Home&Real Estate

Home Front
Open HOME Guide 58
Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com

Avoiding
BIRDS AND BEES ... Master Garden-
er Rebecca Schoenenberger will offer
a free workshop on “Growing Flowers
That Attract Birds, Bees, Humming-
birds, Beneficial Insects and Other

blood-
Organisms” on Tuesday, July 31,
from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos
Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los
Altos. Information: Master Gardeners
at 408-282-3105, between 9:30 a.m.
and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Fri-

sucking
day or http://mastergardeners.org

GARDEN BONANZA ... Filoli will offer

three days of demonstrations, walks
and talks, plus crafts for children dur-
ing its “Great Big Garden Bonanza”

insects
from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday
and Saturday, Aug. 3 and 4, and
from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday,
Aug. 5, at 86 Cañada Road, Wood-
side. Highlights include a walk through
the heirloom orchard; as well as walks
and talks focusing on everything from
picking pears to preparing food or
flower arranging using seasonal fruit
and blooms. There’s also a display
of cutting garden flowers and an art
exhibit, “Handcrafted and Through
the Lens.” All activities are included in
Filoli’s admission fee, which is $15 for
adult nonmembers, $12 for seniors,
$5 for children (ages 5 to 17). Informa-
tion: 650-364-8300 or www.filoli.org
(for complete schedule of events)

WHAT’S COOKING? . . . Hands-on

cooking classes at Sur La Table, #57
Town & Country Village, Palo Alto,
include: “Summer Berry Puddings
Pies and Cakes” (Saul Flores, July
28, 11 a.m., $69; “Best of Thailand”
(Terrina Wong, July 28, 5 p.m., $69);
“Tame the Flame: Everyday Grilling”
(Kim Henderson, July 29, 3 p.m., Mosquitos can thrive in pools,
$69); “Date Night: Surf and Turf”
(Will VanBrackle, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m., ponds or even fountains
$85); “Essential Knife Skills” (Saul
Flores, Aug. 4, 11 a.m., $59); “Sum-
by Helen Carefoot
mer Tapas Party” (Will VanBrackle,

B
Aug. 4, 5 p.m., $69); “Fresh French zzzzzz. T hwack.
Fruit Desserts” (Saul Flores, Aug. 5, There’s nothing quite
11 a.m., $69); and “Sizzling Mexico” like the buzz of a mos-
(Will VanBrackle, Aug. 5, 5 p.m., $69). quito to ruin a summer
Information: 650-289-0438 or email barbecue — or a warm
Cooking073@surlatable.com night’s rest.
Though 2012 has seen a de-
INTRO TO ALESSI ... New and classic crease in mosquito activity
Alessi designs for kitchen, tabletop in Palo Alto, late rains have
and home will be on display at Fibre created more possible nest-
Arts Design Studio, 935 Industrial ing places in puddles. This
Ave., Palo Alto, from noon to 4 p.m. excess of standing water has
on Saturday, July 28. Alessi staff provided ample mosquito nest-
will be on hand to answer questions, ing grounds: This year so far,
and at 2 p.m., Jens Menke of Alessi the Santa Clara County Vector
will offer stories behind the designs Control District, the county sec-
and the history of the Italian ceramic tor responsible for pest control,
company, as well as high tea. The has assisted abatement in 150
current exhibition at the design studio, residences. Much of it occurs in
“Hearth and Home,” which explores foreclosed homes or in homes
concepts of constructed spaces, con- that have been rented out while
tinues through Aug. 19. Information: their owners are on vacation.
www.fibreartsdesign.com or 650- Mosquito season may be-
485-2121 n gin as early as January, but
Send notices of news and events related
droughts this year after heavy
to real estate, interior design, home rains pushed the beginning of
improvement and gardening to Home Front, the season back to March. Typi-
Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, cally, the season lasts from
CA 94302, or email cblitzer@paweekly.com.
Deadline is one week before publication.
early April to late August, with
a peak in June and July.
While most folks don’t take
mosquitoes too seriously, last
week’s discovery of a squirrel
with West Nile virus in Menlo
Park brings the potential prob-
lem quite close to home.
Residents should take abate-
ment measures to prevent mos-
quitoes from nesting in their
yards, especially in sources of
still water, said Russell Par-
man, acting district manager of
the Santa Clara County Vector
Control District. Close proxim-
ity to mosquito nesting grounds
mean a greater chance of being
bitten and possibly contracting
a disease, such as West Nile
virus. Timeliness is paramount
in abatement because eggs be-
come adults in about 14 days.
As mosquitoes continue to lay
eggs in the water source, the
water becomes a more attrac-
tive venue for other mosquitoes
to nest in, causing more mosqui-
(continued on page 35)

