The very first thing I want to say, after being reunited with my blog after it disappeared from the face of the earth about 40 days ago, is THANK YOU to a wonderful customer service rep named TINA LARSEN.  

It’s still a mystery to me what happened, but I posted the Stonegate article shortly before leaving on Spring Break…then was reading email in a hotel outside of Hearst Castle, watching my kids swim in the indoor pool (why is an indoor pool such a novelty?)…and Brian Schwartz, client, friend, and reader of my blog, emailed me to say “I can’t find your blog.”  

Hmm…sure enough, when I tried to access my blog, I was redirected to realtor.com.   So I placed my first call to Realtor.com’s customer service  that day.   I was told the problem would probably be solved “in 24 hours”.   24 hours later I placed my second call and was told the problem would probably be solved “in 24 hours.”   After about a week that resembled Groundhog Day, I started to lose hope.   My daily calls became more less frequent.  

But from time to time, I received an email asking me about my blog (where did it go?), and that would remind me to call the customer service number.   I was no longer told “24 hours” since no one still had that optimism.   In fact, twice I was told my ticket had been closed out.

It wasn’t until yesterday, when a reader named Matt emailed me to say he missed my blog and that it was “awesome” (thank you Matt!), that I tried another call to customer service after about a week.   It was my lucky day, because Tina Larsen answered the phone.   I explained the mystery of the missing blog, a blog that I have been faithfully maintaining since September 2007, and Tina wanted to help.   She followed up with the people the ticket had been assigned to, gave me progress reports throughout the day, and continued today.

By day’s end, I received news from Tina that the Blog had been fully restored.   Like a lost dog, I don’t know where it’s been or what it’s story is…but I’m happy to have it back again!   And very grateful to Tina Larsen, who delivered wonderful Customer Service to me.

Tour this week featured three homes in Stonegate, so I thought it would be fun to write a bit about this great neighborhood.   Stonegate is located at the end of Livorna (east), when you’ve traveled as far as you can on Livorna, you’ll arrive at the gate and you are at the entrance to Stonegate (the last right before the gate is Serafix, over the bridge to Stonebridge, a newer neighborhood).

Stonegate started construction in 1989, but many homes in the neighborhood are 10 years or so younger than that.   There’s  something nice to say about every neighborhood in Alamo, and Stonegate is no exception.   The things that stand out for me about Stonegate are:

• It’s very quiet.   The freeway noise is hard to escape from in our valley along the 680 corridor, but I’ve never noticed it there.  
• It’s surrounded by open space; you can hop on a trail to Mt Diablo.   In the fall, Stonegate residents have sometimes reported tarantulas trespassing…despite my tendancy toward  arachnophobia, I have to list this as a pro, since the tarantula migration happening in our backyard of Mt Diablo is so fascinating.
• It has two tennis courts!   I love tennis, so for me this is a great selling point.
• It is the only neighborhood in Alamo with a manned gate.
• It has a variety of homes: smaller homes on smaller lots (these are not small homes, mind you, 3000+ square feet, and the lots are 1/5 acre, which is not considered small unless you are in Alamo where by comparision it is small), larger homes on larger lots, and huge homes on enormous lots (case in point to follow).

Not everyone wants a manned gate and most are ambivalent about it, but I once had clients that had very few “must haves” on their wish list, but a manned gate was one of them.   They were only looking in Alamo, so that meant they were only looking in Stonegate.   There was one house in Stonegate on the market at the time…so we looked at that and had nothing else to do!

Looking at recent activity in Stonegate, three homes have sold in the last six months: 81 Danbury Ct, 116 Warwick Ct, and 3206 Stonegate Lane.   List prices ranged from $882,090 (an REO) to $2,100,000.

Today there are five homes on the market in Stonegate, priced from $1,099,000 to $3,998,000, and three of them were on tour on Thursday.   All three are lovely homes, priced at:

• $1,785,000 – a 4197 sq foot home with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, .36 acre lot, built in 1990 – two story home with a pool
• $2,475,000 – a 5697 sq foot home with 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 1.7 acre lot, built in 1995 – lovely views and a pool
• $3,998,000 – a 7074 sq foot home with 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms plus 2 half baths, 1.53 acre lot, built in 1997 – stunning views, lovely lot with pool

This last one on Thursday’s tour is the new listing at the end of Wellington which was a special pleasure to visit.   The 7000+ sq feet are on at least three different stories…I literally got a little lost.   What a great place for kids to play hide-and-seek…and a wonderful location for an Easter Egg hunt!

Happy Easter!

