Barry Ln, West Atherton

What is the most expensive home sold in all of San Mateo County in the last year?

Well here it is, right on Barry Lane. (It may in fact be the most expensive home sold in the entirety of the Bay Area--not sure. Can’t imagine there are many that are more expensive.) The home sold for a whopping $18 million and change. (Who pays attention to thousands once your are into 8 figures really?)

Where was this home? In Atherton, of course. West Atherton to be specific. Some might be surprised that Hillsborough did not have a more expensive home. Hillsborough certainly had a home or two that aspired to beat that amount and they have blown Atherton out of the water in previous years, but this year the best they could muster was a 7-bedroom home that sold for $13 million. (That home is currently only valued at an estimated $7 million.)

So what is so great about this Barry Lane home?

Well, though this home was built in 1963, the owners have renovated it to the point that it is basically a wholly new home. It has 3 bedrooms and 4 baths, 3500 ft and a pool. Because this is Atherton, one of the most expensive cities in one of the most expensive counties in all of the United States, this is enough to make prices soar. That said, I have seen estimates that put the price of this home at a much lower $5.5 million. (In 2009, before the renovations, it sold for $4.5 million.)

What about the rest of the homes on Barry Lane?

Barry Lane is a pretty typical Atherton Street, very woody feeling and with a ton of gorgeous homes. (You wouldn’t expect any less, would you?) It connects Atherton Ave. to Faxon Rd. and maybe has 2 dozen homes along its stretch and appending cul-de-sacs.

Other homes recently sold along Barry Lane and within a block or so have sold for $4 to $5 million--more typical of Atherton prices even in this market. These are the kinds of big homes that are well screened by shrubbery and high walls so you don’t get too much of a view of most of them. When you do you find large attractive homes that clearly don’t mind flaunting their beauty. This is, without a doubt, the stomping grounds of the 1%.

And, of course, you get the great Atherton Schools and relative proximity to Silicon Valley. A great place to live if you own your own company and make the big bucks.