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Uploaded: Friday, February 15, 2013, 8:59 AM
Real estate: The rebirth of the Eichler
Menlo Park Realtor plans to build brand-new Eichler homes, modernized for today's sensibilities
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by Carol Blitzer
Palo Alto Weekly Staff
Photos
 
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| The moment she saw her first Eichler home in Sunnyvale in 2008, Monique Lombardelli fell in love.
"I was driving down the street and came upon them. I felt like I landed on the moon! I was immediately in love," she said.
Initially it was just because they're so different.
"I had never seen anything like that before. People have that reaction to them: It's so out of this world; you don't see (them) anywhere else," she said.
"For me, it was sort of like when you meet a soul mate; you have an instant connection. It's not just the style; it's the spirit of them. It's like a euphoric feeling. It's hard to explain," she added.
Today, Lombardelli doesn't just want to live in or own an Eichler; she wants to build them for others. And not copies. The real thing, only better: energy efficient and made with sustainable materials.
The Eichlers that struck Lombardelli's fancy were mostly built in the mid-1950s by developer Joseph Eichler -- 11,000 homes in the Bay Area, including Palo Alto (2,700), Sunnyvale (1,100), Lucas Valley (900) and San Mateo (800), and a smattering in Sacramento and southern California.
Working with a series of architects (S. Robert Anshen and William Stephen Allen, Claude Oakland, Aaron Green, all of San Francisco, as well as A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons of Los Angeles), Eichler created a distinctive midcentury modern look that included post-and-beam construction, an open courtyard or atrium, large glass windows and sliding doors, radiant floor heating, an expandable kitchen counter and a laundry center in the bedroom wing.
While not at the lowest price point for post-World War II housing (homes in Palo Alto's Fairmeadow neighborhood went for under $16,000 in 1951, with Atherton's Lindenwood houses selling for $42,500 in the 1950s), the homes were accessible to the average person. Eichler's target homebuyer was a 32-year-old junior executive with two children who earned between $420 and $500 per month, according to a 1954 newspaper account.
The homes quickly garnered architectural kudos from the Housing Research Foundation, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Sunset and Parents' magazines and the St. Louis University Home Building Institute. They were even named Life Magazine's House of the Year in 1953.
As a Realtor in Menlo Park for the past four years, Lombardelli, 34, has seen first-hand how seldom Eichlers turn over.
"Eichlers are so hard to find; the average days on market is nine," she said, noting that one can find seven homes on the market in a good month all over the Peninsula.
"Normally there are just two or three in Palo Alto," she added, noting that she has clients waiting four or five months for the right atrium model to come on the market.
The passion for Eichlers seems relatively new. "Before, Realtors were embarrassed to list an Eichler," she said, and seldom posted photos of the front of the home. Instead, they'd feature the living room or dining room.
"A lot of Realtors five or six years ago would not even show Eichlers. They didn't want to show (buyers) something that looked like a trailer," she added.
But in the last two years, sales have soared even as home prices in general have risen.
Nancy Goldcamp, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, Palo Alto, acknowledges pent-up demand and multiple offers. She could only find about 30 Eichler sales in Palo Alto in 2012, along with another 50 or so "contemporary" homes. Her listing on Cork Oak Way drew three offers and went for above the asking price.
"It seems in the last five years there's a greater preference for things contemporary (with) cleaner lines. ... Renewable materials -- cork, bamboo, recycled glass -- lend themselves to simple execution," Goldcamp said.
"If you go back and look at Eichlers, they were very simple -- plain lines, easy living, not-complicated flooring, windows without moldings that didn't obstruct the view. There's a real desire for that look again.
"People are looking for more open spaces, less-defined eating areas. They like things more open, especially in the social areas of the house," she said.
Whether it's hitching onto the Mad Men craze or the desire for midcentury modern, Eichlers are making a comeback.
Lisa Knox, an agent with Midtown Realty, agreed.
"Everything comes in cycles. (Eichlers are) that retro, futuristic, optimistic sensibility that appeals to us in these troubling times," she said. "And they're beautiful -- quintessentially California."
