We’re back with our second week of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, so let’s resume! Today’s post is brought to you by the letter G. And when we hear G on this blog, we think of our absolutely positively favorite development eveh! That’s right, G is for Gables End! Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for Guaranteeing Gables End will always be one of our Guideposts.

If you’re a new reader to Burbed, you may not have heard of this townhouse complex before. Gables End was built right at the end of the Bubble, on some land that was under the Gentle Guidance of the EPA, but the development sold out anyway.

Why? Close to Google!

851 DONOVAN Way
Mountain View, CA 94043
Sold for $740,000

3 Beds
3 Baths
1,352 Sq. Ft.
$547 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 2008
Lot Size: —
Sold On: Mar 6, 2013
HOA Dues: $197/month
Stories: 1-3 (Low Rise)
County: Santa Clara
Property Type: Townhouse
Community: Rengstorff
MLS#: 81305251

Fabulous newer townhome! Wonderful floor plan with lots of natural light throughout. Open kitchen has granite counters & ample cabinets, spacious living room w/ large windows, wood flooring throughout main level, crown molding & decorative touches throughout. High ceilings. Lots of storage both inside & in the attached 2 car garage. Close to park, shopping & freeway access. Don’t miss!

We all missed it! Gone in four days!  And Given our Generous coverage of the Gables End Gin-up, watching a resale Generate a Greater fool buyer at 9.6 percent above asking price just brings tears to our collective eyes. And it’s no Glitch! Here’s another Gables End unit, asking $719,000, virtually Given away for $805,000!

You Get it, even Gables End is now part of the Greater RBA. Oh, this is just so Gorgeous.

Let’s finish out the week with a double dose of Mountain View Bubble 4.0: this house is a floor wax and a dessert topping. Today’s featured property was brought to you courtesy of Burbed reader bublidoo.  Thanks very much for a listing so aerated that we had to go to four different sites until we found a photo of the actual house as it exists today.  Yep, pending in a week!

460 N Whisman Rd
Mountain View, CA 94043
$1,149,000

Loan Payment: $4,000/mo
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3&1/2
Size: 1,999 sqft
$/Sqft: $574/sqft
Type: Single Family House
Year Built: 2013
Lot Size: 4,960
Days on Movoto: 9 days
Neighborhood: Whisman
MLS#: 81305578
Status: Pending – Do Not Show

Stunning newly constructed custom 4/3.5 Craftsman located on a great lot close to downtown MV, Google and easy commute routes! This gorgeous open floor plan inc. 2 master suites, one 1st floor, 3.5 designer baths, gourmet chef?s kitchen with granite counter tops & stainless steel appliances, large island w/counter seating & sliding doors to patio. Perfect for entertaining! Close to top MV schools!

So why is this house nominated for a big ol’ Burbed hug? Let’s check in with our reader whose very name implies Bubble 4.0.

wanted to point out this stunning, newly constructed custom craftsman to you. If it was near good schools or downtown Mountain View (the description claims both … but not sure about "near"), perhaps the price could be justified. But what we’re looking at here …

is an asking price well over a million bucks for a single family house (yes, stunning, I forgot, sorry …) on a small lot within the vapor intrusion study area. And the listing comes on the heels of super fun coverage by burbed, the local TV channel, and the Mountain View Voice. One has to wonder why the agent didn’t include "Buyer to attend meetings on toxic vapors. Walk to Google Offices!"

Perhaps there’s been too much super fun coverage already? In that case, no pressure … and hope you had a chuckle.

Cheers!

Oh no, bublidoo, you can never, ever, ever have too much Super Fun.  Want some more?  Let’s look at this house over on Redfin, where’ they’ve pulled down the listing and are featuring the before photo (singular) and listing copy. 

Did we mention how much we love Pending/Do Not Show?  It’s like an extra set of presents we completely missed behind the Christmas tree!  And speaking of extra presents, look what we found on Zillow.  This is like finding out we’re celebrating Chanukah too, as an added extended family holiday, with bunus presents!

Wow, who knew that side of the family was so artsy?  (Or too klutzy to use a camera?)  Must be because of those good schools.

And we haven’t had a Search Engine Saturday for many, many Saturdays!

