We recently received this email (without the pictures; I selected them especially for the excess smug):

Open House 23+ Acres $1,288,000 in Los Gatos Sunday 01-29-2012 OPEN 1-5pm

Take in the spectacular views!
OPENHOUSESunday 1PM-5PM!

21631 HICKS Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
MLS# 81200553
23 beautiful acres with SFR
Priced to sell @ $1,288,000

Spectacular views of city lights, Lexington Reservoir, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Valley.
Build your dream estate on this 23 acre property with over 3 buildable pads.

A secluded and private retreat close to town!
Possibilities are endless, vineyards, horses, lush gardens, orchard, solar, Helipad.
Only 5 minutes to Los Gatos.

Valuable property that is priced to sell now.
Thanks,
agent name and phone

p.s. Email me if you would like to see photos of the property.

Hicks Road?  Why did that seem familiar?  Ah, yes!

We don’t know why this agent’s email got caught in a time warp where it didn’t show up until yesterday, but we can only assume it was sent to Burbed because they want the property featured again.  The least we could do is oblige them.  Quickly.  Click on through to see how the place is being marketed now.

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It’s time to get out there and look at Open Houses!  Spring Bounce is just around the corner, so you don’t want to miss out on your dream house.

Speaking of fantasies, here’s a find that’s way out of Burbed territory. Some of you could pick up for couch cushion change.  I know, it’s SoCal, but hear me out.  Many thanks to Burbed reader BookingIt for this terrific tenement in Twentynine Palms!

3281 Blower Rd
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA 92277
$14,500

Super cute cabin on 2.5 acres. Has had some work done. Owner may consider terms.Brokered And Advertised By: INSPIRE REAL ESTATEListing Agent: JULIANNE BEGGS

If you’ve been thinking about simplifying your life, this could be it!  Things couldn’t be much simpler than outfitting this 192 square foot desert domicile.  And if you don’t have enough spare change on your dresser to pick this up, “Owner may consider terms.”  “Bunus”: the ZEstimate is way above the asking price.  Win-win-win!

Redfin also has this property listed, only they give an address in the heretofore never discovered community of WOND, CA. 

This is an Open Thread.

Today’s fantastic find has been brought to you by Burbed reader Pralay.  Remember, if you find a listing that makes you wonder how some real estate agents could call themselves professionals, send it in!  We’ll show it as much Real Bay Area love as we can.

269 OCONNOR St
Menlo Park, CA 94025
$1,470,000

BEDS: 5
BATHS: 5
SQ. FT.: 2,615
$/SQ. FT.: $562
LOT SIZE: 10,822 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STYLE: Contemporary
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 2008
COMMUNITY: Willows/O’Conner Area
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81151036
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 61 days

150 ft long private tree lined drive way leads to this 3-yr new custom built nestled in matured trees. 1 story home w/ 5br, 5baths. 1/4 acre lot, Min. 9′ceilings, 8′doors. Gourmet Kitchen, Crown Molding, hdwd flr, A/Cm intercom, central vacuum, alarm, custom steel entry door, Sub zero refrig, body sprays. .. & more. ..

Here’s what Pralay had to say about this Menlo Park pick:

There are some interesting properties in this area. Essentially it is a house in someone else’s backyard. I am not sure how the lot size be 10,822 sqft. It that *was* the lot size was divided into two? "Custom built", "Gourmet Kitchen", "Crown Molding", "Custom steel entry door" and most importantly "Sub zero refrig". Built in 2008. Too bad, the owner is not able to enjoy for little bit longer time, as he has to sell it to cash in "Facebook effect".

Wow, a 150 foot driveway!  That means you get to drive past the house in the front yard.  But the best way to check on how true the quarter acre lot claim is?  Zillow.

Zillow makes it easy to click on every house in a neighborhood and quickly see the important numbers, including house and lot size.  And that claimed property area looks reasonable, given what the surrounding measurements show.  We’ve seen homes piled three deep on one lot while the agent claims every square foot of the original grounds. Alas, that didn’t happen here.