Spring has sprung, inventory is up, buyers are busy, and there is a lot going on!   You can always tell when I get too busy¦my blog suffers a time lapse.   I appreciate the emails reminding me that you miss me!   I also enjoyed emails from a couple of readers taking me up on my offer to recap homes on tour that they wondered about¦there have been some lovely new listings and I’m happy to have the chance to share what I™ve seen.

For example, one of my favorite streets in Alamo is Austin Lane: a street that™s always filled with children running and playing and a sense that  you™ve stepped back in time.   There™s a gorgeous home for sale on this street with lovely curb appeal, lots of square footage (almost 4000), a great backyard and a pool, priced at $1,588,000.   In the same great neighborhood, on a court off Austin, is a home on Abington priced at $1,025,000”smaller house for the smaller budget, huge flat backyard and nice floorplan.

Those are just two examples of our growing inventory”now over 100 homes for sale in Alamo.   Inventory is growing, but homes are selling here and everywhere: since I last posted, we™ve had  12 sales, as follows:

• 184 Sugarloaf Ct       $569,000       2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1891 sq feet, .08 acre lot, built in 2007.   This is a nice one to lead off with”I represented the buyer on this sale, so I™m quite familiar with the details.   This is one of the duets that you can see from the freeway at Livorna Road, built just a couple of years ago.   As you might expect, there is freeway noise in this location”but the big surprise is how wonderfully quiet it is inside.   This unit was the last one to be sold as new construction (sold for $625,000 in October of 2008), and came back on as a resale in July of 2009 priced at $630,000.   It sold last week for $560,000 or $296/sf after 149 days on the market.

• 72 Pleasant Knoll Ct       $2,103,750       5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 6542 sq feet, .75 acre lot, built in 2002.   This house first came on the market in January of 2008 for $3,585,000.   I still remember the lavish lunch that was served on Broker™s Tour that day.   (Yes, I remember the food more than the house, sad to say–the house was lovely but the lunch was even more memorable¦sometimes the vivid detail that stays with me about a kitchen is something like the chocolate chip cookies on the platter on the counter were still warm!)   At any rate, the house never sold for this price, it didn™t reduce, but the listing expired and a new agent took over in May of 2008.   This time the house was initially  priced about the same, but it had steady and significant price reductions until it was priced at $2,545,000 in September of 2009.   At this price, it was a short sale, and didn™t get a buyer”instead it went through foreclosure and became bank-owned.   As an REO and priced to sell, it was on the market for a blink (less than a day), and sold for $2,100,000 or $321/sf.

• 205 Guess Ct       $1,499,950       5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4550 sq feet, .48 acre lot, built in 1999.   This home, located in the newer Stonebridge neighborhood at the end of Livorna, sold in November of 2005 for $1,800,000.   It came back on the market in September of 2008 for $1,899,999, stayed active with price reductions throughout 2009.   In December of 2009, it reduced to $1,499,950 and went pending about a month later.   It sold for $1,435,000 or $315/sf after 483 days on market.

• 532 Wild Flower Place       $1,425,000       4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 4600 sq feet, .59 acre lot, built in 1987.   This large Bryan Meadow home has a huge lot with a pool, backing to open space.   It started on the market in April ™09, priced at $1,850,000, reduced twice including a drop of $210,000 in October, then dropping twice more to its final list price.   The home sold for $1,350,000 or $293/sf.

• 2110 Stone Valley Rd       $1,199,000       5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4350 sq feet, .52 acre lot, built in 2005.   Lovely home”just tricky location, right on the busy street, near the busy intersection of Miranda (and future home of the firehouse, rumor has it).   This home first came on the market in April of 2008 for $1,975,000.   It had a couple of price reductions throughout the year, then came off the market in December of 2008 when it was priced at $1,750,000.   In June of 2009, it came back on, now priced at $1,395,000.   Continuing to reduce, it landed at its final list price in early February, and sold at that price: $1,199,000 or $276/sf.

• 40 Austin Lane       $1,150,000       5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2778 sq feet, .46 acre lot, built in 1969.   You already know I™m a fan of family-friendly Austin Lane.   This house was on the market for 110 days and never reduced.   Nice size home, great location, flat backyard with pool.   I showed it only once while it was on the market”my buyers were not a fit for this home, their preference was for newer construction.   It sold for $1,050,000 or $378/sf.

• 1451 Jackson Way       $1,099,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2941 sq feet, .22 acre lot, built in 1998.   How funny to see this appear next on this list: the day I showed Austin Lane to the clients who prefer a newer home, I showed this home to them next.   This was the favorite home of the day for those buyers, but the timing wasn™t right for them.   The house had a great floorplan, single story, close to everything, but the small lot (for Alamo) was the only negative.   It started at $1,159,000, took one price reduction, and sold for $1,000,000 or $340/sf after 113 days on the market.

