Have you ever wanted to live right on the water, like some homes we’ve featured in Alameda, but thought to yourself, “Dang it, I don’t want a killer commute like that! I have to live near major employers and be able to hang out with my friends in downtown Palo Alto if we ever get any time away from work! Oh yeah, and I don’t want to pay a million dollars for the location! Plus I want a property listing that acknowledges how creative I am.” Now you can have it all!

1548 Maple Street #82
Redwood City, CA 94063
$265,000

2 Beds
2 Baths
890 Sq. Ft.
$298 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1996
Lot Size: —
On Redfin: 31 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Other (See Remarks)
County: San Mateo
Community: Lenolt
MLS#: 81336823

This charming 2BR 2BA floating home features unobstructed Redwood City water views. The two level home is an entertainer dream home with open flr plan, modern Kitchen, expansive decks, and a two person hot tub. Bonus work room/ workshop makes this home a dream come true to every person who enjoys the outdoors, entertainment and being creative.

Yup, nothing screams “I am being creative” more than a houseboat in Redwood City, unless it’s a schoolbus in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And the houseboat not only has an open flr plan, it’s much closer to Facebook.

Bunus: Absolutely NO public info on this place except the fact it’s a mobile home. A floating mobile home. Speaking of sunk costs…

Want to be a real estate mover and shaker? Start today by buying this property that features 2, yes (2) lots!  Think of all the ways you could take advantage of this amazing zoning opportunity.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for sending us this salubrious spread in Santa Clara!

2710 PRUNERIDGE Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95051
$1,575,000

4 Beds 
3 Baths 
2,254 Sq. Ft.
$699 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1961 
Lot Size: 10,270 Sq. Ft. 
On Redfin: 6 days
Status: Active
Property Type
Detached Single Family
Stories: 1
Community: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81300520
Style: Ranch
View: Neighborhood
County: Santa Clara

(2)Lots for Sale With Building Plans for (2)Custom Homes. (Sold Together) Lot #1 APN 294-32-041: 4Br/5Ba, 2 Story Custom Home:3,454s. f. with (2)Car Garage. Lot Size: 8,614s. f. Cupertino Schools!! Lot #2 APN294-32-042: 4Br/5Ba, 2 Story Custom Home: 3,243s. f. with (2)Car Garage. Lot Size: 8,002s. f. Santa Clara Schools. (Lot Lines Adjusted per S. F. )Existing 4Br/3Ba Home Encroaches on New Property Line.

Wow, was that listing copy written by an attorney who doesn’t want anyone to notice the details? Or perhaps a claustrophobic, because whoever typed that in is afraid of spaces.  Now let’s have a good look at this opportunity with an existing 52 year old house that encroaches on New Property Line.

The red line appears to be for Lot #1, the bigger 8614 sf parcel. As you can see it cuts through the east side of the existing house, but fortunately, it did not bring the cooties of Santa Clara Schools all the way to the front door.

Yes, we hope you noticed that Lot #1 is Cupertino Schools and Lot #2 isn’t.  But wait! There’s more!

See those little words in the driveway?  Yes, technically your driveway is an actual city street that ends a few feet before the back fence.  Here’s another look at the neighborhood.

So not only do you have one house with several inches on the other lotline, you also have a named city street taking up most of it.

How are you going to design your way out of this configuration?  We assume one of the lots boasts a Portal to Hell for extra storage.

One other solution: Street Fair Every Day.  Now we’re talking Serious Opportunity!  Call up some of those Gourmet Food Trucks, have them kick back some of the take, and you’ll be paying this place off in no time. 

Bunus: Santa Clara Utilities for all!

DEALS DEALS DEALS just keep on coming!  And if you’re interested in downtown San Jose, you’re very busy so we’ll keep this quick.  Now, you may be asking yourself, how can this be the cheapest house downtown when the cheapest house in the entire county cost (gasp!) a hundred dollars more?

Well, that’s simple.  There are actually several houses listed for around this price, and the official cheapest house was one of the few that wasn’t pending.  But look, you read Burbed.  You know how the real estate business means real funny business.  You know a “pending” on a short sale means the seller is doing everything possible to jinx it, and a pending with release on a short sale means the buyer isn’t exactly trying their hardest either.  So this listing is like an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, or maybe the opposite; say a buyer with better places to invest making an offer to a seller who doesn’t want to go anywhere and won’t see a dime from the transaction.

That means all you have to do is threaten bribe heartily encourage everyone involved: seller, buyer, listing agent, buyers’ agent, bank agent, and of course, your agent to sell you this property!

