Joe Eichler’s career as a builder took off after the family rented a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  As Ned describes it, Joe was never the same after the experience.  Touched by Wright’s designs, Eichler sought to bring a similar simplicity and modernity to suburban American homes.  In doing so, he began a long professional relationship with architect Bob Anshen of Anshen & Allen, a follower of Wright. Anshen was one of a new breed of designer who was bringing modern architecture to middleclass, postwar developments. The classic Eichler home at 728 Gailen Ave. in Palo Alto was designed by Anshen and Allen.

 Given the control Eichler held over his models, it is interesting that one of the most recognizable features of his homes, the atrium, was adopted almost by accident.  After a young Japanese-American designer in the firm first sketched up an atrium design,  architect Anshen refined this ancient Roman and Japanese architectural feature until it became the culmination and greatest flowering of Eichler home design.  Eichler’s E-11 & E-21 models, such as 728 Gailen Ave., were the first to incorporate the atrium as it is now recognized.  Although fewer than 10% of Eichler homes feature atriums, this element aided in making these houses incredibly popular and made Eichler a household name.

 The Adobe Park & Adobe Meadow subdivisions were among the most luxurious Eichler homes built.  They incorporate the very best ideas of the Eichler design/building organization.  These two subdivisions had larger lots than before, with a minimum lot size of a 9,000sq ft, each laid out with the utmost privacy in mind.  Adjacent cul-de-sacs create an even more private feel to each home’s backyard, especially at 728 Gailen Avenue.  The lot sizes are irregular, providing more space between the home’s side yards, allowing potential room for expansion of the master bedroom and bath.  The master bedroom has a very private view of the yard and potentially its own separate garden area with the very large side yard.

 The E-11 and E21 atrium designs contained 4 bedrooms and a second bathroom, features considered a luxury for developments of the time.  Another forward-thinking design element was the integrated kitchen, family room and bonus room.  What is striking about these designs is how prescient the architects were in providing  spaces that homeowners could use for a variety of purposes.  For example, the one bedroom that shares a sliding glass door with the atrium can also be used as an office.  Visitors to the office can enter through the courtyard and hence avoid disturbing the family.  Another user -defined space is the bonus room which accommodates an indoor laundry.  When the laundry closet doors are closed, this space can function as a guest room, office, exercise room or hobby room.  

 In this model design, the family room is larger than the living room, and the kitchen is completely integrated into the family room.  Eichler architects offered something that is very popular in today’s new homes and remodels: a combination kitchen/family room or “great room” in which families and guests can gather without traditional boundaries.

 The genius of the atrium is the light that it brings into the central ”heart” of the home.  Most homes built in this era had windowless hallways with natural light only coming in through the back or front yard.  Most tract homes in Palo Alto and on the San Francisco Peninsula have bedrooms situated along the side lot lines with a view of a 6’ tall fence separated by  a five-foot setback.  Very little light that comes into these bedrooms, and hallways are like dark tunnels.  By contrast, imagine walking into an Eichler atrium style home where all hallways have floor to ceiling glass walls along the atrium, and the kitchen and family room have light streaming in not only through the glass walls facing the yard, but on the atrium glass walls as well.  The result is a natural light-filled home like no other available.

 The atrium design creates a transitional space of calm, quiet serenity in contrast to the sleek, but architecturally austere exterior of an Eichler home.  The visitor has a beautifully landscaped, transitional space to walk through so the home itself does not need to devote interior square footage to an impressive entry space.  For many, the atrium provides a further layer of security, as visitors can be screened through an intercom, videocam or simply their voice, before they are admitted inside the home perimeter.

 The atrium “heart” of the home also provides the family with strong visual connection.  Wherever you are in an Atrium home, you can look out and see any family in public spaces such as the kitchen or great room.  On the other hand, just closing a bedroom door ensures privacy.  In an Atrium style home you have connectedness and solitude as you need them.

One of the most notable characteristics of Eichler’s homes, the atrium, embodies Eichler’s artistic flair and melds a number of Eichler characteristics. See previous posts for more no Eichler Style.  Eichler’s E-11 models, such as 728 Gailen Ave. in Palo Alto, were the first to incorporate the atrium as it is now recognized.  According to Ned Eichler, it was architect Bob Anshen, of Anshen & Allen, who appreciated this ancient Roman design and refined it.  

