Berkeley fixer with incredible bay views wants buyer with $920K and a strong stomach for renovation

Here’s a unique property: 841 Alvarado Rd. is a “major fixer,” according to its listing language; yet it rests on a hillside with a sweeping — and almost unobstructed — bay view, in “one of Berkeley’s most demanded & highest priced per square foot neighborhoods.” This home is now on the market for $920,000.

Small midcentury

Built in 1954, this two-bed, one-bath home speaks of a different era in Berkeley’s Claremont Hills. The residence is just 1,000 square feet on a lot more than six times that size; today’s tastes seem to run to much larger structures in this rarified area.

And indeed, renderings for what buyers might do with this land show a much larger house. These renderings, pictured above, along with floor plans also pictured, “will be delivered to the new buyer who can then submit them for permits!” The use of exclamatory punctuation here is a good choice, as Berkeley’s permit process is neither simple nor cheap: the would-be permit fetcher needs the proper enthusiasm and determination to conquer the job.

Remodel, your way

However, this is the Claremont Hills. Could this be a chance for “MASSIVE profits for the right investor” as the listing proclaims?

The current home, with its views and fireplace, has some disheveled charm inside. The outside, however, helps us see better why the listing language calls the home a “major fixer.”

New owners have several options: build up, build down, or do both. The lot is 6,165 square feet.

All this for $920,000. The price, by the way, is probably negotiable, given how many times it has come down since listing in September of 2017.

What do you say, readers? Opportunity knocking? What would you do with 841 Alvarado?

Anna Marie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Follow Anna on Twitter: @AnnaMarieErwert