Last house of 2010, and is it a STUNNER!  The banks say everything must go, so help economy as you help yourself to these incredible deals!

36570 Bonnie St, Newark, CA 94560
$206,900

Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 942
$/Sq. Ft.: $220
Lot Size: 6,864 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1953
Community: Alameda County
County: Alameda
MLS#: 81040455
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 136 days

1st time home buyer or investment opportunity. 3 br, 1 bath home with large yard and wide driveway space. Add your style with some updates and a little sweat equity. Convenient to freeways and shopping.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to add your style here!  All it needs are some updates and a little sweat equity.  I think the agent is using “little” in the same sense that upper-class women use the term to mean “expensive.”  As in “Muffy, do you think I should wear my ‘little’ necklace to the regatta?”

Associating the house with shopping expeditions by the moneyed class is an excellent marketing strategy, because the house is “convenient to freeways and shopping.”

Convenient to shopping.  Really, really convenient.

I’m not sure what amazes me more about this house: that the agent thinks these photos are going to help sell it, or that it’s only being offered for 15% less than its bubble pricing in 2006.  But that’s still more than twice what it sold for in 1990, proving that real estate will always go up in the long run.

It’s just that some places have to run longer than others.

Better make it your New Year’s resolution to elbow your way past the crowds to buy this one, because it’s selling shortly!

Black Friday DEALS continue, and thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for finding today’s budget-blessing beauty.  Here’s what sonarrat had to say about today’s find:  “That’s the one block of Atherton that has all small lots and tract homes like Redwood City.”

208 Selby Ln, Atherton, CA 94027
$1,295,000

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 2,760
$/Sq. Ft.: $469
Lot Size: 6,250 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Traditional
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1965
Community: El Camino to Alameda
County: San Mateo
MLS#: 81053468
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 45 days

Amazing value for this 2,700 +/- sq. ft. home. Has never been on the market. Formal entry, elegant living room with formal dining room, large bedroom suites, lovely backyard. Best price in west Atherton. Kitchen opens to spacious family room. Amazing opportunity.

Best price in West Atherton.  And some wags thought I made up West Atherton.  Nuh uh.  A professional Real Estate professional type lady professional said “West Atherton” in the copy above.  So let’s have a good look at what makes West Atherton so Special.

See?  It’s in Atherton, but West!  You can live just like the working class in Redwood City, except your postman reminds you every day that you live in Atherton!  And so will your property tax bill.

Best of all, this snout house has never been on the market.  That means if you buy it now, it won’t have too many agent cooties.  Now that’s a DEAL.

Los Altos area residents won’t drop call to arms over cell tower

By Diana Samuels, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted: 09/03/2010 10:13:58 PM PDT
Updated: 09/04/2010 07:37:40 AM PDT

A group of Los Altos area residents who lost their bid this week to keep a 55-foot-tall cell phone tower out of their neighborhood said they plan to take their fight to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

The county’s planning commission voted 4-2 Thursday to reject an appeal from residents of the San Antonio Hills neighborhood in an unincorporated part of the county. The residents say neighbors Marshall and Nadja Jackson are operating a commercial “cell tower farm” on their Whitham Avenue property, in violation of county zoning regulation.

The Jacksons already have three cell towers on their property and won approval from the planning commission in June to build a fourth for Verizon Wireless. Marshall Jackson declined to comment Friday, but said earlier this week he believes the 55-foot-tall “monopine” — a tower disguised as a pine tree — will make the community safer thanks to the better coverage it will provide.

Tower opponent Chris Hyrne [in photo at right] said he and other residents plan to appeal the commission’s decision to the board of supervisors.

This site has long discussed one of the true pleasures of homeownership: the joy of watering one’s own lawn.  How come nobody ever brought up the delight of collecting fees for hosting a “cell tower farm” on your own property?  You don’t even have to water the monopine!  Just sit back, relax, and watch those checks start rolling in.  Sure, you’ll earn the enmity of your neighbors and your kids won’t be able to show their faces at recess, but so what?  If you’re tough enough to have become a Real Bay Area homeowner, you (and your kids) can handle a little ostracism.