In Roman structures, the atrium was where one received guests and thus was regarded as the most important room of the home. This open-air room often included extravagant decoration, such as mosaics, as well as a center pool to collect rainwater. While the atrium’s function has changed, it still remains the focal point of many Eichler homes.  

The E-11 floor plan was 'flipped' (shown here) at 728 Gailen Ave. at the request of the original owner. The atrium can be seen in the center of the plan.

The atrium at 728 Gailen Ave. provides a private outdoor space ideal for entertaining or as a childrens’ play space.  Fuchsia bougainvillea blossoms there and a vivid green philodendron add an exotic accent and bring the outdoors inside. The flat roof of 728 Gailen Ave. facilitates this blend as the bougainvillea climbs toward the sky, drawing the eye up and out of the enclosure to the mature trees beyond. The atrium thus becomes a space for relaxation, a foyer and a colorful centerpiece to the home.  

As Eichler worked with a number of architects, the styles of several designers influenced Eichler homes. Anshen, for instance, drew heavily from Wright’s designs. The clean lines of the low roof and supporting beams at 728 Gailen Ave. reflect a Japanese influence.  

The simple elegance of Eichlers such as 728 Gailen Ave. allows them to be tailored to suit the owners’ preferences and tastes.  The atrium can be adapted through landscaping to accentuate a style of décor, highlighting regional or period influences. This flexibility of design is consistent with Eichler’s vision of a home with multifunctional spaces, and is one reason why his homes continue to be highly desirable.

Intended to be part of inclusive and diverse communities, Eichler developments were designed to have homes consistent in appearance and sharing similar floor plans. Marked by defining features such as a single-story overlay, radiant heating, atrium and utilization of natural light, Eichlers blend indoors with outdoors and exude a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Built in 1958, the 4-bedroom, 2-bath home at 728 Gailen Ave. in Meadow Park neighborhood is a picture-perfect example of a Palo Alto Eichler home, showcasing characteristics of Eichler style.

• ‘Moderate modernism’: Nestled on a cul-de-sac of Eichler houses, one might miss the demure façade of 728 Gailen Ave., were it not for the eye-catching contrast of a white door and trim on its deep sage exterior. The interior of the house is marked by a similar simplicity of line, imbued with pleasing details such as open wood beams spanning the great room and living room that make the space feel clean without feeling sterile.

• Blending indoors and outdoors: As is characteristic of many Palo Alto Eichlers, the front entry of 728 Gailen Ave. opens onto the atrium, an open-air courtyard encased by the house. Ideal for evening entertaining in the spring and summer (or even in California fall and winter), the atrium provides a private, intimate space while maintaining an outdoor atmosphere. Large glass windows were used in Eichler’s designs to allow natural light to illuminate the indoor space and make the interior appear even more spacious.

• Natural light: The technique of using floor-to-ceiling windows to provide light is an Eichler characteristic used freely in the Gailen Ave. home.  The atrium is surrounded on three sides by large glass panels, which, in conjunction with the great room/kitchen windows, fill the home with a warm luminance. Tall, narrow windows along the cul-de-sac admit light but preserve privacy.

• Multifunctionality of space: In keeping with Eichler’s ideal of utility in design, the 1,845-sq-ft floor plan of 728 Gailen Ave. is such that the bedrooms lie on one side of the house with living and dining rooms on the other, united by a shared great room and kitchen. The floorplan is dynamic in that rooms could be repurposed to fit the varying needs of its owners. For instance, the bedroom at the front of the Gailen Ave. home is ideal for repurposing as an office, as its location and sliding glass door make it accessible from the atrium. This might allow this room to be functionally separate from the rest of the home.

• Privacy: Eichler homes find a wonderful balance between openness and privacy. Although large windows and glass appear throughout the homes, Eichler was attentive to the need for privacy, demonstrated in his designs. Active living spaces are arranged toward the rear of the home. The atrium also serves as a buffer between the front entry and the rest of the interior.