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 33

Page 34 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
 Home & Real Estate

Mosquitos Read More Online

(continued from page 33)
toes to populate the same pond or fountain.
Parman advises residents to take care of any
containers of standing water.
“People should empty or drain standing
water of any size around the home,” he said,
“especially swimming pools and spas.” Par-
man says the most common mosquito nesting
grounds in Palo Alto are old catch basins and
dilapidated swimming pools.
Barron Park resident Nancy Hamilton expe-
rienced abatement first hand when she discov-
ered mosquito larvae living in her fountain.
“I have a portable fountain on my deck that
my dog sometimes drinks out of,” she said,
“I watched it carefully and saw the larvae
just below the surface, which looked like thin
black hairs.”
After doing some research, she decided to
replace the water in her fountain. Initially,
Hamilton did not think it was possible for
mosquito larvae to live in her fountain.
“I didn’t think I would have a problem
because Palo Alto water has chloromine
(a chemical used to clean water), but I was
wrong. The chloromine doesn’t evaporate, so
it doesn’t take care of the problem.”
Parman said Gambusia affinis, or mos-
quito fish, “are an extremely effective means
of abatement in urban residential settings be-
cause they are environmentally friendly and
able to re-populate by themselves.”
Originally introduced into California as
early as 1922, mosquito fish have been one of
the most effective non-insecticidal and non-
chemical methods of controlling mosquitoes
for more than 80 years, he said. The fish live
near the surface of the water source and eat
the mosquito eggs resting on the surface.
A resilient species, mosquito fish are ca-
pable of surviving harsh conditions like water
with low oxygen content or elevated salinity
and only need to be planted once per season.
In a given year, the fish may produce any-
where from 50 to 100 live-born young in three
or four broods. Each fish is capable of eating
more than 100 mosquito larvae daily. The fish
can be placed in ponds and fountains, as well
as some swimming pools.
The fish require little upkeep and can live
for two to three years. The fish do not need to
be fed unless the pond they inhabit is new and
without vegetation; in this case, the fish can
eat tropical fish flakes. Algae are beneficial
for mosquito fish, but they cannot survive in
ponds or fountains containing duckweed or
certain types of leaves like eucalyptus, pine,
oak or pittosporum.
One Barron Park resident used mosquito
fish to abate her empty swimming pool after
it had collected excess rainwater and was very
happy with the results. “I challenge anyone to
find a mosquito in that pool,” she said. “They
do their job and you don’t have to feed them
www.PaloAltoOnline.com
For more Home and Real Estate news, visit www.
paloaltoonline.com/real_estate.
or anything.”
She was also pleased with the ease of acquir- A GOOD REALTOR...
ing and installing the fish. “I just researched
online, called the vector control agency and
they set me up with them. It was really easy.”
The fish are available to all Santa Clara
Listens carefully
County residents with free delivery from
April through October. However, it is illegal Communicates honestly
to plant mosquito fish without a county-issued
permit. Also, the fish cannot be released into
the wild because they are prolific and are Is responsive and resourceful
capable of displacing natural species. If and
when mosquito fish are no longer needed or
reach abundance, residents can return them Provides data to inform your
to the county.
According to the Santa Clara County Vec-
decisions
tor Control District website, the two types of
mosquitoes most commonly found in Palo
Alto, the Culex and the Culiseta, lay “rafts,” Works diligently until your goals are
or groups of 200 to 300 eggs that float on the achieved
surface of stagnant water sources. A raft of
eggs looks like a speck of soot floating atop
the water and each raft is about a quarter-inch
long and an eighth-inch wide.
AZg]e^lZeema^]^mZbel_khflmZkmmhÛgbla
The Culex tends to lay eggs in man-made
water sources such as sewage or ponds; the Ng]^klmZg]lmaZmbmlZeeZ[hnmyou
Culiseta prefers warm, sheltered, foul or pol-
luted water such as that found in neglected
swimming pools or catch basins. Both mos-
quito varieties have been known to cluster
around creeks. n
Editorial Intern Helen Carefoot can be
emailed at hcarefoot@paweekly.com. COLLEEN
FORAKER
How to prevent mosquitoes
from nesting in your yard Realtor ®
• Cover containers (so mosquitoes 650.380.0085
cannot enter to lay eggs)
• Remove excess vegetation colleen@colleenforaker.com
• Change outdoor pet bowls and bird
baths regularly ColleenForaker.com
• Destroy or dispose of tin cans, old DRE# 01349099
tires, buckets, plastic sheeting or other
containers that collect and hold water
• Fill or drain puddles, ditches and
swampy areas
• Remove, drain or fill tree holes and
stumps with mortar
• Eliminate seepage from cisterns,
cesspools and septic tanks
• Take care not to over-irrigate lawns.
To obtain mosquito fish and assistance,
residents can call the district at 408-914-
4770/800-675-1155 or enter a request for
services at www.sccgov.org (search for
“mosquito abatement”).
— Helen Carefoot

