Lamorinda Real Estate

ORINDA FIXER - ORINDA REAL ESTATE - OPPORTUNITY

Orinda has a new property on the market that may be an excellent opportunity for someone looking for a fixer at a cheap price. To see the MLS listing, CLICK THIS LINK.

This is a bank-owned property that requires certain forms to be filled out in order to submit an offer. You must also be pre-qualified. I can help you take care of all that is required, and get you into the property for a preview. Serious buyers that are ready to act quickly should contact me ASAP because this one should go quickly at this price.

Of course, during the inspection period, we would investigate the condition of the property further and determine if in fact, $599,000 is a good price for this 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom house.

If you would like to see more pictures, I went by this afternoon and took THESE PICTURES. Call my cell if you are interested in this property, it should go fast. Or, if you know someone who is looking for this type of opportunity, pass this on to them. Automatic Social Bookmarking

Orinda Fixer - Orinda Downs - Opportunity!!

This week’s Broker’s Tour Winner is an Orinda Downs property located at 45 Singingwood Ln. This is the first time on the market for this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom that was built in 1971. Opportunity abounds to make this a beautiful home. It has 3,207 square feet of living space on a .49 acre lot with a swimming pool. It is in great condition, but with some updating and remodeling, it could be a gem! I have my ideas on how to remodel the master and backyard, do you?

Automatic Social Bookmarking

Lamorinda Real Estate - Moraga Fixer Wins Broker's Tour

I have declared my winner for the Lamorinda Broker’s Tour this past Tuesday, January 29th. The property is located in Moraga, but not in a prime location.

The address is 620 Rheem Blvd. It’s a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house built in 1971, sitting on a nice .35 acre lot. The listing agent claims, “1ST TIME ON THE MARKET!! WONDERFUL 1 STORY TRADITIONAL!! COSMETIC FIXER WITH LOTS OF UPSIDE POTENTIAL!! PRIVATE WOODED & SERENE BACKYARD SETTING! LIGHT, AIRY, OPEN & FLEXIBLE FLOOR PLAN WITH ROOM TO ROAM. FANTASTIC BARGAIN!”

The problem is that it sits right on Rheem Blvd. I feel the appropriate discount for the location has been taken, but when all is said and done, you are still on Rheem Blvd.

The asking price is $799,000. The square footage is 1936, which gives it a $413 per square foot cost.

Considering it is a cosmetic fixer on Rheem, this is a pretty fair asking price, if you are up for the project and can live with the location.

What makes it a winner is it’s fixed up value. 2,000+ updated square feet in Moraga has appeal. A contractor who fixes this place up while living in it for a while will enjoy a pretty decent return.

One thing to keep in mind, the tough locations are harder to sell in a shaky housing market. If this house were on the market when the market was hot, it would sell no problem. Let’s see what happens.

If you are thinking about buying or selling in the Lamorinda area and would like information on your specific price range, call or email me.

Automatic Social Bookmarking

Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette Broker’s Tour 11-6-07

Inventory for Lamorinda real estate (Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda) is showing the usual seasonal drop. Today’s count was 169 properties. The Broker’s tour was small as well. But, there were 4 properties that were worth our while.
First up is a “Lafayette fixer”.  3364 Mildred Lane in the Burton Valley area of Lafayette is prime for fixing. The house sits on a 10,880 square foot lot that provides plenty of room for expansion. The current structure is a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom house with 1,365 square feet of living space. There were some bad choices made by the previous owner, such as vinyl siding, tar & gravel roof, and some funky wall-paper inside. The neighborhood can support a fix-up to a 4/2 of around 2000’ no problem. Priced at $749,000, this is not a fix and flip. This is one for somebody to live in for a while to realize some appreciation support. If you are up for a fixer project, this is a good choice.

Next up we have two Orinda properties that are fairly close in price, 13 La Sombra Ct. and 27 La Cresta Rd. 13 La Sombra has an incredible setting. If you value the outdoors, you would be hard pressed to find a better lot. The house is a 3 bed, 2 and a ½ bath with 2,072 square feet of living space. Some features include; showplace eat-in kitchen with granite counters and state-of-the-art stainless appliances, new baths with tumbled marble, and red oak hardwood floors.  The lot is 32,620 square feet or .75 acres of mostly flat, fully fenced and usable cul-du-sac location The asking price is $1,369,000.