560 E JULIAN St, San Jose, CA 95112
$149,900

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 1
SQ. FT.: 1,188
$/SQ. FT.: $126
LOT SIZE: 1,242 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Victorian
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1908
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80840481
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 1154 days

Back on the market! No fault on property! Beautiful Victorian Home waiting for you.

Yup, if you’re wondering how they got a 1,188 square foot house on a 1,242 square foot lot, that’s no fault on property.  If you’re wondering why it’s been listed 1154 days, that’s no fault on property, either. Maybe agent means no tennis matches have been played here.

Also I don’t know what’s on the counter next to the sink, but I think it qualifies for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  Or at least the Burbed good housekeeping tag.

A while back, we featured this pretty amazing listing on Bonita Avenue in San Jose.  Burbed reader SEA noticed that there was a McMansion complex wedged in right behind and observed that a number of the units had owners who forgot the old adage: Buy low, sell high, profit!  Here’s how things looked when SEA reported in:

Looks like those former owners all got the saying backwards.  And obviously all that instant equity couldn’t be left alone, since these homes were quickly snapped up!  Fortunately, another house in Rayos del Sol is for sale, so it’s not too late to grab some instant equity for yourself.

305 RAYOS DEL SOL Dr, San Jose, CA 95116
$439,900

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 2,222
$/SQ. FT.: $198
LOT SIZE: 2,613 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 2006
COMMUNITY: Central San Jose
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81129495
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 23 days

Beautiful home located in a nice complex with lovely grounds. Spacious 4 bed 2.5 bath with remodeled kitchen , freshly painted interior , new living room carpet , new a/c , new water heater, cozy fireplace and spacious rooms throughpout. Inside laundry with good storage space. great first time buyer or investor. New appliances with be installed when property is in escrow.

These pictures really do say it all, so you might as well enjoy every single one of them… after the break.

(more…)

A little while ago we had this century-old listing in Willow Glen, where someone had bought the property and subdivided the lot, then built three houses all in a row behind the original one.  Thanks to Burbed reader nomadic, who found this listing in comments, we bring you one of those “newer” homes.

906 WILLOWSHIRE Way, San Jose, CA 95125
$749,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 1,994
$/SQ. FT.: $376
LOT SIZE: 2,613 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Traditional
STORIES: 2
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2008
COMMUNITY: Willow Glen
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81119719
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending With Release
ON REDFIN: 35 days

THREE YEARS OLD AND NEVER BEEN LIVED IN!PHENOMENAL HOME. JUST MOMENTS TO THE FINE AMENITIES OF DOWNTOWN LINCOLN AVE!CHIC DESIGNER STYLE THRUOUT. HIGH END FINISHES. STAINLESS APPLIANCES. GORGEOUS HARDWOOD FLOORS. TO DIE FOR MASTER SUITE W/ FIREPLACE. MASTER BATH W/ JETTED TUB. HIS AND HERS CLOSETS. CLOSE TO PARKS, SCHOOLS, NEW LIBRARY, & FRESH & EASY GROCERY STORE.

Yes, this is the same Realtard as the old house, and she’s SHOUTING AT YOU just as LOUDLY.  Hmmm.  At first I wondered if she was behind the development in the first place, but the 2008 attempts at sale, as well as the April sales used a different broker.  The limited liability corporation behind this development was called Willowshire LLC, with a mailing address in Saratoga. The contractor was Vern Easthouse, of Los Gatos, and the construction was approved by the San Jose Planning Department back in 2005.  The three new houses were begun in May 2007 and finished in August, 2008.

Meanwhile, soon after they were finished, the ownership was transferred from Willowshire to United Security Bank of Fresno, by way of some capital service, not the one which held the construction loan.  Whoops!  I found a Notice of Default dated June, 2008, so the financial problems hit before the homes were finished.  There were a couple of mechanic’s liens filed against them too.

Meanwhile, there’s another long list of asking prices being changed, delistings, relistings, etc. etc.  Here’s what Zillow had on this place:

There’s similar roller-coaster action with the original old house as well.

A Cisco manager married to a financial consultant bought one of the three new houses in 2009.  A Yahoo executive married to an Internet startup CEO bought another one of the new houses in 2010 and recently signed a consent decree for this property, which suggests he had some kind of lawsuit going against the development.  The original house in front and the remaining new one was bought from United Security Bank by a Palo Alto developer this April for $570K… but it had been sitting empty for 3 years.  New light bulbs and Drano now installed, it’s your turn to move in!

Best of all, when you want to do that Pride of Ownership/Water Your Own Lawn thing… it won’t take a lot of your time.  Check out that lot: 2613 square feet.  Your gardener will charge you more to drive to your house than to rake the leaves!