HOME SALES 122 Mission Drive B. & S. Du-

Home sales are provided by
California REsource, a real estate
information company that obtains
the information from the County
Recorder’s Office. Information
is recorded from deeds after the
close of escrow and published
within four to eight weeks.
East Palo Alto
1765 E. Bayshore Road #210
Yuen Trust to L. Giam for $331,000
on 6/22/12; previous sale 7/08,
$332,000
1012 Bradley Way Gonzalez
Trust to G. & S. Geppert-Lal for
$300,000 on 6/20/12
1224 Camellia Drive H. Chen to J.
Qin for $262,000 on 6/22/12
2466 Gloria Way S. Maximo to
Habitat For Humanity for $209,000
on 6/22/12; previous sale 1/07,
$135,000
1238 Laurel Ave. Equity Growth
Asset Management to D. Mejia for
$350,000 on 6/21/12; previous sale
9/99, $250,000
betsky to T. Hui for $240,000
on 6/21/12; previous sale 1/01,
$381,000
2250 Ralmar Ave. Wells Fargo
Bank to H. Zheng for $273,000
on 6/22/12; previous sale 12/96,
$179,500
1027 Ruth Court Aurora Loan Ser-
vices to A. Callejas for $246,000
on 6/20/12; previous sale 12/04,
$520,000
Los Altos
38 3rd St. #102 Blankenburg
Trust to T. Rose for $1,195,000
on 6/29/12; previous sale 3/99,
$621,000
3378 Beaumont Square J. & M.
Lee to R. Jain for $1,560,000 on
7/3/12
728 Brentwood Court Fournier
Trust to E. & Y. Shimoni for
$1,520,000 on 7/2/12
310 Costello Drive Park Trust
to Golzen Trust for $2,202,000
on 6/27/12; previous sale 8/03,
$1,510,000
1190 Grant Road Sun Trust to L.
Yin for $1,285,000 on 6/29/12; pre-
vious sale 4/05, $1,165,000
231 Yerba Buena Ave. J. & W.
Raabe to T. & C. Shaked for
$2,070,000 on 7/3/12
Los Altos Hills
Palo Alto Atherton
28025 Arastradero Road Mead-
ows Trust to Ranganathan Trust for
$3,100,000 on 6/29/12; previous
sale 4/88, $965,000
12445 Hilltop Drive Hedayati-
Flake Trust to P. & N. Tamer for
$5,070,000 on 6/29/12
4270 Manuela Way Noble Trust to
E. Stein for $2,325,000 on 6/29/12
26462 Purissima Road Los
Altos Homes to V. & V. Sikka for
$6,150,000 on 6/29/12
14085 Seven Acres Lane S. &
T. Colby to T. & L. Ramgopal for
$2,100,000 on 7/6/12; previous sale
5/09, $1,900,000
13303 Wildcrest Drive B. & E.
(continued on next page)
Portola Valley Menlo Park
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 35
 Home & Real Estate

