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House Near Apple Spaceship Campus Smashes Sunnyvale Real Estate Record

SUNNYVALE (KPIX 5) -- A tiny house in Sunnyvale brought in a big sale price and smashed a real estate record.

Coldwell Bank realtor Doug Larson said, "I expected a higher offer than the list price."

In the Bay Area's red-hot housing market that's not unusual, but the offer they got for this modest Sunnyvale home was unusual.

Larson said, "I was more than a little surprised -- pleasantly surprised."

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Sunnyvale's Cherry Chase neighborhood was listed at $1.45 million. But before it even officially went on the market, a private buyer ponied up $2 million in cash.

So, why this home, in this neighborhood?

Larson says it's close to a number of tech companies, including Apple's spaceship campus.

"Sunnyvale is the heart of Silicon Valley. It's close to all the employers in the high-tech industry," Larson said.

Still, the home sold in record time for a record price: At $2,358 per square foot.

It's the highest price per square foot for a home in Sunnyvale...ever.

Neighbor Florence Winslow said, "This is pretty spectacular. I understand it's a big lot. Maybe, the buyer plans to tear it down and build a great-big house someday."

So, money always talks. And coming in a half million over the asking price didn't hurt.

But the buyer also wrote a personal letter to the seller, from one cat owner to another.

He told her how much his cats would love living in her home someday. It was part of the personal touch that helped the sale speed through.

According to Zillow, homes in Sunnyvale had been selling for an average of just over $1.5 million in January, but that number is expected to rise.

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