• 16 Orchard Lane       $850,000       5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2824 sq feet, .14 acre lot, built in 1998.   This house is long overdue for a sale. It has been available for sale for a long time, but has leased once or twice in that time.   I showed it several times and still vividly remember the décor”the entire home was wonderfully decorated with unusual items.   I would love a makeover at my house by the person responsible for the selections.  This house is tucked directly behind Papa Murphy™s Pizza (I™m a fan, what a handy location) on a small lot.  Originally, this home was for sale in 2007 for $1,250,000.   It went off the market after reducing to $1,149,000; leased for 6 months; and came back on at the end of 2008 for $995,000.   More time and more price reductions, this home finally sold for $775,000 or $274/sf.

• 134 Canyon Vista Place       $694,900       3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2082 sq feet, .34 acre lot built in 1977.   Here™s an example of when a short sale can be a good buy.   There has to be some reward for all the patience required.   This home is in the neighborhood directly across from Monte Vista HS.   On a court, nice size lot, some updating already done.   The home went on the market in June, received an offer right away, and the bank eventually approved the short sale”about 7 months later, which is not an unusual amount of patience required.   The sale price was $705,000 or $339/sf.

• 40 Treetop Terrace Ct       $1,607,990       4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4522 sq feet, .44 acre lot, built in 2008.   This is one of the brand new homes across from Monte Vista HS; this one has the huge retaining wall in the front for the Oak.   The home sold for list price, or $356/sf.

• 28 Copenhagen Ct       $1,569,950       5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4160 sq feet, ..5 acre lot, built in 2000.   Great curb appeal”which is true of all the homes in this neighborhood.   This lovely home showed great”but backs to Stone Valley Rd, which I™m sure was a negative for some.   It first came on the market in July of 2009 for $1,789,000, took some time off over the holidays, and sold for $1,500,000 or $361/sf.

Have you missed my Thursday Tour updates?   Any time you are wishing for a bit of news about new listings please just send a quick email and I’ll fill you in…I always go on tour and make a point to see every home in Alamo (and I tour Danville too, but I just can’t make that same claim, the town is too big!).   When I run out of minutes in the day (it happens to all of us), writing up the day on tour sometimes falls off my calendar.  

Yesterday I was hosting a fabulous new listing in Alamo, so I still have come catch-up to do to see the other new listings.   There were 7 homes on tour in Alamo yesterday, including: 100 Bolla Ave, priced at $950,000.   This is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home with nearly 2200 square feet and a huge flat 1/2 acre lot.   The home has been extensively remodeled with the design of Award-Winning “green” architects and has a number of wonderful features including passive solar, radiant floors, a gourmet kitchen.   Check out the photos here:

http://www.pchandlerdesigns.net/100bollaavenue/

As the market turns in Alamo: there were six sales over the past 3 weeks, since I last reported the data.   Of the six, 2 were short sales (1/3).   The range in list price was from $625,000 to $1,379,000.   Pretty low for our high-end town.   Consider that the breakdown of the 86 homes currently on the market looks like this:

• Under $1 million “  14

• $1,000,000 – $1,499,000 “ 22

• $1,500,000 – $1,999,000 “ 30

• $2,000,000 – $2,499,000 “ 9

• $2,500,000 – $3,000,000 “ 4

• Over $3 million “ 7

In other words, 36 of the homes (less than half) are priced at $1,500,000 or less, and that™s the category that all six of these sales fall into.   Here are the details on those sales:

• 1594 Via Romero       $1,379,000       5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3374 sq feet, .48 acre lot, built in 1964.  I remember the day this home came on the market, originally priced at $1,579,000.   The same day, the house across the street came on the market.   It was not as charming”in fact it was very original”but it was priced much lower.   This house, located in a wonderful Westside location, had a great backyard with a pool and a pool house.   The home was nicely updated, and has great curb appeal with its dormer windows.   It spent 308 days on the market, and sold for $1,350,000 or an even $400/sf.
• 175 S Via Lucia      $1,299,000       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2200 sq feet, .46 acre lot, built in 1957.   Wonderful Westside location just off Las Trampas, adorable curb appeal, updated perfectly”this house sold after only 6 days on the market.   But the complete sales cycle wasn™t as swift as those 6 days imply.   It first came on the market in September, priced at $1,449,000.   While it showed very beautifully, the price was high for the square footage”and it reduced twice and went off the market before the holidays in November priced at $1,399,000 without selling.   Back on in the new year with $100,000 shaved off the price, the property sold quickly for $1,230,000 or $559/sf.
• 1429 Twelve Oaks Ct       $1,130,000       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3699 sq feet, .46 acre lot, built in 1990.   It™s a pleasure to see this home finally show up in the sold statistics¦it™s been a long time coming.   When this first came on the market, it was in May of 2008 and it was priced at $1,799,950.   I don™t think it was a short sale at that time, but as the price reduced, it became one.   If you saw the photos of this house, you know it has a huge flat backyard¦but unfortunately, the freeway is just beyond, so the noise is significant.   I showed this home to two different potential buyers over the time it was on the market¦the first time, my buyers liked the house and the backyard, and didn™t mind the freeway noise¦but they didn™t like the way the front yard had so much driveway.   The second time, my buyers appreciated the driveway for the wheel toy opportunities, but the freeway noise was a concern.   Those were the only two complaints I heard about this house”an elegant newer home, and a lot of house for the price.   Short sales take a lot of patience, but this home sold for $911,000 or $246/sf.
• 1655 Diablo Vista       $1,099,000       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2692 sq feet, .85 acre lot, built in 1951.   This home is located off Cervato on the Westside, and was an interesting property.   Value in the land, for sure, a large lot in a nice location, and the sellers had originally planned to build a custom home (plans had been drawn up and were available with the sale).   But the home in its current condition would appeal to those that like the Eichler style”that™s what it reminded me of”very contemporary, flat roof, lots of windows.   It first came on the market in August priced at $1,195,000, and sold for $935,000 or $347/sf.
• 20 Morningside Place       $999,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2509 sq feet, .45 acre lot, built in 1977.   Very charming, beautifully updated”the only negative to this house was that busy Danville Blvd runs by one side.   It™s located north of Hillgrade, which is the dividing line for Alamo schools, so this home is zoned Walnut Creek schools (which are, of course, excellent, but often people shopping in Alamo are looking specifically for Alamo schools).   This home sold in 42 days, selling for $925,000 or $369/sf.
• 456 Crest Ave       $625,000       3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2282 sq feet, .49 acre lot, built in 1960.   This was a short sale, and while Crest is a busy street, this price point was probably attractive to someone wanting to live in Alamo.   Again, this is north of Hillgrade, so it™s not Alamo schools.   This home first came on the market in September at $724,000, reduced a couple of times and went pending when priced at $599,000.   This offer would have then gone to the bank for approval, but when the sale didn™t go through, the home came back on the market priced at $665,000.   Reading between the lines, it sounds like the bank would not agree to the $599,000 price, but at least now there is an understanding of what the bank will agree to.   Makes the short sale process faster¦and this home sold the next time it went pending, in just over 30 days, for $635,500 or $274/sf.    

If you’re interesting in viewing active homes on the market, you can always do so from my website: www.Lauren4Homes.com.   And of course, I always welcome your questions and comments…email or call me at any time: lauren@lauren4homes.com or 925-285-1728.

The statistics for the past three weeks follow…inventory has been creeping up in Antioch, has steadily grown in Walnut Creek, and has stayed pretty steady in the San Ramon Valley:

10 houses sold in Alamo over this time period, and the details of those sales follow.   The year is off to an interesting start: 50% of these homes are short sales or REOs.   Of the ten homes, 4 were bank-owned and one was a short sale.  

Just to put this in perspective, last year 133 homes sold in Alamo, and only 12 of those were bank-owned”a further 10 were short sales.   Here we are only a few short weeks into the new year, and seeing a dramatic contrast.   It doesn’t seem likely that this can continue: our inventory in Alamo today is 77 and only 3 of those are bank-owned homes.   However, 14 of those are short sales, and a further 15 homes are pending short sales (so not part of the inventory).   Short sales that don™t work out become bank-owned, and it can happen right out from under a buyer with an offer in at the bank.   So¦we™ll see.   The theme for today is REO, and the details of all 10 sales over this time period follow.

• 148 La Sonoma Way         $650,000       3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1390 sq feet, .48 acre lot, built in 1955.   This house, in an excellent Westside location, was priced to get lots of attention and it did.   A small house, still on septic (not uncommon in Alamo, please refer to my article œIs the Grass Greener over the Septic Tank link: http://lauren4homes.featuredblog.com/?p=27), but location, location, location.   Priced at $468/sf, this sold for $780,000 or $561/sf.