27 La Cresta has different appeal. This home features the same 3 bed 2 ½ bath setup, but it has close to 500 more square feet of living space. The inside is very nicely laid out. It is open but traditional. There is a fantastic Chef’s kitchen with all amenities with an adjoining family room plus a bonus office. It is hillside living, so there is a big deck, very nicely done. The lot is big, 23,520 or .54 acres, so there is privacy as well. This property is offered at $1,175,000, a great price for the footage. It is interesting to compare these two Orinda properties.

Lastly, at the high end of the price range is 60 Terra Teresa in Lafayette. This home is a 5 bedroom, 4 ½ bath house with 5,008 square feet. It is a brand new build that sits on a .64 acre lot. This house was beautifully done with top grade materials and attention to detail. It is offered at $2,595,000, which is a great price considering the footage, new construction, attention to detail and good materials. What drives the price down is the location. This area is considered a “B” Lafayette location. Without knowing, one might consider this Pleasant Hill. It is located between Taylor Blvd. and Reliz Valley. If you are headed north on Taylor, there is a divider which does not allow you to turn into the neighborhood. Instead, you must use Withers to get over to Reliz and roundabout your way into the neighborhood. Having said that, this house is still beautiful and high quality.

Automatic Social Bookmarking

Broker’s Tour Winner 10-30-07

Today’s tour winner is an Orinda property located in the Sleepy Hollow area. But there is a twist to this one. The price was set as if there is the possibility of splitting this 1.32 acre lot. There are many variables used by the City of Orinda to determine if it is O.K. to split a lot. Some of the variables include zoning, width and length in relation to the zoning, and also the slope density. Outside of these variables, some people have successfully split lots if the original plans showed 2 lots but only 1 house was built on the 2 lots.



21 Snowberry Lane in Orinda is a cosmetic fixer. It’s in good condition considering it was originally built in 1949 and is composed of materials that are at the latest, 70’s vintage. The location is excellent, on a court. The listing agent describes the  property on the MLS, “Classic Old Orinda ranch home on spectacular 1.32 acre lot. Huge level backyard with ancient oaks. Custom built in 1949 clear Douglas fir ceiling and woodwork, tons of storage, 3 car garage, detached garage work-shop. Do not miss studio apartment below the main level”.

What makes this a winner is if in fact you can split the lot. A trip to the City Planning office will give the answer. Give me a call Thursday afternoon and I’ll give you the answer.

If the lot cannot be split, it is my opinion that the $2,150,000 asking price is a bit high for a house in this condition, even if it sits on 1.32 useable acres.

Lafayette “Fixer”

7 Mountain View Place has been on the MLS for 3 days now. There was no Broker’s Tour for this property on Tuesday, but my partner and I drove by anyway to check it out. The pictures on the MLS alone tell the story. It is a self proclaimed tear down. The verbage in the listing is, “HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION - It's a steal at this price! Largest lot on street - House needs to be taken down - Build your dream home! Wonderful opportunity for investor or builder to come in & renovate - Seller anxious to sell - ALL OFFERS CONSIDERED.”
Check the map and see for yourself that it is a good location. Here is what you cannot see in the pictures or on the map. The footprint of the existing structure takes up almost ALL of the flat area on the lot. Sure the lot is the “largest on the street”, at 27,250 square feet according to the MLS, but there is not a lot of usable footage beyond the 1,783 square foot structure. On top of the very small usable area, you have to factor in demolition costs for the existing structure, so the cost is actually higher than the asking price.

Currently there are 4 lots under 1 acre on the market in Lafayette. The prices range from $660,000 to $1,250,000. The 3 lots listed other than the $1,250,000 lot, do not compare location wise to Mountain View. . But, 4 Rancho Diablo Rd. is far superior in usability and location.

Moraga offers 4 lots under 1 acre. Numbers 1, 2, 5, and 7 on Vista Encinos Court, which is located off of Larch near Batix. This is a great area near excellent schools. Prices for these lots range from $575,000 to $799,000.

Orinda offers 10 lots under 1 acre ranging in price from $169,000 for a 5,228 square foot lot to $925,000 for a 30,000 square foot lot in the country club area.

MLS Search

Search the MLS easily by clicking on the MLS Link located in the Real Estate Links section, just under my picture to the right. Try the Market Snapshot while you are at it. You can find that link in the post titled, "Market Snapshot Link".