But all is not lost with this listing, despite the 10,000 foot lot size being completely legit.  By going to the Zillow map, we also notice the lovely mansions right over the back fence, complete with Palo Alto address, Eastern division. 

So you can assure your colleagues that you have arrived, because you’re in a neighborhood of much more expensive 32 bedroom homes.

Here’s a stupendous short sale, with a DHO count of 2, count ‘em, 2!  Check out the DHO tag for more listing and Streetview photos featuring one or more Dudes Hanging Out.

Many thanks to Burbed reader Upwardly Noble for these luscious listing photos.

235 D St
Redwood City, CA 94063
$615,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,580
$/SQ. FT.: $389
LOT SIZE: 4,850 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Attached Single Family
STYLE: Traditional, Contemporary
STORIES: 1
VIEW: Neighborhood
YEAR BUILT: 1941
COMMUNITY: Lenolt
COUNTY: San Mateo
MLS#: 81142784
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Pending Without Release
ON REDFIN: 131 days

Absolutely gorgeous 3 bed, 2 full bath, 1580 sq ft living area, single story residence in a desirable area of Redwood City. 5 minutes to/from the freeway. Carpeted living room , family room, all bedrooms, and hallway, Roof 5 years old, House was gutted in 2009, by a professional contractor, updated to todays standards, and remodeled with all required permits. Dual Pane Energy saving Windows.

Here’s why Upwardly Noble sent in this house:

If this doesn’t sell it, I don’t know what will.  Gotta love the youthful exuberance of a short sale in this listing’s photos.  Not sure if the children were placed in the photos to inspire pity, excitement, or what, but I like their moxie.

Looks like they’re trying everything they can to sell this house, including listing it on different services.  On BAREIS, it’s been sitting unloved for 175 days (and very much still for sale).  Head over to MetroList, and you can only look at the driveway and the street.  Those are pictures #2-5 on MLSListings, the Redfin link up top.  And that’s also where you’ll find four, count ‘em, four different DHO photos!  BAREIS just had one, and MetroList, zilch!

Finally, here’s a shot only on BAREIS, which just barely squeaks this place into a Burbed Good Housekeeping award and tag.  Nice job keeping the pet bowls where we can see them, but next time, please include the kids WITH the dog.

A black dishwasher with white cabinetry.  Daring!  Now that’s “todays standards.”  Or on BAREIS, “todays colors.”  Yes, on the other two listings; the copy is different, as is the size of the lot.  Whoops!

BAREIS:

Back on the market, large spacious 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, 1580 sq foot home located in central area of Redwood City, Totally gutted, and redesigned in 2009. All modern appliances, todays colors, and heavy duty carpeting. Dual Pane windows, wood buring fireplace, Crown Molding through out the home. Refrigerator to stay, Corian Tile Kitchen Counters, and ceiling fans through out the house. 1 car attached garage, with electric garage door opener.

MetroList:

BANK APPROVED SHORT SALE Lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath single level 1580 sq ft home in Redwood City. 5 minutes to freeway. 30 minutes from SF. Much sought after area of Redwood City. Quiet community. Totally updated and renovated, New Exterior, new interior paint. Original hardwood flooring in Living Room. Large spacious kitchen with decent size eating area. Carpet in Family Room. Wood burning fireplace in living room. Active Short Sale.

These different agencies are supposed to cover different regions.  MLSListings covers San Francisco and south to Monterey, including Burbed’s frequent targets of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties; BAREIS is North Counties (Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake and Mendocino Counties); and MetroList is Sacramento/Central Valley.  You may have heard of one more, EBRD, which is for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

This artistic photo at right is from the BAREIS listing.  From the different photo sets and listing copy for the same house, we can only conclude that the agent deliberately listed this house on three different services, trying to see which approach would get the bank to eat the short sale first.

