!

Hey, wait.  You think the gold bars are back?

Are you looking at any Open Houses next to a farm?

Photo credit thanks to Galen Ward.

It’s Friday! That means here comes your weekend, so we’d like to present a great location for a Silicon Valley stay-cation!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Swan for sending this one in before the A to Z challenge (THANK GAWD THAT’S OVER IT WAS HARSHING OUR CRAPBOXEN). Fortunately the property is still very much on the market.

18157 WAGNER Rd
Los Gatos, CA 95032
$7,499,000

5 Beds
8 Baths
8,517 Sq. Ft.
$880 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1999
Lot Size: 25 Acres
On Redfin: 45 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: Tri-Level
Community: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno
MLS#: 81308591
Style: Traditional
View: Mountains, Canyon, Valley, City Lights
County: Santa Clara

Spectacular transformation! Vastly improved property from two years ago. Complete remodel of existing home with added sq footage, brand new 3100sf toy barn/garage, new 800sf pool house cabana w 500+sf covered patio, over an acre of new cabernet vines, bocce ball court, lacrosse field/sport court, wine cellar, 3car garage, workout facility, 600sf storage rm, outdoor entertaining paradise w pool!!!!

Let’s check in with Swan on this swank setting:

I have many properties I’ve been planning to send you, but I came across the following this morning and it rose to the top of the list:

At first, I thought I’d submit this home because of the realtard’s line, "Vastly improved property from two years ago." What is that realtor speak for?  Then, in looking at the pictures, I realized I’d seen this somewhere before!  

Yes, a finished home is a vast improvement!  Landscaping helps too!  From the pictures, it seems someone has been living there. The listing history goes on… Be sure to check out photo number 24 of the storage room.  An 8500 square foot home and you need 600 square feet of storage?  The current occupants have sure put the storage room to good use!

Have at it…

Yes, this place looks familiar, doesn’t it?  Or maybe not, since they finished painting and put all those ladders in the 600 square foot storage room.  It sold in May, 2011, for $5.75 million, and these listing photos look a little different than what we covered here.

Although we miss the ladders.  Made the place look like part of an Edgar Martins exhibition.

Also, we found the before before pictures.  Don’t miss them (kitchen pictured at left).  They might have asked for $3.95M that round, but they got $1.8.  You really have to check out the property history, because before that it was foreclosed on, maybe even twice in two weeks, and before that it was listed for $7.8M.  Good luck figuring out if it sold for $5.6M, or $7M or both or neither!  This house and its grounds have been nothing but a big and very expensive game of Hot Potato going back all the way to 2000!

So, Burbed readers, why is this amazing estate still on the market after an eternity of 45 days? Do you think the flippers are waiting to collect even more overbids?  Now that would be an even happier ending.

We are done with the April blogging challenge, so let’s get back to what made Burbed what it is: ridiculously overpriced crapboxes! And what better place to find it than in our very favorite city, Palo Alto?  Thanks much to Burbed reader Pizzawillcome for this, um, thing you could seek shelter in if you absolutely had to.

3375 STOCKTON Pl
Palo Alto, CA 94303
$1,299,900

4 Beds
2 Baths
1,716 Sq. Ft.
$758 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1958
Lot Size: 6,400 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 52 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Community: South Palo Alto
MLS#: 81307408

Classic Eichler home with central atrium. Nice backyard. Large utility room can also function as a den, office, or playroom.

Here’s why Pizza sent in this house:

I didn’t pull the trigger on this one, and now it is back! Same pictures as a month ago. Gotta burb-alert it now.
Unfolded laundry on the couch and floor, littered stuffed animals and toys. When I get bored with overly staged houses, I think of this one.

Fortunately, the Redfin agent has some useful comments to share as well!

Original condition! That’s excellent news! None of those second-rate replacements of vintage pressboard walls.  But these photos just sell the house, don’t they?

And note how the use of light draws your attention in to all the details.

That is, if you can see them. This technique seems to work just as well in the outdoor shot of the yard, demonstrating just what kind of a professional we’re dealing with.

So, if a house is for sale in the Real Bay Area, but it’s on a street named for somewhere that is Most Certainly Not In The Real Bay Area, how high will the overbids be?

We’re almost done With the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and Wow is our Website Woozy.  What Will our readers Whine about When it’s gone? No Worries, some of you Wonder Why it Wore out its Welcome While others Winked at how Wonderful the Words Were.

Well… let’s move on to today’s featured home. It’s in one of Realest of the Real Bay Area areas, home to many famous Silicon Valley startup billionaires. Now it can be home to you as Well, and even at an Welcome asking price!

