Introducing Colony Sierra Homes in Mountain View

A New Chapter in Modern Living

Welcome to Colony Sierra Homes, Mountain View's latest residential marvel, brought to you by MBI Groups. Nestled at the prime intersection of Colony Street and Sierra Vista Avenue, this community is a stone's throw away from Google's Headquarters, embodying the perfect blend of luxury and convenience.

Architectural Excellence in Every Corner

Colony Sierra Homes consists of 9 masterful new homes, showcasing a brilliant mix of attached and detached units. Each home is a testament to architectural finesse, featuring open floor plans, community gathering spaces, and a series of modern amenities that cater to the contemporary lifestyle.

Unmatched Location and Connectivity

Location is everything, and Colony Sierra Homes doesn't disappoint. Just a mile away from Google Headquarters, 1.3 miles from the Shoreline Amphitheatre, and within close proximity to the vibrant Downtown Mountain View and Los Altos, these homes are at the heart of Silicon Valley's bustling activity.

Home Features That Speak Volumes

These homes are meticulously designed for comfort and style. The attached units, spanning approx. 1850 SF, feature private front porches, 2-car garages, and 4 bedrooms with 3.5 bathrooms. The detached units, approx. 2110 SF, add the luxury of side porches. Every home ensures an exclusive living experience with top-notch finishes and thoughtful layouts.

Educational Excellence at Your Doorstep

Families at Colony Sierra Homes benefit from the acclaimed Mountain View Whisman School District & Mountain View Los Altos High School District, promising a bright future for your children.

A Community That Cares

Colony Sierra Homes is more than just a housing development; it’s a community designed for interaction and growth. With common areas to meet and mingle, and homes that encourage a neighborly spirit, this is where lifelong friendships are formed.

Experience Colony Sierra Homes

We invite you to discover this rare gem in Mountain View. To learn more and to schedule a private tour, please contact me directly.

Classics at Station 361 Available Homes

Update 12/3/12: Classics at Station 361 announced last week that Phase I featuring 29 beautifully-appointed homes is sold out.  With sales starting at the end of June, the sales absorption rate was just under 1.5 homes per week.  Homebuyers started moving into their new homes in September, so Classics at Station 361 is starting to look like a neighborhood with residents enjoying the community amenities.  Look for announcements regarding Phase 2 in the New Year.  The 36 homes in Phase 2 are sure to be as popular with homebuyers as Phase 1.  Be sure not to miss this great opportunity to own a new home close to downtown Mountain View.

Update 10/4/12: Of the 65 29 phase 1 homes that were made available at Classics at Station 361 only four properties are remaining on market as of October 4, 2012. You can view our Station 361 review on 1SiliconValley.com. Keep reading to learn more about each of the available remaining homes:

Single Family Home # 19 – Plan A Model Home - $50,000+ in Upgrades 2 Bedrooms + Den / 2 Bathrooms (view the floor plan) Approx. 1,074 sq. ft. Price: $910,900

Single Family Home # 23 – Plan B 4 Bedrooms / 3.5 Bathrooms (view the floor plan) Approx. 1,764 sq. ft. Price: $1,099,900

Single Family Home # 12 – Plan D Model Home - $60,000+ in Upgrades 3 Bedrooms / 3.5 Bathrooms (view the floor plan) Approx. 1,748 sq. ft. Price: $1,200,900

Single Family Home # 17 – Plan C Wrap-around balcony and parkside location 4 Bedrooms / 4 Bathrooms (view the floor plan) Approx. 1,744 sq. ft. Price: $1,249,900

Contact Alex H. Wang if you'd like more information and/or to set-up and showing.

New Construction Review: The Estates at Sunnyvale by Toll Brothers [updated 12/13/2012]

[Updated 12/13/2012] The Estates at Sunnyvale by Toll Brothers has opened its Sales Center and model homes. Located at 700 Timberpine Avenue in Sunnyvale, the Sales Center is open Thursday through Monday from 11am to 6pm.  Model photographs are now up on the Toll Brothers website if you would like to preview them from the comfort of your home. Homes are priced from the $1.3 million.