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Today, Lombardelli specializes in selling only Eichlers through her Mid Century Modern Homes company in Menlo Park. But she's also recreating the Eichler Homes Development Corporation, complete with the original architectural plans (she's gathered about eight of the original 100 or so) and marketing materials.
Her goal is to work with local architects and contractors to individually build 2013 replicas of Eichlers, complete with atrium, radiant-heated floors, foam roofs and masses of double-paned glass. She's already contracted with Ned Eichler, Joseph Eichler's son, who provided her with original marketing materials.
She met him while she was researching a film, "People in Glass Houses: The Legacy of Joseph Eichler," which she made after interviewing clients and friends who had Eichlers. Her passion for Eichlers comes through in the trailer, which can be viewed at eichlermagazine.com.
Lombardelli was entranced with hearing how the original Eichler Homes Development Corporation came about. Ned Eichler, 82, who now lives in Tiburon, recalls working for his dad as a day laborer putting up homes in Sunnyvale while going to college. After the Korean War, Ned went into sales and later became marketing director.
"After World War II, there was enormous pent-up demand (for housing). ... Local governments were very receptive, and there was a big highway program and favorable financing.
"My father ... set out to prove that you could follow the tenets of (architect) Frank Lloyd Wright and make it work," Ned said.
Joseph Eichler was also renowned for his sense of social justice: He sold his homes race-blind, offering African Americans and Asian Americans an equal opportunity to buy at a time when restrictive deed covenants excluded them in other parts of town.
Ned said he advised his father against expanding geographically or building high rises.
"None of the things we were good at could be applied to high-rise building. Unfortunately, I was right," Ned said. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1967, although a few Eichler homes were built through the early 1970s. Joseph Eichler died in 1974.
Ned went on to become president of Levitt and Sons, another large home developer.
Forty years later, along came Lombardelli.
"She's devoted herself to making herself the Eichler expert. She has a tremendous amount of energy," he said.
While not a full partner, Ned "agreed to teach her what worked. I would inspect the plans to see if they stood up to aesthetic (standards) and inspect the construction. For that I will get a share of the profits," he said. He will be assisted by his son David, who's a photographer.
No one else had ever approached Ned about reviving the company.
"She's making it work. I'm not an investor or a partner, but I'm very pleased she's doing it and will help her as best I can," he said.
His son wholeheartedly concurs.
"I think it sounds like a great idea," he said. "Many of (the original Eichlers) are old at this time and require a lot of work to renovate. If you could have something ready to go that fits that aesthetic that's brand new, why not?
"I think it takes someone with real interest and passion for the homes. There are a lot of people selling homes and builders building contemporary-style homes, but I think it takes somebody who's really dedicated and enthusiastic (about Eichlers), in addition to seeing a simple business opportunity," he said.
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Lombardelli wasn't born or raised an Eichler aficionado. She grew up in a ranch-style home in Portland, Ore., then studied media broadcasting and went to work for MTV in New York.
"I learned a lot about film, got an agent in L.A., started working on films in L.A., but I always loved architecture," she said.
"I realized that not a lot of people knew what Eichlers were or didn't like the style or thought they were ugly. I wanted to do something that showed how beautiful they are," she said.
Serendipitously, she had the opportunity to rent part of the Bazett house in Hillsborough, the very Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home that inspired Joseph Eichler to produce his simple, indoor/outdoor homes for the masses.
"I basically experienced what he did; he lived there and came up with the idea to develop them. People say I'm weird and insane 'channeling Joseph Eichler,'" she said.
Joking around one day, a colleague said, "What are you, a reincarnation of Joseph Eichler? Are you going to start building them now?"
"And my response was, 'Why not?'" she said.
So far, Lombardelli's real-estate practice is fueling her entry into the building industry. And she's starting small, planning to build individual homes rather than tracts as Eichler did.
She's scouting for property and would even consider a teardown, as long as it isn't an Eichler, she said.
