Monday, July 9, 2012

Eichler, anyone?

Even though I live in Texas, almost 2,000 miles away from the amazing Eichler neighborhoods in California, occasionally I have to take a quick look at what's for sale, if only to lament the fact that I will never own one.  A favorite site for these envy-making peeks is Eichler Homes of Marin, San Francisco & the East Bay. Realtor Renee Adelman is an Eichler owner herself, so she really knows her stuff.

According to her site, between 1950 and 1974, Joseph Eichler partnered with some of the most progressive and well respected architects and architectural firms (including Anshen + Allen, A. Quincy Jones, Claude Oakland and Raphael Soriano) to build more than 11,000 modernist Eichler homes. All are easily recognizable by their open floorplans and floor-to-ceiling glass which help blur the line between indoor and outdoor living. Check out two Eichler homes Adelman has listed now.


8050 Phaeton Drive in Oakland includes: 
  • 5 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms, 
  • Spacious, open and airy Eichler floor plan 
  • Original details include Eichler globe lights, working radiant heat, tongue and groove ceilings

8050 Phaeton Drive - Oakland, California
8050 Phaeton Drive, Oakland - Close-up of front door and trim
8050 Phaeton Drive, Oakland - Back view
8050 Phaeton Drive, Oakland - Dining with view to back
8050 Phaeton Drive, Oakland - Atrium
8050 Phaeton Drive, Oakland - Back yard landscaping


100 Sunny Oaks in San Rafael features:
  • 2 Bedroom / 1 Bathroom main residence with walls of glass throughout
  • Detached artist studio 
  • Amazing views of Mt Tam, wetlands and the rollings hills of San Rafael
100 Sunny Oaks Drive - San Rafael, California
100 Sunny Oaks Drive, San Rafael - Side view
100 Sunny Oaks Drive, San Rafael - Dining area
100 Sunny Oaks Drive, San Rafael - Living area

Take a look at these views from the San Rafael home. What a beautiful retreat!




An Eichler and that view? What are the rest of us doing wrong?
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23 comments:

  1. KylieJuly 9, 2012 at 1:01 AM

    Dreaming is free Dana.
    Love the exterior paint job on 8050, its interior is not too shabby either!

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 1:27 AM

      Isn't that yellow door great on the gray house?

      You're right. It doesn't cost a thing to dream. It's sure a lot cheaper than the houses. The one in San Rafael is only a 2 bedroom/1 bath, and it's listed for $700,000, and the one in Oakland is $715,000.

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  2. PippaJuly 9, 2012 at 4:25 AM

    Sigh! I expected them to be more expensive, there are plenty of ugly Mac mansions for more than that in Melbourne! Looks like we are moving to California!
    I'm loving the yellow door.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 10:44 AM

      I admit that I'm very spoiled to real estate prices in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It's still very affordable to live here compared with other places. A Cliff May home in one of the most exclusive Dallas neighborhoods...fully restored and twice the size of the Oakland home...just sold for $560,000, and I'm sure a large part of that was the location. It's still easy to find a nice mid-century home in the $250-300K range here.

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  3. KylieJuly 9, 2012 at 7:37 AM

    Gosh Pippa and Danna! You should see the prices of houses here in Perth! Those Eichler's are bargains!

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 10:46 AM

      Maybe instead of looking longingly at houses in other areas, I need to thank my lucky stars that houses are relatively cheap here and look for something spectacular in my own back yard. :)

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  4. 1950s Atomic Ranch HouseJuly 9, 2012 at 7:59 AM

    I live in southern CA. Very tempting!

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 10:46 AM

      If I lived there, it would be very tempting to me too!

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  5. A Modern LineJuly 9, 2012 at 9:26 AM

    Although well outside my means, these don't seem to be overpriced for what they are. And the view on Sunny Oaks is worth the price of admission alone. And it comes with the house??

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 10:47 AM

      I agree that the view alone is worth the price of that house! How nice to wake up to that every morning...

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  6. JennyJuly 9, 2012 at 10:04 AM

    Ahhh, I wish!

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  7. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 10:49 AM

    For those of you who live in areas where real estate is costly, you might...or might not...want to look at this site for Dallas area mid-century listings:

    http://www.midcenturymoderndallashomes.com

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  8. Mr. ModtomicJuly 9, 2012 at 12:22 PM

    Well ain't that a kick in the pants! The last TWO times we were in California we were staying about 8 miles from that Eichler in Oakland! ::sigh:: The things you never think to look for...

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 1:47 PM

      Next time you go, you should get a list of all the existing neighborhoods and take pictures!

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  9. UnknownJuly 9, 2012 at 12:35 PM

    That's cheap compared to what they were getting around 2006! My husband grew up in an Eichler in San Rafael (with 7 siblings!). We were attracted to our current 'faux eichler' because it has a lot of similar characteristics. His parents paid around $37,000 for it in 1967 (gah!). Here is one currently for sale in their old neighborhood - for $1.2 mil http://25zephyr.com/. That area still gets pretty high prices because of the nice neighborhood and schools.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 2:31 PM

      I can only imagine what they were going for before the real estate bubble burst! The Zephyr Court home is beautiful...but $468/sf makes Texans choke. We're used to paying more like $150-250/sf. I just looked at a listing for a 5000 sf home in the most exclusive historic Fort Worth neighborhood, and it's going for $1,245,000. The stereotype of the big spender from Texas isn't true. We really love a good bargain...LOL

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  10. Stacey@aGoodehouseJuly 9, 2012 at 3:19 PM

    I have always had a thing for the Eichler homes. When we bought our MCM I would visit all the Eichler sites I could find for inspiration. Their beautiful tongue and groove ceilings, beam construction, and floor to ceiling windows felt like home to me... and I will forever be drawn to them.
    I've never really considered yellow as being a MCM color for the exterior of a home, but you're right - it really ROCKS in those first pictures. LOVE IT!
    As a Texas girl, too, my husband and I always talk about how nice it is to live somewhere that's very affordable. There's no way I could leave my home to move somewhere else and pay MORE for less. That would be so hard. Things are big in Texas... but luckily not THAT big. We do love the bargains... ha ha... so true, Dana.

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 9:33 PM

      I know what you mean about moving somewhere and paying more for less. My daughter and SIL talk from time to time about moving to the west coast, but I'd hate to give up my house and have to move into something not as nice. Back in 2006, I paid less than $200,000 for my little house, and what I could get for it today wouldn't buy anything comparable on the west coast.

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  11. Ton S. July 9, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    I'd be happy enough to own that orange chair!

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    1. Dana@Mid2ModJuly 9, 2012 at 9:34 PM

      There are several pieces of furniture in those houses that I wouldn't mind having.

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  12. nickarmadilloJuly 11, 2012 at 10:51 AM

    The house makes my heart say "Yes". The price makes my wallet say "No". I'm glad homes are dirt cheap in St. Louis, even if we don't get the sunny weather and the beach.

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