February 11, 2012

Happy Birthday to Us!

Did you know that Burbed turned six last week?  Our very first post was on February 4th, 2006.  Here’s a peek:

120208-burbed-060204

What’s really great about the very first house on Burbed is it’s a castle on Buckingham Avenue!  That’s like finding a ski chalet on Zermatt Street, or a tilt-up industrial building on Technology Drive!

If you look up the listing history on Redfin, we can see just how good a job the agent did with that $555K asking price.

120208-buckingham-listing-history

What do you think this house would sell for in today’s fever-pitched market?  Close to Facebook… I would say $888K FTW!

120208-buckingham-streetview

Any suggestions for celebrating six years of Burbed content?  This is an open thread.

Comments (7) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 5:09 am






February 8, 2012

Now with more convenient schools and fascinating neighbors!

It’s always fun when a house previously featured on Burbed comes back for a second look. Sometimes it’s a flip that’s awful in a new way, sometimes it’s the same problems ensuring that the house will be bidless for a long, long time.  Today’s Mountain View mansion, courtesy of Burbed reader dollarbin, has some changes since its last appearance, but it’s not just the house that’s had things moved around.

290 CHIQUITA Ave
Mountain View, CA 94041
$888,000

120207-chiquita-redfin

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 3
SQ. FT.: 1,565
$/SQ. FT.: $567
LOT SIZE: 4,414 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Traditional
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2009
COMMUNITY: Downtown
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81150934
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 48 days

Curb Appeal-Perfect 10. Own this 2.5 yr old Single Family Home for the price of MV townhomes and Condos. Warm & BEATIFULLY designed. Very energy efft/extra insulation w/ E. Eff appls. Showroom finish 2car garage. Gated access for added security/privacy n kids to play. Walking dist. to Downtown restrnts/shops/farmrs mrkt/CalTrans & Parks. Xcllnt APIs for schools. Nice fenced back yard w/ patio. NO HOA Dues.

And here’s a reminder of how the house looked in its previous incarnation:  (warning, 180 comment thread)

120207-chiquita-burbed-2009

120207-chiquita-facadeHere’s what dollarbin has to say about why you should take another look at 290 Chiquita:

One of burbed’s most talked about houses is back on the market, baby!

What’s more, unlike 2009, it now sports lucky 8′s in the price tag.

120207-chiquita-garagePlus, unlike 2009, the assigned elementary school will be Castro, rather than having to schlep your kids across El Camino into the fancy side of town to attend Bubb with all of those obnoxious rich kids.

Also, thanks to Habitat for Humanity, you’ll have new neighbor families enjoying “eight ownership homes for ‘very low- and low-income families’ ” at 300 Chiquita Ave.”

120207-chiquita-google-signYou may object that the “Xcllnt APIs for schools” was not intended to be a factual statement, and there will be BMR housing next door.  The crime rate might be higher than you’re comfortable with.  You may not be too excited about the sex offender who lives around the corner on Villa Street.  And two different Redfin agents complained about how small the bedrooms are.

None of this matters in the least.  The agent presents picture #21 to refute all Negative Nellie natterings.


Start your overbidding!

Comments (9) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 5:06 am

January 19, 2012

It’s Baaaaaaaaaaack!

Today we have a guest post from Burbed reader A Lewis.  Burbed tends to spend too much time in Silicon Valley, so it’s good we’ve got a frequent contributor to remind us that there’s listings full of Burbed Win all over the Bay Area, not just within three miles of Google.

Please give A a big, warm, Real Bay Area welcome as today’s guest blogger, revisiting his very first Burbed posting.


One of my favorite features on Burbed is follow-up stories from previous listings.

Cast your mind waaaaaaay back to the dim past of March, 2011 (just think how much the Republican primary field has changed since then! And who would have bet the 49ers would have clinched their division?) and this thread:

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We actually ended up with a pretty good conversation full of East Bay Love (TM)!

Well, I’m sure you will be as excited as I am that 8190 Terrace was not snapped up by an ordinary buyer who intended to live in it for years…No, it was clearly a flipper who has renovated it and is ready to pass the instant equity on to you at the low low price of $849K $799K! 

Have a look inside to see what they did!

(more…)

Comments (7) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 5:08 am

December 30, 2011

House are now affordable in Mountain View

110 COLLEGE St
Mountain View, CA 94040

$434,900

image

<snarky comment> <sarcastic comment> <snarky comment>

Wait a minute, this feels like déjà vu ALL OVER AGAIN.