439 GLENWOOD Ave
Woodside, CA 94062
$888,000

1 Beds
1 Baths
480 Sq. Ft.
$1,850 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1933
Lot Size: 0.34 Acres
On Redfin: 6 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
County: San Mateo
Style: Cottage/Bungalow
Community: Woodside Glens
MLS#: 81312849

A Rare and Most Unique Opportunity2Bld Your Dream HM or Acquire a Cottage HM Retreat in Coveted Woodside Glens!Revive 2 Fxr Upr Cottages, or Pave the Way for Your NU LUX RES!This Desirable Prop offers 15,000 SQ FT of Wooded Serenity w/ an End of the Road Culdesac Lctn!Approx. 4 miles from Canada Road, EZ Ingress/Egress. Minutes 2 Town Village & Top Rated Woodside Elementary Schl!Super EZ Cmt2H-280!

Upcoming Open Houses

Sunday, Apr 28: 2:00-4:00 pm
Sunday, May 5: 2:00-4:00 pm

This may be the first property in Woodside to have its listing copy composed entirely in tweets.

Wow, What’s this? Woodside is known for huge spreads on acres of land. Today’s house is only oversized When compared With this cabin in the Woods.

Wait, there’s more (bunus!): Court confirmation may be required. Whee!

As we move Unto the remainder of the alphabet, our regular readers may be Upset with our Undue Urgency in Upholding this Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Uh-Uh-Uh! Remember, we’re here to help, and that means finding anywhere in the Bay Area where prices are Up. 

Uh, right now that’s, Um, pretty much all of it.  Today we’re more Understanding of just how many places are Undulating Upwards, even the Underfunded, Underdeveloped, or Underhyped Urban Uniqueness that is… Union City.

Not even pending yet. Urrah!

3771 SMITH St
Union City, CA 94587
$449,950

3 Beds
1.5 Baths
1,216 Sq. Ft.
$370 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1953
Lot Size: 7,740 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 1 day
Type: Detached
Stories: 1
County: Alameda
Style: Custom, Ranch
Community: Alvarado Dist
MLS#: 40611658

Welcome to this fine home with so much to offer, new carpet, frest paint inside, large lot with access to rear from front with drive through garage. This home is zoned residental and commercial buyes should check on what type of business can be placed should that be the use selected.

So many Uses, yet zoned residental.  Say “Ugh!”

Yeah, we’re still Taken with this Blogging from A To Z Challenge, and if you don’t like it, Too bad. Um, we mean ‘Twill be all over next week. So let’s find That Typical Burbed post, where we contrast Things that don’t go Together. 

Today we’re Twist Terrific Terroir with Tired, dare we say Tortured listing photos? Let’s Take a Trip to Tiburon!

24 Red Hill Cir
Tiburon, CA 94920
$950,000

HOA Dues: $423/mo.
2 Beds
2 Baths
1,574 Sq. Ft.
$604 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1990
Lot Size: 701 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 38 days
HOA Dues: $423/month
Style: Contemporary
View: Bay, Forest/Woods, Greenbelt, Hills, Lights, Mountains, Panoramic, Water
County: Marin
Property Type: Residential, Attached, Condominium/Coop/Other
Stories: Split-Level
Community: Tiburon
MLS#: 21305218

Highly desired Red Hill Circle. One way, private street. All prior sales minimum $1,000,000+ without upgrades or any remodeling done. Views are spectacular of Richardson Bay to Sausalito with full silhouette of Mt. Tam. Lots of entertaining and happiness here.

If all The prior Transactions were in seven digits, Then what The heck is wrong with This place? It can’t be just The Terrible pix, because There’s proof That There’s little To Tamp Bay Area Bubble 4.0 This Time!  Remember, buy now or be priced out forever!

Bunus: can you find The DHO in photo #19 (the last one)? Without upgrades or any remodeling done!

Today is Sunday! That means better hurry up and make the most of Spring Bounce by visiting as many Open Houses as you can today.  It also means we put the alphabet away until Monday.

This particular house on the left isn’t listed as Open and probably won’t be, because it’s selling shortly.  The bank knows a lot more about it than the FB who wasn’t getting the monthly nut met.

And you don’t have to be a psychic to get that banks expect mortgages to be paid back.  Too bad this resident didn’t sense that sudden change in their domestic affairs. 

Here’s the most real estate-related card in the Tarot.  The Tower represents sudden change, release, downfall or revelation. Yes, that definitely sounds like a ride on a Bay Area Real Estate Bubble.

Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for observing the inherent contradiction in that listing photo.

This is an Open Thread. Share your predictions of where home prices are headed.  Or we’ll just post them for you as we shuffle the cards.