• 110 Mountain Canyon Place       $714,900       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2605 sq feet, .34 acre lot, built in 1977.   This house was on the market for ages as a short sale, but finally became bank-owned.   Very tough corner: the house backs not just to busy Stone Valley Rd but also Monte Vista High School.   The back yard looks directly across the street to the school.   That™s not a negative to everyone, especially for the kids that can walk to school, return for their sports, and never struggle to find a good parking spot.   Monte Vista HS is a closed campus so kids aren™t (or shouldn™t be) wandering off campus at lunchtime.   The bank started at $744,900, then reduced to this list price and sold it at that price: $274/sf, it sold for $714,900.

• 29 Sugarloaf Terrace       $871,138       5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3173 sq feet, .57 acre lot, built in 1989.   Here™s another bank-owned home in Alamo¦the price tag is always a dead giveaway.   The bank started at $965,250, but when they reduce, they have a formula: this one looks like 5% every 3 weeks.   After 3 weeks, they were priced at $916,988; another 3 weeks brought us to the current list price.   They went pending almost a full 3 weeks later”right on the cusp of another price change, it would seem (which would have been $821,581).   This neighborhood is right off the freeway (pro: great freeway access; con: you know) and is a neighborhood of very pretty, elegant homes like this one.   The home sold for $800,000 or $252/sf.

• 101 Via Copla       $900,000       5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2855 sq feet, .44 acre lot, built in 1965.   What a Westside bargain”this house was on the market throughout much of 2008, priced right around $1.4 million.   It was off the market for almost a year when it came back on at this œcatch your attention price”as a short sale.   It went œpending subject to lender approval on September 7^th, and just closed on 1/22.   Short sales require a LOT of patience, and this one was not a particularly long process”I™ve seen them sit at the bank for 8 months, which is not unusual.   Located in a great Westside location just off Hemme, this house is on a corner lot with a nice backyard and pool.   It sold for $925,000 or $324/sf.

• 1452 Emmons Canyon Dr       $1,099,000       3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 3344 sq feet, .33 acre lot, built in 1981.   This home is in Bryan Ranch, a lovely and quiet neighborhood.   Priced to reflect the fact that the house needs some updating in kitchen and bathrooms, but the curb appeal is undeniable and the backyard setting with pool is great.   On and off the market in a blink (10 days), this house sold for $1,050,000 or $314/sf.

• 15 Royal Oaks Ct       $1,099,000       4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 3383 sq feet, .26 acre lot, built in 1993.   Bank-owned home”another one”this home is in the newer part of Roundhill called Windsor Green.   Priced aggressively, this home sold quickly for list price or $325/sf.

• 28 Kemline Ct       $1,124,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2693 sq feet, .54 acre lot, built in 1987.   This was one of many homes for sale on this little street”sometimes that happens.   This house wasn™t right on the corner of Danville Blvd, and wasn™t at the end of the court which would put it next to the freeway.   Kemline is one of the streets between Danville Blvd and the freeway, close to Hap Magee Park, and near Hemme.   This house started on the market in September of 2008 at $1,475,000.   In April of 2009 it was priced at $1,325,000.   Six more price changes to arrive at the current list price, this home sold for an even million or $371/sf.

• 1388 Virginia St       $1,125,900       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4085 sq feet, .37 acre lot, built in 1980.   This was a bank-owned home in Bryan Ranch, originally priced at $1,199,900, and sold for an even million or $245/sf.

• 330 Bryan Drive       $1,599,000       5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 4042 sq feet, .39 acre lot, built in 1984.   Another lovely home in Bryan Ranch: curb appeal, fabulous backyard and pool, gorgeous details throughout.   This home came on the market in August at $1,695,000 and sold for $1,535,000 or $380/sf.

• 116 Warwick Ct       $2,100,000       5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4662 sq feet, .48 acre lot, built in 1990.   This gorgeous home is in Stonegate and has a flat lot, beautiful pool, and wonderful views.   Inside the details are lovely, huge windows, great kitchen, nice floorplan.   The home sold quickly for $1,900,000 or $408/sf.

I feel a lot of optimism in the marketplace, and I think our new year is off to a great start.   Personally, I really enjoyed 2009”because while the market was strange and hard to read, it was certainly fascinating.   In the first half of 2009, I would find myself looking back about 2 months”no more”when I was running comps.   Without consciously making a decision to do so, as the year wore on, I gradually included more and more history when running comps.   By the end of the year, I was using 1/1/09 as my start date, and simply reviewing the sales for the year.   My subconscious was the first to alert me that I felt the market had stabilized.