(continued from previous page) SALES AT A GLANCE

MANSELL Cohen to E. Kita for $2,450,000

on 7/6/12 East Palo Alto Mountain View
AND COMPANY Menlo Park
1440 Modoc Ave. Habitat For
Humanity to M. Li for $315,000
Total sales reported: 8
Lowest sales price: $209,000
Total sales reported: 20
Lowest sales price: $285,000
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE on 6/18/12; previous sale 1/11,
Highest sales price: $350,000 Highest sales price: $1,800,000
$257,500 Los Altos Palo Alto
OPEN SUNDAY 1:30-4:30 PM 269 O’connor St. O’Connor
Investment to A. Jain for
Total sales reported: 6 Total sales reported: 13
$1,250,000 on 6/21/12 Lowest sales price: $1,195,000 Lowest sales price: $197,000
LOS ALTOS 4 Pepperwood Court B.
& J. Porter to V. Pilette for
Highest sales price: $2,202,000 Highest sales price: $3,275,000

$3,452,000 on 6/20/12; previ- Los Altos Hills Redwood City

425 OLD OAK COURT $2,095,000 ous sale 2/07, $3,450,000
2426 Sharon Oaks Drive
Spacious Home, Close to Downtown. Gardner Trust to J. Browne for
Large Kitchen with Eating Area. Formal Dining Room. $1,200,000 on 6/21/12
Living Room with Fireplace and Vaulted Ceiling. 1330 University Drive G.
Morrison to Tollinger Trust for
Powder Room, Ground Floor Master Bedroom Suite. $1,058,500 on 6/19/12; previ-
ous sale 2/10, $695,000
Two Additional Bedroom Suites Plus Office
1212 Windermere Ave. G. & X.
and Family Room Upstairs. Nickings to M. & M. Baskaus-
Private, Tiered Backyard. Association Pool and Tennis Court. kas for $310,000 on 6/21/12;
previous sale 5/97, $179,000
Total sales reported: 6
Lowest sales price: $2,100,000
Highest sales price: $6,150,000
Menlo Park
Total sales reported: 6
Lowest sales price: $310,000
Highest sales price: $3,452,000
Total sales reported: 9
Lowest sales price: $210,000
Highest sales price: $1,600,000
Woodside
Total sales reported: 2
Lowest sales price: $695,000
Highest sales price: $3,275,000
Source: California REsource

