Palo Alto Broker Tour: Townhomes, Condos & Starter Homes Take Center Stage — Lisa M. Musich, Compass Palo Alto
May 8, 2026
Lisa M. Musich of Compass Palo Alto hit Friday’s May 8th broker tour and found a sheet that felt more like January than May. If the busy spring season was supposed to arrive with a bang, someone forgot to tell today’s inventory. Townhomes, condos, and entry-level starter homes dominated the sheet with the mid-range and luxury segments being conspicuously absent.
What Lisa is watching: This is the split market playing out in real time. Confident, high-end purchasers are driving competition at the luxury end, while more cautious buyers are weighing layoffs, interest rates, and global instability before making a move. When luxury sellers aren’t bringing inventory to tour, it either means they’re selling off-market or they’re watching and waiting. Either way, buyers in that range should be working with an agent who has their ear to the ground.
That’s what I’m here for — reach out directly lisa.musich@compass.com
PROPERTIES VISITED
1157 Lincoln Ave — $2,888,000 | 4bd/2.5ba · 1,834 sqft · 2,647 sqft lot
What I expected to be an alleyway with garages lining the street, turned out to be a row of what were worker’s housing from the 1920s, now living their latest life as single-family homes in Palo Alto. The tucked-away positioning away from any main road is a genuine plus. That said, the layout creates real livability questions: two bedrooms upstairs share a bathroom, one downstairs bedroom has no bathroom and relies on a half bath shared with the washer and dryer, and the fourth bedroom has a full bath. Ceiling heights downstairs run short, adding to the compressed feel. Charming history, but buyers need to go in clear-eyed about the functional trade-offs.
2302 Webster St — $4,500,000 | 3bd/2ba · 2,076 sqft · 6,722 sqft lot
Webster was a standout of the day. They managed to execute a thoughtful remodel while preserving original character details, increasingly hard to find in Palo Alto real estate at any price. The backyard is wonderful, and a two-car garage sits perfectly positioned for conversion if a future owner ever wanted to expand the living footprint. There is still work to be done; the shared bathroom retains its original pink subway tile and a tiny stall shower, and the windows are all original, but for buyers who understand that those are opportunities rather than deal-breakers, this one delivers.
699 Oregon Ave — $2,988,000 | 3bd/2ba · 1,385 sqft · 5,040 sqft lot · PA 237 · Garage conversion brings to 1,611 sqft
This is move-in ready with upgrades that are well executed. Two significant considerations: first, this property sits on the corner of a busy intersection. The mature landscaping does serious work creating a buffer and you won’t see the street, but you will hear it. Second, the converted garage has been staged as a bedroom but has no bathroom, a configuration that will be a dealbreaker for buyers who consider a garage non-negotiable. For buyers who don’t need the garage and appreciate a turnkey Palo Alto home, this is worth a look.
ALSO ON TOUR
3830 Carlson Cir — $3,999,000 | 4bd/3.5ba · 2,496 sqft · 6,695 sqft lot
707 Charleston Ct — $3,998,000 | 7bd/3.5ba · 3,061 sqft · 7,991 sqft lot
4133 Wilkie Way — $2,988,000 | 3bd/2ba · 1,596 sqft · 6,160 sqft lot
800 E Charleston Rd #9 — $1,638,000 | 2bd/2.5ba · 1,359 sqft · Condo/Townhome
101 Acacia Ln — $2,685,000 | 3bd/2.5ba · 1,735 sqft · Townhome
100 Koa Ct — $2,595,000 | 3bd/2.5ba · 2,040 sqft · Townhome
103 Koa Ct — $2,098,000 | 2bd/2.5ba · 1,548 sqft · Townhome
290 Leland Ave — $3,848,000 | 3bd/2ba · 1,513 sqft · 6,250 sqft lot ·
2066 Byron St — $5,898,000 | 4bd/4ba · 3,120 sqft · 7,590 sqft lot
1157 Lincoln Ave — $2,888,000 | 4bd/2.5ba · 1,834 sqft · 2,647 sqft lot
543 Everett Ct — $3,388,000 | Triplex/6bd · 2,578 sqft · 4,250 sqft lot · Price reduced $562K
101 Alma St #201 — $1,388,888 | 2bd/2ba · 1,216 sqft · Condo
636 Alvarado Row — $2,675,000 | 4bd/2.5ba · 2,656 sqft · 11,160 sqft lot ·