Real Estate 680

A FASCINATION FOR EICHLER

Written by Sam Benson on November 1st, 2007 - 2 Comments »

Joseph Eichler’s homes still show the imagination that has not been equaled in the last 50 years. They still look MODERN. Most of the homes built were tract homes, built on site, with not a lot of frills. They are concrete, glass and tremendous lines. I have heard he stopped building these homes because the cost of concrete and glass became too expensive. A ranch style home was much cheaper to build. I took less time, the material cost less and it’s my opinion that it was more appealing to the mass amount of people buying homes in California in the 1960’s.

The Eichler communities in the San Francisco East Bay attract a tremendous amount of buyers. Castro Valley Eichlers have a unique element, as they are one of the only Eichler neighborhoods built on slopes. Rancho San Miguel in Walnut Creek is a large community of Eichlers. Many of the original owners still live here. The Eichlers of Walnut Creek are being purchased by young families. My colleague, Heidi Slocomb said, “Walnut Creek Eichlers are on their third generation of raising families.” The Eichlers of Oakland and Concord are smaller communities, but are also very desirable to people wanting the mid-century modern home that really fits today’s lifestyles.

We are having the second annual Eichler Fair in Walnut Creek on Saturday, March 8, 2007. We are inviting contractors and manufactures that specialize in products and service that lend themselves to Eichlers. I will publish more as we finalize the list.