The Emerald Hills Blog

The activity picked up a bit this week in Emerald Hills.  Some promising looking new listings came on the market (Upland looks particularly nice…)   And 914 Stony Hill Road, one of my favorites in Farm Hill Estates, sold this past week.

Click on the addresses for more details and additional photos.

Home Sales

• 914 Stony Hill Rd:     (Pictured Above)  Sale Price: $851,000. Original List Price: $829,000.   Difference: $18,000 (2.7%) above original list.   I felt that this home was such a good deal when it first hit the market that I wrote a separate review on it:   New Listing of the Week:  914 Stony Hill Rd. Apparently I was correct, as it sold in less than two weeks over asking price!  DOM: 13 Days,   MLS# 80826956, listed by Denise Simons of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 816 Lakeview Way: Sale Price: $1,545,000. Original List Price: $1,630,000.   Difference: $85,000 (5.2%) below original list.  DOM: 32 Days,   MLS# 80827175, listed by Stanley Lo of Green Banker Realty.
• 481 West Maple Way: Sale Price: $1,170,000. Original List Price: $1,100,000.   Difference: $70,000 (6.4%) above original list.   Not surprising that a full acre in Woodside would fetch over $1M.  This is a great street that’s located on just past the western border of Emerald Hills.  DOM: 8 Days,   MLS# 80820423, listed by Glenn Guillory.

New Listings

• 970 Upland Rd: (Pictured Above)  $2,395,000 — 5BR/4+BA, 3,530 sq ft on a 16,616 square foot lot.  This looks like a really nice house, and it’s in a great location — Upland is still close enough to downtown to make it very convenient.   MLS# 80836501, listed by John Shroyer of RE/MAX Today.
• 668 S. Oak Park Way: $1,295,000 — 3BR/2.5BA, 1,980 sq ft on a 7,400 square foot lot.  MLS# 80836518, listed by Everett & Fisher of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 3671 Highland Ave: $1,295,000 — 3BR/2.5BA, 1,980 sq ft on a 7,400 square foot lot.  MLS# 80836518, listed by Everett & Fisher of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 1077 Chesterton Ave: $1,295,000 — 3BR/2BA, 1,560 sq ft on a 6,160 square foot lot.  MLS# 80836240, listed by Doug Gonzalez of Coldwell Banker.

Re-Listings

• 180 Lakeview Way: $1,295,000 — 3BR/2.5BA, 1,846 sq ft on a 21,780 square foot lot.  Back on the market, now for a total of 32 days.  MLS# 80836158, listed by Sue Gamble of Cooper & Gamble.
• 16 Don Ct: $1,195,950 — 3BR/2BA, 1,720 sq ft on a 14,405 square foot lot.  Back on the market, now for a total of 71 days.  MLS# 80835394, listed by Maxine Dumas of Dumas & Company.

I am thrilled to see that there has been a renewed interest in the performing arts on the Peninsula.   More and more schools and private organizations are working diligently to put together plays and musicals, which presents a fantastic opportunity for both the participants and fans of theater.  I highlighted a couple of outstanding events that Sequoia High School performed recently:

• Sequoia High School Presents “Grease”
• Little Shop of Horrors

Well, I’m pleased to inform you about what promises to be another great performance.  John Gill School and North Star Academy are working together to present:

• “Hey Shakespeare – Get a Job!”

This is the first time ever that two schools have gotten together to do a play in the Redwood City School District.   It has several key Shakespeare scenes from Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, Henry the V, Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth and some sonnets.  It is made fun for the kids by showing us the family of Shakespeare arguing with him about wasting his time writing.  Shakespeare must convince his parents that he is doing the right thing.  The Romeo and Juliet part is done in both Spanish and English so we can do some outreach into the Spanish community in Redwood City.

The play will be held on October 16, 17, and 18 at 7pm, and October 19 at 2pm at the McKinley Auditorium, 400 Duane St. in Redwood City.    Tickets are only $8, $10 premium seating.  Call 650-482-5980 for tickets.

Please show your support for the performing arts at your local school, and experience what promises to be a great show!

Another couple of large, stately homes hit the market in Emerald Hills this week.  Check out the listings on Colton Court and Woodleaf below.   If you’re looking for a large home with some land, you have two good options this week.

Be sure to click on the addresses for more details and photos.

