It’s the weekend! That means Open House Time! It also means we need to come up with some filler article, because everyone’s too busy planning on visiting Open Houses to spend all day commenting on Burbed.

While you visit homes and plan by how much you’ll overbid, here’s a honey for you to handle. It’s just a short drive out of the Bay Area… and out of Northern California… and out of the LA Basin… and out of the Southland. On the other hand, you literally could pay for this house with money you find under your couch cushions with the E-Z Seller Financing!

Thanks very much to Christin whose Redfin Collection “Just Wow” featured this… um… property.

1 LORI LISA Rd
29 Palms, CA 92277
$9,000

0 Beds
— Baths
400 Sq. Ft.
$23 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1957
Lot Size: 5 Acres
On Redfin: 141 days
Property Type: Residential, Single Family
View: Desert
County: San Bernardino
Style: One Level, Cabin
Community: Wonder Valley
MLS#: DC13006684

Want a secluded cabin on 5 acres next to open desert? This is the one! Has electric in street. The old cabin needs some work but hey it has got 4 walls up, just missing the room. Also on land is out house in pretty good condition. Old stove/bbq thing that is cool and looks like it could be used, inside cabin are old antique stove and sink. Seller will finance this jewel with 20% down @ 7 % interest all due 5 years. From Amboy Road go north on Meriwether Road all the way to the end then take a left on Lori Lisa Road and there is the cabin on the right side.

Jewel indeed, and all you need is $1,800! Look at all you get, in addition to this awesome listing copy!

But wait! There’s more!

Operators – we mean the seller – is, um, are standing by!  As is today’s Weekend Open Thread! Let us know how deserted the Open Houses were you saw today!

Just because we’re doing the Blogging from A to Z Challenge doesn’t mean we Have to Hold off our Hallowed Habits. One of them is that we welcome contributions from our readers. Heck, we Harangue our readers if they don’t play along. So, today we are Heaving up another letter of the alphabet, and Having a different poster Handle it.

We Hope you enjoy today’s Happening post from Burbed reader bublidoo!  Please give bublidoo a Healthy, Hot Real Bay Area Homecoming with today’s Holy $#*@! House.

1161 Highland Ter
Fremont, CA 94539
$5,493,000

6 Beds
9.5 Baths
9,967 Sq. Ft.
$551 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 2009
Lot Size: 1.64 Acres
On Redfin: 79 days
Type: Detached
Stories 2
Community: Mission
MLS#: 40601026
Style: Custom
View: Bay, City Lights, Hills, Panoramic, Pasture, Ridge, San Francisco, Water
County: Alameda

Panoramic View, Custom Home, Like Living in Taj Mahal, Elevator, 6 Bedrooms-9.5 Bathrooms, Banquet Hall w/ Stage-Seat over 100, All Bedrooms have Full Bathrooms, $150,000 /Crystal Lights and Chandeliers, Stainless Steel Garage & Exterior Doors, Credit Available for Personalizing Your Finishing Touch.

Let’s Hear from bublidoo Her/Himself!

Figured eventually you’ll get to H.

This has got to be the butt-ugliest way to spend nearly 5.5 Million bucks. HDR [check] Cawlumns [check]. Granite on the wall [check]. More bathrooms than bedrooms [check] "Living like in Taj Mahal" [check]. Yeah, that’s right … sooooo much bling it makes a baroque castle look sparse.

But the HDR … OMG, the HDR! The first pic … OMG, seriously, I thought it’s so synthetic looking it must be from a first person shooter or something. This has gotta be the highest DR evar.

More pictures Here, because you gotta Have some kawlums!

Our readers have mentioned what they’re looking for in an ideal home.  Some want a big, well-organized kitchen, some want spectacular views, some want the best school district possible.  And since Silicon Valley is We-Built-That Central, we’ve heard from many readers who want nothing more than a lot of garage and workshop space.  This lascivious Los Gatos listing, lobbed in by Burbed reader nomadic, may be where you’ll end up dropping your tools, banging your head, and having the time of your life.

Oh yeah, there’s supposedly a house somewhere on the property.

119 HARWOOD Ct
Los Gatos, CA 95032
$2,895,000

5 Beds 
5 Baths 
5,361 Sq. Ft.
$540 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1987 
Lot Size: 1.49 Acres 
On Redfin: 20 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: Bi/Split Level
Community: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno
MLS#: 81233794
Style: Mediterranean
View: City Lights
County: Santa Clara

Under Construction! Unique opportunity to complete construction to your own taste. Serene setting next to natural open space & trails. Mediterranean home, 4 BR & 3.5 BA (2 BRs are suits with Jacuzzi), sweeping city light views from all rooms. High ceilings & skylights bring lots of natural light. SF includes separate guest unit(960 SF) w/ 1 BR & 1.5 BA * Unit has 4 car garages. Total 7 car garages.

Here’s why nomadic sent in the gorgeous garage (with ginormous garrison).

A trunkey Mediterranean (sic)! 7 car garages (huh?) 2 of the bedrooms are suits with Jacuzzis (how do you keep the water out of your shoes?)