Sunnyvale has long been known to offer homebuyers the best value for their money in the Bay Area. It is now seeing a renewal by way of several new home communities under construction. The Estates atSunnyvale by Toll Brothers will join this renaissance when the new home community opens its doors soon.

Located at the intersection of Lily and Timberpine avenues just west of Lawrence Expressway, The Estates at Sunnyvale is located in the Ponderosa Park area of Sunnyvale. This part of Sunnyvale is conveniently located near Lawrence Expressway, and highways 101 and 237. Additionally, the population of the Ponderosa Park neighborhood is largely Asian which explains why Toll Brothers interestingly offers a community brochure in Chinese.

The Estates at Sunnyvale will offer homebuyers 51 elegantly-appointed new homes ranging in size from approximately 3,071 to 3,102 square feet on homesites averaging approximately 6, 000 square feet. All three home designs feature four bedrooms and 2.5 baths plus an option to add an additional downstairs bedroom and bathroom perfect for guests and multi-generational families. Prices are anticipated to start from the low $1,000,000s.

We will be updating this post as The Estates of Sunnyvale opens its doors and starts selling. Check back soon for more information.

New Construction Review: Redwood Gate by SummerHill Homes, Palo Alto

The corner of El Camino Real and West Charleston Road has undergone a lot of real estate development in the past few years. First it was the 181-unit Arbor Real on the corner and now on the old Elks Club property, beside Arbor Real, is the new Redwood Gate by SummerHill Homes development. (map.)

The properties are listed as detached and attached single-family homes, which are unlike the the condominiums and townhouses available at the previous housing developments we have reviewed, Altaire and Sterling Park.

Redwood Gate may have better features, a better location and more square feet than its "competitors," but it also has a higher price tag -- $1.15 million to $1.499 million. Continue reading to find out more about this Silicon Valley real estate development and see if it lives up to the old adage: you get what you pay for.

Overview

Redwood Gate is one of the smaller real estate developments in Palo Alto with just 35 detached and 10 attached single-family homes, plus a half-acre park.

Construction of the single-family homes at Redwood Gate started in 2009 and will be completed by the first quarter of 2011. The neighboring Elks Lodge is also under construction and will be completed by October 2011.

As of June 2010, 26 homes have sold and nine homes are currently available; in the future, the five homes in the park location, two of the attached homes and the three remaining model homes will be available.

The development is located in the Charleston Meadows neighborhood and close to the neighborhood’s three schools -- Juana Briones Elementary, Terman Middle School and Gunn High School -- that are all less than a mile away, and off of Arastradero road.

As a further incentive to visit Redwood Gate, receive a $50 Visa gift card for scheduling a tour of the properties with one of our agents in the month of July.

Details and Pricing

Redwood Gate properties are listed on MLS Listings Inc. as either attached or detached single-family homes, but sold to homebuyers under condo ownership and approved for loans under the detached condo category. This is the only way that developers could get approval in Palo Alto for building homes that have a large living space on a small lot. Otherwise, the residences resemble the single-family homes they are priced at -- the median price for homes in Charleston Meadows in 2009 was $1.25 million; condos were $801,000.

Being in a single-family home, instead of the condos and townhouses found at Altaire and Sterling Park, means that the homes do not share walls (even the duet-style homes, which are connected but have air space between walls), and the homeowner owns the house along with the land underneath and the yard for 10 feet. Homeowners, also, own a percentage of the common area through a $202 monthly HOA fee, which includes landscaping, all water usage, garbage collection, exterior property insurance.

Along with a difference on paper between Sterling and Altaire, is the difference when you see the property. Redwood Gate properties are about $500,000 more than a comparable townhouse at Altaire, but also have a two-car garage, large patio space, high ceilings, an extra loft room and 500 square feet more.

All seven floor plan options are still available at Redwood Gate as of June 2010. Plans range from three bedrooms two-and-a-half-baths and two stories through five bedrooms three-and-a-half-baths and three stories. Residence 1A has 1,7775 square feet all the way through residence 7B with 2,380 square feet, and listed at $1.15 million through $1.42 million, respectively. Upgradeable features are also an option.