Update 10:50 AM: Just found this “bunus” extra shot on Zillow adding to the Xtreme DHO awesomeness!  Can you find yet more pictures of this house or these kids on some other listing sites?

Thanks very much to Burbed reader Petsmart Groomer for this, um, property with views, views, views.

115 Telegraph Hill Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94133
$3,000,000

BEDS: 0
BATHS: –
SQ. FT.: –
LOT SIZE: –
PROPERTY TYPE: Single-Family Home
VIEW: Panoramic, City Lights, Water, Bay, Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Downtown, Park, Garden/Greenbelt, Woods, Hills, Mountains
YEAR BUILT: 1906
COMMUNITY: Telegraph Hill
COUNTY: San Francisco
MLS#: 373325
SOURCE: San Francisco MLS
STATUS: Contingent – Show
ON REDFIN: 572 days

REDUCED ON 9/2/2011 BY $500K!!! Rare Opportunity to purchase a large RH-3 Panoramic View Parcel at the Crest of Famed Telegraph Hill. Panoramic Vistas, including the Golden Gate Bridge, SF Bay & Bay Bridge, Dramatic City Skyline, Coit Tower and Historic Pioneer Park. The cottage on the parcel is unfinished. THE OWNER IS MOTIVATED TO SELL QUICKLY! Nearby Homes are valued at over $10MM and are architecturally significant. BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME OR HOMES/MULTI-CONDOMINIUMS! Walk Score of 95! A Short Distance to The Financial District, North Beach, The North Waterfront, Bay Club and Key Transportation Corridors. Just steps away from the Renowned Grace Marchant Gardens and World Famous Coit Tower! It does not get better than this in our opinion!

Here’s why PG sent this one in:

555 days on the market. If only the buyers were as motivated…

Somebody was motivated.  It’s pending.  Took them long enough (and a 14% price reduction).  But why would they sell a “view parcel” and not mention how big it is?  Makes it a little difficult to build an “architecturally significant” place to fit in with the neighborhood if you don’t know whether the lot is 4000 feet or 40.

However, looking at the lot, perhaps we can infer the size by getting information from another home on the same block.  The map of the immediate neighborhood is below.

Unfortunately, this may not be the lot we are looking for.  The outlined parcel below is on Genoa Place, not Telegraph Hill.  Even more bizarre, the Redfin link to this property is:

http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Francisco/363V-Filbert-St-94133/home/1973351

No wonder nobody knows how big it is, nobody knows WHERE it is.

Here’s where Zillow says we should look:

I can’t find the cottage, though.  Maybe it’s cowering under the trees for fear someone will BUILD THEIR DREAM HOME OR HOMES/MULTI-CONDOMINIUMS!

Today we return to the Not Real Bay Area, for a very special home despite the location.  Thanks very much to Burbed reader J from Alameda for this listing, which we join already in progress.

2431 Olympic Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
$389,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS:  4
SQ. FT.:  2,741
$/SQ. FT.:  $142
LOT SIZE:  9,100 Sq. Ft.
TYPE:  Detached
STYLE:  Contemporary
STORIES:  1
YEAR BUILT:  2009
COMMUNITY:  Saranap
COUNTY:  Contra Costa
MLS#:  40555341
SOURCE:  EBRD
STATUS:  Active
ON REDFIN:  48 days

Are having a hard time finding the perfect home? then this is a must see! You could finish this home and customize it to fit your needs. 4 bedroom 4 bath with a pool.

Here’s what J had to say about this fine find:

Burbed fan here – this is the first listing I have found that is Burbed worthy….the photo of the trash bins has to be unique. Zillow has a photo that appears to be a small hole in the ground…..

Oh dear, if J from Alameda thinks a photo of a trash bin or two in a home listing is unique, then clearly we aren’t doing our job that well.  There’s now a trash bins tag so everyone who enjoys comparing bins around the Bay Area can peruse them at their leisure.  We just had a bunch of them featured earlier this week.

