Today is day #5 of the A to Z blogging challenge:  Everything’s Easy. Eventually Excellent Estates would be Examined, as Everyone Expected we’d Essay on Entities Eastwards. Ever Espy how adding East to an Entity makes it Easier to Enjoy?  East Palo Alto is an Easier Expense than Palo Alto.  East San Jose is less Expensive as San Jose. And East Oakland? Empty. Ecch, Examine the Entire East Bay if you Endeavor to Evade being priced out forever!  Er, End Emit Equity Emerging Evermore.

2318 PALO VERDE Ave
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
$369,000

2 Beds
1 Baths
860 Sq. Ft.
$429 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1951
Lot Size: 4,800 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 3 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: East of U.S. 101
MLS#: 81310172
Style: Contemporary
View: Neighborhood
County: San Mateo

BEAUTIFUL REMODELED HM W/ MANY WINDOWS, GARDEN VIEWS & ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL LIGHT. INCL NEW KIT, GRANITE COUNTERTOP, BACKSPLASH, TILE FLRS, NEW STOVE, LARGE LR & BEDROOMS. NEW LAMINATED FLR THROUGHOUT. REMODELED BATH. FRESHLY PAINTED INSIDE & OUT. PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING W/ AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION. PEACEFUL SETTING AFFORDS PRIVACY YET REMAINS MINS TO SHOPPING & FREEWAY ACCESS. MUST SEE TO APPRECIATE!

There is one term for this kind of a building and that is “snout house.” It’s all garage and the front Entrance is not Eyeable. But there’s so much more to today’s Entry!

Not only is there a Gated Entryway, in Excellent snout house tradition, we still can’t find the front door. Note the addition of a stunt portal.

The remodeled Eatery is Eclectic, while the yard is Easy maintenance. Want to get an Estimate of Effort involved in the update? Examine this Earlier Eyesore!

Must see to appreciate. Eyeball, Extol, Expand!  The End.

Who’s priced out forever, and getting more priced out by the minute in Bay Area Bubble 4.0?  Not you! Not when you check out this completely affordable home in Oakmmphf CLOSE TO SAN FRANCISCO. Heck, you could pick up this sweet little lodging on your way home from the grocery store.  Well, you could if there were a grocery store anywhere near it.

Undisclosed Address
Oakland, CA 94621
$133,000

2 Beds
1 Baths
997 Sq. Ft.
$133 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1905
Lot Size: 3,200 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 4 days
Type: Detached
Stories: 1
County: Alameda
Style: Victorian
Community: E Oakland
MLS#: 40607349

Great 3 bedroom / 1 bath home with Tall ceilings! (Public records 2bd/1ba buyer to verify all property information) Spacious family room. Large eat-in kitchen w/ tile flooring. Spacious bath with tiled flooring. Homepath and Homeapth Renovation Approved!

Again with the undisclosed addresses?  Burbed laughs at the idea and discloses them.  We know how to use… teh Google!

2070 85TH AVE
OAKLAND, CA 94621
$133,000

Single Res | 2 beds | 1 baths | 997 sq. ft. | 3200 acres | 17 days on market | MLS# 40607349
Active
Price : $133,000
Bathrooms : 1
List Date : 03/04/2013
Approx Square Feet : 997
Listed Days Back : 17
Price per sq. ft : $133
County : Alameda
Approx Lot Feet : 3200
Location : 2070 85TH AVE, OAKLAND, CA 94621
Approx Lot Acres : 0.073
MLS# : 40607349
Approx age : 108
Status : New-REO
Homeowner`s Association Fee : -1 / n/a

Anyone know the difference between Homepath and Homeapth Renovation? Don’t ask Redfin. This is below their minimum commission.

Still not convinced that we’ve entered Bay Area Bubble 4.0?  Burbed reader wahnny has another entry trying to support our hypothesis.  Let’s take a good look at this cavernous castle in Campbell!

255 EVERETT Ave
Campbell, CA 95008
$579,900

2 Beds
1 Baths
784 Sq. Ft.
$740 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1980
Lot Size: 2,640 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 5 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Campbell
MLS#: 81307702
Style: Cottage/Bungalow
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

Another Gem by Gaurdian Home Brokers, nestled in the Quaint town of Campbell. Located a short walk from starbucks and the Famous Pruneyard Shopping Center. This Bugalow features all new kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances, paint int/ext, landscape, new windows and more. Top-rated schools.

And heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s wahnny!

Another [example of bubble pricing] is a flipped 1900s bungalow in (non-RBA) Campbell,

Not quite as cozy, and on a much smaller lot, but near top-rated schools / starbucks /shopping centers, and currently selling for "not a lot of money".

This is much better, wahnny, this is a flipped 1900s “bugalow.”  Another Gem by Gaurdian Home Brokers. (If the realtard meant this agency in Folsom, then we must admit this is the first time we’ve caught one who couldn’t properly spell the name of their own broker.)

