San Carlos Poll: Which is Better — The Hills or The Flats?

A Tough Decision

Making the decision to move to San Carlos is usually an easy one.  With its great schools, mild weather, community vibe, and its proximity to both San Jose and San Francisco, San Carlos has become the destination of choice for many home buyers.    But once you make the decision to move to San Carlos and you spend some time driving around the town, you’ll realize that there’s another big decision you’ll have to make:  Should you live in the hills or in the flats?

Like other cities on the northern stretch of the Peninsula, the terrain in San Carlos changes dramatically as you start to head west.  While the town is mostly flat in the area between El Camino and Alameda de las Pulgas, the terrain upticks quickly as you continue west.   The change happens even more quickly in the northern Section of San Carlos known as Cordes, which is mostly hilly.  And depending what you’re looking for in a home, both regions offer something for every home-buyer:

The Hills

People who live in the hills of San Carlos often enjoy incredible views of the San Francisco Bay and/or the Pacific Coast Range to the west.   Homes in this area are generally larger and newer than the homes in the flatlands, and it’s also easier to find larger lots in the hills, although that doesn’t guarantee that all of the land is suitable for building.     Residents of the hilly areas also enjoy relatively quick commute access to Interstate 280.

Downsides?   The views can come at a price of convenience.  With the exception of parts of Cordes, getting to downtown San Carlos for shopping or dining requires a trip up and down the hill in the car.  And if 280 isn’t your commute route of choice, getting to 101 in the morning through San Carlos can be an exercise in patience (especially if you’re going north on 101.)

The Flats

Folks who choose the flatlands of San Carlos enjoy the “walkability” of their neighborhood and the proximity to downtown San Carlos for shopping and dining.  If having a flat yard is a high priority for a home-buyer, you’ll likely have more choices east of the Alameda (not to say that there aren’t flat lots up in the hills — there definitely are.)

Downsides?  Since San Carlos was developed from the El Camino westward, homes in the flats tend to be a bit older (as in 1930′s and 40′s) and lots size tend to be smaller than their compatriots in the hills.   Some streets close to El Camino are downright cozy!

So What’s Your Pick?

Audience participation time… For those of you who already live in San Carlos, here’s an opportunity to help home buyers that are new to San Carlos.   Why do you like living in the hills of San Carlos?   Or… what makes the flats perfect for you and your family?   What benefits or downsides did I miss in the description above?

Let’s hear what you have to say about the neighborhood that you call home!    Brag about your home in the comments section, and be sure to vote in this poll:

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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/24/10

Inventory Analysis

It was a pretty decent week, considering that it’s the end of July.    The pace of new listings and pendings has slowed down a little bit from a few weeks ago, but as we head into August it’s very encouraging to see the level of buyer interest as high as it is.  Chalk it up to those crazy-low interest rates.   In a “normal” year, the pace of activity drops significantly in August as thoughts turn to vacation.   But with the heightened level of buying activity lately, good listings should continue so sell quickly…even in August.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/24. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

2607 Graceland Avenue, San Carlos

• 2607 Graceland Avenue (pictured).  Sale Price: $1,595,000. Original List Price: $1,595,000. No difference from list. Sold in 34 days. MLS# 81021276, listed by David Young of Coldwell Banker.

• 209 Club Drive.   Sale Price: $1,028,040. Original List Price: $1,049,000. Difference: $20,960 (2.0%) below original list. Sold in 5 days. MLS# 81028080, listed by Lenard Weaverling of Cashin Company.

• 2016 Arroyo Avenue.  Sale Price: $990,000. Original List Price: $945,000. Difference: $45,000 (4.8%) above original list. Sold in 7 days. MLS# 81028987, listed by Jackie Cockreham of RE/MAX Today.

• 11 Highland Avenue.  Sale Price: $816,000. Original List Price: $829,000. Difference: $13,000 (1.6%) below original list. Sold in 19 days. MLS# 81025274, listed by Liza Vernazza of Coldwell Banker.

• 54 Bayport Court.  Sale Price: $735,000. Original List Price: $759,888.  Difference: $24,888 (3.3%) below original list. Sold in 13 days. MLS# 81026444, listed by Tony Gabb of RE/MAX Star Properties.

• 1528 Saint Francis Way.  Sale Price: $710,000. Original List Price: $649,950. Difference: $60,050 (9.2%) above original list. Sold in 4 days. MLS# 81030740, listed by Maxine Dumas of Dumas & Company.

