The Emerald Hills Blog

Some great new homes hit the market this week in Emerald Hills. (Be sure to check out 744 Lakeview below.) More homes closed escrow than new listings, so the inventory dropped slightly this week. Here’s the activity for the week — be sure to click on the address for more info and pictures.

Home Sales

• 744 Lakeview Way: (Pictured above) Sale Price: $1,880,000. Original List Price: $1,889,950. Difference: $9,950 below list. DOM: 28 Days (155 days total.) MLS #779402, listed by Michelle Glaubert of Coldwell Banker.
• 3327 Oak Knoll Dr: Sale Price: $1,250,000. Original List Price: $1,295,000. Difference: $45,000 below list. DOM: 55 Days. MLS #799838, listed by Miles McCormick of Keller Williams.
• 3922 Jefferson Ave: Sale Price: $1,250,000. Original List Price: $1,299,000. Difference: $49,000 below list. DOM: 69 days. MLS #782159, listed by Brian Mustante of RE/MAX Dolphin.
• 3534 Oak Knoll Dr: Sale Price: $940,000. Original List Price: $1,095,000. Difference: $155,000 below list. DOM: 43 Days. MLS #777394, listed by Rico Bautista of RE/MAX Dolphin.
• 1221 Westwood St: Sale Price: $910,000. Original List Price: $945,000. Difference: $35,000 below list. DOM: 24 Days. MLS #780294, listed by Doug Gonzales of Coldwell Banker.

New Listings

• 439 Lakeview Way: (Pictured above.) $2,895,000 — 5BR/4+BA, 4,610 sq ft on a 1 acre lot. That’s big on all counts. High-end finish throughout, and a huge private yard with great views. The total package. MLS #804446, listed by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.
• 50 Black Fox Way: $2,495,000 — 4BR/3.5BA, 3,450 sq ft on a 20,002 square foot lot. Black Fox is a private little street off the top-side of Jefferson Ave as you head into Woodside. Lots of room to run on this huge yard, and it also has a pool. MLS #803797, listed by Nino Gaetano of Cashin Company.
• 623 Sylvan Way: $1,369,000 — 4BR/3.5BA, 2,016 sq ft on a 8,190 square foot lot. MLS #803691, listed by Marguerite Casey.

More often than not, home buyers rely almost exclusively on their visual sense of a home to determine whether a home is right for them. And why not? Eyesight is the most dominant of our senses, and the first impression we get of a home (or anything for that matter) is how it looks. Believe me, agents know this and consequently spend countless hours and $$ making a home look as good as possible.

But what about our other senses? What role do they play in choosing the perfect home? The answer is simple: They can tell you why you shouldn’t buy that particular home. Here’s some examples of what I’m referring to, and some tips on how to use your other senses to “sniff out” potential red flags in a home.

Touch

Humans are gifted with a relatively acute sense of touch and balance. However, when we’re looking at homes we rarely use this sense to its fullest potential. Here are some tips that should make you help you feel your way to possible trouble spots.

1. Take off your shoes. Don’t worry — in new homes, the agent usually asks you to anyway, so walking around a home in your stockings is perfectly acceptable. Your feet will tell you all kinds of tales about the house. Are the floors level, or do they slope to the downhill side? Are there bumps, ridges, or seams in the hardwood floor? Do the floors sag or creak excessively when you walk on them? These may or may not be key signs of potential foundation issues, and your shoes do a wonderful job of shielding you from them if you leave them on. So take ‘em off.
2. Open and close doors and cabinets. Sounds pretty boring… until you find a door that won’t close all the way, or sticks shut when it’s closed. It may be nothing more than a poorly aligned door…but it can also be an indication of foundation settlement, or excessive moisture in the house (wood absorbs water and swells.)
3. Run your hands on walls and counters. Obviously, if you just came from In ‘N Out Burgers, you’ll hopefully have cleaned your hands. Tile work should be uniform, with no tiles sticking up or misaligned. All countertops of any significant size have seams. Use the palms of your hands to find the seams. If it’s really easy, it not a good sign.