Purchased at the height of the bubble for $2.3M, now in the “middle of remodeling” and the seller is trying for $2.9M.  Comparing with the 2008 listing, it looks like they added 1500sf, but I suspect that’s the size of the “guest house” because looking at the site, it doesn’t appear that they’ve expanded the house.  The bedroom/bath counts match up with the old 2008 listing too.

I go past this house regularly, and it seems like they’ve been working on the new tile roof for at least a year.  I figured the owner was doing it himself and was low on cash. 

Alas, the listing doesn’t show the garage as it goes through construction.  Instead, all we get are exterior shots such as this smoggy and obstructed view of Milpitas, except there’s a bunch of buildings blocking The Great Mall.  (The photo at right is from the aforementioned old listing.)

Fortunately, nomadic took some actual on-site pictures!  Ready?

As promised, here are the pictures of the current state of the house on Harwood.  It’s kind of bizarre that he started putting pavers down for the driveway and quit part way through.  Usually you can put them in pretty quickly once the hard part (the base and leveling) is done.

The guest house (bottom left) looks kind of abandoned, just like the main house.  The view from the main house is pretty good; you can see Communications Hill (no big deal) and downtown San Jose.

Still can’t see the Great Mall.  Might as well go back to the garage and enjoy that seller financing.

Who says they aren’t making any more land?  Not true!  Here’s some sitting around doing nothing except waiting for you!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Mole Man for this remarkable realty in Redwood City!

0 Palomar Dr
Redwood City, CA 94062
$100,000

BEDS:  -
BATHS:  -
SQ. FT.:  -
LOT SIZE:  0.37 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Residential Land (Single Family)
VIEW: Neighborhood
COMMUNITY:  Clifford Heights
COUNTY:  San Mateo
MLS#:  81050958
SOURCE:  MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN:  652 days

Also includes APN 051-031-560. Accessible yet private tree studded 1/3+acre lot in Palomar Park. Located between 410 & 422 Palomar Dr. , lot offers 100’ frontage. Rear property line borders San Carlos. Owner will consider carrying financing to qualified buyer. Easement, Topography map, sewer study available in listing office. Email listing agent for detailed information & reports.

Mole Man says, “Check it out: a 1/3 acre slice of super-exclusive Palomar Park can be yours for $100k (house extra).”  That’s a nice big chunk of land to build your dream house.  That is, it would be if it weren’t for this tiny little thing we found on the assessor maps.

Now we wonder what those little dashed lines marked “EASE” could refer to?  Could it be the ease with which you’ll be able to build on this double lot?  Or did the surveyor think the land was so beautiful that an artist ought to set up with paints and an easel here?

Or it’s just a big arrow pointing to lot number 9, which is EAST of 10 and 11.  You know what terrible handwriting those surveyors have.

We doubt there will be any trouble getting permits to build here at all.  How could there be, when the seller is a licensed real estate agent?  With loads of experience.  Just look at how many different listings there have been for practice?

Now is the time to buy, because this one has to be right!

Here’s a little something to consider while another weekend is coming!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader nomadic for this luscious listing in Los Altos Hills.

11195 HOOPER Ln
Los Altos Hills, CA 94024
$4,099,000

BEDS:  4
BATHS:  4
SQ. FT.:  4,700
$/SQ. FT.:  $872
LOT SIZE:  1.86 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT:  1957
COMMUNITY:  Los Altos Hills
COUNTY:  Santa Clara
MLS#:  81217362
SOURCE:  MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN:  57 days

Seller will finance w/ NO qual. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Private, Secure, Quiet, Serene, with City and Bay Views, and proximity to town are UNIQUE and RARE in this wooded ~2 Acres property. Update or rebuild the existing Comtemp. Style home in this Executive Estate. Detached cottage w/ Full Kitchen is ideal for backyard living/entertain w/ no direct visuals to any neighbors.

And you thought the market was hot, hot, HOT?  Then what’s with this seller financing deal, w/ NO qual.  That’s probably short for “quality.”  Plus you can “update or rebuild” which means the “existing Contemp. Style home” isn’t exactly turnkey.  More like turkey.

There’s a virtual tour, if you really want to see how a 1957 house can be Contemp. Style.  Maybe that stands for the “contempt” the sellers must have, as they’ve been trying to get out from under this place since 2007.  Here’s the listing history, courtesy of Zillow.

Price History

Wrap that up with a ZEstimate range of $2.68 to $4.09 M and maybe some Facebook millionaire will take it off their hands by 2015.

Yesterday we suggested you could spend more than two million dollars on an empty spot of land in the middle of flipping nowhere.  Today we’re also flipping, with a quick-turnaround sale found by Burbed reader Mr. Kiasu.  Oh, and did we mention that the market is hot, hot hot?  Except for here.

