Fire sale--1256 Broadway, Alameda, CA
3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1,327 sqft, tiny approx. 2,600-sqft lot, MLS(r) #40374902, $598,000
(no description at all)
There isn't much to see on the Google Street View map, and aerially the only notable geographical information about this property is that it sits on a tiny corner lot at the busy intersection of Broadway and Encinal.The last two sales are so recent they're easy to find on various sites (agent Joe LoParo; SFGate and again in 2006). Interestingly, only the 2005 transaction seems to have left a trace on agent sites.
Back in 2005, the property was described as:
Sale History 09/01/2006: $645,000 05/17/2005: $520,000 04/22/1997: $135,000
This 3/1 Needs Some TLC But Can Be A Great Family Home Partial Basement.[...]Based on the fire that caused an estimated $75,000 worth of damage in 2006, one imagines it might still need some TLC if it's anything like the other property that suffered $75,000 worth of fire damage around the same time:
Structure Fire on BroadwayDecember, 2006On December 25, 2006 at 5:31 a.m., the Alameda Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 1256 Broadway. Upon arrival fire crews found fire in a second floor bedroom extending into the attic. The department initially responded with three engines, two aerial ladder trucks, one ambulance and the Duty Chief. Fire crews made an interior attack on the second floor and in the attic area. A second alarm was requested and arrived on the scene. Fire cause is presently under investigation by Fire Investigator Captain Ken Rankin. Structural loss estimated at $75,000 and contents at $10,000.
It can't be fun to have a fire on your first Christmas in your brand new house, especially if you paid too much for it ($486 / sqft) just three months before. Equally fun is putting it back on the market two years later for $47,000 less (plus commissions and fire damage repairs).
Update 11/14/08: Price dropped to $575,000 this week, and this interesting graphic on ZipRealty:
Update 12/04/08: Price dropped to $535,000 this week.
Update 1/22/09: Price dropped to $499,000 on 1/12/09.
Update 9/28/09: Sold for $440,000. Jolly well done.
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