Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s $1M in Redwood City: the listing remarks are a must read. “Frosted flamingo shower doors create a marvelous bathing experience.”
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Redwood-City/3749-Florence-St-94063/home/819914

Hmm this one is a little surprising but almost no SFH between San Francisco and San Jose are under a million now, so I shouldn't be surprised. This neighborhood is nothing like the one with the burned out house in San Jose - Willow Glen. There is a lot of outreach to that neighborhood (Fair Oaks). But this house could (and probably will be) rented out (flamingos and all!) where as the other one is not habitable.

That yard would be worth it.

The other difference between here and there--most of silicon valley was basically built to be Rockville or Kensington or silver spring: working class suburban houses, built modestly in a post-war boom. There's not a ton of interesting stuff or charm. Well, I think there's more in Rockville or Kensington.

I really disagree with this one. Maybe its just changed in the past several years but I loved all the remodeled little houses. They don't seem to do the McMansions and many remodels are still one story. I love how they are all different. There isn't the cookie cutter look or little brick boxes that you get in Rockville and Kensington. The house interiors have really good flow -not chopped up into little rooms. I was always shocked when I went into a house that looks so small on the outside but felt larger on the inside. There are far more main streets, town centers and walkable areas with lots of trees than Rockville or Kensington. There is also a very different feel to many of the different areas. It did start as working suburbs and the house foundations are from the 50s but they've turned into mid century, modern, craftsman, and Mediterranean style houses over the years.Its way more common for houses to be updated in SV and it seems like the area is 10 years ahead from the east coast. We had bathrooms and kitchens that were remodeled in the 90s that look like 2005-2010 DC style. In SV, they were dated but in DC they would have been considered a newer look.

Everyone complains about how ugly the houses are in the DMV- and they are right- but they could do a lot with the bones of some of the older houses not just tear them down and build a multi story McMansion.