Finding the right lots is Lombardelli's greatest challenge right now. She's seeking land that's already been developed, with utilities in place and that is flat.
Knox, who lives in a Greenmeadow neighborhood Eichler, noted:"You can't just build them everywhere. You don't want to be surrounded by a two-story house when you're made of glass."
The next biggest issue is how to improve on the 1950s designs to make them more energy efficient and reliable. Being able to site the homes to take better advantage of sunlight is one advantage of not building in a tract.
"The (old) wiring is awful, more than half of the home is glass, and then you have the roof -- a huge issue of leaks. We have to do a foam roof ... with solar heating, solar panels," Lombardelli said, adding that she's aiming for certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Lombardelli insists on including radiant heating, despite that system's history of problems in original Eichlers.
"It's part of the Eichler culture; these people grew up in them like this," she said. When selling an older Eichler that no longer has radiant heat, her clients just sigh, she added, pointing to "one of the joys of having an Eichler -- putting your feet on warm floors."
One thing she will replace is the glue that held the paneling in place; turns out it was highly flammable, she said.
But she insists on going back to the original palette, which Joseph Eichler took a very personal interest in. Those exterior colors included earthy tones of oak brown, Coast Guard gray, spruce blue, desert sand and aspen green, with accents in turquoise, sunflower, pumpkin or paprika.
She retold a story from Ned in which his father allegedly knocked on the door of someone who had painted his front door a color his dad didn't like. Joe told the man he painted the wrong color blue. The guy said, "This is my house, and I can paint it whatever color I want to," but Joe just told him it wasn't his house.
So far, Lombardelli's accumulated eight of the original plans, which were either designed by Claude Oakland or Anshen and Allen. Her sleuthing led her to visit the Palo Alto and Berkeley city planning departments to find out who the original architects were so she could contact the heirs and license use of the plans. Once she's paid the fee, she then can pass on the plans to an architect who can redraw them, reflecting changes in code relating to earthquakes, insulation and wiring, for example.
She's managed to track down the creators of three- and four-bedroom atrium models, a gallery model and several A-frames. She's still missing the source for a double A-frame. She's hoping an original owner may have the plans with the name of the architect.
- - - -
Today, Lombardelli's company is still in the design phase, gathering information and working on fine-tuning building costs, code requirements and product availability.
Costs won't be low because even Joseph Eichler used expensive materials at the time, said Mark Marcinek, a Palo Alto architect who has done extensive Eichler renovations. He's designed homes damaged by fire for which the insurance covered replacement costs plus code upgrades -- which is similar to what Lombardelli is attempting. He can replace the old cork tile flooring but would need to find a substitute material for the asbestos tiles, perhaps using slate. Marcinek said the old Thermador stoves were very high-end at the time.
But building homes one at a time is always more costly than erecting a tract. Eichler "got into mass production, had a block, poured all the slabs. He was building like Henry Ford. That's how he could offer a reasonable cost," Marcinek said.
Without those efficiencies of scale, each home will reflect today's building costs.
"If the money is there and the desire is there, you can make it work," he said. "With a cost-plus contract (where a contractor is paid for expenses up to a set limit plus additional payment to allow for a profit), she can't lose."
Knox agreed: "I think that sounds like a great idea -- as long as you could get it to a price point to where it would be comparable to a remodeled Eicher."
But will a true Eichler aficionado buy one?
Deborah Simon-Lurie, a second-generation Greendmeadow neighborhood homeowner, says she's not sure.
"Some might think it's better, and some might get stuck on it not being an authentic Eichler," she said.
She agreed with Knox that the cost difference in building a brand-new, energy-efficient version, compared to buying an older Eichler and redoing it, could be a deal killer.
Other longtime Greenmeadow Eichler owners were enthusiastic about Lombardelli's project -- especially since she's focusing on improving their energy efficiency.
"A new architect needs to pay attention to tightening up the Eichler. They're very hard to heat," said Laura Rankin, a Greenmeadow resident since 1964.