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Mountain View
2349 Carol Ave. Smith Trust to
Diamond Trust for $1,385,000
LOS ALTOS HILLS on 7/2/12; previous sale 11/07,
$1,298,000
AMBIANCE OF ANOTHER ERA $4,995,000 412 Chagall St. Shea Homes
to P. Vemulapalli for $772,500
A Long Tree-Lined Drive Leads to this Glorious Knoll-Top Setting. on 7/3/12
405 Chesley Ave. Rosenfeld
The Property is Situated Close to the Village, Trust to Engleman Trust for
is Extremely Private and Quiet, $1,800,000 on 7/3/12
1390 W. Dana St. D. Kaern
And Offers Abundant Trees and Level, Usable Land. to A. Drzewiecki for $889,000
The Gracious Home has 3Bd, 3.5Ba, Library, Dining Room, on 6/29/12; previous sale 1/09,
$710,000
Large Kitchen Plus Great Room, Detached 3-Car Garage. 26 Dorchester Drive S. Lin
Separate 2Bd, 2Ba Guest House to J. Rangaiah for $670,000
on 7/5/12; previous sale 6/03,
$500,000
(650) 948-0811 1755 Ednamary Way #5
Chan Trust to D. Gandour for
300 THIRD ST. SUITE 9, LOS ALTOS, CA 94022 $701,000 on 6/29/12; previous
sale 3/08, $710,000
135 Escuela Ave. Bialson Trust
to Hon Trust for $630,000 on
7/3/12; previous sale 3/00,
$391,000
193 Greyhawk Court K.
Bellers to A. Tull for $685,000
on 6/27/12; previous sale 1/07,
$710,500
125 Huntington Court B. Gree-
ley to A. Solomon for $650,000
on 6/29/12; previous sale 3/03,
$525,000
1437 Meadow Lane Rado Trust
to J. & E. Han for $1,610,000
on 7/6/12; previous sale 5/02,
$965,000
2047 Montecito Ave. #3 A. & A.
Olah to Mountain View Retirement
for $285,000 on 7/5/12
1935 Mt. Vernon Court #1 Van-
besouw Trust to Green Belt Invest-
ment for $340,000 on 7/5/12; previ-
ous sale 1/98, $187,500
1930 Mt. Vernon Court #7 S.
Tracy to C. Chuang for $435,000
on 7/6/12; previous sale 5/05,
$455,000
1438 Nilda Ave. M. & C. Walker
to A. Vijendran for $1,200,000 on
6/29/12
49 Showers Drive #W201 R.
Cigarrero to B. Matenciuc-An-
tonesc for $485,000 on 6/29/12;
previous sale 5/07, $555,000
7 Sutter Creek Lane Barve Trust
to T. & K. Beals for $525,000
on 6/29/12; previous sale 5/01,
$440,000
476 Sylvan Ave. T. Angelotti to D.
Saito for $1,641,500 on 6/29/12;
previous sale 7/08, $1,380,000
32 Tyrella Court A. Kamath to
M. Mammarella for $752,000
on 6/29/12; previous sale 1/98,
$359,500
736 Vaquero Drive R. & J. Schaef-
fer to A. Powell for $830,000 on
7/3/12
2110 Windrose Place S. Brook to
S. Tramiel for $670,000 on 6/29/12;
previous sale 10/03, $552,000
Palo Alto
2480 Agnes Way C. Schira to C. &
L. Patnoe for $1,300,000 on 7/3/12
407 Alder Lane G. Schisler to
Chan Trust for $1,521,000 on
6/28/12; previous sale 9/08,
$1,668,500
2090 Columbia St. Brown Trust to
C. Nebel for $1,380,000 on 6/28/12
4161 El Camino Way #E A. Stcyr
to D. Mitchell for $197,000 on
6/29/12
3544 Emerson St. A. Arani to J.
Liang for $1,348,000 on 7/6/12
previous sale 2/91, $643,000
259 Santa Rita Ave. R. & T. Lee
to Green Trust for $2,595,000 on
6/29/12
Redwood City
17 Cove Lane Norris Trust to P.
& M. Calvinperez for $455,000
on 6/19/12; previous sale 4/88,
$186,000
1936 Goodwin Ave. Farwell Trust
to Altick Trust for $775,000 on
6/20/12
932 Governors Bay Drive G.
Gitschel to N. Balthaser for
$1,600,000 on 6/22/12; previous
sale 1/07, $1,540,000
1824 Hull Ave. E. & B. Voelk to J.
Roessner for $970,000 on 6/22/12;
previous sale 10/07, $1,101,000
620 Hurlingame Ave. C. & R.
Mendez to K. Lomeli for $210,000
on 6/15/12; previous sale 2/97,
$135,000
102 Moonbeam Lane E. & P.
Menor to Y. Wang for $1,049,000
on 6/19/12; previous sale 11/04,
$1,075,000
530 Oak Ridge Drive M. & K.
Parodi to S. Hoang for $660,000
on 6/22/12; previous sale 12/04,
$676,000

Trusted 435 Fernando Ave. L. & J. Quill

to U. Erlingsson for $1,545,000
on 6/28/12; previous sale 11/01,
$490,000
385 Sequoia Ave. Finato Trust to
T. Lutz for $620,000 on 6/15/12;
previous sale 9/03, $450,000
807 Shepard Way Kester Trust to

Real estate 365 Forest Ave. #3a J. & J.

Kang to D. Cohen for $1,140,000
on 6/27/12; previous sale 7/05,
M. & K. Kurland for $950,000 on
6/22/12

$960,000 Woodside

Professional 3195 Kipling St. Baker Trust to D.
& H. Kim for $1,939,500 on 7/6/12;
previous sale 8/03, $1,500,000
300 Lowell Ave. Miller Trust to S.
& C. Tierney for $3,275,000 on
6/29/12
232 Blakewood Way T. Bauer
to D. Davenport for $695,000
on 6/21/12; previous sale 10/86,
$155,000
7 Oak Haven Way Ihrie Trust to
G. & L. Hsu for $3,275,000 on