Highlights

New and modern homes. We’ve already mentioned the extra space and privacy that Redwood Gate allows, which means there is more flexibility for growing families. A new build means modern features, including Kohler sinks and faucets, GE stainless steel appliances, maple cabinetry, granite countertops, volume ceilings. Homes are also designed to be GreenPoint Rated, which help in energy efficiency and are environmentally friendly.

Smaller development size means a closer community and less hassle over parking spots, including the 14 guest spots. It is also surrounded by another housing development, the Elks lodge, and a pleasant residential area on Wilkie Way in the rear.

Good location in Palo Alto. If you ignore the busy El Camino Real intersection, Redwood Gate is better and more centrally located in Palo Alto over Altaire and Sterling Park. It is walking distance both to schools and Robles and Briones Park, and one mile from Charleston Shopping Center and San Antonio Shopping Center.

Strong home values. Because Redwood Gate properties sell as single-family homes their value will be more stable over the condo and townhouse market. In addition, Palo Alto, as we have seen, is one of the strongest real estate markets in Silicon Valley.

Concerns

Traffic on El Camino Real can be difficult, but noise shouldn’t be an issue because the Elks Lodge lies between Redwood Gate and the street.

Limited parking could be a pain if you plan on having more than two cars. Besides the 2-car garages, there are only 14 guest spots available here.

It is a high purchase price for condo ownership at Redwood Gate when considering that the median selling price in 2009 for homes in the Charleston Meadows neighborhood was $1.2 million. Having said that, the homes have been selling at a rate of two a month, so demand is clearly there. Another consideration is that standard homes under $1.2 million in Palo Alto are not going to be new and most likely need repairs or upgrades, and lack the premium build and features that a new development like Redwood Gate has.

Comparables

Altaire and Sterling Park aren’t comparable since price and features differ so much as we covered under the pricing details category. The locations of these properties are less than ideal since both sit near 101 and at the edges of Palo Alto. Another option for homebuyers in this price range would be to consider an entry-level home.

In the past three months (April, May, June 2010), the median price in south Palo Alto for single-family homes has been $1.26 million. Of those homes that have sold, the average age is 56 years old, average interior square footage is 1,779 and average lot size is 7,200 square feet.

So Redwood Gate homes have equivalent interior space and come with all the advantages of a new build and low maintenance, but on the other hand, lack in lot size and ability to customize when compared to a traditional home in Palo Alto.

Takeaway

These homes are generally targeted for people that are moving up from a condo or townhouse and need the extra space for a growing family. The residences offer the benefits of a new community development but also the future stability in home values that a single-family home has in Palo Alto. Of course, Redwood Gate prices reflect these criteria and it certainly is a quality development, but the high-price tag could be a determining factor for a lot of potential homebuyers.

Feel free to contact us for more specific information and an opportunity to tour Redwood Gate in-person (plus a $50 Visa card if you visit in July), or just to find out more about our unique Silicon Valley real estate services.

New Construction Review: Sterling Park by Classic Communities, Palo Alto

Sterling Park is another of the recent housing developments in Palo Alto, which also includes Altaire and Redwood Gate. Located in the Midtown neighborhood, the use of mixed housing and two on-site parks helps Sterling avoid the compact feeling of standard developments in Silicon Valley and lets its residents enjoy some extra space. Click through to find out more about the property.

Overview

Parallel to the 101 freeway and on the corner of West Bayshore Road and Loma Verde Avenue, 96 units compose the new Sterling Park development, which is slated to be completed early 2011.

The development is broken down by 28 detached single-family homes, 39 townhouses and 29 condominiums. Potential buyers should be aware, however, that all its single-family homes are sold out, and only one remaining three-bedroom and two remaining two-bedroom townhouses are available as of June 2010. That leaves the 29 one-and three-bedroom condominiums left, which will be released for sale this October.

The six and a half acre site accomplishes a neighborhood feel with wider streets, mixture of home types, focus on the two central parks, and a nose mitigation wall beside the 101 freeway to reduce the noise and view of passing traffic.