Nonetheless, she called the idea "marvelous."
Rankin had worked with her late husband, Carroll Rankin, to get the neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
She pointed to the many Eichler imitations around. Developers who shared some of the aesthetic included Mackay, Brown & Kaufman, Coastwise and Stern & Price -- who mainly built one-story, flat-roofed, ranch-style homes in the 1950s.
"It doesn't take much creativity to duplicate it because it's very simple," she said. But what made Eichlers unique was their use of materials, such as redwood, which are now too expensive or no longer available.
Greenmeadow resident Walter Hays said he "can't see why anyone would have any objections (to the project). ... My own feeling is that Eichlers have a lot of nice aspects -- the indoor/outdoor feeling and light. The problem has been that there's no thought given to energy efficiency. Sounds like she's improving on that. That'll make it even more attractive."
Hays and his wife have already converted their windows to double-pane and added insulation, accessing a $10,000, interest-free loan from the city. His one regret is that they didn't change the tar-and-gravel roof to foam, he said.
Lombardelli hopes to eliminate the need for people to buy and renovate an old Eichler. And if she's successful in building individual homes, she's not averse to trying a modern-day planned community, possibly in southern California.
"My goal is to really stretch down there. I think there's a huge market down there in L.A.," she said.
"It's my job to put people together and make it happen."
In the meantime she's got her eye on an Atherton Eichler that she calls "her dream. I'm not going to say where it is, but it's my favorite so far. I told the owner to think of me when they want to sell."
Related article:
• How to create an 'Eichler' in 2013Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by anonymous, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 9:31 am Eichlers are in more communities than one might imagine, including San Jose and Los Altos, for example, and hundreds in Sunnyvale - and the develpments and their character, and the character of each home is quite particular,despite what some feel is a rather bland front.
It is a classic situation for visitors to be surprised at the inside and back and remark about this upon entering a home.
The developments went in at different times, there were different architects, and some of the materials have held up better in some areas than in others. The piping and etc.
There have been some very well-known, very knowledgeable Eichler specialist agents including "The Eichler Queen," Connie Misiewicz; and Jerry Ditto (author of a substantive book, " Eichler Homes - design for living," Chronicle Books, 1995)
We are in a new era, with newer agents becoming informed about Eichlers as a specialty, and that is fine, there is a learning curve. Some agents know next to nothing about Eichlers or avoid them.
What's more, how Eichlers have been maintained (or not) varies a great deal. Generalizations are worthless in the Eichler realm; you MUST examine the individual house to determine value, current level of condition and so on.
They're a large subject; if one is interested, it's worth knowing the speciality contractors, options for roofs, heating, windows, wondow coverings...it is great when someone who cares purchases and maintains (or renovates carefully, in good taste) an Eichler home.
It is tricky to renovate an Eichler for a bunch of reasons; however some of the designs are so livable and attractive, this is why people are continually drawn to them. On the other hand, some owners and contractors have butchered/altered some Eichlers. This has led to the 2-storey overlays (not just in Palo Alto, incidentally). There is also the "problem" of Eichler look-alikes, which may be cheaper/older modest homes, leading to confusion and some disrespect for actual Eichlers among the less well-informed.
-from someone who has owned two Eichlers.
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Posted by Eichler Owner, a resident of the Triple El neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 10:36 am Great idea. It seems that, because there are so many aspects of Eichlers that are replicated in all (or most) models, this would be a great candidate for pre-fab building, which would also help keep building costs down.
We live in an Eichler and love it, and want to preserve its original asthetic, but when we consider upgrading/updating the plumbing, electrical, windows, heating, etc and doing other Eichler-consistent remodeling, I often wonder if it wouldnt' be more cost effective to tear down the existing house and rebuild the exact same house from scratch.
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Posted by cid4houses, a resident of another community, on Feb 15, 2013 at 1:31 pm Please note the alarmingly rapid rate they burn to the ground if they happen to catch fire: Web Link
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Posted by doube lA, a resident of Los Altos, on Feb 15, 2013 at 3:18 pm How can I reach Monique? I have original Blueprints of our Double A Frame
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Posted by Ken, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 4:48 pm Homeowners that build large, expensive "Eichler style" homes in neighborhoods like Old Palo Alto will be very sorry they did so.
