830 El Camino Del Mar

We never get tired of the image. If only we could say the same about the listing. That’s right, like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, 830 El Camino Del Mar has returned to the MLS for the sixteenth time since 1998 without a single sale.

Asking $8,500,000 in 1998, the property hit a peak list price of $18,000,000 in 2008, was last listed for $11,500,000 in January 2010 and last asking $9,990,000 before being withdrawn, the price at which it’s once again on the MLS in 2011 with an official thirteen years “one” day on the market.

As a plugged-in reader notes, perhaps it’s time to add a stanza or two to the poem.

35 thoughts on “Like The Swallows To Capistrano, 830 El Camino Del Mar Returns”
  1. She’s back again in 2011
    Just a little more money
    Sent up to heavan
    A beautiful home
    And that is for sure
    But at nine nine nine (16)
    It’s a Realator chore
    Here’s to sitting open house
    I’m sure with a grin
    Why not pick an agent
    Who hails from Marin
    She sits up high firmly on rock
    A sale at asking would make eyes pop
    So we’d like to send best wishes to Decker Bullock

  2. Hey, if the owner only drops the price another $1.5M then at its 1998 price and will fly off the shelf.
    right ? …. right ?
    I think that this is a textbook case for a property that though has accumulated years “on the market” though it is actually never really authentically been on the market. No doubt over the past 13 years the seller has received at least a few realistic offers. Make me move.
    (and the first two sentences of this article made me crack up. thanks)

  3. This is getting a little silly… The sellers clearly aren’t serious about selling this house. This is also the problem you have when you choose an agent with no proven track record of selling high end homes in San Francisco. I have the feeling that SF’s own top agents won’t even bother showing this thing. Decker’s website is hysterically misleading… She includes several properties where she either lost the listing or where another agency took over the listing and sold it (Malin). And how many realtors have that albatross 2820 Scott on their websites?

  4. The sellers clearly aren’t serious about selling this house. This is also the problem you have when you choose an agent with no proven track record of selling high end homes in San Francisco.
    “In ‘99 Malin
    tried again
    for 7.8 (2)
    with a view
    of the gate”
    “Well well well
    Later that year
    Nina did appear”
    According to the poems, they tried the top two agents in SF before, who failed. Why not try someone else?

  5. This is an interesting lot. I’d think it could command 2k psf. And it does seem to have some expansion potential as well.

  6. I knew Nina had the listing in the late 90s… I’m thinking unreasonable/weird seller. I also don’t see why this couldn’t sell for 2k a foot. It IS a one of a kind house. However, I wonder if it is still possible to expand it? I wonder if the neighbors would be in an uproar if someone tried to change any of the features…

  7. Both Malin and Nina have had this listing without a sale….Ohh and just about every other realtor in not only SF but the Bay Area. It clearly has nothing to do with who’s represeting them.

  8. There is a class of people, when they buy anything, it is immediately for sale. That hamburger they just bought at McD’s with one bite taken is for sale…at full list.
    This would be an agent’s nightmare. Unless you’re curious, looking at this place is a waste of time.

  9. Not really. The market for houses located at 830 El Camino Del Mar is neither liquid nor efficient. Speculating about “fair market value” is useless in this context.

  10. Well, 740 El Camino Del Mar sold for 5.4… about 1350 per foot (based on Property Shark’s square footage). It went into contract almost instantly. This house is a certainly more unique. There’s no reason this wouldn’t sell for 6-7 million even in this market. A few view homes in Pac Heights sold for over 2k per foot over the past year, but I think they were either totally remodeled or in excellent condition.

  11. 740 wasn’t othe cliff despite what the pics show. Also, another site has noted:
    Approved plans for a new top floor would be on this roof the skylight would be removed and the space would be extended west and east producing an additional 4000 +/- square feet and views beyond the imagination.
    so this does have expansion potential.
    [Editor’s Note: As we wrote two years ago:

    Once again, two bedrooms and under 4,000 square feet, but “approved plans for a huge [penthouse] addition sure to be the world’s most dynamic master” are included.

    Our estimated cost to actually affect said addition on this particular home? Priceless…

    That being said, we believe the touted addition would add closer to three thousand square feet rather than four.]

  12. EH wrote:

    Could they be that close? What’s the highest psf in SF?

    How about 2901 Broadway, at about $4,500 per square foot or thereabouts, I think. And that’s after one of the most recent asking price reductions. Of course, that’s the asking price per square foot, and the place hasn’t sold after being on the market literally for years.
    Anyone know what the actual highest price per square foot actually paid recently is?

  13. The highest price per foot for a SFR is still going to be the 08 sale of 2799 Broadway at a little over 2500 per foot. 300 Sea Cliff MAY have moved at close to 2700 per foot, but I think that house was larger than the estimated 6700 square feet. 2600 Pacific is going to be next at 2100 per foot. I don’t know the square footage of 2342 Broadway, but I think it still sold over 2k per foot. There maybe a few mystery sales that sold in that range, but I can’t confirm them.
    I wonder what is the highest per foot sale of all time? It may still be the Getty apartment in Royal Towers which sold back in 99 for an estimated 3750 per foot (15 million for 4k square feet).

  14. Ha, these guys again? FYI, the owner is a total nut case. Seriously crazy, and has driven away numerous agents with his insane demands and terrible attitude. I pity the fool who has to go into escrow with this monster. You wonder why it’s taken so long? Don’t.
    Two words: STAY AWAY!

  15. Does anyone know why 740 El Camino del Mar, mentioned above by Denis, says not arms length on Redfin?
    Dec 22, 2010 Sold (Public Records)
    This was not an arm’s length transaction $5,400,000
    Dec 22, 2010 Sold (MLS) (Sold) $5,400,000
    The listing agent double-ended the “sale.” Maybe a trust transfer of some sort? The prior owner is Whs 1999 (Trust).

  16. My experience with comments like the one from @Billy is that it is a sign of interest and activity. I’m predicting 2011 will be the year for this place. $8.35M

  17. Has anybody ever seen floorplans for this home? I would love to take a peek at them.
    I often wonder if the flow of the home has anything to do with the marketability of this white elephant.

  18. “My experience with comments like the one from @Billy”
    It’s possible. A quick search suggests someone who posts as “Billy” tends to write on posts with ridiculously expensive or trophy properties. It also makes sense that such a person would think public disclosure of a public record is inappropriate.
    There was also a billybobberkeley on one post regarding this property who also said something similar to Billy in this post.

  19. You guys are sleuths. Good job! Except for your assumption that public record disclosure is inappropriate. You are wrong wrong wrong.
    I know the owner personally (unfortunately), and he’s a [Removed by Editor]. So I tell people to watch out, bc he’ll make any normal transaction a nightmare, and go out of his way to do so. Wether it be wine or his horribly gaudy house, you won’t be let down.
    Disclose all ya want! [Removed by Editor]

  20. Oh, and by the way, I know for a fact there was interest from someone in the latter part of last year, and [the owner] rejected the 7 mil they offered him, so we’ll see. I think he’s still on the moon.

  21. Now I think they are just messing with us. This did have a pending on the For Sail sign there for a while. Guess that didn’t work out.
    Back on market. $9,990,000
    But we all know you could have this for $9.9 even.

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