Oh this is why:

December 7, 2009

House are now affordable in Mountain View

110 COLLEGE St, Mountain View, CA 94040 | MLS# 80945064
$499,950
110 COLLEGE St Mountain View, CA 94040

110

Wow, what’s up with this! This house is still on the market after all this time? Please, for the love of god, could someone just buy this house and put it out of its misery? It’s time to bring this to a close!

Someone, make it your new year’s resolution to buy this house ASAP!

Comments (11) -- Posted by: burbed @ 5:50 am

December 29, 2011

SHOCKER: Price cut in Palo Alto.

1820 ASH St
Palo Alto, CA 94306

$1,149,500

image

At $2017 per square foot, this listing is the pride and joy of Bay Area real estate. Now, granted, this isn’t exactly accurate as there’s also a guest house that can bring in revenue – and as we all know, revenue is what counts.

But wait. This house sure seems familiar. Where have we seen this before? Quick! To the wayback machine to a period when I was still regularly contributing to this site!

September 7, 2010

A healthy priced property in Palo Alto

1820 ASH St Palo Alto, CA 94306

$1,499,000

image

OMG. What. Is. Going. On? No, seriously… what is going on with these prices?

image

What’s your prediction for what this house will sell for next year? Keep in mind the coming torrent of IPOs that will rock the Valley!

Comments (14) -- Posted by: burbed @ 5:36 am

December 23, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: Cheapest House Near Google!

Let’s finish up with the Black Friday DEALS, DEALS, DEALS as close to the Googleplex as we can.  This is the best DEAL in Mountain View!

177 FAIRCHILD Dr, Mountain View, CA 94043
$390,000

image

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 1,720
$/SQ. FT.: $227
LOT SIZE: 5,367 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1945
COMMUNITY: Whisman
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81114167
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 264 days

This is a bank owned property to be sold as is.

No muss, no fuss, no silly listing copy to make claims it can’t keep, and best of all, it’s already been featured on Burbed back in March, 2010!  Only back then, it was selling for (are you sitting down?) $760K!  All that instant equity could be yours, because it’s probably worth a million now! 

All this, and still close to freeway!

image

Comments (8) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 4:12 am

December 22, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: Cheapest House in San Mateo!

We know, you’re busy holiday shopping!  So we’ll make your shopping really easy with this DEAL in San Mateo!

318 S DELAWARE St, San Mateo, CA 94401
$199,000

image

BEDS: 1
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 740
$/SQ. FT.: $269
LOT SIZE: 5,500 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1912
COMMUNITY: Parkside
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81120671
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 223 days

1bd/1ba land value only. Please do not disturb occupants.

imageThis house has practically everything you want in a listing from Burbed. 

We’ve featured it before!  It has no value as a residence, yet there are people living in it.  Plus the tenants living there mean you can’t look inside the house, and the agent isn’t going to show you any interior pictures.  It’s been pending for more than half a year!  It sold for $401,000… ten years ago.  Talk about instant equity!

imagePlus you get this AWESOME sign that matches the house paint, right in front of the white picket fence, reminding you of the other places you could have chosen to find a DEAL.

If only this house were closer to the freeway or built on a Superfund site.  Then it would be the Absolutely Perfect Burbed Property.

But it isn’t, and that means the $199K is just a starting point for your overbidding.  HURRY, WON’T LAST!

Comments (7) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 4:01 am

November 26, 2011

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: Cheapest house in San Mateo County

It may be the weekend but the DEALS will continue, along with all the regular Burbed features you know and loathe!

Today’s DEAL is the absolutely cheapest house we could find in all of San Mateo County!  It’s also been featured on Burbed before, when it was (hold onto your Thanksgiving leftovers) the cheapest house we could find in all of San Mateo County!  Only back in June the cheapest house in all of San Mateo County would have cost you $142,000.

Since then, there’s been a little bit of a price reduction.  Now how much would you pay?

87 REDWOOD Dr, Loma Mar, CA 94021
$99,900

image

BEDS: 1
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 740
$/SQ. FT.: $135
LOT SIZE: 0.39 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Cabin
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1950
COMMUNITY: Loma Mar
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81114783
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending Without Release
ON REDFIN: 234 days

Price reduced for quick sale!! Please take a look again. Cozy Cabin in the hill, adjacent to the Memorial State Park, within walking distant to the local stores in Lomar Mar, and short drive to downtown Pescadero and the Ocean. Home is dated which can be updated and upgraded to your desire. Property is perfect for a weekend getaway cabin or for rental purposes.

