Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Someone's Going to Get a Good Deal!


My corporate client is relocating back to Milan, and you might know someone interested in a spacious and open, low-maintenance townhome above the Claremont Hotel. Because it won't be staged and the garden wasn't planted this year, it's priced at an attractive $679,000!

This sunny and gracious 1995 Hiller Highlands end-unit townhome offers an effortless lifestyle high above the bustle of the East Bay and San Francisco. Relax in the living room with its fireplace, hardwood floors, open feel, canyon views and cathedral ceilings, or on the rear patio with its unusually large garden and spa. The elegant master retreat and large spa-like bath are just a half-flight above the main level. The home's three bedrooms and two and a half baths are spacious and sport the large closets you don't typically find in older East Bay homes. There's even more storage in the two-car garage (with workshop).

Just a bit above the Claremont shopping area, enjoy easy access to commute routes to Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco or Contra Costa county. Enjoy a picnic and stay in shape at the nearby Hiller Highlands Country Club's pool, tennis courts, and gym room (at an affordable additional fee). Get energized by the spectacular Bay view as you descend the hill. Leave cutting the grass to the homeowner's association, yet enjoy gardening in the patio's planting bed!

1995 construction, and a very well-positioned homeowner's association. Note that photos are from the 2006 sale.

See 85Starview.com for all the details; open Labor Day Sunday and 9/12 from 2-4:30 pm.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

33 Sotelo Coming to Market this Weekend!


Set among Mature Oaks and Surrounding a Sunny Courtyard….

See www.33SoteloAvenue.com for more photos.

If you appreciate cohesive mid-century design, pay attention to interior light, enjoy your privacy, require great indoor-outdoor flow for entertaining, and value one of the best locations in all of Piedmont, then don’t miss 33 Sotelo Avenue!

This beautifully updated, artfully situated and carefully maintained four-bedroom, four-bath level-in home faces some of the most impressive estates in the entire Bay Area; the rear courtyard, perfect for gathering, overlooks a gorgeous grove of trees and a peek-of-the-City view.

Located near the Hampton playing fields, tennis courts and pre-school, the home is just over a mile to Piedmont’s highly rated schools and to Montclair shopping.

With a light-filled and high-ceiling living room, dining room, family room, recently updated kitchen all opening onto the courtyard patio, the home is a rare mid-century gem, and a perfect setting for the coming years!

The site

33 Sotelo sits like the prow of a ship at the top of the prestigious Sotelo Avenue/Glen Alpine Road loop. Fanned out across the street are some of the most impressive estates in town. One of only a few properties that flow through from Sotelo to Glen Alpine, the long sightlines are remarkable: the San Francisco city lights, a distant redwood grove, oaks and bay laurels at the rear, and private entry drives at the front. Sitting on an outcropping of rock and surrounding an ancient live oak, the home is private yet close to recreation and shopping. The fenced rear yard is pet-ready and in a few months, those utility poles and wires will all disappear underground!

The home

33 Sotelo is one of a limited number of true mid-century homes in Piedmont with four full bedrooms and a lot big enough to accommodate a classic central courtyard.

The expansive living room (with newer gas fireplace that can be turned on with the push of a button) and adjacent west-facing courtyard are perfect for entertaining. Garden-style glass doors offer wonderful flow between the courtyard and the living, dining, family and master bedroom suite, and the several skylights bring in even more light. Each bedroom offers a bath en-suite or adjacent; the guest bedroom on the lower level provides an exterior entrance.

Much of the house has been updated in the last decade, including the creation of a gorgeous chef’s kitchen (with a GE Monogram six-burner gas range and two-drawer Fisher & Paykel dishwasher), and addition of a family room and breakfast area adjacent to the kitchen. The master suite feels like a high-end hotel room, with its clean lines, and sleek stone bath, complete with relaxing tub and spacious shower stall. Plantation shutters in many rooms manage light in keeping with the design’s integrity. See the Improvements List at 33SoteloAvenue.Com for more details.

The systems

33 Sotelo has been very carefully maintained; the owners rely on contractors with excellent reputations. Given electrical and plumbing upgrades, installation of two 50-gallon hot water heaters, fire-proofed cedar roof shakes, newer insulation in the crawlspace, a two-furnace heating arrangement, and triple pane windows (all permitted, of course), ownership should be worry free. The driveway was recently replaced, and service contracts on kitchen appliances run through 2011!

The community

Piedmont is one of the East Bay’s most sought-after communities. Offering wonderful views of the Bay and San Francisco beyond, San Francisco magazine declared the town the “best place for kids” in a 2005 article. Its school district offers excellent public schools (the high school is currently 64th in the nation according to US News and World Report), locally controlled emergency services and police based about a mile from the home, and short and convenient commutes to San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and destinations through the Caldecott Tunnel. Restaurants, movies and shopping in Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, Monclair and the Elmwood are just a short distance away.

Amenities

-Sleek, classic mid-century design with level-in access on a nearly quarter- acre lot;
-Secluded location at the top of the prestigious Glen Alpine-Sotelo loop;
-Close to neighborhood park, tennis courts, ball fields and pre-school;
-About a mile to downtown Piedmont’s services and schools;
-Four bedrooms, four baths (guest suite with exterior access on the lower level);
-3252 square feet, 9030 square foot lot (per public records);
-Interior access to two-car garage with storage;
-Expansive living room, adjacent dining room and large courtyard;
-Recently updated chef’s kitchen with wonderful stone counters and stainless steel appliances;
-Family room, breakfast nook and full pantry adjacent to kitchen;
-Second slate patio for added privacy;
-Many recent updates and systems improvements! (see Improvements List under Documents).

Click here for a Google mashup of this prime location! Zoom in to see the boomerang shape of the home as it wraps around the central courtyard.