What I Saw on Tour This Week: Listings Worth Knowing
Lisa M. Musich, Compass Palo Alto
June 9 and 12, 2026
Tuesday, June 9: San Francisco Calling
Tuesday’s Menlo Park-Atherton broker tour happened without me. I traded it for a trip up to San Francisco to meet with a team I’m in early discussions with about joining. The reasoning is twofold and worth being transparent about: inventory in the Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos and Atherton corridor is genuinely tight right now, and the agent culture in these micro-markets can be… let’s say… protective. It’s an environment that can limit growth for a newer advisor trying to build a meaningful client base. The second reason is harder to ignore: with the Anthropic and OpenAI IPOs fast approaching, the wealth creation conversation is increasingly centered in San Francisco. I’ll remain based in Palo Alto, Compass Palo Alto is home, but being in the room when that wave hits feels like the right move. More on this as it develops.
Friday, June 12th: Palo Alto Tour
As for Friday’s Palo Alto tour, there are definitely some properties that are ready to go for buyers who are prepared to move quickly. A handful stood out immediately: a townhome that should have a line out the door, two listings ready to go that hold their own charm respectively, a new build in a prime location, and a renovation opportunity for the buyer who isn’t afraid of a project.
This weekend I’ll be supporting Gamble Garden’s Second Saturday, one of the best kept secrets on the Peninsula for anyone who hasn’t been, and hosting my very first open house in San Francisco. Yes, I am currently deep in a study session on the 1BR/1BA condo market in the city. Consider this my continuing education.
What Lisa is watching: The AI IPO pipeline is the macro story that will shape Atherton and Palo Alto luxury real estate for the next two to three years. OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and a cluster of other companies valued in the hundreds of billions have yet to go public. When they do and if the conventional wisdom holds the wealth unlocked will be significant.
My read: the executives and founders will look to plant their flag in Atherton. Statement properties, large lots, the kind of compound living that signals arrival in Silicon Valley. The day-to-day employees, flush with liquidity but not at that level, are more likely to stay in the San Francisco market where they already live. What that means for Atherton real estate specifically is a buyer pool that could get meaningfully deeper at the very top end, in a market where top-end inventory is already scarce.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2026 — PALO ALTO
THE ONE TO SPRINT TO
4245 Rickeys Way, Unit D, Palo Alto — $1,888,000 | 3bd/3ba · 1,406 sqft · Townhome Anna Park, Compass
If you have a buyer with a budget under $2M and a young family to house, stop what you are doing and book this showing today. This townhome sits in the Arbor Real community, a prime position right off El Camino, perfectly split between 101 and 280. HOA fees are a completely reasonable $343/month, which in Palo Alto real estate terms might as well be a gift. The unit is in excellent shape, tucked at the back of the complex so you genuinely do not hear El Camino, and it is literally steps from the park. One honest note: there are a couple of flights of stairs involved, so this skews toward buyers who don’t need everything on one level. For the right young family? Run, don’t walk.
THE RENOVATION CONVERSATION STARTER
3161 Emerson Street, Palo Alto — $2,998,000 | 4bd/3ba · 1,881 sqft · 6,250 sqft lot
Zach Trailer, Compass
This one is a gut renovation or a tear-down – full stop. The bones are there, the layout actually works, but it is extremely dated. I’ll admit: the real wood paneling started to grow on me by the end of the tour, which I did not expect. The upstairs primary could easily flex into a guest suite or dedicated office, and there is genuine room for expansion on the lot. The street and location are excellent. My honest read: the listing price feels slightly optimistic for the condition, and the market will weigh in accordingly. Worth watching closely for the buyer who wants to build equity through a project in a premier Palo Alto neighborhood.
JUDY CITRON DOES IT AGAIN — PART ONE
360 Oxford Avenue, Palo Alto — $4,688,000 | 4bd/3ba · 2,454 sqft · 7,500 sqft lot
Judy Citron, Compass
Judy Citron has a consistent knack for the most charming and well-appointed listings in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, and 360 Oxford is no exception. Thoughtful layout, completely move-in ready, and the location is exceptional steps from California Avenue restaurants, the farmers market, and Caltrain. The backyard is generous and genuinely usable. I counted at least five families touring with their agents during my walk-through. This property will not sit. If you have a buyer in the $4–5M range who wants Cal Ave walkability and a home they can live in from day one, this is the conversation to have today.