Property is perfect, perfect I tell you.  And the price is reduced.  The next-cheapest house in the entire County will cost $40,000 more than this one.  Please take a look again.

imageimageimageimage

I’ve seen houses for five times the cost of this one with completely gutted kitchens.  This property features a fridge, a sink, and a range.  At least three windows are still glazed.  BUY!

Comments (9) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 4:04 am

November 9, 2011

Burbed Returns to Rivermark

A couple of years ago, Burbed featured this fine Rivermark house at a rather startling price.  Unfortunately, nobody took advantage of this amazing offer, and the home was withdrawn from MLS at the end of 2009.

image

Fortunately, this listing is back and better than EVEH!  Ladies and gentlemen, Burbed proudly presents Rivermark 2011, The Sequel, now in living… um, what?

4160 RIVERMARK Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054
$1,145,000

image

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 3.5
SQ. FT.: 2,989
$/SQ. FT.: $383
LOT SIZE: 3,484 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2003
COMMUNITY: Santa Clara
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81145878
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 6 days

Rivermark Promenade II Arcade Floor Plan; Prime lot; 10 foot ceilings; Downstairs den/office can be used as a bedroom; The back studio suite (approx. 515 sq ft over the garage with a full bath & private entrance) could be rental unit/game room/home office/guest quarters; Stainless steel appliances, granite slab counter island & beautiful maple cabinets, Jacuzzi, pre-wired speakers, 3-Zone AC/Heat.

imageWhat an amazingly versatile property!  The downstairs den/office, as if it doesn’t already promise dual-use, can also be used as a bedroom!  The back studio suite could be a rental unit, or a game room, or a home office (wait, don’t you already have a den or bedroom that could be an office?  Too many choices!!!) or even guest quarters!  Imagine what that granite slab counter island could be used for?  Maybe a butcher shop or a pathologist’s table?  Why, the possibilities are endless!

imageIt looks like the agent hired Alin Ciorta to photograph the exterior this time around.  Good move!  The previous cover shot said “Tract construction somewhere in California.”  This photo says “artistic impression representing the contradiction of permanence.”  Or maybe it says “Where’s the goddamned focus knob?”

Unfortunately, the rest of the 2009 pictures seem to have kicked the bit bucket, but as a consolation prize, the sellers have thrown in a completely unreadable floorplan.

Best of all, this house is at the same bargain 2009 price, minus the lucky 8s!  That’s because the sellers are passing on all the luck DIRECT TO YOU. 

If you had any doubt that the Bay Area was HOT, HOT, HOT, this should settle all doubts.  Rivermark is IT and you STILL aren’t good enough.

Comments (12) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 5:04 am

October 5, 2011

It’s baaaaaaaaack. 602 Chimalus makes its return

Today’s house has been brought to you by Burbed reader Gallileo, who is guest blogging a perennial find!  Yes, you’ve seen this house before, and you may be seeing it yet again!  After all, it’s still for sale after 45 days, despite the Palo Alto address.  This is definitely an opportunity for somebody!

Best of all, the Agent has a Financial Interest in this plum.  Mmmmm!


 

602 CHIMALUS Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306
$1,750,000

image

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 3
SQ. FT.: 2,090
$/SQ. FT.: $837
LOT SIZE: 5,311 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2008
COMMUNITY: Barron Park
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81135381
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 12 days

A fusion of great contemporary design, fine craftsmanship and a calming color palette results in a modern home that is a joy to live in. This home is only 3 years old and shines like new. Spaces are flexible to accommodate your lifestyle and allow single level living, if that is what you seek. Fine custom features and workmanship and Palo Alto schools!

Like a realtor’s penchant for bad pictures and poor copy, 602 Chimalus just won’t go away for long. This house has made several appearances on Burbed over the years, and is right back where it started–for sale with only two weeks on the market–really!

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Didn’t sell for $1.6 million in 2009. Didn’t sell for $1.69 million in 2010. Surely it will sell for $1.75 million in 2011. We all know there has been much more than 60K of appreciation on every house in the RBA over the past year, so we know that the overbidding on this place will take it right up where it needs to be.

Even the commenters on redfin think the seller is crazy–of course this was back in 2010. Can’t wait to see how long it lasts on the market this time around.

Comments (46) -- Posted by: madhaus @ 5:09 am
 
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