Smell(Taste)

Since you hopefully won’t be running around the house licking things, we’ll combine these two together. Smell and taste are closely linked anyway. Your nose can tell you all kinds of things about a house — what’s the best way to make the most of your sense of smell? After you’ve seen everything there is to see in the house, find a centrally located room, stand still, and (VERY important) close your eyes. Why? Because studies show your sense of smell (and the other senses) get more acute in the absence of vision. Take a few deep whiffs. Here’s what you may smell:

1. Must or mold. You’ll be absolutely amazed how this smell comes through when you close your eyes. I kid you not. If a house smells moldy or musty, you’ve very likely got water under the foundation. This is a biggie, so make sure you don’t ignore your nose on this one.
2. Excessive air freshener: It’s certainly ok to dab a little air freshener in a home to give it that Irish Spring sensation. But if it seems that the agent mistook “spritz” with “blitz” and the smell of the freshener is overpowering, this may not be an accident. Some agents douse the home in freshener to cover up the aforementioned mold, as well as pet smells, and cigarette smoke….all things that have a way of making their presence unpleasantly known.

Hearing(a.k.a. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles)

This is pretty obvious, because what you’re listening for is excessive noise. But it’s a tricky thing to ascertain, because noise may be dependent on the time of day when you’re tuned in. If the home is near a busy street, commute hours during the week are likely to be more noisy than the middle of the day on Sunday at the open house. If you’re really serious about buying a place, take walk along the street during commute hours to see how noisy it is. Aside from street noise, here are some things to listen for:

1. Airplane noise: Some of the most expensive homes on the Peninsula are right in the final approach to SFO. Make sure yours isn’t.
2. Train noise. You don’t have to live right next to the tracks to hear the train. If you live in a canyon, you’ll be surprised how far the sound travels up. Make sure you aren’t going to wake up every morning courtesy of CalTrain.
3. Neighborhood Noise: Is your new next door neighbor auditioning to be the drummer for the Led Zeppelin reunion tour? Are dogs barking at all hours of the day? Good things to know…
4. Interior vs Exterior: Unless you live on 10 acres in the hills, you’re going to get city noise. That’s a given. But how does the house shield that noise when you’re inside? A well insulated house should make a night and day difference.

We’re all gifted with a strong group of senses. Be sure to use them to the best of your ability when looking for a new home. It’s really the “sensible” thing to do. (Do bad jokes smell?)

Things slowed considerably this past week in the world of Emerald Hills and Farm Hills Estates. Only three homes closed escrow in the entire area, and there was only a handful of new listings. Here are the details. Click on the address for more photos and information….

Home Sales

• 2324 Cheshire Way: (Pictured above.) Sale Price: $1,085,000. Original List Price: $1,095,000. Difference: $10,000 below list. DOM: 11 Days. MLS #783322, listed by Steven Lessard of Coldwell Banker.
• 718 Crompton Rd: Sale Price: $1,010,000. Original List Price: $985,000. Difference: $25,000 above list. DOM: 8 Days. MLS #784462, listed by Shirley Walker of Willshir Properties.
• 327 Lakeview Way: Sale Price: $850,000. Original List Price: $1,699,999. Difference: $849,999 below list. (I don’t make these up — they’re straight from the MLS.) Not sure why there’s such a big difference. There were actually two parcels in the original listing — perhaps they were split up in this sale? DOM: 204 days. MLS #746918, listed by Eric Quan of Quintessential Realty.

New Listings

• 626 Lombardy Way: (Pictured above.) $2,775,000 — 5BR/4+BA, 3,964 sq ft on a 11,979 square foot lot. This is a BIG house, and very nicely appointed. Beautiful pool and back yard. Don’t miss the exercise room off the garage — with its own TV. How cool is that? MLS #801667, co-listed by Laura Bertolacci of RE/MAX Today and Sam Anagnostou of Anagnostou Properties.
• 700 Bayview Way: $1,998,500 — 4BR/3.5BA, 3,105 sq ft on a 11,600 square foot lot. Another big, custom home. Be sure to check out the piano on the top floor. More important, how did they get it there? MLS #801588, listed by Ken Constantino of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 1093 Eden Bower Ln: $1,579,000 — 4BR/2BA, 2,310 sq ft on a 31,000 square foot lot. Top-of-the-hill, with great views of the bay. MLS #801627, listed by Gary Bulanti of Alain Pinel Realtors.

