Bernard Maybeck

Did you know that we are living in an area with outstanding homes designed by some of the most famous American Architects? Two of those architects who lived and worked at the turn of the 20 century were Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan.

Bernard Maybeck was an American Architect (February 7, 1862 – October 3, 1957) who practiced in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th Century and most of his work took place right here in the Bay Area. He also worked in other architectural styles such as the Mission, Mission Revival, Gothic Revival, and the Beaux-Arts styles. In addition to his prolific work, he also taught at the University of California at Berkeley.

Two of his most loved and famous buildings were the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and the First Chuch of Christ, Scientist in Berkeley. In San Mateo Park, at 144 Sycamore Avenue, can be found one of Maybeck’s many elegant homes.

Listing Review For: 212 Eaton Road 23, San Mateo, CA

Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Total Sqft: 1310

The Scoop:

Listing Price: $949,000

Here’s how much I think the home will sell for: $950,000

The Skinny:

Fabulous old condominium building that harkens back to the golden area the 1920s and 1930s when buildings were elegant and well appointed. The two bedroom, one bath unit is well laid out and hence, perfect for small scale entertaining.

An addition of a half bath would do a lot for this unit. Some loss of closet space might have to ocurr, but I think the trade off would be well worth it.

An investigation into reconfiguting the kitchen area near the back door could also prove to be a real enhancement to the utility of the kitchen.

Three more notes (positive and negative ): The unit comes with 2 covered parking spaces which is a bonus. But the building itself has no elevator which means all access is via a gracious interior stairwell. Since the unit is only one flight up from street level, this is not as big an issue as it could be if it were a top floor unit. And the garage is not secure – no gates to monitor who is coming and going.

I think the list price is about right and imagine it will sell around asking.

Selling Your Home? Don’t Make These Six Selling Mistakes

While selling your house yourself may seem hassle-free, you could also expect a reduction in the amount you could sell for on the open market.

Alright, so you’ve finally decided to pack it up, and seek greener pastures. Or maybe, you’re looking to downsize after the kids go off to college. Maybe your family is expecting one (or two!) more in the coming years. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided it’s time to put the house on the market.

Unfortunately, far too often, homeowners pick up some nasty habits that could make their home sale fall through. The list, via Trulia, contains these six no-nos:

• Choosing to go For Sale By Owner
• Not vetting your real estate agent
• Overpricing
• Refusing the first offer
• Not working on your home’s first impression
• Covering up problems

What do you think? Are there any other strategies that people eager to sell their homes should avoid?
Read the full article here (via Trulia).

How Will the Proposed High Speed Rail Change the Peninsula?

A map of the proposed High-Speed Rail line, which will eventually connect San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego (courtesy California High-Speed Rail Authority).

People with lower paying jobs in the Bay Area are left with very few options. They either need to find a bunch of roommates to help cover the cost of the sky-high rents in the area, or endure a grueling commute from places with more affordable housing — places like the Central Valley. However, with California’s new High Speed Rail line proposal, the idea of living in a place like Fresno or Merced, and working in San Mateo or San Francisco would become very practical. Consider this: the median home price in San Jose, for example, is around $900,000, while a place in Los Banos, just 25 miles southwest of Merced, boasts single family homes for around $250,000. Does this mean that the Central Valley could become a massive bedroom community for Silicon Valley?

While this High Speed Rail might not do much to affect housing prices in places like San Mateo or Hillsborough (desireable locations typically stay very desirable), the rail could have some very detrimental effects for commuting residents of the Peninsula. For the fifty-one mile segment of the line between San Jose and San Francisco, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has proposed “blended service,” meaning the tracks would be shared with Caltrains. During peak hours, some twenty trains per hour would be rolling up and down the Peninsula, causing what local opponents are calling “the greatest traffic disaster the Peninsula has ever experienced or will ever experience.”

What could the High-Speed Rail mean for Californians, both in the Central Valley and in Silicon Valley? Check out this very interesting radio segment done by Valley Public Radio on the High-Speed Rail.

Backyard Makeover Ideas for Small Spaces

With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, the days of grilling, and warm nights outside on the patio are rapidly approaching. But if you’re anything like me, maybe your backyard patio space is incredibly limited (hooray townhouse living!) Now, you might think there’s not much you can do if you’re a little short on the space department, but never fear! While you won’t have the actual rolling fields and gardens of Versailles, you can definitely make your outdoor space a place you’ll love spending time in this summer. Check it out!

Read the entire article here (via Houselogic)

Is it Time for You to Sell?

Unless you’re a steadfast ruralite who has lived on the family farm that’s been in the family since Lincoln’s Homestead Act, chances are you’ve not lived in the same place your entire life. According to the National Association of Realtors®, people relocate on average every nine years (the average stay in a home was closer to six years before the the market tanked in 2010). Whether for work, for family, or for money, it’s a completely normal occurrence to pack it all up, and seek to replant your roots somewhere else. But, how can you tell it’s time to move? Sometimes, you just need to ask yourself, “Is it time to relocate?”

I get it: selling a home, and the process of buying a new home can be daunting at best. However, sometimes, it just makes sense to go forth, and find a place that is truly meeting your needs at this moment, or might coincide with your future financial goals.

