I thought the same thing.

Maybe the buyer is from a cold part of the country and his old house had those colors.

I still think it would look good though. Is it something like #8 here?

You'll have to take a picture of it for us.

Yes yes Ana! Pretty close except it has a blue undertone. Horrible dark color that wouldn't be so bad except it stands out in the neighborhood like an ugly box. Everything around is light colors and I think mine is the most radical with a light blue/gray stucco exterior with Teal and white accents. I'm waiting for the company who is doing this to find out it's not blending in. Of course maybe they don't want to blend. You just can't tell what they are up to. Bold move might pay off, but I'd rather that the house, which is on a corner lot, wasn't so 'in your face'.

Maybe I'll repaint mine in bright red and yellow stripes???

I find that very attractive. Maybe once you get used to it, you will like it too. Right now it's just different.

Ana

I agree with Jenny!

Ana

I'm with Ana - I like the dark color - it looks kind of rich. 'course , it does depend of the shape of the house also to a big extent.

but why be predictable and paint the same boring colors ? kinda nice to go out of the box once in a while. and landscaping would make a difference ,too.

I'm going to take a good picture and post it when they finish painting around the windows. Right now they are horrible with over spray and cardboard. Yuk.

Still trying to get used to the BOLD color of the house. It's pretty, really, but not in this neighborhood. I drove around this morning all over town looking for anything like it. Nothing, nada. Way too dark and stands out more because of the 3 sided view because it's on a big open corner with no bushes or anything around it. Bare lot, huge, dark house. Geeeee. It's going to take a very special buyer for this one.

My thought now is that others in the neighborhood will see this change, like it, and pretty soon we will have loads of houses painted in bold colors. Maybe that would lessen the impact.

Given the bold colors outside, I wonder what they did INSIDE? I saw them rolling up remnants of carpet the day before the painting. They were in 3 colors, dark navy, dark charcoal, and a light peachy beige. JUST what the house is painted! One can only speculate what they are doing in there. A major departure from all the other homes on their website that they have done in the past few years.

To see some of the final results of their handiwork try: AJX Homes, LLC. or ajxhomes.com

Thanks for the updates Sorta.

Yesterday afternoon the WINDOWS arrived. It took them less than 2 hours to pop out the 14, old rotted, broken, casement windows and install the new ones! Amazing. They look awesome except they are just regular casement windows with no small panes like the old 1935 style. Looks very modern.

So since they left lights on again, my friend and I did a little 'midnight reconnaissance' and walked over to take a peek. Wow! They have substantially changed the layout of the house. Couldn't see in the back area, but in the front, where there was a narrow strip living room with doors at each end, they opened up the area between the doors so now it's a nice open room with full view of the new kitchen. Kitchen still in the middle of the house in a U shape, but looking very nice with plain white cabinets, top and bottom and I think, an island which opens to the 'dining room'. Dining room used to be a narrow area with a 'pass through' window to the kitchen. Now it's no more wall there.

AND they have created a REAL master bedroom with it's own bathroom in the front corner of the house where it always was. It looks like they took a tiny bit of the original hallway from the living room and enclosed it to make the bathroom. All we could see was nice clean rug, walls, awesome doors (not plain but with some molded lines in them (never saw anything like it) and then the shower/bathtub area with the most beautiful earth tone tile all the way to the ceiling with an 'accent' trim of glass insert tile.

2nd bedroom very plain but huge closet along one wall. I don't know if they removed one of the 2 existing bathrooms, or created a 3rd. MY guess is they removed the one at the back door and put it in the master bedroom. The rear door was entry to a laundry area and a small bathroom.

Today, the 'tile guy' is out there cutting more tile so I guess he's doing the other bathroom(s). Couldn't see the kitchen floor, but I'm assuming it's also ceramic tile in some pattern. I've been looking at the other houses they have done and they are all gorgeous, sleek, polished, creative design.

I can hardly wait for the finished product. This will be a brand new house form some lucky people, except for the 'secrets' lurking under the house and in the yard and garage area. Only I will know how horrible it was and what might STILL be under the house from the broken sewer pipes and a series of druggies and squatters using the under-house entrance up through the chopped out wood floors. Or, the area beside the garage that they made into a huge garbage dump. I STILL can smell the garbage odor when the wind blows this direction. It will take many years and lots of rain (which is rare) to let nature get rid of that odor.

I'd never be able to live there knowing what I do, and I suspect the sellers won't be telling anyone the history of this house. As far as we know, only one person died there and he lived in the garage, somewhere around the 1970's. Natural death, no strange stuff but just a bit creepy if you knew. I always felt weird going into 'his' little apartment out there. And of course, I am sure that the ghost of good old Frank, the last owner who was there for so many years, will still be lurking around. Being a hoarder, he would never just abandon HIS territory. Nope. Maybe we will hear stories from the new owners!