In addition to these characteristics, 728 Gailen Ave. is further distinguished by its large lot; the house sits on a cul-de-sac abutting other cul-de-sacs, creating a wedge-shaped lot. The floor plan of the house was ‘flipped’ at the request of the original (and only) owner to maximize use of the space. As a result, the home enjoys a spacious, contiguous backyard and side garden with space enough to add a pool, sport court or home addition.

Although located on a low-traffic cul-de-sac in a tranquil neighborhood, 728 Gailen Ave. is by no means isolated. It is within walking distance of Charleston Shopping Center, which features a Peet’s Coffee and Tea and Piazza’s Fine Foods. Mitchell Park and Library and schools such as Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School are also easily accessible.

This post is intended to give you a little taste of this wonderful Eichler home in Palo Alto. Following posts in the series will delve further into Eichler’s design influences; the Meadow Park neighborhood and community; and what makes an Eichler house a home.

There was an exception to this, however.  In Northern California there was a real-estate developer who had a radically different concept of what the mid-century tract home and neighborhood should provide, while still being affordable to the average American family.   This developer’s name was Joseph Eicler, and his vision of standards, combined with his company, Eichler Homes, changed and shaped the face of houses in the Bay Area and residential American architecture forever.

This will be a series of articles about these award-winning, period homes, known to most simply as ‘Eichlers’, so unique and recognizable is their design.  Many of the features that make these houses uniquely Eichler cannot be reproduced in new construction today, due to materials and lot availability, and today’s coding and building regulations.  These remaining, artistically beautiful homes, truly are, the last of their kind.

An exceptional Eichler home in Palo Alto, maintained in it’s original beauty by it’s sole owner, will be coming onto market and listed by Anne Arjani in mid-September.

People in line reported that it was impossible to get through on the website, and the AT&T representatives indicated that the queue for calling AT&T was over 1000 people long.

This was the day the Mountain View Store was having their air conditioning fixed, so employees went out an purchased fans in order to keep customers cool.

They also handed out glasses of water to people in line, and provided seating for those who were tired form standing in line for so long.

Although I had visited the store a week ago, they neglected to tell me that the primary person on the account HAD to be present and a part of the ordering process. I called my husband and he came down while I was still in line.

 People in line were very civilized.

Menlo Park Real Estate continues to be an outstanding place to have a real estate investment or home, particularly in neighborhoods that have either the high scoring Las Lomitas Schools or the excellent Menlo Park City Schools. Since 1998 an averaged price home in Menlo Park has gone from $665,329.00 to $1,436,329.00: a real estate home appreciation increase of 215% over 10 years! Downtown Menlo Park is a big draw, with the greatest appreciation in the very desirable Downtown Menlo Park and Allied Arts Neighborhoods. The “Starbucks effect” can be seen in that home buyers crave an easy walk to a diversified, yet charming downtown district for meals out, simple errands and even grocery shopping. The following chart shows us that while prices have been trending upwards, appreciation was flat in 2007. You can see detailed home appreciation charts at graphs for all area cities by clicking on Market Trends.

The flat 2007 home appreciation rates do not truly reflect what is happening in most neighborhoods in the City of Menlo Park. At this time there are about 30 listings in the Belle Haven and Fair Oaks neighborhoods of Menlo Park, and almost nothing (fewer than eight) in all of the other neighborhoods in the under $1.5M sector. Most listings in the Belle Haven and Fair Oaks neighborhoods are under $1.3M dollars (typically in the 700-900K range), but they are not selling. Why? These neighborhoods are in the much lower scoring Redwood City School district, and they are close to the railroad tracks and Hwy 101. There are some short sales in these neighborhoods as well. These multiple low priced listings skew the overall numbers for all Menlo Park neighborhoods downwards. If you were to exclude the Fair Oaks and Belle Haven neighborhoods, then appreciation in Menlo Park in 2007 would approach 15%. Desirable Menlo Park neighborhoods trend similarly to Palo Alto Real Estate.

Menlo Park will continue to be a very desirable place to live, and if you don’t have school age children, there are bargains to be found in the Belle Haven and Fair Oaks neighborhoods.

If you are serious about purchasing a home in Menlo Park CA, call me, or email me at aarjani@kw.com Anne Arjani today at 650 400 2986, and we will find you a wonderful home in beautiful Menlo Park California.

