The Emerald Hills Blog

It’s a slow week in Emerald Hills — to be expected after a holiday week. There was only one new house that came on the market, and none closed escrow this week. Here’s the scoop:

New Listings:

531 Hillside Rd: $849,000. Offered by Michelle Glaubert of Coldwell Banker. This is one case where the street is aptly named, because this baby is definitely up a hillside This is a 2BR/1BA home on a large 16k+ square foot lot. Lots of charm and character in this place. For more details, click here —> 531 Hillside

For those of you familiar with Red Morton Park, the City installed a very cool skate park right next to the athletic fields several years ago.   Although bikes are supposedly prohibited from using this park (and there are numerous signs to this effect) they have used the skate park extensively to practice their stunts.  Despite police enforcement, including handing out numerous citations to repeat offenders, the bikes have had free reign of the park.  Having seen it first hand, the mix of bikes and skateboards doesn’t work.

The City is now planning to erect a fence around the park that will make it more difficult for bikers to gain access to the park.  For more details, see the attached article in the Redwood City Daily News —>  No Bikes Allowed

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here’s what happened last week in the world of Emerald Hills real estate:

New Listings:

• 10 Danford Court. Offered at $2,695,000. This was the only new listing in EH this week. It’s the latest offering on Danford Court — for those of you not familiar with this development, it’s a group of 8 custom homes situated on a private cul-de-sac near Lower Emerald Lake. This is the sixth home of the eight to be built. For more details, click here —> 10-danford-ct.html

Recent Sales:

• 19 Bennett Road: Original List: $3,200,00. Sales Price: $2,950,000 — Diff = ($250,000. ) 19 Days on the market. Not surprised this one sold as quickly as it did. This was a gem with an incredible back yard. Click here for more details —> 19-bennett-rd.html
• 4080 Jefferson Ave: Original List: $1,849,000. Sales Price: $1,740,000 — Diff = ($109,000.) 46 days on the market. Click here for more details –> 4080-jefferson.html
• 156 Springdale Way: Original List: $1,325,000. Sales Price: $1,287,500 — Diff = ($37,500.) 8 days on the market. Click here for more details —> 156-springdale-way.html
• 759 Canyon Road: Original List: $950,000. Sales Price: $920,000 — Diff = ($30,000.) 9 days on the market. Click here for more details —> 759-canyon-rd.html

What does this all mean? Two different forces are in play here. First, prices are still dropping — note that none of the homes that sold this month fetched the original asking price. Some of the reductions are significant. Second, these homes still sold quickly, despite the reduced pricing. This suggests that sellers are being realistic and receptive to offers below list. It’s a good time to be house-shopping!

Tune in next week for more sales data!

As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s deja vu all over again.” Southern California is fighting yet another dangerous and destructive wildfire. This beckons the question — when was the last time there has been a fire of any magnitude in Emerald Hills, or any surrounding community?

That’s exactly my point.

Although we don’t often share the unique weather conditions that make SoCal ripe for this kind of runaway wildfire, we are more vulnerable than you might think. You only have to look at the Oakland Hills fire of the 1990’s for proof. There are eerie similarities between the two areas: decades of unabated brush growth, hilly terrain, and narrow access roads. Along with Palomar Park, certain parts of Emerald Hills certainly fall into this category.

While it’s unlikely that we’ll ever experience the confluence of events that made the Southern California fires so destructive, there are several things you can do to safeguard your home (just in case):

• Clear the brush. Trim wild and overgrown brush back from your property line. Establish a fire-safe perimeter around your home.
• Fire-proof your roof. While cedar-shake roofs are asthetically appealing, they pose a fire hazard as the shingles get older and drier. Remember that wildfires often “skip” across treetops and rooftops. Consider a fire-resistant composite shingle when you replace your roof.
• Know your escape routes: Clogged traffic getting out of the Oakland Hills imperiled many of the residents as they tried to flee. Make sure you know your neighborhood well, and have a couple of escape routes in mind to avoid getting caught in a potentially fatal traffic jam.

Let’s hope this never happens in our area. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, just in case.

Well, there were no new listings or homes that closed escrow in Emerald Hills this week….

However, since you’ve already tuned in, there are a couple of active listings in Emerald Hills that are worth mentioning. They’re both 5 bedroom homes that are in the $2M + range.

• 951 Wilmington Way: $2,279,00. Listed by Nick Corcoleotes, Anagnostou Properties. More great new construction in Emerald Hills. This one is just around the corner from the homes on Emerald Estates Court that I featured in other posts. This home is a very elegant 5BR/4BA home on a 12,000 + square foot lot level lot. Lots of smart touches in this house, and the yard is beautiful. Great layout. For more details and photos, click here —> 951-wilmington-way.html

• 600 Handley Trail. $2,399,000. Listed by Michelle Glaubert, Coldwell Banker. This is a “semi-new” listing, meaning that it’s back on the market after a short hiatus and a price reduction. While it’s not brand-new construction, it’s only 7 years old and certainly feels like a new home. And let me tell you, this is a BIG home on a BIG lot. 5BR/4BA+ on about 25,000 square feet of property. It’s a split level design, with two master suites on the top level, and three generous sized rooms below. It sports an elegant kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. This may sound strange, but I really liked the fact that they used solid-core doors throughout the house — even downstairs for the closets. You have no idea how many multi-million dollar homes I have seen that use those cheap, hollow-core doors! A pet peeve, maybe, but kudos to the builder for not cheaping it out. For more info on this home, click here –> 600-handley-trail.html

See you all next week, when there will hopefully be more listings and solds to tell you about!