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Rental Scams Still Lurking on the Internet.

Online Rental Scam

I first wrote this post back in October of last year, but it’s worth updating again…because the scam seems to be alive and well.   Basically, scammers are posting ads on the various online classified ad sites (Craigslist, etc..) that they have homes to rent at very attractive prices, often well below market value for the area.  When you contact them (almost always via email), you’ll find that for a variety of reasons they don’t have time to show you the property — BUT they’ll ask you for some sort of deposit to reserve this *incredible* deal, and then they’ll meet you at a later date to give you the keys.

Sure sounds like the old Nigerian prince scam, because it’s basically the same thing.

What they are doing is stealing photos and property information off the MLS, and then posting a fake ad online.   With today’s computers, it’s so simple that even a caveman can do it.  But in this competitive rental market, over-eager renters are feeling pressured to jump the gun on their competition and consequently they’re prime targets for this scam.   They write the check and show up to pick up the keys — only to find that they end up with no keys, no rental….and no deposit.

But there are ways to protect yourself.

If It Sounds Too Good…

Online classified ads remain the primary place to find rentals in this area.  Unfortunately, there’s almost no policing or regulation of this media — it’s basically the wild west of the online world.   But there are things you can to safeguard yourself (and your money) if you come across one of these rentals that just sounds too good to be true.

1. Google the Address.    If there’s an address listed on the ad, Google it (I guess “Google” is now a verb?)    If you see various ads for the same property, but there are discrepancies in the details (price, contact info, etc..) something fishy is going on.
2. Check the MLS.     Although most landlords today choose to rent on their own without the help of a Realtor, there are still many that will have a Realtor list the property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).   Since the scammers will often pull the info from the MLS, it’s worth taking a quick look to see if the listing is also on the MLS — and most important, that the information matches the online ad.  (For example, is someone other than the listing agent posting the online ad?)   If you need help with this, contact your Realtor.    It takes all of two seconds to pull the property info.
3. Insist on Seeing the Property.    Before you part with a single penny of your money, insist on seeing the property and meeting the landlord.  YOU are the one who is (hopefully) going to live at this address, so you’re well within your right to insist getting access to the property.   This act alone should weed out the scam, since they shouldn’t be able to provide access to the property.

Finally, trust your instincts.   If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.     Be careful out there!

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Dollar Tree Coming to San Carlos?

Update — 7/26:

The San Carlos Planning Commission has just given the go-ahead needed for the Dollar Store to move into the space formerly occupied by Hollywood Video.

Former Hollywood Video Site.

A Dollar Tree store in San Carlos?  It could happen.   A few years after a competing store was blocked from setting up shop in what is now Bianchini’s Market, the Dollar Tree is eyeing the spot of the former Hollywood Video Store that’s in the Home Depot/Lucky’s parking lot on Old County Road.   For those of you not familiar with the Dollar Tree (or other stores like it) they sell a bunch of stuff that’s priced at $1, hence their name.

In tonight’s Planning Commission Meeting, the owner of the building at 1121 Old County Road will ask the City to modify the conditional use permit that’s in place for the building, thus clearing the way for a wider variety of uses for the building…like a Dollar Tree store.   For more information, check out this article in the Daily Journal..

What Do You Think?

San Carlos residents already punted on the idea of a “discount” store like this one, but it was closer to downtown.  What do you think about a Dollar Tree store in San Carlos?

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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/17/10

Inventory Analysis

New listing activity slowed a bit this week, as we start to head into the slow part of summer for real estate sales.  With only two new homes this week (and one of them being a re-list) it was the lowest number of new listings in several months.  Buying activity has remained fairly brisk though,  as over twice as many homes went pending as there were new listings.

This week marks an important deadline of sorts for families with school-age kids looking who are moving into San Carlos from out of the area.  With school starting around August 25 and they typical escrow taking about 30 days to close, those who need that San Carlos address in time to register for the first day of school will feel the pressure to lock something up this week.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/17. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

324 Oakview Drive, San Carlos

324 Oakview Drive (pictured). Sale Price: $1,235,000. Original List Price: $1,295,000. Difference: $60,000 (4.6%) below original list. Sold in 4 days.  MLS# 81008746, listed by Bob Bredel of RE/MAX Today.

703 Crestview Drive. Sale Price: $1,128,000. Original List Price: $1,299,921. Difference: $171,921 (13.2%) below original list. Sold in 46 days. MLS# 81024103, listed by Donna Marie Baldwin of Coldwell Banker.