When these houses go out of style, and they will, these homes will be very difficult to resell.
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Posted by Toady, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 4:55 pm "When these houses go out of style, and they will, these homes will be very difficult to resell."
Where are you seeing that in Old PA? All I see is ugly-ass faux Med being built around here. I'd rather have mid-century modern rather than the blandness I see in the spec homes being built by the developers here.
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Posted by Non-non, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 5:13 pm Please remember that Eichlers were built very much on the cheap. Cheap materials, cheap construction, a lot of corners cut. The result was leaky roofs, cold rooms in the winter, hot in the summer, drafty, single wall construction, bad, bad, bad.
They were built to be affordable for men getting out of the armed forces. FHA-VA construction. In their day, not too many people who had gainful employment would buy them. So many of them now are in dreadful condition for that reason. Many others have required lengthy, expensive reconstruction to bring them up to code.
There is no way these Eichler clones can be built inexpensively and still be up to code. As long as you have flat roofs, there will always be problems with standing water on them and eventually leaks. Ask any contractor what he dreads most. Chances are he will tell you it is rehabilitating an Eichler!
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Posted by Not an issue, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 5:25 pm If the eichlers are considered to be historic, then they should not be allowed to be modified n any way. I cannot see how the people in town who worship eichlers would allow any modifications-- inside or outside, any change would destroy the historic nature of these buildings. Now all bow before Eichler
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Posted by Frank Lloyd-Wright, a resident of the Leland Manor/Garland Drive neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 6:24 pm Joe Eichler may have been a genius, but he was not a realist. He did not build the houses that bear his name to last, but merely to be a place for people to live temporarily after getting out of the service. A place to own while building up credit, getting a college degree on the VA, until a real, good-paying job could be procured. As bad as they are, they were never intended to last as long as they did. It was assumed that once fully well-employed, owners would tear them down a build a more permanent structure.
This I learned from an older friend who once worked for, and has researched the life of. Joe Eichler.
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Posted by the_punnisher, a resident of Mountain View, on Feb 15, 2013 at 6:38 pm
the_punnisher is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
Malvina Reynolds
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Posted by steve san jule, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Feb 15, 2013 at 7:11 pm well....lots of interesting comments!!! some of the comments are well founded....and others are mis-informed. my father was co-founder of eichler homes.He was very proud of the developments that were built in palo alto...namely, fairmeadow and greenmeadow. THEY WERE NEVER BUILT WITH THE INTENTION OF BEING TEMPORARY HOUSING!!! In the late 40's and early 50's...many men were coming out of the service. these homes were very affordable.palo alto was a small university town...but,one of many that connected with the commuter train to san francisco. it had great schools...influenced ,of course, by stanford ubiversity.certainly not ticky-tacky...you are confusing that with daly city!!! yes...they burned quickly....our home at 3730 redwood circle burned to the foundation in 7 minutes. but...they were wonderful homes to grow up. of course they will be expensive....this is not 1951. monique lombardelli has a vision...and i certainly wish her well. my father would have liked this young lady...and would have supported her efforts....
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Posted by anonymous, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 16, 2013 at 9:41 am Why is this all about Palo Alto (as usual)? Eichlers are around in more communities than you may realize.
The chart in the print article shows comments about construction and materials: under "Roof" I would say you can have 2" insulation - at least that's what we put in one of ours when we needed to re-roof. This was in about 2000. Not a big issue. It doesn't "have" to be foam in 2013, either. It can be T & G. We added vented skylights that worked wonderfully and I was up on the roof myself.I certainly can't get up on the rood of my current house and when I need to re-roof I will have no way to really check up on my roofer or know what is going on - this can be done by an Eichler homeowner.