Recently someone used a Search Engine and found his or her way over to Burbed by entering the following search:

what kind of toxic dump is whisman station on

What kind indeed?  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can certainly tell you all about it. But who wants to read a bunch of boring government reports?  That’s why there’s Burbed!  We’re happy to pass along any news about what kind of toxic dump your neighborhood is sitting on as well.  (Pro tip: Most Bay Area neighborhoods are infested with Bubbling Exuberance.)

Here’s our article that answers the above question, and the kind of toxic dump Whisman Station sits on is very nasty indeed.  Specifically, it’s a Tricoroethylene (TCE) plume.

Moreover, according to this article shared by Burbed reader Real Estater, this delightful area of opportunity is expanding into new territory!  Now who says they aren’t making any more land?

This is also your Three Day Weekend Open Thread!  W00t!

Today’s fine featured facade is brought to you by Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer!  Thanks very much, and if you want to see your name up in lights on the front page like PG’s, send your richest realty wrecks to one of the emails on the rightside column.

396 BARTLETT Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
$699,000

3 Beds 
2 Baths 
1,765 Sq. Ft.
$396 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1942 
Lot Size: 5,100 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 70 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Sunnyvale
MLS#: 81237245
Style: Traditional
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

Absolutely a gorgeous home, completely rebuilt from the ground up in 2007. Oak kitchen cabinets granite counter tops. Hardwood floors in living room. Plus much more. Property will be open on Saturday, October 27 2012 from 12:00 to 4:00 p. m. Please show at that time.

Oak, granite, hardwood…. wait, wait, something’s missing.  Shoot, I bet the agent had the flip trifecta in the listing copy all along, and another joker figured he could just steel it and stain a reputation.

PG’s observation on this property:

Absolutely a gorgeous home… Yet there is only one picture.

Plus much more.

You want to know how much more?  You see that big corporate campus behind the back fence?  It just got sold to a real estate investment partnership.

Yes.  That means you could lease some of the space and then your commute to work would literally be seconds.  All you’d have to do is build a gate through your back fence.  You’d have a shorter commute than Mark Zuckerberg did back when he had a rental a block from the old Facebook HQ, and soon you’ll have a smaller number than he does (#36) on the Forbes 400!

How are you going to do that? Dunno, but Sunnyvale’s about to lose 1100 jobs.  Get cracking!

Bunus: Also just seconds away: expressway and high-voltage transmission lines! Is this house great or what? Plus much more.  Like the central location conveniently nestled between several Super Fun sites.

Property will be open on Saturday, October 27th 2012.

Success breeds success at Burbed, and our coverage of Google Central just keeps leading to more submissions as close-in as possible. Today’s property is a real treat because it’s so close to everything.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Michael Boltonestater for this mixed-use manse in Mountain View.

1941 COLONY St
Mountain View, CA 94043
$828,000

BEDS:  3
BATHS:  1.5
SQ. FT.:  1,105
$/SQ. FT.:  $749
LOT SIZE:  0.27 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT:  1950
COMMUNITY:  Rengstorff
COUNTY:  Santa Clara
MLS#:  81227723
SOURCE:  MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN:  1 day
 NEW LISTING (24 HOURS)

Zoned industrial, currently used as a single family house, not allowed to increase the living sqft. Can be used also as mixed residential/industrial. Currently considered non-conforming use and can be kept this way. City will not allow to change the industrial zoning to residential zoning.

This agent is such a defeatist! Of course the city will allow to change the industrial zoning to residential zoning.  The only question is, how much will it cost to encourage them to do it?  When you see what this house is near, the answer to whether it’s worth it isn’t just yes, but FOUKING HELL YES.

We’ve seen mixed residential/commercial zoning before, but this house enters a new paradigm for the Silicon Valley engineer/inventor who doesn’t want to be limited to just the garage.  Take a look at all you get just on your block!  Places to build things or store things or blow them up to the left, other is-this-a-house-or-a-wrecking-yard mysteries to the right.  It’s a win either direction you go.  

Plus, look at the  neighborhood we’re talking about!  It’s not often that the vehicles go so perfectly with the front yard decor.

And across the street, it gets even better!  No less than Burbed’s favorite townhouse community EVER!