The Midtown neighborhood, which Sterling is located in, is known for its small-town feel and there is a variety of positive things to say about the nearby schools -- Palo Verde Elementary, Jane Lathrop Stanford and Henry Gunn High School.

For basic information, available floor plans, features and sales information about Sterling you can visit their web site.

If you are ready to visit the property for your first time, consider representation from a local Silicon Valley real estate agent who can provide information about local comparable properties and help in sales negotiations. The second half of an older post I did goes over these considerations.

Details and Pricing

The two remaining two-bedroom three-bathroom and one-car garage (floor plan 4) townhouses start just under $800,000. The last three-bedroom three-and-a-half bathroom and two-car garage (floor plan 5) townhouse is selling for under $900,000.

The upcoming 29 condominiums will start at approximately $600,000 when released late 2010. They will have either one or three levels, with a respective amount of bedrooms; and range from 1,050 square feet to 1,800 square feet.

In addition, all properties include either a one-or two-car garage. Street parking will be limited to the 39 visitor parking spots and reserved spots that are estimated to sell for $5,000 each.

Homeowner’s association fees will initially be $325 a month, but reduced to under $200 once all the homes sell out, which should occur upon the developments completion by mid 2011.

Highlights

Lots of space. Because Sterling is composed of single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, two parks and a community recreation center, the scenery is more pleasant than the dense row housing we usually see in developments. Traffic shouldn’t be a problem on West Bayshore Road and most parking inconveniences have been reduced since every property has their own garage.

Affordable, luxurious, green. Prices starting at $600,000 for a condominium in Palo Alto are a strong draw for many first-time buyers. But Sterling also has luxury features such as gourmet kitchens with General Electric appliances and granite countertops, and large master suites. Standard green and energy-efficient features reduce utility bills and result in quieter homes.

A location in the Midtown neighborhood means Sterling is only one mile away from fulfilling basic shopping and restaurants needs at the Midtown shopping center, which includes Longs Drugs, Safeway, Starbucks and Mike’s Cafe. And only half a mile from Greer Park, Seale Park and the Palo Verde Elementary School.

Concerns

Beside two office buildings and the noisy 101 freeway. The developers did their best to mitigate both these issues by, first, focusing the real estate development inward and towards the parks. Second, noise levels have been reduced by a wall built along the freeway. Lastly, for condos located on Bayshore Road, the developers have taken extra measures to reduce the noise through sound insulation like double-pane windows.

Competition:

Two other currently competing real estate developments in Palo Alto are Altaire and Redwood Gate. Comparable properties at Altaire are about $100,000 higher and Redwood Gate is mostly detached homes starting above a million. So expect nicer overall building quality and features at those two developments, but both are located at crowded intersections. Redwood Gate has the advantage of being centrally located in Palo Alto, while nearby Altaire is at the boarder of Palo Alto and Mountain View.

Takeaway

Most buyers looking into Palo Alto already know about its strong real estate market and fantastic school district and API scores. But most are taken aback by the steep Silicon Valley real estate prices, and is why many developments in Palo Alto make it possible for new homebuyers to break into Palo Alto’s prestigious market.

Sterling Park reflects this demand and doesn’t skip on features that should enable the properties to hold their value in the coming years.

Feel free to contact us for more specific information and an opportunity to tour Sterling Park in-person, or just to find out more about our unique Silicon Valley real estate services. 

New Construction Review: Altaire by Regis Homes, Palo Alto

Altaire, the newest townhouse development in Palo Alto, should be on anybody's shortlist when looking for an entry-level opportunity to move into the area without forgoing quality accommodations. We'll cover some important details you should know about the property in this post.

Overview

The 103 urban-looking townhouses are set along open walkways and adjoined to the recently constructed Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life, which, together, create a feeling that is unique from traditional high-density developments. The whole complex site is right off the 101 freeway at 3901 Fabian Way.

Construction on Altaire is expected to be completed by late 2010. As of June, 59 of the 61 townhouses already completed have sold, and developers are currently in the last phase of construction for the remaining 42 homes, which are expected to be sold out by the end of the year.

For a quick description of Altaire, floor plans and features visit their website. You can also take a YouTube tour of the residences and view example show homes on their flickr page.