They should be done with this house in a week or two. Only little stuff left to do like the tiling and then they will probably 'stage' it with simple furniture and have an open house. Hope so. I really want to see what other walls have been changed. They are doing an AWESOME job on that old place. I'm totally impressed (except for that dark color outside). Still not 'growing' on me. Maybe someday, there will be lots of plantings to buffer the stark, deathly dark, colored house.

If there is a light on tonight, we will do another midnight raid to see a bit more of the progress. I'm sure all the neighbors are keeping track of me and my friend wandering around over there. I'm very careful not to step off the public sidewalk. Don't want anyone calling the cops on me. Wouldn't that be fun?

Sorta

Don't let them lock you up.

Hey Space, they have to CATCH me first!

House is almost done. Just tile work all this week and still at it. I'll know they are done when I see the 'staging' with the furniture going in. So far, despite the FOR SALE sign in front, there is no listing on the internet. Maybe they are just testing the waters around the neighborhood to see how much they can get. Or so many people have stopped to ask the 'workers' about the house that they got tired of the interruptions. As far as I can tell, most of the workers do not speak English (I've talked to some).

Almost time to find a new project, but then again, when the NEW owners move in, ya never know what might happen.

Sorta. Hopefully you get a good new neighbor.

We are still in progress but almost finished. Yesterday, the painted the garage to match the house. We sneaked over after dark to look around at any more changes. Found out they completely removed the rear window to the garage. It wasn't really needed. It was an 8x5 foot huge thing at the back, but it has a twin on the side only feet away next to the rear door. Duh. They have put up nice 'porch' and security lights front and back of the garage (and I think on the side towards the one neighbor. Now there is a use for the little 'patio' slab behind the garage with lights.

Front porch is getting hand build railings. So far the rebuilt front porch (which NO ONE ever used in 37 years that I saw) is now just plain wood. I assume they will be painting or staining the wood soon. They have 'landscaped' most of the yard. Different colors of 'bark' are all over with divider boards. I'm sure they will be planting 'drought resistant' stuff in little holes throughout according to all the other houses on their website.

They finished the driveway gate, which had been just bare steel piping. It now matches the rest of the fence now. THEN, the really stupid move of the day, they poured a lovely sidewalk from the city sidewalk to the front porch. Unfortunately, they did what the original city builders had done. They poured the small space between city walk and the property line (where the fence and gate is), and true to the stupid city guys they poured it LEVEL to the existing walk BUT (and it makes me just shake my head) then they have a 4-5 inch STEP DOWN right at the gate to the walkway inside the fence. This is a major stupid hazard! I've walked over to a few neighbor's who had the same installation and practically fell down the little (almost not noticeable) step. I convinced one of my neighbors (who has disabilities) to get the city to make the step into a 'sloped ramp'. So easy. Now no more falling, tripping, or possible lawsuits from visitors getting injured.

I guess the guys at the old house just didn't think about HOW anyone who has poor eyesight, or some disability, or is in a wheel chair, OR has to have something heavy delivered, or expects UPS etc. to deliver things to the door, will navigate this really bad idea step. If I get a chance, when there is an open house or another opportunity to speak to the 'big guy' head of the project, I will tell him about this step hazard. Just an accident waiting to happen.

I will spend my day watching the progress and waiting for the real estate sites to post the house so I can find out what they are asking. I'm still guessing $450,000. The rehab guys paid $290,000 for a really bad shape house and have spent mega bucks fixing it up. It will surely increase all our property values around here. Waiting waiting waiting.

It would be neat if after all this drama the new place helps you with the value of your property.

It's nearing the END of the rehab. Last night, 3 women spent a time cleaning the windows outside and a guy with a camera and tripod arrived to take some pictures. AND this morning, the workers are still cleaning up all the construction debris AND for the first time in forever, the house actually has NUMBERS visible on the wall. It never had street numbers, we all just knew the address from the location (corner of..). A new beginning for our neighborhood.

I STILL can't figure out why the local gang/squatters haven't come back and marked their territory with graffiti on that 'blank slate' redwood fence. It's a perfect place to 'tag'. I'm sure it will happen. I'm not looking forward to seeing the usual markings and names all over the place and wondering what the Rehab company or the potential new owners will think when it does. Nothing around here, with a flat, wide, blank space escapes the graffiti. MY fence is 'picket' and it's not good for graffiti artists. I did that on purpose when I saw where and what the kiddies tagged. No graffiti for me. Most of us either have picket fences or plant bushes in front of the fence. Not good for tagging then.

Still waiting for them to put up a Mailbox. Gotta have one. The mailman told me he won't deliver mail until one goes up. It's the last thing to do over there. THEN all the people going over to see what it looks like. Still no posting on the net of price.

Again last night, we sneaked around looking in windows. They had left the living room/kitchen/dining all lit up and we could see the lovely countertops and a full set of stainless appliances including microwave and dishwasher stove. Nice. Little breakfast island fronting on the dining room. All rooms still configured the same except that new bathroom in the 'master' which was formerly a tiny hallway. Looking so nice.

