It’s a property with a view spanning over 10,000 square feet in Alameda, less than a mile from the beach and just steps away from Rittler Park and South Shore Center.
For $400,000, it could be yours, but you might need to sprout some gills if you want any chance of living there. The lot at 610 Grand Street (no bedrooms, no bathrooms) isn’t overlooking the coveted neighborhood’s scenic bridge. It’s in the depths of the murky lagoon beneath it.
“One of the neighbors contacted me and said, ‘Oh is this a joke?’” April Jones, the real estate agent representing the property, recently told ABC7. “And I said, ‘No, it’s not a joke. Someone bought it and they own it now.’”
The property was purchased at auction in March 2023 by its current owner, a San Lorenzo pastor who “hoped to fix it and flip it,” Jones told the Alameda Post, which first reported the story. Per Jones, he purchased the lot sight unseen about $300,000 below asking, but did not realize it was underwater until he saw the photographs she took at a later date. Now, he’s attempting to sell it again.
It’s been on the market for over 300 days, Redfin data shows.
The lot at 610 Grand St. is underwater. Google Street View
The lot was originally part of a property owned by fruit-processing magnate Arthur Cleveland Oppenheimer, which included a main house, guest house, dog kennels and tennis courts, according to Alameda Magazine. But the tidelands were later filled by Utah Construction to create South Shore in the late 1950s, placing half of the property underwater.
Alameda home prices are up 7.6% in comparison to last year, with properties selling for a median price of $1.3 million, per Redfin. The seller may be asking well below that price for this lot, but part of the problem is that while the property is zoned for residential use, its restrictions prohibit the obstruction of navigation and maintenance on the waterway, City of Alameda Planning Manager Steven Buckley told the Alameda Post. That means any construction would need to go around any vessels passing through and allow for the water to flow freely. The buyer would also need to consider sea-level rise and the stability of the lagoon floor.
Some offers have come through, Jones said, but she’s still waiting to net the right buyer.
“I’ve had some unusual properties in my career, but this was a first,” she told ABC7.
Source: SFGATE