Also of note, when considering a property, especially a new build, representation from a real estate agent can help provide the buyer with a larger knowledge base in areas like negotiating a final sales price or showing comparable properties in the area. The second half of an older post I did goes over these considerations.

Details and Pricing

View fullsize

Image shows the entire layout of Altaire residences in yellow on the left, and the rest of the campus and fitness center on the right. (Click image to enlarge.)

Available properties include one, two, three and four bedrooms; and prices start at $479,000, high-$600,000s, $739,000 and high-$800,000s, respectively. The typical three bedroom unit is around 1,300 square feet, while a four bedroom is around 1,900 square feet.

Homeowner's association fees are from $375 to $475 a month and include: water, disposal, landscaping, insurance, two underground parking spaces and storage, and maintenance.

Also included in the purchase price is a free year membership to the JCC fitness center — a 33,560-square- foot space that includes an indoor and outdoor pool, basketball court and gym, and an expected membership of 10,000. The campus also has a preschool, senior living residences, and cultural arts center.

Highlights

Altaire is an upscale townhouse community. New owners can expect spacious and contemporary designs, stainless steel Bosch appliances, in-home laundry, high-efficiency air and cooling, secure underground parking, and high-speed Internet connections. The townhouses were designed to meet both ENERGY STAR and GreenPoint Rated programs for energy efficiency and eco-friendliness.

Being located in Palo Alto means residents can expect some of the best schools (Fairmeadow Elementary, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School and Gunn High School) in California, a bustling downtown, Stanford University and Shopping Center, and a strong local government. Altaire is ideally located near the Baylands Preserve, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Century 16 Theatres, and retail developments Charleston Plaza and Rengstorff Center, which includes Costco, Best Buy, and REI.

Strong home values will continue in Palo Alto as we have seen in the 2010 quarterly post on the real estate market.

The adjoined Community Center creates a convenient neighborhood environment. Just outside the door is the previously mentioned fitness center that also has a soccer field, tennis courts, and Pilates and yoga studios. There is also a cultural arts center, cafe, preschool and day care, meeting rooms with planned adult programs and lectures, and senior living residences.

Concerns

Area originally zoned for commercial buildings. Altaire and the community center was built atop the old Hewlett Packard site, which means that the surrounding scenery is mostly corporations like Space Systems/Loral on Fabian Way and the 101 freeway nearby.

Being at the edge of Palo Alto means a longer drive to downtown, schools or other popular spots in the city. Conversely, though, it is located near two big shopping centers, the movie theater and concert venue, and Baylands Preserve.

Expect more traffic and noise from the busy intersection at San Antonio Road and East Charleston Road, and also when the Community Center holds events -- an expected trade-off of living in a more urban environment. Buyers also get two underground parking spaces with storage, but not the convenience of an attached garage.

Competition:

Sterling Park is another new housing development on 1080 Loma Verde Ave., which is a mile north of Altaire and separated from the 101 Freeway by West Bayshore Road.

The development has sold out of single-family homes, but the remaining townhouses are priced and have a contemporary style similar to Altaire, though different floor plans and amenities available. Sterling Park has attached garages and is adjacent to a residential neighborhood and near Greer Park, but on the other hand, there are commercial buildings on two of its sides. Lastly, most of the remaining townhouses available sit on West Bayshore Road.

Takeaway

As with any home purchase, there are positives and negatives that the buyer must personally weigh in their final decision.

Palo Alto's strong real estate market and outstanding school district and API scores is a draw for many buyers, and combined with today's depreciated market increases the attraction. Additionally, Altaire makes the most of its location, offers premium townhouses and a Community Center that other developments cannot match. For these reasons, first-time buyers and anybody interested in a new build should take the time to consider if Altaire is the right place to settle down.

New Home Builder Activities in North Sunnyvale

For the past several years, there has been a great deal of rezoning of property from commercial to residential in the 94089 zip code of North Sunnyvale.  Within this particular plot of land bordered by Tasman Drive on the North, Morse Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue on the West and East, and Weddell Drive running along the South end, there's been a great land grab by various developers.