350 Devonshire Boulevard. Sale Price: $1,100,000. Original List Price: $1,098,000. Difference: $2,000 (0.2%) above original list. Sold in 11 days. MLS# 81027882, listed by Shelly Roberson of Alain Pinel Realtors.

898 Orange Avenue. Sale Price: $783,000. Original List Price: $799,000. Difference: $16,000 (2.0%) below original list. Sold in 21 days. MLS# 81022256, listed by Nancy Carlucci of Marshall Realty.

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Strike Averted: San Carlos School District Reaches Agreement with Teachers

Deal Reached

Much to the relief of parents of San Carlos school-age kids, it was announced today that a tentative agreement has been reached between the San Carlos School District and the San Carlos Teachers Association, thus averting a possible teacher’s strike at the beginning of the school year.  The deal that has been reached is discussed in greater detail in this article from the Daily Journal, and the new proposal must still be approved by the Board of Trustees in their July 22 meeting.

An “A+” for persistence and patience on both sides.  These negotiations have been ongoing for months, and had hit a standstill on several occasions.  But it’s a huge relief that there will be now strike.  That would not have been a great way to start the school year!

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“Why Doesn’t San Carlos Have a Peet’s Coffee?”

Conspicuously Absent

It’s a question that I seem to hear all the time.

There’s no doubt that downtown San Carlos has a healthy appetite for caffeine.  How else could a town as small as this support no fewer than three Starbucks stores, as well as a host of other boutique coffee shops? (Speaking of which, I am still convinced that Plantation makes the best cappuccino in town.)    Combine this with the seemingly endless string of new restaurants opening up on Laurel Street, and you’d think there would be enough options for every caffeinated palate.

But there’s one notable exception…

A Loyal Following

Coffee drinkers have preferences that are as strong as the coffee that they drink, and Peet’s Coffee and Tea has a very loyal and growing customer base.  So I’m not surprised to hear people ask “Why doesn’t San Carlos have a Peet’s Coffee?”  At one time, it was widely rumored that a Peet’s was going to open in the bottom-floor retail space at the 1001 Laurel Street condo complex.  But that doesn’t appear to be happening.  So for now, fans need to schlep to Redwood City or Belmont to get their Peet’s fix.

So what do you think?    Is there room in downtown San Carlos for one more coffee shop?   Would a Peet’s Coffee survive in downtown San Carlos?  Hmmm, we haven’t had a poll in a while on the site…

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The San Carlos Real Estate Week in Review: 7/10/10

Inventory Analysis

Note:  I tweaked the format of the report slightly this week to make it shorter and easier to read.   It’s the same information, but to get the full report on any property below, click on the blue MLS # (not the property address.)   Minor change, and hopefully not an inconvenience.

It was a good week to be a condo in San Carlos, as it was one of the busier weeks in recent memory for sales and pending sales for the townhouses and condos. The inventory level of single-family residences didn’t sit still either — the number of available homes for sale dropped into the mid-50′s during the week before a surge of new listings on Friday pushed the number back up to 66.    Still lots of activity out there.

Open House

If you’re looking at open houses this weekend in San Carlos here’s the only link you’ll need: The San Carlos Open House Page. With one click, you get a “live” list of all the homes and condos that will be open this weekend in San Carlos! It’s updated continuously from the MLS, so bookmark this link and you’ll never have to wander around town looking for open houses again.

Here’s a snapshot of the San Carlos single family home market, as of 7/10. The previous week’s stats are in parentheses:

Single-Family Homes Sold in San Carlos:

Below are the single-family homes that sold this past week in San Carlos. Click on the respective MLS # to get all the details.

1881 Carmelita Drive, San Carlos

1881 Carmelita Drive (pictured).   Sale Price: $1,610,000. Original List Price: $1,499,000. Difference: $111,000 (7.4%) above original list. Sold in 4 days. MLS# 81031911, listed by Susan Dickey of Alain Pinel Realtors.

2622 Howard Avenue.   Sale Price: $1,515,000. Original List Price: $1,549,000. Difference: $34,000 (2.2%) below original list. Sold in 2 days. MLS# 81028062, listed by Anna Wong of Alain Pinel Realtors.

1311 Geneva Avenue.   Sale Price: $1,015,000. Original List Price: $975,000. Difference: $40,000 (4.1%) above original list. Sold in 5 days. MLS# 81027668, listed by Bob Bredel of RE/MAX Today.

… Click Here to Continue Reading

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