Home Sales

• 1277 Foothill St: (Pictured Above)  Sale Price: $767,500. Original List Price: $749,500.   Difference: $18,000 (2.4%) above original list — a bit of a rarity these days!    DOM: 5 Days,   MLS# 80827141, listed by Peter Yee of Pacific Coast Realtors
• 2356 Harding Ave: Sale Price: $755,000. Original List Price: $795,000.   Difference: $40,000 (5.0%) below original list.  DOM: 55 Days,   MLS# 80817719, listed by Patrick Ryan of Alain Pinel Realtors.

New Listings

• 12 Colton Ct: (Pictured Above)  $3,000,000 — 5BR/4+BA, 6,420 sq ft on a 20,021 square foot lot.  This is one BIG house, and it’s located on a nice, private cul-de-sac in west Emerald Hills.  It will be very interesting to see how this listing does, coming on the heels of the sale at 6 Colton Ct (see last week’s post for details.)   MLS# 80835229, listed by George Tsiplakos of Anagnostou Properties.
• 19 Woodleaf Ave: $2,150,000 — 4BR/2.5BA, 3,360 sq ft on a 12,700 square foot lot.  Woodleaf is located right across from Canada College at the top of Farm Hill Blvd.  Great neighborhood.    MLS# 80834937, listed by Robison & Cremora of Coldwell Banker.
• 165 Westgate St: $899,000 — 3BR/2BA, 2,110 sq ft on a 7,171 square foot lot.  MLS# 80833982, listed by Vicky Constantini of Alain Pinel Realtors.

Re-listings

• 713 Bayview Way: $1,569,500 — 4BR/2.5BA, 2,808 sq ft on a 7,644 square foot lot.  Back on the market, now at 172 days.  MLS# 80834073, listed by Stella Johnson of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 874 Crompton Rd: $799,000 — 3BR/2BA, 1,420 sq ft on a 7,000 square foot lot.  Back on the market, now at 77 days.  MLS# 80834857, listed by Raquel Nikravesh, Broker.

Stop by and say hello!  I’ll be holding open this wonderful home at 626 Lombardy Way:

It’s Mediterranean-style 5 bedroom, 4 bath home at nearly 4,000 square feet.   Top upgrades throughout, and the nearly 12,00 square foot lot includes a pool and fountain.   Let’s not forget that it’s right in the middle of the Roy Cloud School District.

Click on this address for all the details and additional photos…

626 Lombardy Way

I’ll have it open from 1:00 – 4:00PM today (9/21.)  Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Editor’s note:  This is the second in an occasional series of posts that will include tips on how to get more out of this blog, and perhaps your other favorite websites as well….CG

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you have probably figured out that I post something new every few days.  Some times more often, some times less…It really varies depending on what’s happening in the market, and how much time I can devote to the blog.  I also author The White Oaks Blog so keeping both of these sites fresh keeps me pretty busy!

You’ll recall from Blog Tip #1 that subscribing to the blog is a great way to be notified when something new is posted.  But are there still reasons to check in with the site in between my erratic blog posts?   You bet!    That’s where the “widgets” come in.

“Widget” in web-speak is a generic term for a snippet of code that’s put on a website or blog to accomplishes a very specific function.   It can be anything from a local weather update, to showing the latest mortgage rates, or even news feeds from other sites.   So all of the items in the left and right sidebars of The Emerald Hills Blog are considered widgets.  I know this may sound really elementary, but you’d be surprised how many people skip the sidebars entirely because they think the widgets are actually advertisements.   Nooooooooo way.

I have done some considerable digging to come up with widgets that are relevant to real estate and local news.  I hope you find them useful and informative.  The  best part about them is that many are updated continuously.   So if you like the news on the “side,” you now have a reason to check back more often!

See you on the next Blog Tip….

Thanks to all of you who continue to cast your votes on the Emerald Hills Blog!  In the most recent poll on the Emerald Hills Blog, I posed the following question:  “Has the Emerald Hills market hit bottom yet?“   I tallied the results today and of the 51 votes cast, here’s what you had to say:

1. “No, prices will continue to drop.” 35 Votes, or 68.6%
2. “Yes, we’re at the bottom.” 12 votes, or 23.5%
3. “I don’t know.”  4 votes, or 7.8%

Based on the fact that the majority of homes that have sold recently in Emerald Hills have taken some sort of a price reduction, combined with the latest news on bank failures today, I can certainly understand why most of you feel the way you do.  Only time will tell if we’re at the bottom, or if there’s more pain in store…

So here’s our next poll question — What do you like best about Emerald Hills?