I priced a home in Walnut Creek a few days ago using the following criteria: an identical floorplan sold in April for $650,000; that home was bank-owned (whereas my listing will be staged and beautiful), plus the inventory is very low right now¦and the market feels healthier now than then.   Using this logic, I priced the home at $699,000.   (I™ll let you know what it sells for!)   If I were listing this home last May instead, I would have said, œour best comp just sold for $650,000, let™s price this at $635,000.  

In Alamo, as I mentioned last time, it feels like more homes are selling each week.   It used to be a quick job to write about the homes that sold the week before, occasionally even with a simple sentence when there were none.   With the year closed, looking at sales by quarter, there were 49 homes that sold in Q4-09, up from 36 in Q3, 27 in Q2, and 21 in Q1.   Definitely showing an increase of sales volume.   I kept going, looking at 2008 and was surprised to find that while Q4-08 had only 29 sales, Q3-08 had 43, and Q2-08 had 35, Q1-08 had 20.   So (I™ll do the math for you), while we seemed to have a huge increase in activity, the bottom line is 133 sales in Alamo in 2009 and 127 in 2008.   In contrast, there were 174 sales in 2007.

Volume is interesting, but what about sales price?   In 2008, the median sold price was $1,300,000 and the average sold price was $1,482,000.   Priced did drop, no one will be surprised to learn this: in 2009, the median sold price was $1,150,000 and the average sold price was $1,294,000.   Looking back to 2007, the median sold price was $1,435,000 and the average was $1,666,000.

Just for perspective”let™s compare to my favorite foreclosure poster town: Antioch.   There were 2248 sales in Antioch in 2008 with both the average and median sales price of $245,000.   In 2009, there were 2431 sales in Antioch and the average and median price dropped to $190,000.   And, imagine the contrast looking back to 2007 when  there were only 678 sales with an average sales price of $420,000.

Antioch™s prices in 2009 were about 77% of what they were the previous year; Alamo™s 2009 prices were about 88% of 2008.   And glancing back two years, prices in Alamo were 80% in 2009 what they were in 2007, and in Antioch 2009 prices are 45% of 2007 prices.

And sales in Alamo were strong, even in the last two weeks of the year.   Over the two holiday weeks (which were short and busy), seven homes sold.   The statistics table is below, and the details of these sales follow:

• 2704 Danville Blvd       $782,100       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2954 sq feet, .54 acre lot, built in 1953.   This home, while located right on busy Danville Blvd, is secluded behind a private gate.   Bank-owned and priced right, this home sold for over asking at $800,000 or $265 per sq foot.

• 1440 Finley Lane       $874,665       4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, unknown sq footage, .70 acre lot, built in 2009.   Another bank-owned home (those nice round numbers they like always give it away!), this one was hard to price because it was an unfinished project, buyer to complete the construction.   And the home is adjacent to the freeway, which always makes a sale tougher.   The bank started at $920,700, and sold after 75 days on the market for $782,000.  

• 2425 Alamo Glen Drive       $1,100,000       3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3521 sq feet, .46 acre lot, built in 1979.   Charming and unique home, I found it lovely but it was very distinctive and sometimes that makes it harder to find the right buyer.   It first came on the market in April priced at $1,410,000, and sold for $1,040,000 or $295 per sq foot.

• 391 Castle Crest Rd       $1,185,000       5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 3657 sq feet, .64 acre lot, built in 1973.   Dramatic and special, this home features amazing views.   It started on the market in March, priced at $1,400,000, and sold for an even $1,100,000 or $301 a sq foot.

• 1554 Serafix Rd       $1,500,000       6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4671 sq feet, .41 acre lot, built in 1998.   Located in Stonebridge, this home was a short sale with a surprisingly quick process.   It came on the market in July for $1.649,000, and went pending November 10^th.   An impressive (for short sale timelines) 6 weeks later, it closed for $1,500,000 or $321 a sq foot.

• 342 Golden Grass Drive       $1,906,990       4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 4622 sq feet, .42 acre lot, built in 2008.   This is one of those brand new homes across from Monte Vista HS.   After 463 days on the market (without any significant price changes), the home sold for $1,906,500 (so very close to the asking price¦) or $422 per sq foot.  

• 435 Legacy Drive       $2,595,000       5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 6094 sq feet, 2.6 acre lot, built in 2008.   This is one of the new homes built up on the Ridge in Roundhill.   Days on market are unknown, but the homes have all been for sale even before they were completed”but they weren™t listed on the MLS necessarily.   This home sold for $2,250,000 or $369 per sq foot.