With the exception of the building pictured here, located on Fair Oaks currently leased to Paramount Tumbling and Gymnastics, various new developments have sprung up throughout the area such as City Park and Verona by luxury builder Toll Brothers, Parkside Villas, Tasman, and Crossman Place built by popular local builders Barry Swenson and Palo Alto based Classic Communities. 

One of the very first developers to stake claim to North Sunnyvale is also one of the nation's largest builders, Pulte Homes, who built their first development Danbury Place of 168 homes in 2004.  Since then, Pulte Homes has been actively buying more land within this small one block radius and since their 2004 debut, has built 30 homes in Danbury III in 2006, 43 homes in Danbury IV in 2007, and 36 homes in Danbury II in 2008 for a total of 277 homes.  

There has been previous negotiations with the owner of the Paramount Tumbler and Gymnastics building that had not resulted in the sale of the property in past.  It sounds like now, the "last man standing" is interested in re-opening talks with various builders including Pulte Homes.  Could we see a Danbury Place V on the horizon?

Pricing for Danbury I homes in 2004 ranged from $590,000 - $630,000.  Today, Danbury Place has only 10 homes (including model homes) remaining scheduled to all be complete by August 2008.  Prices ranging from $728,900 - $834,900.  

We keep our ears close to the ground for the latest real estate news to ensure our clients have the best representation.  After all, new home construction affects the entire real estate market for both buyers and sellers.  

Bordeaux Sunnyvale by KB Home

From our Geography lessons and possibly from our travels, we know that Bordeaux is a very well toured port city in the southwest of France with over 1 Million Bordelais inhabitants and is proud to be known as the world's wine industry capital. 

It is a diverse city with makeup of all different races and cultures of people and over the last decade has become an urban metropolis.  If you live here in the Bay Area you don't have to travel to France to visit the newest community named Bordeaux; it is located in the heart of Santa Clara County , in the urban setting of Sunnyvale.  Like Bordeaux France, Sunnyvale is known to be a diverse and culturally varied city with neighboring industry and a rich past of agricultural history.  Perhaps this is how the name of the newest KB Homes community was formed, because of this vague likeness shared with the city of the same name.

Like Bordeaux France and its rich grape vineyards and wine production, Sunnyvale has been known for its fruit orchards and has had a vital economy of agricultural richness, and for centuries has maintained a reputation for fruit production.  In the mid 1900s a lot of the fruit orchards in Sunnyvale were cleared to make way for new homes and industry in this wonderfully temperate city; new developments began popping up everywhere in the 1950s.  Just this past year, KB's Bordeaux development broke ground and the first phase of homes are now ready for occupancy.

Bordeaux Sunnyvale's Location 

The Bordeaux community is located near Reed Avenue and Lawrence Expressway, on Aster Avenue in Sunnyvale .  This area has been rezoned in the past years to Industrial-to-Residential/Planned Development.  Before construction started, this land was home to a many industrial companies that have recently picked up and moved.  The remaining close-by companies include a few other industrial businesses as well as a development of other new homes down the street.  It is an up-and-coming neighborhood has become a very sought after part of Sunnyvale . 

The stats on this new 80-home development include 6 unique floor plans, with prices starting around $565,000.  KB Homes catch phrase is known as "?built to order' which means that you find the location of your KB home, and essentially customize it to your personal taste and style.  There are many design features and upgrades available and your new home can be built to your own specifications, and is ready and operational on the day that you move in. 

Bordeaux's Grand Opening took place on March 15th and the response has been pretty positive.  So far, 5% of the homes are under contract with another 10% reserved.  The types of people interested in this community are 1st time home buyers, people upgrading from small condos, with the majority of these people being young urban professionals.  The most sought after floor plans are Plan 5 (2 bdrm/2 bth, 1238 square feet) and Plan 9 (3 bdrm/2.5 bth, 1924 square feet).  The least requested floor plan is the Plan 4, which is the smallest unit in the development, featuring only 1056 square feet of living space and a 2-car tandem garage.