Starting this week, I am broadening the coverage of sales and listings to include select properties in Farm Hill Estates, since the border between Emerald Hills and Farm Hill Estates meanders aimlessly throughout the hill, and more importantly, many people refer to the entire area as “Emerald Hills.” I will try to make the proper differentiation when it makes sense to do so….

It was a big week for Sienna Court, probably one of the most closely watched residential developments in Emerald Hills.  The final two of the four custom homes that were for sale on this cul-de-sac closed escrow this week after a long haul starting last summer.

Here are the details from the week. Click on the address for more details and photos…

Home Sales:

• 30 Sienna Ct: (Pictured above.) Sale Price: $1,800,000. Original List Price: $2,195,000. Difference: $395,000 below list. DOM: 291 Days. MLS #725465, listed by Jane Fletcher of RE/MAX Today.
• 10 Sienna Ct: Sale Price: $1,940,000. Original List Price: $2,149,000. Difference: $209,000 below list. DOM: 245 Days. MLS #757077, co-listed by Jane Fletcher of RE/MAX Today and Bruce Dougherty of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 909 Nob Hill Rd: Sale Price: $1,430,000. Original List Price: $1,395,000. Difference: $35,000 above list. DOM: 13 Days. MLS #781270, listed by Meg Dalziel of Coldwell Banker. Nice home in Farm Hill Estates.
• 3130 Oak Knoll Dr: Sale Price: $925,000. Original List Price: $959,000. Difference: $34,000 below list. DOM: 17 Days. MLS #783311, listed by Jackie Cockreham of RE/MAX Today.

New Listings:

• 125 Emerald Estates Ct: $3,395,000 — 6+BR/4+BA. 5,323 sq ft on a 36,403 square foot lot. MLS #789735, listed by Dennis Thomas of San Mateo Real Estate. I love covering the homes that hit the market on Emerald Estates Court, not just because they’re really nice homes, but it seems like each new one is bigger and more unbelievable than the previous one. Just check out the specs on this one. This is one BIG house, but like all the other homes on Emerald Estates Court, it has a great floor-plan and it’s very nicely finished. Can’t wait to see the next one!
• 302 Summit Dr: $1,799,999 — 4BR/3BA. 3,160 sq ft on a 15,725 square foot lot. MLS #801351, listed by Valerie Trenter of Coldwell Banker.
• 147 Springdale Way: $1,299,950 — 4BR/3BA. 2,770 sq ft on a 12,800 square foot lot. MLS #789522, listed by Michelle Glaubert of Coldwell Banker. Gorgeous kitchen in this home, and don’t miss the huge, private back yard. This is one of the nicer Emerald Hills listings that I’ve seen in a while.
• 3647 Country Club Dr: $1,298,000 — 4BR/3.5BA. 2,840 sq ft on a 8,890 square foot lot. MLS #801137, listed by Lou Carlos of Cashin Company.
• 3859 Bret Harte Dr: $1,259,000 — 3BR/3BA. 2,197 sq ft on a 9,240 square foot lot. MLS #789574, listed by Gary Bulanti of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 3714 Country Club Dr: $1,099,950 — 3BR/2BA. 1,490 sq ft on a 9,310 square foot lot. MLS #800677, listed by Kraig Constantino of Intero Real Estate Services.
• 311 Lakeview Way: $1,099,950 — 2BR/1BA. 1,340 sq ft on a 23,800 square foot lot. MLS #801468, listed by Marc Romer of RE/MAX Today.

Perhaps since I have three children myself, home listings that are ideal for families with young kids seem to catch my attention — especially those homes are priced well for first-time buyers. I saw a great one yesterday that fits the bill: 3623 McNulty Way in the Farm Hill Estates region of Redwood City. It’s offered at $999,950 and is listed by Chris Stanek of Cashin Company.