14 homes sold over this period, and some of these have been a long time coming.   It™s nice to see a house like 179 Vernal finally close¦what a long road.   Homes like that one, and David and Piedras from the list below were on the market for so long, I started to think of them as old friends.   It™s pretty telling to see some of the older inventory finally turn over; also, have you noticed that it is no longer œnormal to have 1 or 2 sales a week in Alamo?   This blog is now over two years old, and if you scan back in time, you™ll see it was generally the case a year or two ago for the œsold column to have a zero, 1, or 2.   Lately, I™m writing 4 or 6 just as often.

Inventory hits a low at the end of December, traditionally, and this year is lower than last year (which was 90) but not as low as the year before (64).   The stats for this period are in the table below and the here™s the complete list of the homes sold this period, and their stories:

• 81 Danbury Ct       $882,090       5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3052 sq feet, .20 acre lot, built in 1989.   This home was bank-owned and was priced far below the other homes in the neighborhood.   I was sorry to see the lovely Stonegate neighborhood get saddled with this comp.   It started at $1,016,900 (banks love those round numbers), and then reduced to the final list price after two weeks.   It spent 33 days on the market and sold for $865,000 or $283/sf.
• 146 S Jackson Way       $1,000,000       4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3600 sq feet, .54 acre lot, built in 1946.   This sweet house, oozing in curb appeal in a picket-fence-cape-cod fashion, first came on the market in January for $1,495,000.   Unfortunately, the home backs up to the freeway, which deterred buyers and the priced was reduced several times.   By the time it was reduced to the current list price, it was a short sale.   It sold for $950,000 or $254/sf.
• 1527 Las Trampas Rd       $1,079,000       3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2975 sq feet, .43 acre lot, built in 1912.   When I first saw the photos of this house when it came on in August at $1,129,000, I thought the price was excellent.   However, once I got to the house, I understood the pricing strategy.   Adorable 1912 farm house with an amazing kitchen/family room addition”but the project was unfinished.   Not in the sense of pipes sticking out of the walls, it was completely livable, but the final destination of the home, tying the old with the new in an elegant way, had yet to be accomplished.   There were two bedrooms upstairs, but the third bedroom was detached.   GREAT Westside location near the Trail, wonderful kitchen, and the delightful charm of the original farmhouse.   However, clearly not a perfect fit for everyone.   This house reduced slightly while waiting for the right buyer, and then sold for $1,003,970 or $337/sf.
• 506 Oakshire Place       $1,089,000       5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 4117 sq feet, .70 acre lot, built in 1990.   Here™s one of those long stories I mentioned.   This home first came on the market in June of 2007 for $1,975,000.   Nearly a year later, in May of 2008, it went off the market and came back on with a different realtor at $1,699,000.   That relationship was short-lived; the home went off and came on with yet another realtor in July of 2008, priced at $1,549,000.   The price was reduced and reduced, until at $1,250,000 (making it a short sale), the home went pending.   You know my opinion about short sales (or if you don™t, I™ll sum it up for you: not short, long awful process that often ends in frustration), and this home was a case in point.   The short sale didn™t close, instead the home reverted to the bank, and it came on as an REO in October, priced so well that it sold for over-asking.   This home, located in Roundhill North, was beautiful, by the way.   The views are amazing¦but the house has what so many Roundhill North properties have: a great view at the cost of being situated on a vertical lot.   The large house attracted families, but families want some flat play area.   The house sold for $1,150,000 or $279/sf.
• 335 David Dr       $1,099,000       3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2023 sq feet, .46 acre lot, built in 1960.   Goodness¦another old friend.   This house started out on the market in June of 2008 priced at $1,339,000.   It reduced gradually, arriving at the final list price in July of 2009.   It was a nice home”price was the only issue.   Located in a great area near the Middle School off Miranda, this home was hard to sell at that price with only 3 bedrooms.   However, the enormous 5 car garage was appealing to many, and the seller™s patience paid off.   This home sold for $1,025,000 or $507/sf.
• 1445 Arbor Lane       $1,125,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2361 sq feet, .54 acre lot, built in 1954.   Located on one of the sweet private lanes off Danville Blvd, this home is charming but has that unfortunate freeway looming nearby.   However, the freeway isn™t as much of a factor as you would expect when looking at the map.   Nice flat large lot–and the charm of Arbor Lane, such a nice street.   This home started at $1,278,000 in June, and sold for $1,050,000 or $445/sf.