JUDY CITRON DOES IT AGAIN — PART TWO
150 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto — $3,975,000 | 4bd/2ba · 2,055 sqft · 7,500 sqft lot
Judy Citron, Compass
Completely unassuming from the street — and then you walk to the back half of the house and vaulted ceilings open up with skylights flooding the space with light. Most of the bedrooms have French doors to the outside, giving the whole property an airy indoor-outdoor quality that photographs will not fully capture. Bonus: the most charming kids’ bedroom I have seen in recent memory. The honest trade-off: Churchill carries steady traffic, and you are close enough to Caltrain that you will hear trains through the day, evening, and weekends. For the right buyer who can tune that out, the light and the layout are genuinely special.
THE TURNKEY NEW BUILD
1211 Fulton Street, Palo Alto — $5,488,000 | 4bd/5ba · 2,508 sqft · 5,625 sqft lot
DeLeon Team, DeLeon Realty
Built in 2020, so effectively brand new, and it shows. The layout is thoughtful for a new build and the location within Palo Alto is excellent. Two honest observations: the primary bedroom looks out over the roofline, which is a bit of a letdown at this price point — though the room itself is a very livable size. And the nano wall running along one side of the kitchen and sitting area is beautiful, but it absorbs the obvious TV wall and leaves the family room question somewhat open. Despite those notes, I expect this one to move quickly. New construction quality, a prime Palo Alto address, and an ADU make a compelling package.
ALSO ON TOUR — PALO ALTO
3248 Clifton Court — $3,788,000 | 4bd/3ba · 2,120 sqft · 7,200 sqft lot
Matt Zampella, Christie’s International
1046 Metro Circle — $2,888,000 | 4bd/2ba · 1,794 sqft · 8,613 sqft lot
Jackie Schoelerman, Coldwell Banker
444 San Antonio Road, Unit 7B — $1,650,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,556 sqft
Mike Aranda, Guide Real Estate
163 Greenmeadow Way — $1,595,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,030 sqft · 1,808 sqft lot
Timothy Foy, Midtown Realty · ⬇ Price reduced $100,000 from $1,695,000
101 Acacia Lane — $2,685,000 | 3bd/2ba · 1,735 sqft
100 Koa Court — $2,595,000 | 3bd/2ba · 2,040 sqft
103 Koa Court — $2,098,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,548 sqft
MJ Frankel, Martin Frankel Broker · Townhomes
161 California Avenue, Unit K104 — $928,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,117 sqft
Nicholas French, Christie’s International
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2026 — MENLO PARK & ATHERTON
MENLO PARK
2315 Warner Range Ave — $11,495,000 | 6bd/6.5ba · 6,402 sqft · 12,048 sqft lot
Josh Rubin, Compass
1185 Trinity Dr — $4,595,000 | 4bd/3ba · 2,840 sqft · 15,004 sqft lot
Nicole Aron, Compass
1310 Trinity Dr — $2,595,000 | 3bd/2.5ba · 2,690 sqft
Nathalie D.S.A., Christie’s Sereno
2315 Eastridge Ave #724 — $1,099,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,097 sqft
Jason Sewald, Clutch Property · Condo
2061 Sterling Ave — $4,745,000 | 4bd/3ba · 2,652 sqft · 6,000 sqft lot
Billy McNair, Coldwell Banker
971-977 Oak Lane — $4,950,000 | 8bd/4ba · 5,088 sqft · 15,071 sqft lot
Keri Nicholas, Parc Agency
740 Roble Ave — $2,195,000 | 2bd/2ba · 1,550 sqft · 5,350 sqft lot
Nicole Aron, Compass
825 Woodland Ave — $3,750,000 | 3bd/3ba · 1,610 sqft · 5,843 sqft lot
John Marshall, Coldwell Banker
746 15th Ave — $2,249,000 | 3bd/2ba · 1,479 sqft · 5,350 sqft lot
Talia Citron, Compass
ATHERTON
31 Rittenhouse Ave — $3,988,000 | 3bd/3ba · 2,300 sqft · 14,007 sqft lot
DeLeon Team, DeLeon Realty
96 Heather Dr — $17,980,000 | 8bd/7.4ba · 12,255 sqft · 42,588 sqft lot
Judy Citron, Compass
Lisa Musich is a luxury real estate advisor with Compass Palo Alto (DRE #02210590), specializing in the Bay Area. She holds a C.P.R.E.S. certification in probate real estate. For weekly broker tour recaps, Peninsula market intelligence, and luxury real estate insights, visit lisamusich.com or reach-out to lisa.musich@compass.com