If you’re interested, the before pictures and listing are available here (photo right).  Here’s the older listing copy:

Amazing potential! Southern-facing FIiXER UPPER w/ sunny fenced yard! In a sweet architecturally eclectic neighborhood a block to the heart of Campbell & restaurants, cafes, boutiques, & Sun. Farmer’s Market. Master br w/ walk-in closet & access to private patio. Eat-in kitchen w/ breakfast nook/laundry closet has French doors to the large yard. Fully fenced & low maint. yard.

Look at that!  For $180K less than the current asking price, you could have done business with an agent who could not only spell, but also use words like “eclectic.”

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.

We’re covering the housing bubble 24/7 now that everyone’s paying attention to real estate again.  Today we have a lovely home in Redwood City that you may have seen before.  Take another look, while you still can!  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for an excellent surveillance operation.

715 ESTHER Ln
Redwood City, CA 94062
$450,000

2 Beds
1 Baths
750 Sq. Ft.
$600 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1929
Lot Size: 4,790 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 33 days
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Cordilleras Heights
MLS#: 81303054

Beautiful view of bay and city lights. Additional 6900sqft lot to be sold with the property. The additional 6900 sq ft parcel of land CANNOT be developed upon per city and county building department. Building square footage 1130sf on public profile is incorrect, actual living area is about 750sf, Fixer-upper Sold "As Is" may not qualify for FHA.

This house’s list of tag may be bigger than it is.  Not only that, it has a history!

Here’s something it didn’t have last year (besides an extra hundred thou of instant equity you get now!): Redfin Agent Insights!

“Dead End,” “Completely gutted” and “Killer Views,” three phrases that don’t go well together after watching certain movies.  How about Zero Dark Thirty?

So many times we hear the refrain, “I would love to buy a house, but I can’t afford anything.  It’s just too expensive here.” And so many times we have found affordable houses that YOU could go and buy.  Today we have yet another exciting opportunity for YOU, the would-be homeowner.  Just imagine yourself watering your very own lawn!  Or even better, your very own Rose Garden!

1951 FOREST Ave
San Jose, CA 95128
$350,000

1 Beds
1 Baths
525 Sq. Ft.
$667 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1915
Lot Size: 3,600 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 70 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Community: Central San Jose
MLS#: 81241926

This home is located in the desirable Rose Garden neighborhood. Needs a lot of work. Not livable now. Contractor’s special. Located on a 3,600 square foot lot. Has a lot of potential. Great opportunity for someone looking to move into a fantastic area.

This property is Special for a number of reasons, and we don’t just mean for Contractors.

That’s a Streetview shot on this property listing.  The realtard didn’t even bother cropping it a little to strip out the Google logo.  It also, LUCKY YOU, conveniently fell out of contract just a couple of weeks ago, and is relisted at the same attractive price. 

Speaking of attractive, let’s swing that Streetview camera just a little to the right (below).  While the white truck is intriguing, the station wagon is vehicular WIN.  And from the satellite shot on the left, we can see exactly why this is such an attractive proposition: this looks like a Hoarder House.  Can you imagine what sorts of “bunus” loot awaits the lucky buyer of this affordable home that wears its 98 years proudly?

Bunus Specialtude: This home has been featured as the cover photo of our brand new Facebook Page for a couple of days.  Keep checking over there for new cover photos, and play “Find That Crapbox!”

Mmmm Good!  That’s what Campbell’s Soup is… but how about Campbell’s Real Estate?  Campbell doesn’t tend to get a lot of respect when people talk about where they want to buy, but let’s look at its positive qualities.  It’s equally inconvenient to most freeways, so no location fail on that score! It’s definitely got varied housing stock, which means there should be something for everyone (provided by “everyone” we do not mean people looking in the Real Bay Area). And it’s got so many crapboxen, we find ourselves dipping into the Campbell well again and again for featured homes! 

Let’s look at today’s proud property listing, sent in by Burbed reader Lefty Lucy.

89 E RINCON Ave
Campbell, CA 95008
$565,000

2 Beds 
1 Baths 
588 Sq. Ft.
$961 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1912 
Lot Size: 3,850 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 8 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Campbell
MLS#: 81301835
Style: Cottage/Bungalow
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

Don’t miss this charmer in Downtown Campbell! This 2 bedroom & 1 Bath bungalow is living at its best. Located on a corner lot, features include cherry hardwood floors, updated bath, wrap around rear deck, indoor laundry, living / dining room combo and so much more! Cozy yard with fruit trees. A must see!

Okay, Double L, tell us about this house you’ve picked.

Irregular but frequent reader, first time sender (though you must have gotten this from others as well!). 

I guess the bubble really is back. $961/square foot bungalow in oh-so-desirable Campbell: Ouch!  First time buyers like me are priced out forever, I guess (not that I’m shopping in Campbell, but it’s beyond crazy in my Santa Clara neighborhood as well).