If Burbed were a business that actually made any money, this house would be the place we’d be headquartered. So run out and buy the place, and start your Web 3.1 empire today!

And just wait until you hear where this prime location, location, location is!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader dollarbin for this terrific townhouse!  And of course, it went pending in one week!

1901 Newbury Dr (Unable to map)
Mountain View, CA 94043
$659,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 3.5
SQ. FT.: 1,879
$/SQ. FT.: $351
HOA DUES: $197/month
LOT SIZE: –
PROPERTY TYPE: Townhouse
STORIES: 1-3 (Low Rise)
YEAR BUILT: 2010
COMMUNITY: Rengstorff
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81218499
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending Without Release
ON REDFIN: 13 days

Fantastic 2 year old townhome end unit in a prime location. Formal tile entry, 1st floor jr. bdrm suite, hardwood floors, large & open kitchen w/ granite counter, gas stove, stainless appliances & island, inviting living rm w/ office nook, generous size bedrms, grand master suite w/ high ceiling & walk-in closet. Custom shutters thru-out, skylight, central AC, 2 car garage & great natural lighting.

Here’s why dollarbin sent in the townhouse:

This one came on the market last week, I’m pretty sure it’s in Gable’s End: the address is Newbury but the entrance is on Colony St.

Are the photos re-used from a previous listing? It’s supposed to be an end unit, but the exterior shot seems to centered on the middle units. No idea what the interior actually looks like. Seems like a pretty half-assed listing, no mention of Google? No mention of Facebook? I’m going to need some more ALL CAPS HYPERBOLE before I warm up my overbids.

From looking at the original Gables End ads, this photo sure looks like one of their offerings. And there’s some interesting history on this property as well.  Zillow says it sold in November, 2010 for… $208,500!  That’s quite a price, given that they were advertised as starting in the low $600s.

Zillow also gives this place of ZEstimate of $735,800, which means instant equity galore for the lucky buyer!  Or some serious overbidding.  That is, if anyone could find the place, since Redfin couldn’t.

But it’s in a prime location.  Or did they mean a super location?

There are a number of ways to measure whether a market is favoring buyers or sellers.  Right now, it’s Spring selling season, and the buyers are definitely out there.  It’s a challenging time to buy, because there’s much less for sale.  So is it really a sellers’ market, or are the sellers waiting until prices go up even more?

Today’s find from Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer shows that even an unloved listing will find a suitor in this market.  This home went pending last week after a price reduction, and the agent promptly pulled the photos down.  But that didn’t stop us from checking every real estate site until we found them for you.  Today’s I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-violating-their-MLS-contract site is ZipRealty!

179 HAMWOOD TER
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043
Listed for $849,999, reduced from $869,000

3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, 0.0 partial bath, 1,612 square feet, Single Family

Lot Size: 1,742

Year Built: 2007

Neighborhood: North Whisman

School District: Mountain View Whisman Elementary School District, Mountain View-Los Altos Union School District

FIPS: 06085

APN: 160-81-013

Source: Public Records
Walk Score^®: 43

This is a Single Family home located at 179 HAMWOOD TER, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. 179 HAMWOOD TER has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 full bathrooms, 0.0 partial bathrooms, and approximately 1612 square feet. The property has a lot size of 1742 square feet and was built in 2007.

We found the photos, but there’s no listing copy, just boilerplate assembled by a computer.  Although several living, breathing Real Estate Professionals could have come up with “has 3.5 full bathrooms, 0.0 partial bathrooms.”

The reason PG sent in this home (other than this excellent photo of the spacious deck) is that the house previously sold near the peak of the bubble market.  2008 was post-peak for most areas except the Special parts.  We’d have to look at the other first-time sales in this development to determine if this was as rich as it got.

Sold on June 18, 2008 for $820k and it is now on the market for $869k. Anybody thinks it has gone up $49k since 4 years ago? Or is it just in hope of breaking even after commission?

You mean It was on the market for $869K!  At the reduced price the FBs won’t break even, unless they had a pet agent who would sell the house for free.

Even the homes that weren’t selling are now selling.  And this one is full of location win.

Close to freeway, tasty street name, conveniently located steps from historic Superfund sites, what more could anyone ask for?