This home has some great things going for it that should appeal to young families:

• 3 Bedrooms: Most houses in this price range have only two, so you’re immediately forced to think about doubling up or how to add additional rooms. No need to worry about that here.
• Proximity to School: Not only does this home get you into the highly desirable Roy Cloud School, but the school is only a short walk up Red Oak Way.
• Location: McNulty is way up at the top of Glennan, and it’s not a major thoroughfare to anything, so I would imagine that the street traffic is manageable. There’s not much beyond it, so you’d think only those folks who live there will be driving through.
• Condition: The home appears to be pretty clean – much of it is original, but according to the agent they’ve upgraded the appliances in the kitchen. A big draw for families will be the large, flat 7,600 square foot lot that this home resides on. Room to play, and room to add-on down the road.

Here’s a link with more details on the home. Unfortunately, there are no additional pictures on the MLS, but it’s definitely worth taking the time to see it. Here are the details –> 3623 McNulty Way.

Here’s a quick summary of what sold, and what new listings hit the market this past week in Emerald Hills. For more info and pictures, click on the address.

Home Sales:

• 3786 Jefferson Ave: Sale Price: $875,000. Original List Price: $899,000. Difference: $24,000 below list. DOM: 34 Days. MLS #775490, listed by Victoria Constantini of Alain Pinel Real Estate Services. Pictured above, this home was the lone sale in Emerald Hills this past week. I really liked this house because it was a perfect home for a new family starting out in Emerald Hills — it’s in great shape and already has the 3 bedrooms that most families are looking for. It’s literally a 2 minute walk to Roy Cloud School, and the lot size of over 7,000 square feet is ample for future expansion. Victoria did a great job marketing this one, and the new owners got a great home for a good price.

New Listings:

• 10 Danford Ct: $2,550,000 — 4BR/4+BA. 3,940 sq ft on a 16,448 square foot lot. OK, so this one isn’t truly a new listing — it’s back on the market this past week after a short stint off. But it’s such a killer house I couldn’t resist putting it back on. Pictured above, this is one of eight gorgeous custom homes that will be on Danford Court in Emerald Hills. This has a fantastic floor-plan, and has top-shelf appointments throughout. It’s definitely worth looking at again. MLS #788683 listed by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.
• 713 Bayview Way: $1,798,000 — 4BR/2.5BA. 2,808 sq. ft on a 7,644 square foot lot. MLS #788509 listed by Stella Johnson of Coldwell Banker.
• 604 Park Rd: $1,150,000 — 3BR/2.5BA. 2,200 sq. ft on a 7,750 square foot lot. MLS #787955 listed by Pamela Schnur of Intero Real Estate Services. Nice location, right above lower Emerald Lake.
• 514 Live Oak Ln:  $1,399,000 — 4BR/2.5BA. 1,990 sq. ft on a huge 20,857 square foot lot. MLS #787856 listed by Eli Leichter of Anagnostou Properties.

Want to see something a little spooky? Type in your address on Google Maps — you may see a thumbnail picture along with the normal map that you’re used to seeing on the results page.

If you click on the picture, something very surprising happens — you get a large, very detailed picture of your house. But this is not an ordinary single shot — it’s literally a virtual tour of the front of your house as well as your neighborhood. Here’s an example of a business address on Industrial Road in San Carlos:

View Larger Map

Be sure to click on the navigation arrows to zoom in, rotate, and “slide” up or down the street. Stunning stuff.

Not all residential addresses have the Street View feature yet, but I expect they all will soon. Mine certainly does. On one hand, this is yet another in a series of amazing technological feats put on by our friends at Google. I can see how this is a boon to home buyers. Don’t have the MLS number handy on a place? No problem, just type in the address and — boom — instant neighborhood photos.

But on the other hand, it has an uncomfortably detailed picture of my home. It certainly shows my car’s license number clearly, and it captured a clear picture of a jogger on the street. What if my kids were playing in the front yard when they shot the photo? I certainly don’t want pictures of them on the internet with the home address conveniently listed.

Regardless of your opinion of this technology, it is here and will likely only become more pervasive. It’s a neat feature for people looking to buy a home, but it will definitely make owners a little nervous.

What is your opinion on this?