Kathleen Wilson 4217 Manuela Ave. Barbeau

Trust to J. Althoff for $3,000,000
6/20/12; previous sale 12/00,
$4,350,000
on 6/29/12; previous sale 4/92,

650.543.1094 $715,000
1780 Newell Road F. Huang to BUILDING PERMITS
M. Zanganeh for $2,850,000 Palo Alto
kwilson@apr.com on 7/6/12; previous sale 6/08,
$1,486,000
568 Rhodes Drive J. & C. Wu to
101 Alma St. Palo Alto Condo
Owners Assoc., install omni anten-
na, GPS unit, equipment cabinet
H. Kim for $1,900,000 on 7/2/12;

Mani Razizad
President’s Club Selling Cottages to Castles!
Experience “Local Sales since 1986”
One more reason to choose Bank of America
Home Loans for your home financing needs Call Jan today for BEST RESULTS!
Vicki Svendsgaard
Senior Mortgage Loan Officer
NMLS ID: 633619
JAN STROHECKER
Realtor, DRE00620365
650.400.6668 ,iÈ`i˜Ìˆ>ÊUÊ>˜`ÊUÊ£äÎ£Ê ÝV >˜}iÃ
vicki.svendsgaard@bankofamerica.com Phone: 650.465.6000
Email: mrazizad@apr.com ˆÀiVÌ\ 650.906.6516
Web: www.apr.com/mrazizad
Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions
“>ˆ\ janstrohecker@yahoo.com
apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and
conditions are subject to change without notice. Bank of America,
N.A., Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©2011 Bank of
America Corporation. 00-62-2985D 01-2012 ARP3C451 Taylor Properties U Palo Alto

Page 36 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

 Home & Real Estate

and coaxial run on roof, $15,000

Real Estate Matters

551 Hilbar Lane C. Achtman, bath-
room remodel, 41 sq. ft., $6,000
765 San Antonio Road, #21 R.
Salome, remodel kitchen, master
bathroom and hall bathroom, $n/a
4345 Silva Ave. R. de Huizon,
new cabinets, some Sheetrock
replacement, six LED recess lights,
$24,400
notes on the property? Past due
property taxes? Does a family live
there? This is the time to know a
friendly Realtor and a title com-
Are there foreclosures around here, pany representative. Going back
and how do I buy one? to your Internet foreclosure site,
by Wendy McPherson the next notice you will see is a
Notice of Trustee’s Sale. You will
gotten smart lately, and some-
times the opening bid is less than
the loan. Banks have realized that
the property may be so over-en-
cumbered that the amount owed
to them will never be realized in
a regular sale. The higher priced
the property, the more loathe the

