A Smarter, More Economic Way to House-Shop in California

A new home for finding your dream home

By The Editors
March 14, 2016 9:00 am

Oh, the various and sundry pleasures of looking for a home in the Bay Area. 

Your correspondent’s first apartment search — for a cheap, modest share — involved three dozen go-sees and half as many meet-and-greets, a process one prospective roommate presciently called “auditions.”

“Auditions” were followed by “callbacks.” 

Nightmare S.F. real estate stories are legion. Happy endings hard to find. Dream properties the stuff of exactly that — dreams. 

But we’ve got a brand new site that can make it happen. 

It’s called Architectural Listings, an expertly curated wing of West Coast real estate startup Open Listings, which refunds 50% of commission fees back to their buyers, with an average refund of over $21K.

To qualify, a property must have its architectural bona fides in order. 

They’re looking for properties with pedigree, from masters like Richard Meier, Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and the like. 

Architectural Listings span the state. So while you’ll see a surfeit of Palm Springs homes, there are plenty up here, including a number of well-worthy Joseph Eichlers. 

We recommend signing up for the newsletter to stay updated.

In the meantime, a trio of our favorites: 

225 Fairlawn in Berkeley: a 1950 Joseph Eichler with gorgeous glass walls and “peek-a-boo” views of the bay. 

2604 San Antonio Dr: Another Joseph Eichler, this time from 1956 and in Walnut Creek. Quartz counters and do note that in-ground pool. 

856 Cornwall Ct: Our favorite, and also seen in the main image at top — just check out that lemon door. Another Eichler, with a 2004 expansion by Guy Ayers. And it’s all “within 1 mile of Apple 2 campus.” 

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.