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R EAL E STATE Q&A by Gloria Darke
What’s wrong with this house?
Photo by Veronica Weber/Embarcadero Media
Firefighters work on extinguishing a two-alarm blaze on Bay Road in Menlo Park on Feb. 14.
Q: I saw a house that I really like and it’s been on the market for over a month, while other homes in the neighborhood are selling within days. Is there something wrong with this house? The inspection reports look good for a home of this age. Robin S, Redwood City A: Every once in a while, a good property will “fall through the cracks�. Maybe the day that it was introduced to the realtors, it was rainy or there was a lot of houses to see that day or if it’s Washington’s birthday or something else that takes people out of town- all of these factors make a difference. As the saying goes, you have one chance to make a good first impression. If the house wasn’t pristine the first time
around, people won’t come back to see it and it doesn’t get sold right away. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with the house; it does happen. Your realtor should do a CMA for you, just as the listing agent did when the house was priced for the market. Even if it looks like it is priced in the range it should be, it will at this point in time probably not generate strong offers so this may be a good opportunity for you to get a good buy. However, there are agents who will price a listing too high and just let it sit on the market. If that is the case, you probably want to move on to something else. Sellers who have priced their homes way out of the range will rarely be someone you want to deal with.
For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at gdarke@apr. com or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property.
Menlo Park fire displaces 14 veterans Bay City News Service
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ourteen veterans were displaced from a group home in Menlo Park on Feb. 14 in a two-alarm fire that forced some to jump from second-story windows, Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. Flames blocked the only staircase in the home, located at 1208 Bay Road, but no injuries were reported, he said. “This was a very difficult fire,� he said. “We’re very fortunate nobody was killed or injured, especially with people jumping out of windows.� One of the veterans told investigators he accidentally started
the fire in the kitchen, Chief Schapelhouman said. He then quickly helped other people leave the board-and-care facility. Residents jumped from windows or were assisted by neighbors and others leaving the building, and they were all evacuated before the firefighters arrived. The fire was reported at the 5,000-square-foot home at about 4:40 p.m. and controlled about 35 minutes later, he said. The sprawling house, which was destroyed in the fire, had only one staircase despite its maze of 11 bedrooms. The fire spread to both floors and had burned through the stairs and
the second-story floor. “We’re lucky nobody fell through,� Chief Schapelhouman said. “You can’t see that in the smoke typically.� Crews stayed at the scene all night and resumed investigations the next morning. The 14 veterans have been relocated. Forty-one fire personnel responded, including eight engines, two trucks and six chief officers, Chief Schapelhouman said. Editor’s note: Authorities originally said the group home was in East Palo Alto but later said it was just across the border in Menlo Park.
Menlo talk: How to defend yourself against identity theft Nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, and spend thousands of dollars trying to rebuild their credit reports and clear their names off fake debts, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The Menlo Park Library will host a free presentation on how to protect your identity on Saturday, March 5. Kai Deering, an expert on identity theft and executive director of Prepaid Legal Services, will lead the discussion, which starts at 11 a.m. in the library at 800 Alma St. Free van service to the program is available for Menlo Park seniors and people with disabilities. Call 330-2512 or e-mail rlroth@menlopark.org for more information.
Troop 206 holds pancake breakfast Menlo Park/Atherton Boy Scout Troop 206 will once again serve
N BRIEFS
pancakes, sausages and fruit at their annual breakfast on Saturday, March 5. The breakfast runs from 8 a.m. to noon at Trinity Church parish hall, 330 Ravenswood Ave. in Menlo Park. If you’re a Cub Scout in uniform, breakfast is free; otherwise adults pay $5 and children, 10 and younger, pay $2.
Chamber gathers for breakfast meeting Combine breakfast with an annual update on the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Feb. 24. Mayor Rich Cline will discuss Menlo Park projects and priorities. Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. in the Menlo Park Presbyterian
Church social hall at 700B Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park. E-mail info@menloparkchamber.com or call 325-2818 to RSVP. Seating is limited, so reservations are required.
No council meeting Because everyone needs a day off after a three-day weekend, the Menlo Park City Council will not meet on Feb. 22. The council won’t convene again until Tuesday, March 1.
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