This property (most likely 1626 Alameda Avenue, based on my recollection and public records) keeps coming on the market and disappearing. The phone number is always a Santa Barbara area code (805), and the description is USUALLY IN ALL CAPS. I have talked to at least one agent who's told me this has been happening for years without a sale.

The specs courtesy of Trulia:

1626 Alameda Avenue, Alameda CA 94501

4 br  5 ba  4,416 sqft  

Multi-Family Home

Year Built: 1908 

A picture courtesy of yours truly:

Here's the craigslist post that appeared today:

$1145000 TURN OF THE CENTURY MANSION ALAMEDA GOLD COAST (alameda) (map)

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Reply to: hous-815953936@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2008-08-27, 5:43PM PDT


THIS SPACIOUS (4416 SQ. FT.) TURN OF THE CENTURY PROPERTY OFFERS LOADS OF LOVELY SPACE FOR EXTENDED OR SINGLE FAMILY LIVING PLUS THERE IS LEGAL RENTAL POTENTIAL. IT HAS SIX BEDROOMS, SIX BATHS, COVED CEILINGS, HARDWOOD FLOORS, POCKET DOORS AND DECORATIVE FIREPLACES. HUGE UPDATED KITCHEN WITH ALL MODERN APPLIANCES. THERE IS A FINISHED LIVING ATTIC CONVERSION DONE WITH PERMITS AND A FINISHED BASEMENT DONE WITH PERMITS AND USED AS A DEN PLAYROOM OR OFFICE. THE HOUSE HAS BEEN EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTED AND IS NOT ON BRICK FOUNDATIONS. A LOVELY BRICK PATIO COURTYARD GARDEN IS AT THE REAR OF THE HOUSE AND HAS A CHARMING WISTERIA COVERED GAZEBO WHICH IS GREAT FOR OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING. THERE ARE TWO SINGLE CAR GARAGES AND OFF STREET PARKING FOR ANOTHER TWO VEHICLES. EASY WALK TO BUS LINES CONNECTING TO BART AND FERRY AND DIRECT SERVICE TO DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO. YOU ARE IN THE FINEST FRANKLIN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM FRANKLIN PARK. A HOUSE ON THE PARK HAS CURRENTLY SOLD FOR 1,289,000 SO PRICES HAVEN'T DROPPED MUCH IN ALAMEDA!!! WHY FIGHT THE COST AND AGGRAVATION OF COMMUTING WHEN YOU CAN LIVE THE GOOD LIFE IN ALAMEDA'S LOVELY GOLD COAST DISTRICT CALL 805 927 1058 FOR MORE INFORMATION AND AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW ALAMEDA AVE. at GRAND ST.

The house is a huge rambling mess. It seems to have started out as a duplex and morphed into a boarding house over the years, with multiple rooms rented to separate tenants. The basement "unit" is only of legal height if you're a garden gnome. There are bathrooms everywhere, of questionable legality, including one right off the main level kitchen, from which it is separated by only a louvered folding door. Better be comfortable showering while someone's making breakfast. That main level kitchen has two sinks, for whatever reason, and a hodgepodge of tiled counters jutting out from the middle of the room in weird configurations. There doesn't seem to be a single level floor anywhere in the house. Ugly, old, dirty carpet covers about half of the floors, including the bathrooms. In the upstairs unit, a water heater hides in a closet whose door was sawed off at the bottom--in the dining room, right by the fireplace. There's a semi-random sun porch on the upstairs floor that also serves as a landing for the outside stairs running the entire height of the house, from the ground level to the attic apartment (which also appears to be non-permitted). There is no front yard, and the back "yard" is a minuscule plot of pavers with a lot of trellis work holding up some vegetation. There's hardly enough room for a picnic table and a barbecue grill. The house's only redeeming qualities are its location and concrete foundation.

Does anybody know what's going on with this property?

Zillow shows 2 "anomalous" (non-arms-length, probably) transactions in the 1990s:

Sale History
05/20/1999:	$184,000 *
05/13/1996:	$152,000 *
No other sale data is available
* Transaction not included in Zestimate.

Update 10/9/08: I don't know what's going on this week, but it's been a particularly absurd few days. This property is now listed with an agent (Carol Burnett), an MLS number (#40374667), and a VERY LOUD DESCRIPTION IN ALL CAPS:

GOLD COAST COLONIAL REVIVAL DUPLEX OR FAMILY HOME WITH ART STUDIO ATTIC [...] BASEMENT. HISTORICAL ELEGANCE NESTLED IN THE SERENITY OF ALAMEDA'S EXCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD, BOTH LUXURY AND SPACIOUSNESS [...] ORIGINAL DETAILS,TRANQUIL BACK YARD.

Update 12/31/08: Cute typo brings price up to over 1 billion dollars ($1,145,000,000). Maybe TARP can help?

START YOUR NEW YEAR RIGHT BY BUYING THIS VERSATILE PIECE OF PROPERTY. THIS HOUSE IS GREAT FOR LARGE OR EXTENDED FAMILIES OR LEGAL RENTAL UNIT. SIX BEDROOMS, SIX BATHS TWO LARGE PARLOURS AND TWO BEAUTIFUL DINING ROOMS WITH MANY ORIGINAL FEATURES INCLUDING HARDWOOD FLOORS, COVED CEILINGS, POCKET DOORS AND BAY WINDOWS GIVE THIS HOME THE AMBIENCE YOU WANT FOR ENTERTAINING. LOVELY BRICKED IN COURTYARD GARDEN WITH WISTERIA COVERED GAZEBO COMPLETES THE PICTURE FOR EASY LIVING. THERE IS A FINISHED BASEMENT (DONE WITH PERMITS) AND TWO SINGLE CAR GARAGES WITH OFF STREET PARKING FOR ANOTHER TWO VECHICLES. EASY WALK TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTING TO ANYWHERE IN THE BAY AREA. BEST PART, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE EXCLUSIVE FRANKLIN SCHOOL DISTRICT EXCELLENT SCHOOLS WITH NO FEES. CALL 805 927 1058 FOR APPOINTMENT TO VIEW

Update 3/7/09: Back on the market at the same price, same all-caps listing, new agent. MLS(r) #40398582.

Update 3/23/09: Miraculously, the price dropped to $1,095,000. We have two MLS(r) numbers: 40374667 and 40398582.

Update 9/28/09: Death by a thousand price drops. I'm particularly impressed by the last two--$5,000 and $2,000 all at once! So far the price is down $202,000 (18%) from the initial list price.

Price Reduced: 03/24/09 -- $1,145,000 to $1,095,000
Price Reduced: 05/12/09 -- $1,095,000 to $1,049,000
Price Reduced: 06/23/09 -- $1,049,000 to $999,000
Price Reduced: 07/23/09 -- $999,000 to $950,000
Price Reduced: 08/25/09 -- $950,000 to $945,000
Price Reduced: 09/21/09 -- $945,000 to $943,000


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