$961? Who do they think they are, Mountain View?

Also note that this half a million dollar house is a pre-war bungalow.  That’s pre-World War I.

We hope you had a wonderful winter whatever and got all the toys you asked for.  But just in case you didn’t, we have some close-out specials for the end of the year!  Today, Burbed reader J from Alameda has some Island High Style for you.

828 LINCOLN Ave
Alameda, CA 94501
$249,000

1 Beds
1 Baths
561 Sq. Ft.
$444 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1959
Lot Size: 1,275 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 76 days
Status: Active
Type: Detached
Stories: 1
County: Alameda
Style: Cottage
Community: Alameda
MLS#: 40592515

MOST UNIQUE NARROW BLDG. 150 FEET DEEP, FENCED IN LOT, BACKYARD PATIO, RESIDENTIAL (NEW ZONING R-4 RESIDENTIAL) POSSIBLE ART STUDIO PLUS GALLERY, LIVING IN AND WORK ON COMPUTERS, ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, SO MANY POSSIBILITIES OF HOME OFFICES. CLOSE TO BUS AND ALL TRANSPORTATION AND NEAR WEBSTER STREET.

Here’s why J thought we’d be interested in this offering:

My Alameda black Friday nomination. Do not be fooled by first photo – its the narrow yellow building to the right. On a very busy street, not a great part of town. That maybe, just maybe, can be zoned commercial.

Happy Shopping!

Wait, Black Friday was last month…. oh, this was sent in last month.  That says we can’t possibly be in the RBA, because it’s still on the market!  So hurry before it isn’t!

And if you have any doubts that this listing is “MOST UNIQUE” at least the lot itself is.

Bunus: the broker has the same name as a famous television personality.  Double Bunus: also the same name as a VP at Alain Pinel, Saratoga, just to really confuse the customers.  (Plus 3 more real estate agents in California alone.)

So here’s the DEAL, the DEALS, yes we still have DEALS for you. Black Friday Deals are back!

We’re scouring the Bay Area for the cheapest houses out there! Today we’re taking a good look at Sonoma County, to find the absolutely, positively cheapest, least expensive, smallest asking price house for sale.

71 1st St
Camp Meeker, CA 95419
$100,000

2 Beds
2 Baths
1,040 Sq. Ft.
$96 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1920
Lot Size: 1,307 Sq. Ft.
On Redfin: 13 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Residential, Detached, Single Family
Community: Sebastopol
MLS#: 21226308
Stories: 1
County: Sonoma

2 bed 2 bath house

The good news: This house is barely sporting a six-digit pricetag!  Plus the agent took more than one photo!

The bad news: Is that moss growing on the roof?

The interior photography is intriguing.  It appears this agent is doing whatever is possible to not include a single square inch of the floor in any shot, which means most of them tend to show ceiling.

Lots and lots of ceiling.  This view of the kitchen only shows a little, but for this vintage stove, plus the solo wall-mount cabinet unit, along with the distressed treatment of the door, we could not resist.

And you could not resist this price. Sure, the house has a FAR of 0.796, but what do you want for just one homeowner spending unit?

We’re continuing our DEALS DEALS DEALS all week long!  As we work our way further and further from our usual comfort zone, we’ll be visiting the entire Bay Area, or at least every county. 

Today we stop off at the one with a serious diversity shortage.  Yes, we’re talking Marin County, where diversity means there’s a redhead in your kid’s class.  And we’ve found you the absolute cheapest house in Marin.

57 Ocean View Ave
Dillon Beach, CA 94929
$275,000

Price 
2
Beds 
1
Baths  680 Sq. Ft.
$404 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1927  Lot Size: 1,830 Sq. Ft.  On Redfin: 351 days Status: Active
Property Type
Residential, Detached, Single Family
Stories
1
County
Marin
Style
Cottage
Community
Dillon Beach
MLS#
21131349

One level, no stairs.

Four pictures, no trash.

1,830 square foot lot. Wow. When someone said they weren’t making any more land, guess whoever owned this property said, “Nuh uh! I’m going to build a bunch of tiny shacks and sell them on 1/9 acre lots and I’ll be rich, rich!”

Now if you want to be rich, rich as well, you had better start buying up property in Marin now.  Because right now certain neighborhoods in San Francisco are ultra-hot with all those well-paid high-tech engineers and social media purveyors and game-engine optimizers.  Now what do you think is going to happen when these people get married and have kids?

Well, nothing.  But what do you think is going to happen when their oldest kids start turning four? They’re going to be out the door to the land of Safe Public Schools in time to register for Kindergarten. Watch Marin values skyrocket then.  You read it here first.

Remember, a little of something is better than renting a lot of nothing.  And today’s Black Friday Deal is about as little as you can get.  But it’s a little sliver 600 feet from the beach… and a little less of a walk every day!