Last night, a public meeting was held by the San Mateo County Planning Commission to understand the opinion of residents of the Emerald Lake Hills neighborhood regarding the usefulness of the Emerald Lake Hills Design Review Committee. As you may recall, the Committee was comprised of Emerald Hills residents and was once chartered with making decisions on the architectural style, size, and appearance of new home construction and remodels in the neighborhood. Several years ago, the Committee was disbanded after strong opposition from neighbors and residents, some of which coined the phrase “Style Police” when referring to the Committee.

The details of this meeting are nicely covered in the following article in the Redwood City Daily News. Click here for the complete article: Agreeing to Disagree

The cold days of winter are right around the corner, and you’re thinking about selling your home. Should you put your house on the market in November or December?

The answer is yes, but with a word of caution thrown in. First, there are two reasons why you should consider listing now:

1. Less Competition. History shows that there are fewer homes on the market this time of year. Sellers who have had their homes on the market for an extended period of time often pull their home off the market over the holidays with the intent of trying again in the new year. Other owners who are thinking of selling now will often wait until the much-hyped “spring buying season.” So, your home stands a good chance of getting more attention now.
2. Serious Buyers. You’ll probably see fewer potential buyers at open houses this time of the year, but those who are out are usually very serious buyers. After all, why would anyone be out touring homes on a cold, rainy Sunday???

Is there a downside? Yes, as I alluded to above. There is a perception among some buyers that owners who are listing their homes during the winter months are selling because the have to. (And in some cases, the seller may indeed be in this situation.) Consequently, don’t be surprised if you get a low-ball offer from the aforementioned serious buyer. Be sure to do your homework and enter the transaction with a price range that you’re comfortable selling your home for.

So yes, November and December can be good for buyers and sellers. Just know that you’re operating in a market that’s different that at any other time of the year.

“San Mateo County’s Top Teacher Named” was the headline in this past weekend’s edition of the Redwood City Daily News. Who was the recipient of this award? Science teacher Jack West at Sequoia High School. I mentioned in the previous post that Sequoia’s Principal Morgan Marchbanks has assembled the best and the brightest on her staff — I guess this really drives that point home. (Trust me, there are many more great teachers like Jack at this school, too.)

As a degreed engineer, I took LOTS of science and physics in college — if he can make such tough subjects fun and engaging, he deserves the award and a standing ovation.

Click here for the the article from the Redwood City Daily News:

http://www.redwoodcitydailynews.com/article/2007-11-11-rwc-teacher

If you live within the Sequoia High School District and have a child who is nearing high school age, you’re probably somewhat aware of the challenges the school board is facing with balancing the enrollment at the four high schools. The problem is that while enrollment is flat or down at Sequoia, Menlo Atherton, and Woodside high schools, Carlmont is literally bursting at the seams. Why? Since the City of San Carlos made that fateful decision over 20 years ago to tear down their perfectly good high school, many of the residents have taken advantage of inter-district transfer option and have sent their children to Carlmont, which is closer for a lot of us than Sequoia. In the past 20 years, the demographic make-up of San Carlos (and surrounding communites) has changed entirely, and the number of children approaching high school age is at record levels. Consequently, the “open door” at Carlmont may close this year for many families who would like to attend but don’t live within the Carlmont district. I posted an article earlier that outlines the problem in a little more detail; click here for more info —-> http://sf-peninsulablog.com/?p=20

But that’s just the background, and not the reason for this post. Being residents of San Carlos and having the first of our three kids entering high school next year, my wife and I are part of this group of parents who just assumed we’d apply for a transfer and follow the droves of other San Carlos families to Carlmont (even though we’re in the Sequoia district.) I mean, who would go to Sequoia, right? I’ve lived in either Redwood City or San Carlos for the past 43 years — you just didn’t go to Sequoia because you wanted to — you went because you had to. So if you had asked me 6 months ago if I was going to write an article like this I would have laughed (long and loud, for that matter.) Hey, old perceptions die hard.

Fast forward to present…. As part of this re-balancing process, parents who wish to apply for an inter-district transfer MUST first tour their designated high school, and their child must “shadow” another student there for a day. For us, that meant reluctantly going to Sequoia and going through the motions just to confirm what I thought I already knew.

And I’m glad that I did, because I couldn’t have been more wrong.

This is not your father’s Sequoia High School. When Principal Morgan Marchbanks took over the helm of the school nearly 9 years ago, she essentially picked the school up by its collective feet and shook out everything that wasn’t working. In it’s place she implemented leading edge educational programs such as the International College Advancement Program (ICAP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which provides students with study options that are so advanced that students actually get college credit for some of these courses.

Realizing that programs don’t implement themselves, Principal Marchbanks embarked on an aggressive recruiting campaign to attract the best and brightest teachers and administrators to breathe life into not only the core academia, but the arts and trades (such as dance and woodshop.) One of those key hires was vice principal Bonnie Hansen, who together with Principal Marchbanks, has created a leading-edge learning environment where challenges are abundant for every student, and respect is mandatory for anyone who steps foot on the campus.

This school has a buzz and vibe that I haven’t felt at other schools that I have visited. Combine all of this with the first rate facilities and Stanford-like campus, and the recipe is ripe for success. But don’t take my word for it — check it out for yourself. Because if Morgan Marchbanks and her staff have their way (which I have no doubt they will) Sequoia High School will soon have the same problem that Carlmont has — more students will WANT to come here than they will have room for.

Interesting article in the San Mateo Daily Journal — this seems as if it might have an impact on the design of new homes and remodels, so it’s probably worth looking into…

http://smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=83093