I wanted to close out the week with one more property that could have made Zillow’s expensive home sales list (remember, not one RBA property on the list, the nerve!)  But there weren’t any over $10 million properties in Marin, and when I moved over to Alameda County… lookie here what I found.

1812 Bali Ter (Unable to map), San Leandro, CA 94578

Sold on 01/08/2011: $41,500,000

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 2.5
SQ. FT.: 2,192
$/SQ. FT.: $18,932
LOT SIZE: 2,543 Sq. Ft.
TYPE: Detached
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 2009
COMMUNITY: San Leandro
COUNTY: Alameda
MLS#: 40492923
SOURCE: EBRD
STATUS: Sold

New Construction. .. Gated Community. No HOA. Many upgrades included. Great floor plan. Large kitchen island & pantry and gas stove. Huge master suite with jet tub, etc. Has 3-fireplaces. Seller says must sell bring offer!.

Guess this was the seller’s lucky day, huh?  Or maybe someone seriously fat-fingered that update?  From looking at that rather pedestrian kitchen (for $41 million, I want something that doesn’t scream 2005 at me), I suspect someone made a big mistake.  Let’s hope it wasn’t the FB fulfilled buyer.  So, have a look at the asking price.

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

Whoa!  I’ve heard overbidding is everywhere, but… let’s see what the lucky homedebtor got for (cough) $41 million.  Fortunately, this site and several others had lots of pictures and information and even managed to come up with a map.  There were 10 homes in this new gated community.  It must be really posh!

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

That’s some serious elbow room.  At least there should be some open space nearby, right?

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

Plenty of room across Liberty Street!  Awesome!  Now, gated community, right? Let’s get a good gander at the gate!

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

While a few security guards at an entry booth would be a touch more apropos, the riffraff won’t be crashing the cotillion!  In fact, don’t worry about the wrong element showing up uninvited to social events, because absolutely nobody will know where this house really is.  I’ll prove it.  Here’s where another Realtard site thinks it’s located:

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

Who wouldn’t pay a hundred times the asking price for an undisclosed location and guaranteed privacy?  Not convinced? Here’s where Zillow thinks it is:

<img missing due to burbed’s terrible admin skills. working on restoring>

And remember, Redfin didn’t even try to find the house.

Okay, I know you’re all laughing at this new construction in San Leandro (has Burbed ever been to San Leandro before?  Yes!) but it’s got 10 rooms!  The house yesterday had 14 (and zero bedrooms).  So there’s no reason why this house can’t sell for an eight digit price, too.  Plus you will avoid all that horrible traffic in The City.

Update 1/11/11: Well, dammit, Redfin now (as of 4 pm) says the house sold for $415,000.  I was so looking forward to watching this FB open the property tax bill, too.

Imagine my surprise when I found a reasonably priced new house in the better part of Palo Alto, on a 10,000 square foot lot, yet!  How could this be?  Were they giving away the house?

651 Homer Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
$1,399,000

Beds: 3
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 1,666
$/Sq. Ft.: $840
Lot Size: 10,000 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Craftsman
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 2010
Community: Downtown
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81050352
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active
On Redfin: 14 days

1 of 3 brand new detached homes at Homer Place! Classic arts and crafts design in the tradition of Old Palo Alto. 2-3 blocks from Downtown Palo Alto.

What’s the catch?  It’s certainly walking distance (2-3 blocks) to University Avenue, just like they said.

Although that lot looks like it’s kind of… full.  Better take a close-up shot.

What the — there are three houses on one lot!  But the listing above clearly said 10,000 square feet.  And amazingly enough, the listings for 649 Homer and 653 Homer (pending without release) are also for 10,000 square feet!  Is that what this “Homer Place” is referring to?  And how come next-door multi-family property 643 Homer also sits on, what a coincidence, a 10,000 square foot lot shaped exactly the same!

This doesn’t look like a house built in 2010!  What is going on here?  Is Google using old Streetview photos again?

Take a look at the first picture again, in the listing above.  Notice how on the right edge of the photo, there’s that bit of somebody’ else’s house?  Now let’s have a look at 649 and 653 to see if they have that claustrophobic feel.

Oh, oh, this photo of 649 looks awfully familiar. Where have I seen it before?

So let’s move on to 653.  Does it look the same too?  Not quite.  But I have the same sense that the photographer couldn’t comfortably turn around.  You’d have to do the same if you plunked down three houses on a 50 x 200 foot lot.

