Striking East Bay Eyeful - Page 2

"It looks like unhoned terrazzo," she suggested, adding, "It's such a strong architectural piece, and what I love about it is, it extends through the roofline."

And a true modern roofline it is, mostly flat but leading with a striking gable in front. A wraparound deck provides a view of the surrounding hillside and foliage. Flanigan also admires the walls of glass facing patios front and back and a modernist structuring about which she is admittedly biased.

"The post-and-beam ceiling, I think, is just exquisite," said the realtor, conceding that she herself is restoring a 1962 post-and-beam house elsewhere in Oakland.

Flanigan specializes in the East Oakland hill communities and said that, while there are a few MCM homes in the area and the small Sequoyah Hills tract of Eichlers nearby, "In Redwood Heights, they're somewhat unique."

The neighborhood and Redwood Road are named for the original grove of old-growth trees that were clear-cut in the 1850s. They have been replaced in the ensuing 160 years by possibly the oldest second-generation redwood forest in the western U.S.

"It's a very unique house," she says of 4239 Norton, conceding, "I mean, I love Eichlers, [and] it's not an Eichler, but it's something else!"

Since the listing, interest in the house has been steady the past week, with more than a dozen scheduled tours by realty agents and their clients almost everyday. Flanigan said it is in nearly impeccable condition and predicted a quick sale.

"It needs a little roof maintenance, a little pest [extermination] work, but not much at all," she promised. She said no offers will be considered, though, until February 23.

"They don't want to entertain any preemptive offers," the realtor said of her clients, who have helped restore a choice home and apparently know it.

For more information about 4239 Norton Avenue, click here.