Two Berkeley homes for sale: just $1.00 each

[Liberal_in_LA]

There is a catch: You have to move them without disturbing the trees.

It sounds too good to be true and it probably is -- but, unlike a certain balloon boy, it's not a hoax.

Two homes in a prime spot in Berkeley have been listed for sale, and the asking price on each one is a mere $1.00.

The turn-of-the century homes, at 2241 and 2243 College Ave, are owned by, and sited on the campus of, UC Berkeley and they are probably best described as fixers. But they definitely have potential. The catch in that attractive looking purchase price is that both houses need to be moved and if you buy them that job falls to you. Another salient fact? The university requires a $100,000 deposit to demonstrate commitment.

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As CBS5 reported, one of the challenges of moving the houses is that they are surrounded by a number of beautiful mature trees. These, it goes without saying, must remain intact. Given how vociferous Berkeleyites have been in the past about preserving their trees, this could be the biggest obstacle to securing what must count as potentially the real-estate bargain of the year.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=50097&tsp=1#ixzz0UuOFrsL0

[xchrom]

1. i know right where those homes are.

and they are terrific homes.

moving them though would cost a very very pretty penny.

[Nikki Stone1]

2. Why do they have to be moved?

Or am I being dense here?

[Horse with no Name]

3. Prime real estate.

Too good for just a house. :(

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. New academic building will be located at the site

[Nikki Stone1]

6. And they are going to build it without ruining the trees?

What kind of building will it be?

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. Law and Business connection building. Here is the link

http://www.cp.berkeley.edu/SCIP/SCIP_DEIR_announcement_050806.pdf

[tularetom]

5. Maybe it's just me

but I don't see any trees around the first one.

[xchrom]

8. i know, huh? -- but i know there are trees all

over that street and the neighborhood there.

[tularetom]

12. I know it well also - it's right off Bancroft

And there ARE a lot of trees there, at least there were back in the 60's when I spent a lot of time in that area.

As a Cal graduate I probably should not say this, but the university is the 800 lb gorilla in Berkeley and definitely not a good neighbor. Remember Peoples Park? I do, I was working on the Shattuck Avenue BART station and was a reserve Berkeley cop in my spare time. The whole problem was caused by the university's refusal to even discuss the matter without resorting to force.
I was part of that force and I felt shitty about doing the university's dirty work for it. Most of the Berkeley PD was not happy withy how it was handled, particularly when the Alameda Sheriffs and Oakland PD got called in.

I guess things haven't changed much in 40 years.

[xchrom]

14. no -- the university still doesn't to

cooperate with the community.

lol -- i was thirteen -- but i was there for most of the people's park dust up.

[grasswire]

7. gee, the salvage would itself be a good investment...

...I would think. Take the damn things apart, salvage the architectural detail and the good woods. Don't worry about moving them as is. Dispose of anything not usable.

Cool.

[imdjh]

9. Bulldoze them.

[JVS]

10. Why should anyone pay money to do ucal's demolition work?

[itsrobert]

13. Tie thousands of balloons to them

and move it by balloon power.