February 27, 2008
Ridin’ the Waves
We’ve gone from an all-out flood of newly listed homes on the Mid-Peninsula, cresting at 88, to a slight downhill surge to 62. I have the distinct feeling that the ups and the downs will continue to be a part of our life, so all we can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. Surfing through the new listings from February 11-24, I see that almost half of these newbies (29) are over the $1mil mark, with a cap at $2,499,000. The low end of homes starts at $449,000 with the following breakdown:
$4-500,000 3
$5-600,000 5
$6-700,000 5
$7-800,000 7
$8-900,000 7
$9-1,000,000 6
I think that there is a pretty even distribution of homes coming available, with maybe only 10 of those on the east side of El Camino, where we have seen an increase in listings probably due to short sales and foreclosures.
Here are the highlights of the week:
Most Expensive/Most Bedrooms
3872 Jefferson Avenue, Redwood City
6+/4+, sf unknown, $2,499,999
Least Expensive
679 Hurlingame Avenue, Redwood City
3/2, 1030 sf, $449,900
Largest Home
1029 Wilmington Way, Redwood City
5/4+. 3900 sf, $1,880,000
Smallest Home
58 Murray Court, Redwood City
2/1, 860 sf, $574,000, already reduced to $569,000
Strangest Price (high and low)
248 Club Drive, San Carlos
4/3, 2450 sf, $1,649,461
3324 Hoover Street, Redwood City
2/1, 1090 sf, $598,270
Editor’s Pick Belmont
1641 Robin Whipple Way, 2/1.5, 1090 sf, $829,000
This is a standard rancher with some lovely details, for a decent price. I’m a sucker for a black-and-white kitchen, even if it does have an electric or induction range. There are also built-ins in the living room, nice color scheme, and a yard for entertaining.
Editor’s Pick San Carlos
1915 Eucalyptus Avenue, 3/2, 1770 sf, $959,000
Well, yes, it’s another rancher, but that wall of windows in the family room (with wood beams and wood paneling) reminded me a bit of mid-mod architecture and I loved the airiness of it. Located in the desirable White Oaks neighborhood on a larger lot, it’s priced under a mil, so probably won’t last.
Editor’s Pick Redwood City (see photo above)
748 Oakview Way, 3/2, 1570 sf, $1,349,000
What’s not to like here? Two story, shingle-sided Craftsman-style home in the hills, updated kitchen and bath, great yard. I wanna cook and party at this house.
Photo of Ross Clarke-Jones at the 2008 Maverick’s Surf Comp, courtesy of Deborah Lattimore at Flickr.
lex said:
That redwood city house looks fabulous in the pictures. There are two things not going for it:
1 - for 1.3 mill in 94062, most people expect a 2000 sq ft home, comparable to 94065
2- the landscaping looks high maintenance, and may not attract the “lazy” buyers.
February 28, 2008 2:30 PM
lex said:
the belmont house is in a great block. The lot is also larger than the more common 5000 sq ft, and the additional .5 ba is a plus. I would think whoever buys this place will look to expand and add another room. 1090 sq ft is pretty darn small, and the kitchen needs updating.
February 28, 2008 2:38 PM
Susan Brady said:
I’m having a hard time believing that the RWC house is only 1570 sf. It’s a two story - and the size of it looks larger than that. I did see it and it is in a great neighborhood of like homes, some larger. THe landscaping looked to be on sprinkler. So a mow and a trim would do it.But I’ve got news for you - most people in the hills have a gardener. You see trucks all over the place every day.
As for Belmont, I get chided a lot for talking about 2 bedroom and 1 or 1.5 baths - some seem to think this is too small. But for empty nesters, or couples with no children, or small children, it really is very doable. And like you say, it can be expanded. And I think there are buyers out there that don’t go in for excess, like 3000 sf homes for 2-3 people. Just not necessary. As much as I like to entertain and have weekend guests, I am more than happy with my 1800 sf and when I sell, will be willingly going down to 1000-1200. I can’t be bothered to clean much more than that. I’ve got better things to do, don’t you?
February 28, 2008 2:49 PM
havecleaners said:
While I tend to agree with your ideas about house size, Susan, I think most people in the Peninsula with 3000 sq feet houses have a maid service to clean the house
February 28, 2008 8:09 PM
deborah lattimore said:
Please remove my photo from this site IMMEDIATELY. You have not asked permission, not given me photo credit for my work. Despicable.
August 6, 2008 2:19 PM
susan.brady said:
I have done as you requested Deborah, but as for credit, you most certainly were given credit. As in all of our posts where we include images from Flickr, the credit and source is located at the bottom of the article. I have not changed or altered that portion in any way. We try to be very diligent in crediting photographers, and linking to them whenever possible.
August 6, 2008 2:53 PM
deborah d. lattimore said:
Susan,
Thank you for removing the photo. I do not consider it diligent to publish my photo without my permission, and without asking me if I wanted my photo associated with a real estate site (which I do not). Also I did not appreciate you making the photo downloadable once it was clicked on. I think you owe photographers the courtesy of asking first. I do not have creative commons for my photography. I have ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, and that is made very clear on my website. Thank you for removing my photo.
August 19, 2008 4:14 PM