674 Florales Drive B. & J. Semer-
ia, new second-story bedroom and
bathroom addition, first-story kitch-
en and laundry addition, remodel
garage, 860 sq. ft., $219,000
742 Ashby Drive M. Schumacher,
bathroom remodel, $9,000
505 N. California Ave. R. Sandel
& R. Shpall, new beam in family
room, remodel two bathrooms,
$23,000
989 Embarcadero Road Ho, 493-
sq.-ft. addition of family room and
bedroom, $78,991
3539 Louis Road Eichler Swim &
Racquet Club, replace pool me-
chanical equipment, $58,000
3350 W. Bayshore Road Alexan-
dria Real Estate Inquiries, Inc., ten-
ant improvement, new equipment
in lab space, replace storefront
window, $50,000
1305 Greenwood Ave. B. Gee, ad-
dition of porch roof cover, $142,000
292 Carolina Lane J. Bracken,
kitchen remodel, replace kitchen
cabinet and countertop, 150 sq.
ft., $17,500
2328 Greer Road P. Bailey, master
bathroom remodel, $8,000
4104 Solana Drive T. Li & J. Pi,
new two-story single-family resi-
dence with attached one-car ga-
rage, 3,324 sq. ft., $497,000
103 Emerson St. P. Alexander, re-
place bathtub with shower, $7,300
600 Bryson Ave. D. Parker, replace
three sliding-glass doors, patch
walls and install cabinets in master
bedroom, remodel master bath-
room, $22,000
R
ight now in the Town of
Atherton, there are two
properties that were repos-
sessed by the banks that loaned
the former owners the money to
buy (or refinance). These proper-
ties have been through the fore-
closure process, are currently for
sale by the bank and on the open
market. They are listed by real
estate agents.
One is listed at $11,750,000 and
was on the market two years ago
for $25 million. The other home
is priced at $4,400,000, is in a
great location, but is in marginal
condition; the listing mentions
that it has no appliances. There
are a few of these properties
available in Menlo Park and Palo
Alto too.
How do I buy one?
The first challenge is finding
out about these properties. There
are Internet sites that you can
access to find houses that have
Notices of Default filed on them.
Banks file these notices because
the owners are not making their
mortgage payments or have not
paid a balloon payment due on
the prop-
erty. These
notices are
a matter of
public re-
cord.
The sites
on the web
that give
accurate
i n for ma-
tion a re
the ones
that you should subscribe to;
subscriptions can run from a few
hundred to a few thousand dol-
lars a year. They provide numbers
to call to check the status of the
loan(s) and the amounts. A Notice
of Default (NOD) is the first fil-
ing, where someone has defaulted
on his monthly payments or on
her balloon payment. Banks are
obligated to publish these notices
for a 90-day period.
This is the time to do some dili-
gent reconnaissance on compara-
ble properties and try to ascertain
the condition of the property. You
can drive by the house, though
you cannot get in, as generally
someone is living there.
Are there other deeds of trust/
see this about 90 days after the
filing of the NOD. This gives the
date that the property will be auc-
tioned on the courthouse steps.
There are no actual steps at
400 County Road, Redwood City,
where San Mateo County proper-
ties are auctioned, but it is done
outside the building. This is actu-
ally a fascinating process — it is
worth showing up at 1 p.m. (same
time everyday) to watch the bid-
ding. A man with a clipboard
calls out the address of the first
property to be auctioned and the
minimum bid. Your Internet site
should have given you the date and
time of the auction and the mini-
mum amount that the bank will
accept to let you buy the property.
If the amount owed to the bank
is $786,456, you had better have
that amount in your pocket —
yes, in your pocket — in the form
of cashier’s checks made out to
cash. If you don’t have the exact
amount, you will get a refund in
the mail a few days later for your
overpayment. They do not accept
underpayments.
The opening bid stated by Mr.
Clipboard is usually the amount
of the loan. However, banks have
bank is to take it back. Banks
generally figure that repossess-
ing a house, with all the ensuing
effort and cost of placing it on the
market, will run them 15 to 30
percent over the cost of the loan.
The above primer is a rough
draft of the complete process.
Many, many hiccups can hap-
pen along the way. What are
the biggest pitfalls? If you nev-
er get inside the house, what is
the real condition? I have seen
houses where rooms are noth-
ing but Sheetrock — no plumb-
ing, appliances or fixtures. Is
there some loan or tax lien that
was not cleared from title? Who
is still living there? Do you want
to be the one to evict a family?
Are there permit issues? Zoning
problems? Termites?
The list of potential issues is
substantial. The rewards can also
be substantial, but this process
is definitely for those with large
wallets and iron stomachs. n
Wendy McPherson manages
about 145 agents for Coldwell
Banker in two Menlo Park of-
fices, plus Woodside and Porto-
la Valley. She can be reached at
WMcPherson@cbnorcal.com.

LEANNAH HUNT & LAUREL HUNT ROBINSON ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT...

STUNNING LADERA HOME PRESTIGIOUS OLD PALO ALTO

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bedrooms plus a detached guest quarters and artist studio, situated on a lot of 9,000 sq
ft. An entry foyer welcomes the visitor to this fine home with hardwood floors throughout the
landscaped private yard on a terraced lot with lush lawn area and expansive rear deck with main house. The floor plan is highlighted by 4 bedrooms & 3 bathrooms upstairs and an open
views complete this elegant home. kitchen family room on the ground floor. Custom designer details throughout. A gorgeous
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L eannah Hunt www.LeannahandLaurel.com
lhunt@serenogroup.com laurel@serenogroup.com
L aurel Hunt Robinson (650) 475.2030 (650) 475.2035
DRE# 01009791 DRE# 01747147