Anyone check out Fusion Sunnyvale?  Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer found some of the marketing copy a little over the top:

Your life is a frenzy of color, flashing lights and movement. Facebook. Twitter. Email. Blogging. Texting. Meetings. Deadlines. Commuting.

Every day you take on the world. So, you deserve to come home to a beautiful place where you can recharge and relax, entertain and regroup. You want a neighborhood that is alive and vibrant with a fitness room to workout, places to mingle and space to hang out with your friends. You deserve soothing gardens to wander, a putting green to play and walking paths for your dog. It’s your time to do what you want, when you want, in your own community.

Introducing Fusion at Sunnyvale, a townhome community filled with everyday things that fuse your life. The homes have style and all the features you desire at a price you can afford. At the hub of the neighborhood, there is a fitness center, theater, Wi-Fi bar and fire pit. Everything that you need at the end of a long day.
So take on the world, then come home. To Fusion.

As Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer correctly notes, you can’t spell FUSION without F-U.

So let’s take a good look at this complex that’s such a wonderful place to call home, they show a chair instead of the “Spanish-Eclectic and contemporary architecture by KTGY architects.”

You have to click all the way down to BLOG to find out what the place looks like!  And the name of the blog?  “Short Fuse.”  How clever!  They already worked out that the properties would be selling shortly through their preferred lenders!  (More coming shortly after the break!)

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Sometimes I forget Burbed had its roots in overpriced horrid housing.  Today’s listing reminds us of those humble beginnings that have brought us five years of ridiculously expensive crap.  Remember, any neighborhood can have cheaply built housing, but only the Bay Area can boast the most expensive domestic don’ts in the universe.

836 DWIGHT Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
$325,000

BEDS: 2
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 822
$/SQ. FT.: $395
LOT SIZE: 4,000 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1944
COMMUNITY: Sunnyvale
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81112615
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 1 day
NEW LISTING (24 HOURS)

HAVE HAMMER? WILL SAVE. Spruce up this 2 bedroom the heart of Sunnyvale, needs TLC. Bonus room in rear and 2nd bath – permits unknown. Convenient to freeways, shopping, services, and public trans. Possible candidate for renovation financing. Clean up is underway. Corp-owned and sold AS-IS; no warranties or inspections provided by seller.

“Needs TLC” is realtardspeak for about to collapse as soon as a toddler breathes on it.  And it’s got permits unknown, your assurance of a good many days in the Sunnyvale Planning Department.  No wonder it’s selling AS-IS.  No inspections provided by seller, so you don’t have to waste your money on your own.  It’s AS-IS, that means, of course it’s got problems, it’s one continuous problem.

Like the “Clean up is underway” comment.  I don’t think they meant vacuuming the carpets:

Haven’t we discussed this neighborhood before?  Of course we have, this is the Super Fun place!  So when they talk clean up, let’s just say that if you want concrete countertops there will probably be plenty left over for that.

Here’s a great place that I was planning to write up someday, and then burbed reader sonarrat sent it in.  If we both thought it was worth sharing, it must really be something Special.

973 E Duane Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94085
$329,900

Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 1,050
$/Sq. Ft.: $314
Lot Size: 5,200 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Residential, Attached, Single Family
Style: Flat
Stories: 1
Year Built: 1954
Community: Santa Clara
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 21006054
Source: BAREIS
Status: Active
On Redfin: 244 days

Great property in a great location! Close to all shopping and freeways, excellent for the first time buyer family. Silicon Valley has never been this cheap before! Hurry up and submit your offer today!

Yes, do hurry up.  It’s been listed for 244 days… on the wrong listing site.  You never know who’ll stumble on this great property in a great location while searching for a listing in Mendocino.

But yeah, this is a great location all right.  I wonder why the agent didn’t mention that you could walk to Fry’s?

And you’ll get to know your neighbors really well, because all the houses connect.

Plus look at all that open space right across the street for the kids to run around!  Aw, AMD is such a model corporate citizen!

And it’s all perfectly safe. Why, there used to be a school down the street.  It must have been a really good school since Westinghouse took it over in a leveraged buyout.  Just don’t dig anywhere.  Although I bet there’s buried treasure in the yard, and the people who paid $625,000 for the house in 2007 want it back.  So hurry up and submit your offer today!