Home prices in the Bay Area of California are already crazy expensive, but the houses built near Apple’s recently opened spaceship campus are setting a new bar.
The already red-hot real estate market has gone molten in Sunnyvale, with a two-bedroom, one-bath home near the campus setting the city’s all-time record price per square foot.
The owner had planned to ask $1.45 million for the home, but before they could even officially list it, a private buyer put in a bid of $2 million. That works out to $2,358 per square foot.
Here’s the wild part of this story: It wasn’t even the extra $600,000 that convinced the seller to take the offer. It was a personalized note from the would-be buyer that talked about how much their cats would enjoy living in the home. No… really.
Apple Park opened its doors last year. At the center of the facility is a 2.8-million-square-foot ring building made entirely of curved glass, which employees keep walking into, and then calling 911. More than 12,000 employees work at Apple Park (though we don’t know how many own cats).
While this transaction may have set a local real estate record, expect that record to fall soon. There are plenty of homes very close to Apple Park—and as news of the price per square foot spreads, that could spur people to consider a move.