PALO ALTO LOS ALTOS LOS ALTOS HILLS MENLO PARK ATHERTON PORTOLA VALLEY WOODSIDE MT. VIEW REDWOOD CITY ...AND THE ENTIRE MID-PENINSULA

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 37

Page 38 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 39
Page 40 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
 Open Saturday & Sunday 1:30 - 4:30

4BD + Office / 3.5BA

Los Altos 2,744 +/- SQ FT
724 Berry Avenue Offered at $1,998,000

Quality Is A Universal Language

JEFF STRICKER STEVE TENBROECK

Broker & Attorney Broker, President’s Club
650.823.8057 650.450.0160
jstricker@apr.com stenbroeck@apr.com

JeffandSteve.com

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 41

 OLD PALO ALTO SPANISH-STYLE CHARMER
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2330 EMERSON STREET Offered at $1,695,000

Jolaine & Jack Woodson

*OLAINE #ELL  s *ACK #ELL 
JWOODSON APRCOM s JACKWOODSON APRCOM

49 Politzer Drive, Menlo Park

ay
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S a tu this spacious home offers many opportunities for
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Op enjoyment. There is plenty of room for expansion while
maintaining a spacious and tranquil garden sanctuary.
The 2 bedroom/2 bath home features an updated kitchen
(completed in 2010), a gracious living room overlooking
lovely gardens, an oversized family room/dining room
combination opening to the back gardens , and teak
hardwood floors in the main living areas.

Excellent Menlo Park School District

Offered at $1,998,500

Virtual tour available at www.SallyJonesHomes.com

SALLY JONES
Cell:650.255.9601
www.SallyJonesHomes.com
DRE# 00690964

Page 42 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com

 S E R E N O G R O U P OPEN HOMES FOR
JULY 28 TH & 29 TH
SUN 1:00-4:00 SAT & SUN 2:00-4:00 SUN 1:30-4:30

70 CUESTA DR
515 TYNDALL ST
78 CUESTA DR

10550 MIRA VISTA AVE, CUPERTINO 101 2ND STREET, LOS ALTOS 1120 CASCADE DRIVE, MENLO PARK

SAT & SUN 1:00-4:00 SUN 2:00-4:00 SAT & SUN 1:30-4:30

70 CUESTA DR
515 TYNDALL ST
78 CUESTA DR

234 PEPPERMINT TREE TER #1, SNYVL 1667 MERCY STREET, MOUNTAIN VIEW 697 PETTIS, MOUNTAIN VIEW

SUN 1:30-4:30 SUN 1:30-4:30 SUN 1:30-4:30

1983 SAN LUIS AVE #33, PALO ALTO 521 LOWELL AVENUE, PALO ALTO 1543 ASHCROFT WAY, SUNNYVALE

3$/2$/72  ‡/26$/726  

6$5$72*$  ‡/26*$726  
:,//2:*/(1  ‡6$17$&58=  
WWW.SERENOGROUP.COM

This information was supplied by reliable sources. Sales Associate believes this information to be correct but has not verified this information and assumes no
legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyers should investigate these issues to their own satisfaction. Sereno Group DRE # 01519580.

www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • July 27, 2012 • Page 43

 -XOLDQD -HII
/HH .HOOHU
MBA/LLB Stanford MS
Juliana Lee is the #1 agent in Palo Alto for sales
completed in the last 10 years

www.JulianaLee.com
(650) 857 - 1000
李文
Fluent in Mandarin

3728 Feather Lane

Palo Alto

3 BR/2.5BA | 1,629 sq. ft Living Space | Built in 2009 | Top Schools: Gunn High, JLS Middle, Palo Verde Elementary

Bright Sun-filled
Contemporary Condo
O ne of Summerhill Homes’ distinctive newer developments in
Palo Alto, this perfectly situated tri-level condo has the appeal
of a single family home. The interior spaces are light filled with
ample windows and high ceilings. The spacious patio off of the
living room creates an inviting outdoor living space in addition
to the beautifully landscaped common grounds throughout the
condo community: walkways, BBQ, and children’s play area. All
this in one of the best locations on the Peninsula with its proxim-
ity to Stanford, the best public schools, shopping, recreation, and
businesses. This home is not to be missed!

Offered at $1,050,000
Page 44 • July 27, 2012 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com