How can I tell that these Single Family Residences (SFRs) were wedged in using a shoehorn, or maybe some Tokyo subway car professional shovers?  Because the listing agent didn’t bother showing us any actual land.  Instead, they proudly display… the deck.

Oooh yeah, going to water my own lawn here.  Provided I keep it in a planter box on the deck. 

You don’t have to check the deck views out at the other two houses.  They’re all exactly the same, as is every single photo except the different exterior between 651 and 653.  After all, does it matter which one you buy?  Probably not, except 651 is the bargain at $1.39M.  653 (pending without release) goes up to $1.49M and 649 is in the snooty part of the lot, with an ask of $1.59M.  I can’t figure out if that means it’s up front on Homer, next to the crappy buildings all around, or if it means it’s in the back, down a narrow driveway nobody is allowed to park on.

649 was the original property address, and the original lot sold for $1,495,000 in February 2006.  But great news!  That apartment next door was sold this year.  Maybe the buyer will tear down the 1961 eyesore and build three more houses exactly like these!  Then each of the six houses will be on a 20,000 sf lot.

Remember, they may not be making any more land, but they can sell the same lot to as many different houses as it takes.

2580 38TH Ave Oakland, CA 94601

$99,000

Beds:	3
Baths:	1
Sq. Ft.:	1,200
$/Sq. Ft.:	$82
Lot Size:	1,800 Sq. Ft.
TYPE:	Detached
STYLE:	Other
STORIES:	1
Year Built:	1910
Community:	Oakland
County:	Alameda
MLS#:	40451794
Source:	EBRD
Status:	Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin:	8 days

Call Leon Washington at 510-638-1087 for any questions. Regular sale

Thanks to Burbed reader sonarrat for this find!

Here’s what sonarrat had to say:

Ever wonder how you fit a 1200 sf house on a 1800 sf lot?

yes, that really is the house!

What a curious property! It looks something that would be fitting for the show 24! Is this where the weapons of mass destruction are located? Is this where the “harsh interrogations” happen?

But… no… that really is the house. Go figure!

And… it’s shockingly affordable. At just $82 per square foot, most readers here can probably charge it to a credit card.

Sure… this was probably a zoning mistake:

But hey, their mistake is your gain! Buy it today and rent it out! Start your slumlording today!

10048 ORANGE Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014 | MLS# 80951235
$1,148,888
10048 ORANGE Ave Cupertino, CA 95014

Beds: 2
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 2,200
$/Sq. Ft.: $522
Lot Size: 3,049 Sq. Ft.
Property Type: Detached Single Family
Style: Modern/High Tech, Contemporary
Stories: 2
View: Neighborhood
Year Built: 2009
Community: Cupertino
County: Santa Clara
MLS#: 80951235
Source: MLSListings
Status: Active This listing is for sale and the sellers are accepting offers.
On Redfin: 30 days
Hard to find property. Absolutely gorgeous new Construction home with Possible income property attached. Live and work in the same property. Mixed used building with everything imaginable. Stunning executive living above with ample storage and business/ office space below. Seperate entrances for both. Featuring top schools, high ceilings, gourmet kitchen, stainless steal appliances, wired & more!

Wow, this house has top schools and high ceilings! And how about those appliances, they’re a steal! ha ha ha.

I like that it has a little retail section at the bottom

Just think of all the creative things you could do with this space! Personally, I would use it to open a place to buy tickets to take tours of the house!

But… one challenge is that it may be hard to find property, as the listing says. I means, sure it’s right off Stevens Creek Blvd, but still… perhaps you’d want a house to be on SCB so that you can show off your pride of ownership to everyone.

BTW, you heard it here first… SCB – Stevens Creek Blvd!

2227 Malin Pl Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Price: $239,900

Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Sq. Ft.: 943
$/Sq. Ft.: $254
Lot Size: 1,307 Sq. Ft.
$/Acre: $7,996,667
Year Built: 1976
Stories: 1 Story
Style: Other
Area: Southwest Santa Rosa
County: Sonoma
MLS#: 20809034
Source: BAREIS
Status: Active
On Redfin: 77 days
Duette home located in a cul-de-sac, with a large side yard.

Burbed rarely ventures north – and this piece of real estate is a great example why. Just $239,900? Sheesh… might as well price it for free if you’re going to price it like that.

Still Burbed reader mrbogue was reminded by something when he saw this listing:

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Personally, I’m reminded of this:

Seinfeld – The Dinner Party
JERRY: Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side [mumble?] It’s a wonderful thing isn’t it?

ELAINE: You know I often wonder what you’ll be like when you’re senile.

The term duette is pretty cute. What does this house remind you of? Doesn’t it sound like a cleaning product?