We are not talking about beer money.  The Jacksons are currently hosting towers for AT&T, Sprint, Metro PCS, and T-Mobile. They earn between $500 and $3500 a month per tower for having them on their property.  The new Verizon tower would be 15 feet taller than the existing structures, and by law that means the other carriers can raise their towers to the same height as the new one.

Meanwhile, the neighbors against the towers have their petition against the “antenna farm” online, complete with address of the “butt-ugly” towers.  They have a website as well.  But we’ll save you the trouble of driving over to Whitham Avenue, as the Stoptheantennafarm.org website has this lovely view of the towers:

Can’t imagine why the neighbors are complaining.  They must get cell reception like no tomorrow.  Heck, Marshall Jackson, who just happens to be a Realtor, said the house across the street from him sold in two days, over asking price, because of the awesome bar count.  ”I’m concerned for the greater good,” Jackson said. “I certainly want to make profits myself; I’m a capitalist and I’m profit-motivated. … but I also don’t do things I think will hurt people.”

Here is the house in question, sold for $1,000 over asking.  (Something very funny is going on with that house, take a look at the sale records.)

Now that the cellular antenna farm idea has been featured on burbed (an award-winning site, you know!), everyone will want to be the first on their block to plant an antenna farm!  So hurry!  Unless you’re a renter, in which case you can spend Labor Day Weekend watering your landlord’s lawn.

261 LAUREL Ave Hayward, CA 94541

$350,000

Beds:	4
Baths:	3
Sq. Ft.:	2,161
$/Sq. Ft.:	$162
Lot Size:	0.47 Acres
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Traditional
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1952
Community:	Alameda County
County:	Alameda
MLS#:	81010248
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	4 days

Excellent potential! Huge lot. One house and two studios. Duplex house is rented and one studio. Had approved plans for fourplex. Duplex has been refurbished – new windows, siding, tile, floors, water heaters, appliances and MUCH MORE!!!

Thanks to Burbed reader Ben for this find!

Wow… now this is an amazing deal! Just $350,000 for some prime Hayward property! This is like practically living for free! Light bulbs and alarm bells should be going of for investors!

But wait, there’s more!

Just check out your neighbors!

Need help with your car? No problem – the guy down the street clearly knows what he’s doing.

Here’s what Ben had to say:

I love reading your blog.  Thanks!
I found a redfin listing where the listing agent must have taken a photography class and learned about the “Dutch Angle.”
The kitchen shot with the cupboard ajar is perfect.

Wow… I wasn’t aware of the Dutch Angle until now! Quick, let’s do a compare:

Ok… and now a reference pic:

Wow! That really helps the action quality to the photo! Good job realtor! Maybe next year you can enter into the race for an Oscar!

1051 S WHITE Rd San Jose, CA 95127

$375,000

Beds:	2
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	1,088
$/Sq. Ft.:	$345
Lot Size:	10,080 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Ranch
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1951
Community:	Alum Rock
County:	Santa Clara
MLS#:	80945706
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	145 days

Not a short sale. Fixer upper on large lot w. frontage to White Rd. Future commercial potential. DO NOT DISTURB TENANTS. Circular driveway, lot size is 70ft. by 145 ft.

192 MORRIS Ln Campbell, CA 95008

$550,000

Beds:	1
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	724
$/Sq. Ft.:	$760
Lot Size:	8,250 Sq. Ft.
Property Type:	Detached Single Family
Style:	Cottage/Bungalow
Stories:	1
View:	Neighborhood
Year Built:	1949
Community:	Cambrian
County:	Santa Clara
MLS#:	80932038
Source:	MLSListings
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	177 days

Perfect Loc’n for a small business owner or contractor in need of a PRIVATE GATED Multi use property. Centrally located and close to Major Commute Arteries in Campbell. The property also has a detached Artist Studio which would be GREAT for extra storage. Wired for 220 Amp. LARGE LOT w/ room for your Trucks, Tools, Toys, ETC. New DBL Pane Wndws, wood paneling, fresh paint. Zoned Multi Use per City.

