Strange Real Estate Listings 4

 

These are all MLS photos taken from Northern California Multiple Listing Services during the months of August and September.  They were all included in the MLS for marketing purposes.  One has to think that the agent's intent is to entice a buyer.  But sometimes you wonder . . .

 

Here is a bedroom photo I found.

Nice display.

There are so many things wrong with the kitchen, I won't even start.

The above two photos were each the main Front view of their respective listings.  The prime SHOWCASE photo. 

This is just not appealing.

 Listing also included three pictures of a llama.

Seriously?

What room is this?  At first it looks like a family room, but if I'm not mistaken, that's some sort of spa tub against the window.  Master?  I don't get it.

It took me a moment to figure out that this is a slide.  It's what we in the industry call "taste-specific" which means, if you can't remove it or paint over it, don't take a photo of it and maybe the new buyers won't notice.  If they're part of a circus act or have oodles of kids, it's okay.  But chances are they're not.  And really, look at that slide.  It's terrifying.  I wouldn't go down it.

I'm sorry, but these are the absolute ugliest curtains I have ever seen.  This whole room needs help, but those curtains make me nauseous.  I feel kind of mean for including this one, but I'm not taking it out.

When I first saw this photo, I was mildly amused.  But then when I saw it a second and a third time, in the same listing, I thought it was begging to be included in this posting.  This Realtor must have loved this shot to sprinkle it so generously throughout the listing.  Why, you may ask.  I don't know, I would say.

 

The agent who took this picture also took, and included in this listing, other crooked obscure shots.  The front photo looked like it was taken around dusk while the photographer was running past the house.  It was not only crooked, it was blurry and dark.  The caption under the photo above was "The moon, the stars and sunsets await you."  Okay, I have to include a couple of others.

                          back photo
front photo

 another shot of the rear yard

Nothing says "cozy" like a couple of animal carcasses.

I think you need to click on this one to enlarge.  I don't really know what's going on here, but I wouldn't live in this house if you paid me.



Wellington in Tuscany

As many of my loyal readers are aware, we at Wellington have been on a trip to Tuscany where we stayed at this beautiful little old mill house called Il Mulinetto.  We met new friends and had a lovely time. 

More info to follow when we are better rested.  Travel time door to door from Il Mulinetto to Wellington was 33 hours.  Phew.

Strange Real Estate Listings 3

Once again, it's time to display my showcase of Strange Real Estate Listings.  All of these photos were taken from the pages of local MLSs.  They just caught my eye while I was doing other work.

"Country living and if you are interested a Commercial Dog Kennel business included in purchase. Currently approved for 25 Dogs. Seperate septic system for the dogs."  And just in case that wasn't tempting enough, here is a spray bottle of disinfectant.  Use your imagination.

The caption read "perfect home for anyone".  It's 871 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath.

 Lovely.

This is the same house as the one above.  I think they're waiting for something to happen in that china cabinet.

This house was actually very nice.  I was just a little thrown by what was going on in the bedroom.   Two photos of this room were necessary.  You can't fit all of these birds in one photo.

And people are expected to sleep here.  There is also a handy ramp presumably for other critters to have easy access to the bed.  It was apparently too large to move out of the way before taking the photo.

Some people should not be allowed to design their own homes.  I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to manoeuvre around this kitchen on Thanksgiving.

Keep in mind, these photos are supposed to induce someone to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a property.

For Sale: San Francisco Zen House

 This cool house on Duncan Street in San Francisco is on the market for $2.2 million.

" The kitchen counter are made of Eucaliptus (sustainable & naturally antibacterial)and concrete."  No comment on spelling.  Except that one.  Cool countertop, though.



This house is definitely different.  Very compact.  Not my cup of tea.  But very cool.

I love the San Francisco market.  There are properties for sale from $150,000 to $40,000,000.   The house I found today for $150,000 is not livable.  But it still counts.  It's barely in San Francisco, just hanging on to the toenails.  The most expensive home for sale in San Francisco today is $38,500,000.  It's 22,000 square feet and is located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood which is probably the most prestigious area of San Francisco.

What's Up With That Girl?

Talk about nostalgia.  Nothing brings back the twinges of little girl hopes and dreams like an episode of That Girl.  Cute and sassy, living in New York City, successful enough at her waitress and actress jobs to be able to afford a one bedroom in the heart of the city.  Handsome quirky boyfriend,  supportive parents.  Goofy best friend living next door (Ruth Buzzi!).  She had it all.  That's why I was delighted to see that reruns are shown at 8 a.m. on weekdays on some channel we get.  Don't ask me which channel.  We only get nine, it's one of those.

I generally turn the show on in the mornings while I'm having my tea and reading my emails.  I listen out of one ear and sometimes catch some interesting tidbits of note.

For instance, Anne Marie's address in NYC was 627 E 54th St.  I googled it.  It's between Central Park and the river.  That's the Queensboro bridge in the background.  I wonder how much one of these apartments would go for in today's market. 

I don't need to wonder what it went for in 1968.  $88.43.  In one episode, some guy (Bernie Koppell, the Dr. on The Love Boat) thought she was rich and swindled her out of all her ready cash.  She asked Donald to lend her money to pay the rent, and that's how much she asked for.  It's possible she paid weekly.  But even if she paid daily, it wouldn't cover the monthly rent in today's market. 

To give you an idea, the one bedroom apartment at 420 E 54th Street, which is a bit farther from the water, but the closest I could find to this address, rents for $3185 and up.  This is what it looks like:

 If you had this view, I'm sure it would cost more.

I found this little video of a one bedroom in this building.  (Warning:  don't watch it if you are prone to motion sickness.)  This layout is remarkably like Anne Marie's except the bedroom is where the front door should be.  And they really have no business showing the toilet.  Anne Marie did not go to the bathroom.

Go ahead.  I did all the work, the least you could do is watch the video.  You owe me that much.  Of course, none of this will be of interest to you if you're not a fan of the show.  But then you probably wouldn't be reading my blog.

That was an hour well spent.  I think I've earned a nap.

Wellington's Transformation

Sometimes people start thinking about Wellington and sometimes they try to remember what Wellington looked like before they ever met Wellington.  So then they go on the MLS and pull up the old pictures. 

So I, being that person, decided to shove the old pics on the blog for safe keeping.  And also to illustrate my wonderful Wellington's Transformation.

Here is what poor little Wellington looked like in 2005.  The people who snagged him and started the transformation thought he had potential.  Even though inside was a pot belly pig, a ladder instead of stairs leading to the "attic", and no telling what else. 

This is what it said on the MLS about 2005 Wellington:  Like a Challenge? Older home with endless possibilities. Downtown fixer, walk to library, post office, swim pool, tennis courts, cafes and shops. 2 bed 1 bath. Addition in back with 1/2 bath and laundry hookups. Alley access, large attic space.

Here is Wellington when he was sitting on the market for months and months.  I ran across this photo many times in my quest for a new home.  But he looked tiny and dark.  There were no photos of the interior.  I just didn't find him intriguing.  Until I started to get desperate and decided to look at everything that had any possibilities.

So we made an appointment, pulled up in front and made ourselves go inside.  By this time, the weeds were waist-high, so poor Wellington was not Welcoming. 

Here is Wellington today.  Why does he look BIGGER?  Even W I D E R ?  Definitely more beautiful.  But he's more than just a pretty face.  He's our cozy little home and we're so glad we found him.  I think he's glad too.

Textures in the Garden