I'd love to ask the 'rehab' guys IF they cleaned out all the JUNK under the house. Tons of bedding, other junky stuff, narcotic items, and of course all the sewage that flowed from the broken pipe all those months. IF they didn't clean it out, it's gonna be so creepy. I doubt the new owners will even know. Not telling. Not my job UNLESS someone asks me point blank and then I won't lie.

Still can smell the 'garbage' smell from the ground when they are digging in the dirt over there. They are doing some 'landscaping' today. It just keeps turning it up. Not a bad odor, just old yukky like the cans at the curb or the garbage truck going by on garbage day only it's constant. Ugh!

So glad there is an end in sight. Let's hope the new owners are wonderful and friendly folks

I would dearly LOVE to know how much they spent on this rehab! Seems like a princely sum...

I'll be able to give you a pretty good estimate of total cash INTO the project when they finally post the asking price. it should be soon. Workers finished up yesterday. Cleaned out all their tools, cleared everything of building supplies, finally put hinges on the front gate and took 2 or 3 full dump truck loads away. After that about 4 pm, nothing. Not even the 'head guys' came by. Today, nobody here like usual at 6-7 am. It'svnow after 8am and I see no movement, no cars/trucks, nothing. My guess is they are going to come over today to 'stage' the house for showing. All the houses on the website are carefully staged with minimal furniture and some decorations. Of course, it's totally possible that this house is already SOLD, even with the for sale sign out front. No flyers in the little box, nobody coming by to look.

Then again, people might have called the phone number and found the asking price outrageous. I'm looking at the buy price of $290k, plus the immediate cost of the sewer connection of 12k, then all the 7 workers all day long since April 4th, except Sundays. This place will be pricey. Looks fantastic from what I can see through the windows. Most of it was total tear down of walls and replacement of all the wall boards, ceiling (yeah the squatters tore that apart too!), replumbing, rewiring everything, and patching the floors where they chopped entry holes from under the house. AND all new windows everywhere, all new doors inside and out, landscape 'bark' all over the yard, built a new entry porch and sidewalk, new complete fence around it, carpet, tile, awesome showers, all new stainless appliances, cabinets, chandeliers, new roof on house and garage, new garage door, etc. So MUCH.

I'll keep looking for a listing today or if none, I'll have to needle my friend into calling them to see what the price is. I already have made contact and they KNOW I'm not buying so I won't waste their time. They always ask for name, address, phone etc. Hate that. I'd love to just get a price and hang up.

Still nothing moving over there. Off to spy.

The house is finished.

The house is staged.

The house is for sale.

All I can say is they do a really good rehab, it looks awesome, they made a ton of improvements BUT the PRICE???????

If you want the 50 cent tour: http://www.sandiegorealestatebuzz.com/listing/160035290-1198-twin-oaks-ave-chula-vista-ca-91911/

Nothing in this neighborhood has ever sold for that price for a SINGLE house on a SMALL lot. Average prices around here are low 400's for single house or 2 on 1 with substantial land (about 1/2 acre or more).

Wishing them good luck. It's a showplace now instead of a squatter's/druggie's paradise. I hope someone wonderful buys it but you never know. We may have another saga starting.

I love the color Sorta. They did a great job on it!

Hope whomever buys it is wonderful and full of neighborhood spirit

Wow... simply wow. I think I really like the house color now that I've seen it all put together. Could that price be because the lot is big enough to build another house?

Yeah Drac, they are advertising it as a possible 2 house property. We ALL have that designation around this neighborhood. Actually I am the ONLY one who has a THREE house property and a possibility of 4. I can't afford to build, but it's nice to know I have another actual assigned address for my empty back lot already on the city plans. Nice nice.

Most property around me is one or two houses on each lot, and many have extra empty space behind like mine. This one now is zoned R2 which means a 'small' second residence can be built. Two stories are allowed. The could actually build a duplex (townhouse) up and down and then sell off the whole thing. Money to be had for investors with cash. It would be very tight, but it would work. Maybe another investor will buy the house and build. I hope not. Houses around here were built in the 30's and 40's, then some 50's (like my 2 rentals). Only new builds were some condos near the big main street 1 block from me. Lots of duplexes.

I'm just on pins and needles waiting for the real estate people to come by with people to look at the house. So far, nothing. It only got listed yesterday eve, so there is plenty of time. I'm guessing the PRICE will keep most people away. This is considered a 'blighted' or 'depresses' area and we get all sorts of government monies, and programs to help the low income families. Mega money available for education of young kids, new school or upgrades, free food programs, special extra circular programs for the kiddies. Nice to know, but I don't qualify for anything nor do most of my neighbors who have owned their homes for eons. We have a SLEW of renters around here, very transient population.

Maybe the house will sell immediately or sit on the marker for months. I'm guessing the final sale price will be $450k. I've predicted that since the beginning. Time will tell.

I must say that after hearing all the terrible stories about this house it was a shock to see how nice it looks now.