Mystery properties pop up from time to time in Campbell. This is one of them. What’s going on here?

Here’s some additional photos:

And, of course, the location:

And this picture:

Alright… I’m stumped. What gives with this property? How did this come to be? What can you do with this property?

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

Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 760
$/Sq. Ft.: $658
Lot Size: 2,500 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1962
Community: San Antonio
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80945064
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin: 57 days
NOT A SHORT SALE OR REO. LOCATED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MANY NEWER HOMES. AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST MOVE IN FOR NOW AND APPLY YOUR CREATIVE SKILLS LATER FOR VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES TO REMODEL OR REBUILD INTO A NEW 2-STORY HOME. LOTS OF INTERIOR UPGRADES INCLUDING LAMINATE FLOOR ALL THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE, REMODELED KITCHEN AND BATH. AS-IS SALE. Open House on Sunday, Oct. 25th at 2-5pm.

Wow. What an amazing deal! A house for the same price as a condo! Really, if you can’t afford this house, you can’t afford anything.

Just check out the location:

There’s going to be very very little traffic going donw that street, so it’ll be incredibly private. And look! Your neighbor appears to collect historic cars – can you say culture?

Your best bet probably is buy this house, and build a new two story house on the lot, much like the neighbors down the street did.

Sure that’ll effectively double the cost of this house that you’re buying… but guess what! You live on College Ave. Nothing will help your children get into a great school like living on a street called College Ave. It’ll be like a constant reminder that they need to study for the SAT’s!

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.

380 ONEILL Ave, Belmont, CA 94002 | MLS# 80933700
380 ONEILL Ave Belmont, CA 94002
Price: $615,000

Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 1,090
$/Sq. Ft.: $564
Lot Size: 4,968 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 1947
Community: Homeview/Sterling Downs
County: San Mateo
MLS#: 80933700
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 35 days
Come see this charming 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath home in the beautiful city of Belmont. This home is located on a desirable corner lot on a quiet street with no thru traffic. It has great curb appeal due to the gorgeous, well maintained landscaping throughout the grounds. The neighborhood is conveniently located near shopping, restaurants, train station and major freeways/highways.

Thanks to Burbed reader Herve for this find.

I’m not sure how this got started, but there seems to be this meme that Burbed loves to feature pink houses.

Well, this is definitely a pink house!

But what I truly appreciate is the contrast of some of the interior pics. Let’s take a look:

I love the enormous TV that blocks out all the windows. And I love how it contrasts with the kitchen and its cabinets!

But more importantly, I liked this photo:

Wow. You can totally feel the pride of ownership soaring as your flag waves proudly.

And let’s look at who you’ll be sharing this pride of ownership with!

That’s right! All the industrial complexes near your house. The people there will trudge to work each day, jealous how you’re becoming rich by just sitting in your house earning equity.

Plenty of pride all around!

1407 23rd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606 – Zillow

For Sale: $780,000

* 2 beds
* 1.0 bath
* Built in 1900

Thanks to Burbed reader Jason for this find. While Jason claims that this is a bargain, I’m a bit perplexed as to what exactly you’re getting. Let’s take a look at some of the other photos:

I don’t get it. Does this include the store front? If so, that’d be pretty awesome as you could turn that into your living room. You could fill it with LCD TVs that you’re buying with equity that you would otherwise be throwing away by renting. And when people walk by, they’ll be incredibly envious of your pride of ownership!

Hey check out what’s going on in the neighborhood:

That’s right… new housing. This area is starting to gentrify. Soon there will be a starbucks, a jamba juice, a babies r us, and 24 cupcake and fro-yo stores! And then your 1900 era propery will suddenly be worth $2 million as yuppies all over will be falling over themselves to buy your house.

What are you waiting for? You can’t possibly lose!