Let’s look at a 10 year chart and graph of Palo Alto Home Appreciation:

Since 1998, Overall appreciation for an average priced home in Palo Alto has gone from $712,000.00 in 1998 to $1,872,850.00. Keep in mind that during this time there was a huge run up in prices during the dot com boom and a bust when there was a period of deflation of -12.3% in 2001 and -4.9% in 2003. Yet, overall, an average priced home in Palo Alto sold for over 21/2 times in 2007 for what it sold for in 1998.

What is very important for both buyers and sellers to note however is that in general, there is a declining amount of inventory in Palo Alto every year since 2004 when there was a .6% (yes, less than 1%) increase in inventory. The lack of inventory affects overall sales numbers so that the local press leaves the impression that there is a problem with headlines such as “Sales down in Palo Alto”. Sales ARE down, because INVENTORY is down!

On any given week there are scores of buyers looking at a few homes in Palo Alto. Competition for homes is particularly strong in the under 1.8M sector, where typically homes are selling with multiple offers every week. My recent blog post on Cereza describes the type of home most difficult to find: the fixer upper on a generous sized lot. Cereza sold with thirteen offers. A recent pricing strategy for Palo Alto broker and Palo Alto home sellers is to price their home about 5%-7% under market value, essentially creating what is called in real estate parlance a “feeding frenzy”. Generally these homes sell for more than they would have if they had been priced slightly over market, due to the multiple offer phenomenon. My theory is that the buyer ends up paying for another year or two of home appreciation (up front) to the seller in order to “win” the bidding war. I think of Palo Alto as being similar to a Triple AAA rated bond versus a single A rated bond as an investment. It is a higher quality (safer) real estate investment compared to other communities, and therefore the cost of entry is higher.

If you want to purchase a home in Palo Alto, you will need an experienced Palo Alto agent who has established strong relationships within the Real Estate Community, and who can guide you as to how much to offer. Call me at 650 400 2986 if you are serious about purchasing a home in the community with the very best prospects for outstanding wealth building potential, and outstanding schools in K-12 Palo Alto is your best choice!

The Top Ten Real Estate Flipping Rules

1. Do not buy property that you cannot afford to hold: The market could have a downswing, and you need to have the financial resources to carry the mortgage until the market turns up, or subsidize a cash negative rental if your home is caught in a protracted real estate downturn. Click here for recent home sale statistics.

2. You make the greatest profit on the buy side, not on your selling side. You must be able to evaluate the market objectively and NEVER overpay. Properties in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose California regularly have multiple offers. Do not get caught up in the frenzy of “winning” or you will lose your profit before you ever start your project.

3. Get a binder on your title insurance at the time of purchase. When you go to resell, you only have to pay title insurance on the incremental increase in the price of your property. Payment of title and escrow fees, city and county transfer taxes and escrow fees vary by Custom, county, city and region. In Santa Clara County, the seller pays title, escrow and transfer taxes. This practice differs in San Mateo County. Always know which title fees and taxes you will have to pay.

4. You want to purchase a home where you get the highest school scores for the least amount of money. California rates schools according to the California API (Academic Performance Index). Outstanding school scores are the driver of property values in the Greater Palo Alto area. Click here for School Scores in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County.

5. Only purchase a flipper property in an area where properties are still selling. Don’t buy a “bargain” in a distressed neighborhood where there are many short sales, foreclosures or even abundant inventory. San Jose, Menlo Park and Sunnyvale have great variation in their school scores, be sure you are purchasing where schools are excellent.

6. The ideal flipper property: A “dated” home with a tacky, dark interior, on a quiet street in a desirable neighborhood with good schools, good floor plan, ugly or non-existent landscaping, does not have un-permitted work, and can be easily cosmetically updated. Avoid properties that need/have the following: foundation repairs, poor drainage next to the foundation, or wet/moist crawl space, extensive dry rot or water damage, previous landslide damage, significant flood risk, new roof, new pipes, updated electrical, new furnace or water heater. Most flipper properties require at least one of the latter items, just don’t have too many of these.

