December 18, 2006

If These Pillows Could Talk

Ho, hum. This week’s most-expensive new listing is another multi-million-dollar pad reminiscent of a small village in Tuscany. This $28.5-million, six-bedroom, four-bathroom shack sits on five acres in Hillsborough. Artist studio, wine cellar, guest quarters, three+ fireplaces, pool with cabana and dressing room … yawn. Where’s the story behind the home? The guest house scandal, celebrity cabana catfights, artist studio murders … I guess I’m not writing a Danielle Steele novel, but wouldn’t that be more fun to read about!

There is a comparable home for sale down the street for $7.88 million.

There is a theme to the least-expensive new listings this week: Pillows, not just for sleeping anymore. Pillows and an easel, charming! Pillows and plants, homey! Pillows and candles, safe! Pillows at the front door, random! Yellow hairy pillows that look alive, inviting! Is someone just trying to cover up stains on the carpet, or holes in the wall?!

These pleasant pillow pads are in Concord (one bed, one bath, $170,000) and Rossmoor, a Walnut Creek community, (two beds, one bath, $191,200). I don’t know if the Rossmoor stager got the memo, but isn’t it a gated senior community? I can’t imagine the pillow placement will appeal to someone that prefers a lift chair or a Craftmatic adjustable bed.

What I really found interesting this week were the Zestimates compared to the list prices. There’s been so much controversy about Zestimates (a Seattle newspaper put Zillow to the test) — are they too high, too low, are they the gospel. I think it will be fun to do our own “scientific” research. I’ll check back on these homes later in the year to see what they sold for. Honestly, I view the Zestimates as another helpful research tool, the more info the better!

$28.5: Zestimate is $16.3 million and some change.
$170,000: Zestimate is $266,417
$191,200: Zestimate is $390,322