1448 FOWLER Ln
Los Altos, CA 94024
$2,665,000, reduced from $2,995,000, reduced from $3,295,000

BEDS: 6
BATHS: 3.5
SQ. FT.: 4,876
$/SQ. FT.: $547
LOT SIZE: 0.35 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1900
COMMUNITY: South of El Monte
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81211504
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 36 days

Turnkey 1900 Craftsman style Plantation home. .. own a piece of LA History. Poss Mills Act Tax Savings. 4800sf + 1800sf basement. Updated w/ new kitchen w/ marble countertops, remodeled baths and wood floors throughout. Newer fndtn, new copper plumbing, upgraded elect. panels, new zoned heating. Expansive back yard w/ pool & large lawn. Great cul-de-sac w/ LA Schools. Poss Seller financing options.

Here’s why Mr. Kiasu thought you’d like to see this home on the front page.

Spring bounce in Los Altos!

Bought in oct 2011 for 1.5, now on sale for 3.29.

Probably a flip but we’d need to see the pictures for last October I guess. Neighbors are all in the 1.5 range.

No history before the October sale, so maybe it’s been in the same family since 1900.

Wait, $3.29?  Not anymore.  Now it’s $2.65.  And still very much for sale.  Even with all those mawbul kawlums.  How could that be?  It’s on a cul-de-sac and there’s a gate to keep out the riffraff and everything.

Fortunately, the old pictures are still available for our perusal, so thank you Redfin!  Here’s a lovely pair from the old and the new of the same room.  Do you think they replaced the pool table?  Which one is the new sale?

Yes, comparing the old and the new listing photos really is something.  For example, just a quick glance led to this find of bunus kawlums not available in the current listing!  So it definitely pays to check selling history when looking at a property listing.  That’s when you notice how many things in this house haven’t been updated and then wonder how the seller can justify more than doubling the price on this flip.  We can see just how successful that gambit was.

Now sit back and listen to some really annoying light jazz while you enjoy the virtual tour.

16240 WOOD ACRES Rd
Saratoga, CA 95030

$698,000

Yes. I would also guess that this home may be larger than county records. By just a little though.

Any thoughts on how one would go about measuring this?

Today we have another terrific find from Burbed reader sonarrat!  Unfortunately, it’s been sitting in my inbox so long it’s growing mold, and what’s worse, those fickle sellers have yanked it from Redfin!  So, if you could convince them to sell again, how would you like your own castle?

881 Innes Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124

DAMN, missed it!  And look at the location it’s in, too!  Sounds classy! Foxhounds and riders and horns, oh my!  Here’s what sonarrat had to say about the place:

Albion Castle.. produces 10,000 gallons a day of spring water.. sounds great! …it’s WHERE??!

It’s in San Francisco! Let’s see where exactly… after the break, because I’ve got more to show you.

(more…)

Turning gift cards into mortgage payments

The Tech Chronicles, SFGate
Posted By: Ellen Lee (Email) | May 11 2011 at 04:50 PM

Consumers with gift cards to spare will soon be able to use them to pay their utility, car and mortgage bills.

Plastic Jungle, a website where consumers can buy and sell gift cards, announced today it had partnered with ChargeSmart, an online bill payment service.

Wow, this is even better than gathering up all the pennies in my couch cushions to make the monthly nut!  I tell you I’ve been carrying around this stupid Jamba Juice card like forever.

So this is something that could work, trade in those useless birthday and holiday gift cards to pay to keep a roof over your head while your home value may make some adjustments.

And in case you think this means times are tough, don’t be silly!  This is innovative, just like the return of seller financing!  If the government won’t help, the free market will provide… um… something.

This is an open thread, but then again, al of them are.  Seen any good Open Houses?

First, a trip to the way back machine:

September 19, 2008

How much does a garage cost in San Francisco these days?

CleanOffer
13 Lucky St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Price: $499,000

Followed by:

December 13, 2008

A letter from the owner of 13 Lucky St

It’s rare that Burbed gets email from the owner of a property that is publishable. Here’s one about a recent posting.

Glad you’ve all enjoyed commenting on our property. I’m sure things are slow and you’ll want to look busy, that is if you still have a desk at which to look busy.

However, 13 Lucky Street is far from a loser. And it’s large size qualifies it to be listed as a small warehouse.

13 Lucky is currently listed at $399K. It is variance-approved for one, SFH occupying the entire footprint of the existing building. It is not currently a SFH.

I have recently spoke with a builder who estimated a cost of $130-$170/sq foot to build, so at approx 2000 sq ft, you’d be closer to, say, $700K total for a BRAND NEW, custom built residence. the city has approved the building mass and we are moving ahead with plans for construction.

Owner financing is available as well.

Please contact me for any further enlightenment at davee (at) got (dot) net

Thanks!

Well, thanks to Burbed reader Brian, it appears the Bay Area’s best address is back! And available for a small discount!

$289,000

13 Lucky San Francisco, CA 94110

Now this is smart marketing! It appears they’ve decided to move away from selling the “Own a gritty part of San Francisco, like a garage with no bedrooms or bathrooms” (ugh, how dated) to a “Sell the dream!” strategy.

Genius!

So… is this your dream? That sketch looks pretty cool! And, just think of the hot address you’ll have!