Undeterred by the light rain — and well-protected by bright yellow rain gear — I ventured out to sample a pick of today’s properties.
First up was a listing from the local real estate triumvirate of Carol, Rosemary, and Nicole of Alain Pinel at 1428 Hamilton Ave.  The home’s ranch-style exterior gives an undeserved first impression of blandness, an impression completely undone once you see the inside.  The living room, presumably an addition, uses skylights, light paint, recessed lighting, and the natural sunlight coming in from the French doors to give a large, warm, welcome feel.  A little office cottage in the back went unvisited, alas — I had left my shoes at the front door — but I did take the time to check out the basement, an unusual enough feature of Bay Area homes that they always warrant a visit.

Bob and Lori Ann Wolff of Coldwell Banker’s entree at 1295 Wilson, also in Palo Alto, is one of those classic “they just don’t build ‘em like that any more” Victorians with a 112-year old history.  The inside is as true to form as the outside, with wooden staircases, a charming attic, storage nooks, a jack-and-jill bathroom.  The original owner took a picture of the home in all its Palo Alto farmland glory which has remained with each subsequent owner, and will pass on to the next lucky owner as well.

After seeing a few other properties, my last one was a contemporary listing in downtown Palo Alto by Alan Dunckel (Alain Pinel Realtors).  Situated at 334 Hawthorne and designed by local architect David Solnick it is sleek and well-lit, with all the creature comforts of a contemporary:  recessed lighting, open plan granite-counter kitchen, and snazzy bathroom fixtures.  If you’d like a look, drop by this afternoon (Feb 9, 2007) from 5pm to 7pm for Alan’s cheese and wine soiree.

Tags: Alain Pinel Realtors, Alan Dunckel, Coldwell Banker, David Solnick, Palo Alto, Property reviews, Real estate
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