But while this home isn’t unique in featuring photos of where to put your garbage and recycling, it sure lets you know what an absolute blast you’ll have sprucing the place up.  That is, if by “blast” we are actually referring to the effect it will have on your finances.

Anyone have any luck locating the promised pool?  Do you think this is it?

Or is it hidden under the unique trash bins?

No luck looking on Zillow.  They don’t have any pictures of this house at all, other than the default birds-eye shot.  That could be because the listing was removed on February 4th.

But this must be the picture J was thinking of, courtesy of Trulia.  Trulia has a different set of pictures than Redfin for this home.  This could very well be the pool.  Or it could be the Portal to Hell.

Customize it to fit your needs.

Recently we ran a rather unusual house that would make a great West Coast toehold for the White Castle burger chain.  Yes, it was an actual fracking CASTLE in the back of an otherwise normal home in Los Altos. Burbed reader Tracy is crazy for castles, and has been deploying the trebuchet to hurl several into the inbox.  Here’s another one if you can’t wait until April for Season 2 of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Unfortunately, this castle, like so many homes built on fantasies and empty treasure chests, was taken off-market.  So we’ll do our best to get the information to you, no matter how many real estate sites we have to scour to find it!

81 PUFFIN LN,
Watsonville, CA 95076
$1,795,000, delisted on 12/12/2011
Originally listed for $1,895,000

Beds: 6
Baths: 4
Sqft: 2,864
Lot: 9,146 sq ft / 0.21 acres
Type: Single Family
Year built: 1971
Last sold: September 22 1999 for $353,500

Beautiful ocean views, convenient beach access, private parking front and rear, quality remodel, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, custom home in Pajaro Dunes – Turnkey! Remodeled kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, roof, siding, windows, appliances. Pajaro Dunes is perhaps Northern California’s best kept secret! To live here or just to visit is an experience to be treasured. Come see for yourself!

We’ve provided all 9 photos, because most of the other sites took them down when the listing got yanked.  Thank heavens for ZipRealty!  And we used Zillow to fill in all those missing pieces, like whether the castle actually had any rooms and was built after the Year 0.  Redfin provided the neighborhood plot layout at the bottom of this post.  Finally, this expired agent page provided the listing copy above.

The very first thing you’ll notice looking at the front of the house is that there isn’t any garage.  And that’s a good thing!  If you’re the kind of person who wants to live in a castle, you don’t want any newfangled technology such as horseless carriages and wireless music using airwaves.  A six bedroom house means you can keep your own horn section to play flourishes when you enter each room.  And really, nobody should be waving except your courtiers.

So the plastic furniture really has to go.  Just set up some trestle tables and benches and you’ll be ready to serve up the wild boars.

I tell you, it’s being able to build a castle out of a 1971 tract house that makes this country great, even if said castle would be more appropriate on its lonesome on ten acres in Inverness, rather than on a 9000 square foot lot right next to traditional beach homes.

America, F*** YEAH!  Although the tennis courts ought to be replaced with a jousting pavilion, and the flag with one from, say, 971.

Today we have a guest post from Burbed reader A Lewis.  Burbed tends to spend too much time in Silicon Valley, so it’s good we’ve got a frequent contributor to remind us that there’s listings full of Burbed Win all over the Bay Area, not just within three miles of Google.

Please give A a big, warm, Real Bay Area welcome as today’s guest blogger, revisiting his very first Burbed posting.

One of my favorite features on Burbed is follow-up stories from previous listings.

Cast your mind waaaaaaay back to the dim past of March, 2011 (just think how much the Republican primary field has changed since then! And who would have bet the 49ers would have clinched their division?) and this thread:

We actually ended up with a pretty good conversation full of East Bay Love (TM)!