Sunnyvale is home to a lot of shops and restaurants and in my opinion has one of the best Farmer's Market in the Bay Area.  In addition, the major employers include Juniper Networks, Palm, AMD, Yahoo and Maxim.  There is a lot of character to Sunnyvale and if you find yourself driving around town you can see the old modern Eichler homes, a cute downtown with bars, shops and restaurants, the community center which is a wonderful place to bring a good book and people watch, and then there's Baylands Park which offers recreational pathways and picnic grounds.  There are golf parks and tennis centers "? it is a community filled with activities and lots of things to do.

If you are interested in this new development and would like to be represented by an area specialist of this community, please contact me.  In addition to helping buyers and sellers everyday with resale properties, I enjoy taking clients on tour to the new developments as well.  I cooperate with many local developers in the area, and have experience in the new home buying process.  I help to negotiate in the best interest of my client, and to make the home buying process as smooth and effortless as possible. 

Recommended Reading:

• Consumer Rights When Purchasing New Homes
• Hidden Factors When Calculating a Home's Value
• Reasons People Stop Renting and How to Get Started
• Emotions in Real Estate: From Feat to Elation

Lane Woods Menlo Park

Lane Woods, by builder Summerhill Homes, is opening a new community of 32 residences in Menlo Park targeting the active, outdoorsy family of four. 

The model homes will be opening for tours in mid-April and move in will be mid-to-late summer.  There have already been many inquiries into this community, with the majority of the curious home-buyers being families with small children and babies. 

The Lane Woods development takes its name from the Lane Family, a family of publishers dating back to the 1920s; The Lane Family put their heritage on the map with the popular Sunset Magazine.  Within this beautiful community will be the 2008 Sunset Magazine "Idea House", where the concept is to build a home with exciting new ideas and smart products in mind.  The very first idea house was built in Menlo Park in 1998, and for the 10 year anniversary of this project they are returning to the roots where the idea emerged.

Each year since 1998, Sunset Magazine has partnered with local builders and architects to create innovative, futuristic, high-end homes with the vision of being ecologically and environmentally conscious.   These "?idea houses' have come a long way over the past 10 years, using green standards, being eco-friendly and energy efficient.  Another feature of the idea house is the harmonious way that the home transitions from the interior to the exterior and incorporates the natural beauty of its surroundings.

Not all the houses will be an idea home, just one:  Residence 6 - an astonishing 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with nearly 3,000 feet of living space.  There are a total of 6 floor plans in the community to choose from, varying from a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath to 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths; all homes have a 2-car garage and many options and upgrades.  The interior living spaces are generous, sized between 1,750 and 3,000 square feet.  The exterior yards are decent-sized and provide plenty of privacy.  Each home has a porch and patios that encourage indoor / outdoor living and entertaining.   Some of the many standard features include clad wood windows, granite slab countertops, stainless steel appliances; the amenities are endless.  Sunset's original courtyard has become the neighborhood park that is easily within strolling distance.

Because of the desirable location, pricing for these single family homes will be between $1.5 Million and $2.5 Million.  The location of Lane Woods in close by Sunset Publishing Corporation headquarters located at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park.

A big bonus for these homes is the private road where they are located.  A lot of the new developments today are being built next to freeways and busy intersections; however Lane Woods is located in a private circle that gets very little traffic.  Menlo Park is a safe and prestigious place to live and it is conveniently located midway between San Francisco and San Jose ; access to highways 101, 280, and CalTrain is easy.  It is also within walking-distance to the neighborhood park and the charming downtown Menlo Park .  Using the Waverley Footbridge, Lane Woods residents will be able to walk to Palo Alto's Johnson Park in five minutes, and downtown Palo Alto in ten minutes.  Also, within easy distance are Standford University, Stanford shopping center, restaurants, groceries and major places of employment. 

The highly-regarded schools of Menlo Park are a great aspect considering these homes are being targeted towards families with school age children.  Laurel & Encinal Elementary School are the two primary elementary schools; K-2 children with attend Laurel, and grade 3-5 will go to Encinal.  Hillview Middle School and Menlo Atherton High will complete their grade school education.

With all the great features and amenities that these homes encompass it my best guess to say that with the low inventory of only 32 homes, that these won't be available for very long.