Quoting from the article by Ms. Blitzer:
"A lot of Realtors five or six years ago would not even show Eichlers. They didn't want to show (buyers) something that looked like a trailer," she added.
(Ms. Lombardelli (the 34YO real estate agent makes the above comment.)
I say: Huhhh?
You don't have much recent historical perspective, sorry.I am not elderly, I am middle-aged, and I do know something about Eichlers.
There have been a BUNCH of agents in recent past who knew enough about Eichlers in N California, used to send out newsletters (plural) about the Eichler market, beyond the two very well-known ones I listed in my first post.
There are Eichlers in OTHER communities besides Palo Alto and some of them are very attractive. Yes, as I also posted, there have been some agents who ingore, don't like the style, dislike, or are uninfom=rmed about Eichlers (even mistaking other homes for Eichlers).
Many people really enjoy the attractive design of many Eichlers; I haven't lived in one for some years now, and I STILL have relatives bemoan that we sold our last house. It was not located in Palo Alto. The garden living was very good in that house. Both of our Eichlers seemed larger than they were in reality, leading me to learn certain things about their designs (one was an atrium model, one was not).
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Posted by Monique Lombardelli, a resident of Menlo Park, on Feb 16, 2013 at 10:11 am Thank you so much for your comments, especially the one here that is telling me that they have a double A frame that I can see. Please email me at monique@modernhomesrealty.com or call me at 650-391-9087 Thank you!! - Monique
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Posted by Garrett, a resident of another community, on Feb 16, 2013 at 11:21 am Not real estate agent, just someone who likes house design, the different style from years past. As I have shown people, mostly friends around our area. Personal taste plays a big part.
Showed my friends and others what is Eichler, every kinda of reaction to a flat top wafer thin walled horror to the coolest,looking house.
Personally I would like to see more housing types based on Eichler, different kinds of density. I know he built a few high density and some townhouse in Santa Clara.
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Posted by music_man, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Feb 16, 2013 at 5:43 pm to @ the_punnisher
Pete Seegar wrote that song about a particular part of Daly City, not Eichlers. You can see it from either freeway.
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Posted by Cheryl H. Not RE agent, a resident of another community, on Feb 16, 2013 at 5:53 pm Having lived in Eichler homes since 1968, I find many of the comments above offensive. Eg., that Eichlers were designed for WWII vets coming home until they could afford a substantial home! Joe Eichler, of Jewish descent, had seen what happens with prejudice (not unlike some comments re: this article) and would not redline any of his developments (vis-a-vis, not allow non-Anglos to purchase). Indeed, this unfortunate red-lining existed all over the peninsula including Palo Alto. In addition to this, the homes are architect-designed for the masses who appreciate the outside/inside feeling of the home as well as other mid-century modern features. After 43 years in Eichlers, I've, of course, met dozens of neighbors. At least 3/4s wouldn't think of leaving their Eichler.
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Posted by PaloAltoSince2011, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Feb 16, 2013 at 11:25 pm We're fairly new in town and obviously over-paid for our Eichler, but we love everything about the house and couldn't be happier living in Palo Alto and in a house with a style that we have become huge fans of!!
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Posted by Mike, a resident of the University South neighborhood, on Feb 17, 2013 at 8:27 am anonymous says, "Why is this all about Palo Alto (as usual)?"
Since this web site is "paloaltoonline" I would expect this article to be about Palo Alto.
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Posted by anonymous, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 17, 2013 at 11:31 am Yes, but EICHLERS are not only in Palo Alto, by any means. There are quite a few communities; there is a rich history as described in the book I referenced above and numerous other sources. Eichlers (and Mr. Eichler) are interesting, but this isn't a "Palo Alto issue."
There is also that issue of the pipes...some of us owned Eichlers that had copper pipe, which was far superior to the cheaper materials put in some Eichlers, including some in Palo Alto, I was always told. When your heating pipes are encased in a concrete slab, believe me, the differences not only in design but in materials in the different cities/Eichler communities do come into play when people state their opinions of Eichlers!
Go online to the Eichler Network if you don't believe me.