• 216 Stone Valley Way       $1,149,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2895 sq feet, .62 acre lot, built in 1984.   Here™s another home where the freeway probably worried buyers as they looked at the map¦but it was surprisingly quiet with a hill somewhat blocking the worst of the noise.   The huge lot and the elegant street”this house has a lot going for it, although it was a bit dated inside.   It sold for $1,099,000 or $380/sf.
• 201 Carol Court       $1,199,000       4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 3000 sq feet, .39 acre lot, built in 1983.   This home first came on the market in August of 2008, priced at $1,499,000.   Located in Bryan Ranch on a nice size lot with a roomy floorplan, this home finally sold for $1,150,000 or $383/sf.
• 1808 Piedras Circle       $1,295,000       4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathooms, 3300 sq feet, .41 acre lot, built in 1975.   What a long road for this poor house!   I loved this unique home and tried to find the right match for it.   The backyard is huge with a gorgeous pool and backing up to open space.   The master is on the main floor, with the other bedrooms up.   Truly a great house, but for some reason, unique enough to scare buyers off.   It first came on the market in December of 2006, priced at $1,795,000.   Three years later (!) after the sellers made some significant improvements to the home (adjoining the detached family room to the house in a beautiful and seamless way), and reducing the price repeatedly, the home sold for $1,150,000 or $348/sf.
• 1360 Laverock Lane       $1,299,000       6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4036 sq feet, .72 acre lot, built in 1991.   This home first came on the market in April for $1,480,000.   Really nice location, close to everything”and even though it™s close to the freeway, you would be shocked at how quiet it was (utterly quiet, and I™m very critical about freeway noise).   Huge lot with secluded woodsy setting.   The main house was a nice size, and the apartment was a great perk.   The only thing I didn™t like about this house was the incredibly steep driveway.   I liked the floorplan, although the abundance of stairs and levels would not appeal to all.   This home sold for $1,250,000 or $310/sf.
• 221 Glenwood Ct       $1,525,000       5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4192 sq feet, .64 acre lot, built in 1979.   This home came on the market in April (on April Fool™s Day, who thought that through?) and went pending with a contingent offer in June.   It™s hard to take a contingent offer in this market, but this one worked out”the home sold for $1,350,000 or $322/sf.
• 179 Vernal Dr       $1,649,000       4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half baths, 4660 sq feet, .47 acre lot, built in 2006.   This home, and its neighbor, first came on the market as brand new construction in August of 2006.   Located on a great street, and built with luxurious details, these homes did not appeal to most people looking in Alamo because they lacked the œbig lot feeling.   I realize the lot size is almost a ½ acre, but the homes do not feel like they are on parcels that large”and they are in a neighborhood that is all 1 acre or more.   Originally priced at $2,900,000, this home was reduced to $2,699,000 before it was pulled off the market in May of 2008.   It came back on less than a week later, with a new realtor and a new price: $2,300,000.   It was reduced to $1,849,000 before it was taken off the market in March of 2009.   It came back on in June with a new realtor and a new price: $1,775,000, and sold for $1,549,000 or $332/sf.   The house next door is still available”it™s larger, but has gone through similar price changes, and I was surprised to see that this one sold first.   The house that is still available has a traditional floorplan and beautiful details”it™s my favorite of the two.
• 109 Elliott Ct       $1,725,000       5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 4057 sq feet, .60 acre lot, built in 1997.   Light and bright and with a huge lot”plus the great Trails location, this home flew off the market in 2 days.   It sold for $1,750,000 or $431/sf.
• 25 Kimberley Place       $2,400,000       6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half baths, 5263 sq feet, .74 acre lot, built in 2001.   Located in Alamo Springs, this home has an elegant floorplan and a large lot (but it is an upslope).   This home first came on the market about a year ago for $2,875,000 and when it didn™t sell, it took an 8 month breather, and came back on at the new price.   It sold for $2,250,000 or $428/sf.

Just wanted to share a new marketing idea that I am embracing.   Here is an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awYKiqTSufQ

The link above leads you to the YouTube video for a listing of mine in Lafayette.   It’s a beautiful home on a special lot in a great location, currently pending: www.OldJonasHill.com.   5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 5000+ square feet, 3.7+ acres, offered at $2,095,000.   It’s interesting to imagine that in this market, at that price point, and in December, this home generated a lot of interest.   We had five offers, and we are currently pending with two offers in back-up position.

The video was done by Eric Robbins who was a pleasure to work with, and can be reached via lookma.net.   I plan to use this tool regularly in marketing my listings, so you may be seeing more great videos.

Snow in Danville!   How delightful.   Especially if you can enjoy this view!   This photo was taken from www.334CorriePlace.com.   A beautiful 5400 sq foot single story home  located in Elegant Alamo Springs,  offered at $2,299,000.