7. Do as little as possible that requires permits or approvals from the city if you are not a full time contractor with working crews. One larger contractor I spoke with typically adds significant square footage in the kitchen, family room and Master suite. He has several full time crews, and his business model keeps his crew busy during lulls in his contracting business. Most flippers lose too much time (re: mortgage payments month after month) if they add square footage that requires permits, and they don’t have instant access to a reliable contracting crew. Full time contractors also have solid relationships with city building departments, and that expedites their permit process.

8. Careful material selection is the best way to manage your budget. The Aesthetics of your selections are very important, but the most common flipper mistake is to get carried away with very overly expensive materials. One flipper NEVER uses home depot. She contends that EVERYONE has seen what is in Home Depot, knows what it costs, and it cheapens the value of the visual update. She dislikes the cheap materials used in the construction of their cabinets.

9. Continuity of finishes and hardware makes your flipper project look like a new model home, and increases desirability. Most flippers strive for continuity in paint color, carpet and hardware selection. If you are using brushed pewter for the doorknobs, it should be used for all other hardware applications including light fixtures, cabinet knobs, hinges and bathroom fixtures. Limit paint colors to no more than two: one for public rooms, one for bedrooms.

10. Always use contractors and subcontractors that are licensed (always for work requiring permits) and that you trust. Typically this is not the cheapest contractor that you can find.

This 53 year old home has not been sold in 45 years, but has been lovingly maintained by the current owners. Many original Eichler details including original wall finishes and hardware details can be seen in this outstanding example of Joseph Eichler’s visionary home designs.

I visited in the afternoon, and the western sun was streaming into the living room, providing an sun-splashed interior. This home has the perfect exposure for maximum light. The home is located on a quiet street, and boasts a spacious corner lot in Palo Alto’s Greenmeadow neighborhood, just steps from the Greenmeadow Neighborhood Association pool and private park.

The walls have the original finish in most of the rooms, and this is apparent on the left side of the in the book lined family room. The kitchen was tastefully remodeled some time ago but still has the original Eichler layout. This gem of an Eichler will not be on the market for long. The asking price is $1,495,000. Open house will be on Saturday and Sunday January 19th and 20th. Contact your Real Estate Professional or call me at 650 400 2986 if you would like to learn more about this home. This home is listed by Steve Bellumori of Coldwell Banker in Menlo Park.

Call me if you would like to know more about Eichler Homes for Sale or Real Estate in Palo Alto. I can be reached at 650 400 2986. Anne Arjani

Front View of 775 Cereza Drive, Palo Alto, CA

The Perfect Palo Alto Fixer uppper: Lot 8250 sq ft per assessor, Simple floorplan 1268 sq ft per assessor, Room for expansion on most sides of the home, 3 BR 1BA, Excellent Barron Park location near parks and schools, quiet street with updated and some very upscale homes, two car garage, Most of all…..there has been minimal updating and NO serious remodeling since the home was built in 1947. Outstanding Palo Alto schools include Juana Briones Elementary, Terman Middle and Gunn High School. The owner passed away peacefully in the home according to listing agent Betty Rooker.

This home has not been remodeled since it was constructed in 1947. Hey! That is the charm of the property. Also, it is far more affordable as an untouched home. Several of us (agents) were joking about having a football style office betting pool as to the number of multiple offers this property will garner. Since there is NO competition at this time, and it is priced at the most popular price point of 1.275M we think there will be between 10 and 23 offers on the Jan 9th offer date.

The spacious living room (this home was built before there were “family rooms”) has a wonderful dining “L” next to the spacious kitchen. The kitchen is adjacent to the backyard which is not always the case in a home of this era.

“Eat in Kitchen”….original 1947 aqual tile, linoleum floor, window facing fence setback, but with possible room to expand on two sides.

The most heavily “renovated” room in the home. Don’t you love that Oak toilet seat circa 1977?

All three bedrooms and the bathroom are adjacent to this small, simple hallway. A great simple floor plan!

Gorgeous relatively private and spacious backyard provides room to expand the Kitchen and a back bedroom, with room to spare for a wonderful out door entertaining space.

Perhaps someday there will be room for two cars? How about a garage loft for all of your “stuff”