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Posted by Pleasanton Resident, a resident of another community, on Feb 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm This article was also posted in the Pleasanton Weekly (online) - maybe the editor thought others would find it interesting. I don't live in an Eichler, but do have a home with an indoor patio/atrium. It is one of the best features because you can have doors open in many rooms at all hours of the day or night to let in fresh air and sunshine. I wish more builders included them in their designs.
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Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Feb 17, 2013 at 5:04 pm I just gotta wonder. Didn't the writer of this story feel a bit like a person running into an Envangelical service Easter Sunday and shouting "It's been canceled! They found the body!".
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Posted by Merle Duckett, a resident of another community, on Feb 17, 2013 at 10:43 pm I live in an Eichler home in Thousand Oaks which is in Southern California (Ventura County).
There are 105 Eichlers in our neighborhood and they were built between 1964-68.
Most of us are attempting to maintain the integrity of these houses when renovation/repairs are required.
Our floor plans range from approximately 2500-2900 square feet.
Joe Eichler truly saved his "best for last"!!
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Posted by Too Many Realtors, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2013 at 7:28 am Amazing how many folks who made comments are most likely Realtors.
Real Estate is a dog eat dog biz. The competition here is unlike anything I've seen in other communities. When you look at a home with an agent. Another agent might approach you and even ask you if she knows you. A-M-A-Z-INGLY not. I did not know her. Another agent tried to slip me his card. It was so ugly, I decided to rent now and I love it. I don't have 28,000 dollars in taxes per year to pay and the cost to maintain the property would have been at least half that in a good year. And when you add your mortgage and ins. forget it. I've been in many Eichlers. And I rent one right now. Not because I wanted an Eichler. Because it was the only rentable home that I could find at the time that is located in Palo Alto. As for this article, it was very well written and that is why I love reading palo alto online. However, the subject makes this look like a well written ad piece for the agent listed above. She is getting tens of thousands of dollars in free press from this article. I guess it really goes to show us that its who you know that is important. I was amazed to find out she was a Menlo Park Realtor. Wasn't she closer in to SF? Now she's in Menlo Park? I wish her well and she should concentrate on developing a new design that cannot be associated with anything. Nothing like an original. As for the Eichler I live in. Its home. But I cannot imagine paying 1.4 million for a home that was built for 40K.
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Posted by A Palo Alto Realtor, a resident of the Embarcadero Oaks/Leland neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2013 at 7:48 am Very good article. Monica is a very nice lady. I had the pleasure of working with her once and she was very honest to EVERYONE. As for the cynical behavior that is being exhibited by a few people, it is unwarranted in this situation. I have heard a few grumblings from a few agents who wished they could have thought of doing what Monica is doing. So what if she was in SF or LA or Sactown. IT DOES NOT MATTER. She has the right to work where she wants as long as she is licensed by the state of California people. There is no reason for other real estate agents to team up against her. Remember this. A Realtor has to follow a strict code of ethics. Monica has and if you are a Realtor you should too. So, if Monica or anyone else has a listing, but you don't like that listing agent...TOO BAD. You should still show your buyer that home. If you don't...I WILL. And I will sell it. I've had buyers come to me and even tell me to write an offer on a particular home that their former agent would not do. When I have asked my new buyer why their former agent would not do it, 99% of the time, it was because their buyer agent did not like the listing agent and no other reason was given. So remember that one if you are planning to sell or buy. Find an agent who does not condemn another agent or use the dreaded R word. Rapport. " Oh I know that agent, she and I have a great rapport, however, that one over there, we need to stay away from him". I call that unprofessional behavior that is against our Code of Ethics.
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Posted by Russ, a resident of another community, on Feb 19, 2013 at 2:26 pm If you would like to hear more from Monique, she will be givng a presentation and showing her documentary, "Glass Houses." at the Burlingame Library on Thursday, February 27 at 7pm in the Lane Community Room.
It is open and free to the public. Sponsored by the Burlingame Historical Society and the Burlingame Library Foundation.
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