Take a look: here’s the full list of 16 reasons it might be time to sell your home, (via Trulia).

Wages Grow Across California, Boosting Bay Area Housing Affordability

According to the California Association of Realtors’ latest Housing Affordability Index, the number of California residents who can afford to purchase a home grew in the first quarter of 2016. Thirty-four percent of California households can afford the median home price of $465,280, up from 30% in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Housing affordability also greatly improved in the Bay Area, with eight out of the nine counties that make up the area seeing marked improvement. However, San Francisco and San Mateo counties remained the least affordable counties in California, with just thirteen and sixteen percent affordability scores, respectively.
You can read the entire press release here (via California Association of Realtors).

Spring Has Sprung: Outdoor Projects to Boost Home Value

All across the country, people are finally emerging from their homes. Finally, we’re around the corner: spring has sprung! Now that the weather is finally warming up, it’s definitely appropriate to start thinking about some projects around your home for the springtime.

With the warm weather rapidly approaching, you and your family will most likely be spending more time outside. With that being said, what better time to look at exterior projects to really help your home shine this season?

According to a recent article in Today’s Homeowner, there’s a few projects that could get your home’s exterior looking its finest.

Clean!

Doing a deep clean of your home’s exterior is more than just a cosmetic improvement: it could help increase the longevity of your home. Cleaning debris off your roof and your out of your gutters, power washing your exterior walls and sidewalks, and other deep cleaning projects will lead to a home that will not deteriorate as rapidly because of the elements.

Repair!

If you’re the type of person that’s put off that fence repair for years, there’s no better time than spring to get rolling. First of all, attending to needed repairs will ensure that minor problems won’t grow into big (and costly) projects. Secondly, do you really want to be repairing those broken shingles in the summer heat? Didn’t think so.

Curb Appeal!

We here at zavvie will definitely be covering tips on some curb appeal projects in the months to come, but for now, there’s plenty of very simple projects that will definitely add some value to your pad. Improvements such as adding a fresh coat on your front door, or planting that flower garden that you’ve always wanted can go a long way in sprucing up your home. Plus, think of how happy you’ll be with how great the place looks!
You can read the full article here (via Today’s Homeowner).

Selling Your House? Make Sure You See This List of Unexpected Buyer Turnoffs

We get it: it’s a stressful process to have open houses, knowing that dozens of strangers will be parading through your house, scrutinizing every inch of the place that you, for the time being, call home. However, it is definitely possible that, in your effort to get your place ready for staging, you overlooked some things. Remember, when buyers are looking through your property, they’re trying to envision themselves in a home. Even the smallest thing could turn them off of buying an otherwise fabulous home.

The full list of twelve potential turnoffs for homebuyers is as follows:

1. Pet water bowls in sight
2. Having a hot tub
3. Too much light
4. Single-pane windows
5. Dated hardware
6. Visible signs of mold and mildew
7. Personal artifacts
8. Dirty laundry
9. Odd use of space
10. Dirty windows
11. Unfriendly or controversial reading material
12. Mismatched flooring.

Now, some of these items on the list make sense (Come on, people. Don’t leave out your dirty laundry or questionable reading material. You know better!). But really? Too much light? That deserves a second look.
Take a look at the full article here (via Trulia).

How Energy Efficiency Affects Home Value

Researchers at Colorado State University recently found that ENERGY STAR qualified homes sold for $8.66 more per square foot than non-qualified homes. This means that the average American home (2,500 sq ft) would net an additional $21,860 increase in home value! Energy efficient features can mean big money at closing time.

However, not everyone can (or wants to) have an 100% ENERGY STAR certified home- so what can the rest of us do to take advantage of this market trend?

Buyers gravitate towards features they can touch, see or feel- adding highly visible energy efficient upgrades can help your home sell faster or at a higher price. In particular, many buyers are looking for smart home features that are often easy upgrades for existing homes!

• 57% are interested in temperature control, likesmart thermostats and smart ceiling fans
• 46% are interested in smart lighting, likeprogrammable Wi-Fi light bulbs

Easy to add, highly visible upgrades like these can have a big impact – 33% of recently surveyed Coldwell Banker associates noted that homes with smart technology tend to sell faster.

Even if you’re not interested in the smart home trend, home buyers show a definite preference for standard energy-efficiency upgrades like:

• Energy-Star Rated Appliances (Desired by 94% of buyers)
• Energy-Star Rated Windows (Desired by 89% of buyers)
• Ceiling Fans (Desired by 88% of buyers)

No matter what kind of home you prefer, smart home or traditional, energy efficient upgrades can pay off big. Even if you’re not considering selling your home, the Department of Energy estimates you can save an average of $550/year with the right mix of energy upgrades and tips. Check out your home’s energy profile by entering your address onzavvie for a selection of personalized tips and recommendations.

Sources:

1.)Valuing Green Home Designs: A Study of ENERGY STAR Homes; Bryan Bloom, MaryEllen C. Nobe, and Michael D. Nobe

2.)http://eyeonhousing.org/2013/02/what-do-home-buyers-really-want/

3.)https://www.coldwellbanker.com/press-release/smarthomes?utm_campaign=pr-blog-smarthomes&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pr

4.) http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver-guide-tips-saving-money-and-energy-home