Well, I’m sure you will be as excited as I am that 8190 Terrace was not snapped up by an ordinary buyer who intended to live in it for years…No, it was clearly a flipper who has renovated it and is ready to pass the instant equity on to you at the low low price of $849K $799K! 

Have a look inside to see what they did!

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DEALS, DEALS, DEALS!  Aren’t you loving all these DEALS!?!  Remember, drive a little, save a lot!  So how much do you think you could save driving all the way to Sonoma County?  Remember, there was only one house under $200K in Marin County, so maybe we’ll find three here.  Plus, pick up an extra winery for the trip home.

But what would you say if I told you I found a property for under $100K that isn’t a hundred years old, isn’t a sub-750 foot cottage, and isn’t on a postage stamp-sized lot.  Would you believe me?

664 Acacia Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
$39,000

BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2
SQ. FT.: 1,404
$/SQ. FT.: $28
LOT SIZE: 0.43 Acres
PROPERTY TYPE: Residential, Detached, Single Family
STYLE: Ranch
STORIES: 1
YEAR BUILT: 1964
COMMUNITY: Northeast Santa Rosa
COUNTY: Sonoma
MLS#: 21129043
SOURCE: BAREIS
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 21 days

Listed price is Minumum bid. Single level home 3/2 with fireplace and central heat. Fenced rear yard with detached 2 car garage. Information on property gathered from public records.

The listed price is a minimum bid?  Sold for $635K in 2006, you get 94% instant equity!

Oh, dear, a quick trip over to Zillow has a very different story.  This house is on Auction.com and will be subject to a minimum $39K bid starting December 18th (per Zillow) or starting December 1st (if you believe Auction.com), ending on December 4th.  CASH ONLY!

This is the second house we’ve found where another site links to Auction.com and Redfin doesn’t know anything about it.   Just sayin’.

Happy Thanksgiving from Burbed!  And one thing to be thankful for is we’re not taking today off.  We are also thankful for our many wonderful readers, without whom we would never be able to bring you Real Bay Area Real Estate, House Price and Mortgage Insanity on a regular basis.

Speaking of wonderful readers, here’s a momentous mansion in Mountain View from Burbed reader dollarbin!

2178 LELAND Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040
$725,000

BEDS: 4
BATHS: 3
SQ. FT.: 1,920
$/SQ. FT.: $378
LOT SIZE: 4,947 Sq. Ft.
PROPERTY TYPE: Detached Single Family
STORIES: 2
YEAR BUILT: 2007
COMMUNITY: San Antonio
COUNTY: Santa Clara
MLS#: 81129200
SOURCE: MLSListings
STATUS: Active
ON REDFIN: 144 days

Maybe the Final Price Reduction before it goes to auction! Take a second look! Enjoy this stunning 4 year old well maintained home with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, 1920 sf of living area, wrap around porch, granite kitchen, granite faced fireplace in living room, 4 spacious bedrooms including downstairs master suite. This home sits in a 4791 SF lot in a well sought after Mountain View area.

Here’s what dollarbin was thinking when sending us today’s Thanksgiving Turkey.

I swear this has been on Burbed before, if not it might spark some discussion. I don’t know if this house has ever actually been occupied, the sales history suggests it hasn’t. Mere inches from the Caltrain tracks, you can shop at Mi Pueblo in your slippers too.

If this house has been on Burbed, it was hiding under a different address.  And it has quite a history, too.  Take a look at this!

And if you think that’s interesting, then look what Zillow has to say about this place!  But none of those missing listings from 2007-08 are there.

Here’s the link to Auction.com in case you want to bid on this house.  I really like the exterior shot they’re using instead of the one above on Redfin (sorry about their annoying little banner there).  Arty!  Too bad the other 4 photos are the same as before.

$725,000 really was the final price before the auction after all.  Take a second look, since you’ll be eating today’s meal a few more times too.  This house and its history can make you feel thankful for so many things.  Why not share them in comments?

Remember to get up extra early tomorrow as we begin our Black Friday Sales!  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!