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At Home
While I lived with others in flats during my young adult
life, I eventually saved enough money to put a down payment
on a home in Hillsborough, a suburb of Auckland, New
Zealand, as a 30th birthday present. However I never got
to live in it for more than a few weeks at a time, because
my company sent me to the U.S. in 1986, where I have been
since, more or less. I was able to be a landlord for the
years between 1986 to 1994, when I rented out my home to
friends. Eventually in 1994 I returned to sell my home, and
in May 1995 while back in the U.S., sold the home to an
overseas buyer for a considerable profit.
Between the years of 1986 and 1997, I shared apartments
and houses with friends and colleagues in the computer
industry. Finally in 1997, I decided it was time to find a
permanent home in the U.S., and purchased my current
property in May 1997, after a short approximately one-month
search using a buyers
agent. I had found a home in my price range and close to
that of my dream home.
The following is a document originally prepared by the
realtors that describes the home. Click on the links to see
photos or other information.
15 Aug 04 Recently
my next door neighbors sold their home. What I found
interesting was their realtor's use of technology to do a
virtual walk-thru of their property. Click
here to do the virtual walk-thru of their property - if
you zoom in and pan around, you will catch a glimpse of my
house. Be aware that a Java applet will be loaded, and
loading of the images can take a long time on a dial-up
modem connection (be patient). Please EMail me if the link
is no longer working (I don't know how long it will be
available).
Introduction
The following information is being
provided so as to explain in detail the manner in which this
home was built and discuss the custom features and benefits
which make this a "one of a kind" home.
It
has one of the most spectacular views
in the entire area. One must see and experience the
unobstructed views during the day and at night, the entire
Santa Clara valley, the peninsula, South San Francisco bay
and the rolling east foothills.
This
home is extremely quiet to live in. It is located on a
non-through street. It stays very cool in the summer and
very warm in the winter due to the design. Snow has fallen
here up to three inches during a cold spell.
Deer
and other
wildlife walk through the
property. When the valley is fogged over this home is
normally clear and sunny. During the 4th of July you are
able to view all of the fireworks displays with unobstructed
views.
This
document was originally prepared by Cornish
& Carey
residential real estate, with changes and corrections by the
owner.
Location and Dimensions
This home is located off Mt.
Hamilton Road (Hwy. #130) and has been built on .62 acres,
nestled on a hilltop. The home is 2517 square feet in size
and utilizes a geodesic dome design, sitting atop a
concrete
pier and post foundation
on a natural grade. There is unlimited parking at the first
level by the separate garage and approximately 1450 square
feet at the second level at the entrance to the home. The
home was built in 1978.
Geodesic Dome Design
The unique nature of this custom
designed home is its geodesic
dome design. Among the
many advantages of the geodesic dome design is energy
efficiency; utility bills in a geodesic dome home can be as
little as half those for a similarly sized conventional
rectangular home. The dome shape has 30 percent less
exterior wall area than a rectangle, so all things being
equal, 30 percent less heat is lost in winter and gained in
summer. Winds move smoothly over the dome shape; this
minimizes air leakage into the home. The interior dome shape
creates a natural flow of air inside the home, distributing
the heated or cooled air better throughout. With no interior
support walls, a more efficient open floor plan can be
designed.
The
dome was designed, manufactured and installed by
Cathedralite Domes of Aptos, California. The approximate
height between floor and the top of the dome is twenty feet.
The distance between each of the five major corners and the
center of the home at floor level is approximately
twenty-two feet.
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