Whether you already live in Emerald Hills, used to live there, or you’re looking to move in, what is your favorite characteristic of this unique area?  Is it the rural setting, and the fact that you’re far from downtown?   Or is it the larger lot sizes?   The bay views?   Proximity to 280 for commuting?   Whatever tickles your fancy about Emerald Hills, be sure to make your voice heard on the latest poll in the upper left corner of the blog.

As with all of the polls I create, don’t hestitate to let me know if you’d like a particular answer added to the poll…better yet, if you have a great idea for a poll, let me know!   Regardless, thanks for taking part and for being loyal readers of the Emerald Hills Blog.

Quantity is superseded by quality this week.  The four new listings that came on the market look to be very nice homes.  Coincidentally, all of them are 4-bedroom homes — so if that’s what you’re looking for, be sure to check out all of them.

Click on the addresses below for more details and additional photos.

Home Sales

• 6 Colton Ct: (Pictured Above)  Sale Price: $2,380,000. Original List Price: $2,649,000.   Difference: $269,000 (10.1%) and DOM of 33 Days under the current listing.  (Total days on the market was 221 days, from when it was originally listed at $3,300,000 — a 28% drop.)    MLS# 80813961, listed by Pamela Culp of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 3808 Vineyard Dr: Sale Price: $954,400. Original List Price: $998,000.   Difference: $44,000 (4.4%) below original list.  I had a hunch this one would sell fast.  This is a great neighborhood within Farm Hill Estates – close to Roy Cloud, and a minute or two from 280.  DOM: 15 Days,   MLS# 80823861, listed by Philip Watson of Prudential California Realty.

New Listings

• 759 Temescal Way: (Pictured Above)  $2,699,000 — 4BR/3.5BA, 970 sq ft (this is according to the MLS, but obviously it’s not accurate) on a 16,830 square foot lot.  MLS# 80833673, listed by Patrick Ryan of Alain Pinel Realtors.
• 302 Summit Dr: $1,599,950 — 4BR/3BA, 3,160 sq ft on a 15,725 square foot lot.  MLS# 80833605, listed by Duane Adam of Realty World – Hampton Properties.
• 528 Lakemead Way: $1,425,000 — 4BR/3BA, 2,380 sq ft on a 9,310 square foot lot.  MLS# 80832544, listed by Kimberly Copher of Coldwell Banker.
• 1553 Cordilleras Rd: $1,398,000 — 4BR/3BA, 2,750 sq ft on a 11,200 square foot lot.  MLS# 80832569, listed by Barbara Stogner of RE/MAX Today.

August ‘08 is in the books for Emerald Hills and Farm Hill Estates.   While things are still slow in Emerald Hills, Farm Hill Estates leads the charge this week with three new listings.

Home Sales

• 806 Bayview Way: (Pictured Above)  Sale Price: $1,285,000. Original List Price: $1,295,000.   Difference: $10,000 (0.8%) below original list.  DOM: 12 Days,   MLS# 80821351, listed by Diane Kneis of Coldwell Banker.
• 839 Mohican Way: Sale Price: $1,150,000. Current List Price: $1,190,000 (It originally listed early last year for $1,325,000.)   Difference: $175,000 (13.2%) below original list.  DOM: 204 Days under multiple listing numbers,   MLS# 80825487, listed by Dawn Tragoustis of Cashin Company.

New Listings

• 1513 Mitchell Way: (Pictured Above)  $1,149,000 — 3BR/2BA, 1,250 sq ft on a 6,000 square foot lot.  MLS# 80832130, listed by Charles Floyd of Help-U-Sell.
• 3869 Bret Harte Dr: $1,269,000 — 3BR/3BA, 1,980 sq ft on a 9,246 square foot lot.  MLS# 80832104, listed by Alex Lehr of Lehr Realty.
• 2797 McGarvey Ave: $869,950 — 3BR/2BA, 1,250 sq ft on a 6,893 square foot lot.  MLS# 80831770, listed by Lamont Shadowens of Shadowens Realty.

The 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) scores were released yesterday by the California Department of Education.  The CDE’s website gives a detailed analysis of the scores,  including sections on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement (PI).   If you’re interested in that level of detail, here’s the CDE site:

Accountability Progress Reporting

As far as local schools of interest, here’s how they fared:

• Roy Cloud Elementary:  877 — down 12 points from 889 in 2007.
• Woodside High School:  740 — down 3 points from 743 in 2007
• Sequoia High School:  710 — UP 11 points from 699 in 2007.  Congrats, Sequoia!

For a terrific top-level summary of how all the San Mateo County schools scored, the San Mateo Daily Journal has pubished a nice article that outlines the most common parameters.  Here’s their article:

San Mateo County API Scores