The 4BR/4BA double-wide Craftsman home at 53 Clarendon in Clarendon Heights was last sold in a court-confirmed sale for $2,210,000 in October 2008. The new owners then fully renovated the property in 2009, and promptly put it back on the market in May 2009 for $3,485,000. That didn’t work, and another failed sales attempt was made later that year with a list price of $2,999,999.

It’s almost a year later, and the price hasn’t dropped much. 53 Clarendon is now listed for $2,899,000. With 3500 square feet of space and that extra wide lot to play with, you won’t be at a loss for a guest room. And you do get views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sutro Tower, downtown San Francisco and the East Bay. I have to admit that the upstairs master bath is pretty sweet:

But will the $2.9M list price fly? Based on recent 4BR comps that have sold since January in the neighborhood, the list price doesn’t seem completely out of whack. But I do think the luxury market will continue to experience challenges–most notably where loans are concerned.

It’s always a kick to point out recent sales that are typical of the current market’s mood swings. Random examples of homes selling for well above or below their list prices pop up on a regular basis. And there were two good examples last week.

151 Mendosa in Forest Hill is a 4BR/3.5BA ocean-view home with 4250 square feet on a very cute cul-de-sac street:

What it lacks in exterior appeal, it makes up for in views, as this ornate dining room outlook attests:

The house was listed at $1,495,000 in early October, and closed escrow last week for $1,650,000. It helps to know that this particular listing agent is known for underpricing properties, but the point is that buyers are still falling in step with that strategy.

At the other end of the spectrum was 176 Palo Alto in Clarendon Heights:

The 3BR/1.75BA modernist home featured 20′ glass windows and lots of wood. Listed in September for $2,280,000, the property sold last week for $1,925,000.

The usually quiet enclave of Clarendon Heights—the area northwest of Twin Peaks—is a hotbed of activity this week thanks to six current luxury listings. (To put things in perspective, only six homes sold in the neighborhood in all of 2009.) Two of the current listings are on coveted Palo Alto Avenue. Both have great decks with massive views. But only one has a tree stump inside.

206 Palo Alto is the latest addition to the Clarendon Heights view home inventory. Owned by a designer, the 4,340 square foot, 4BR/3.5BA home listed at $4.2M was renovated over the past few years (including a two-story rear yard addition). It’s got the expected bridge-to-bridge views, from this deck—pictured on a day when the typical fog and wind in the area weren’t hanging around:

There are three levels that include a media room, library and accessible outdoor living areas on every level. They’ve even brought the outdoors inside, giving a tree stump its own room as an homage to nature:

206 Palo Alto was last sold in a less jacked-up form in 2003, for $1.3M.

Over at 20 Palo Alto, things are a bit more toned down:

The interior isn’t quite as stylish, but you still get a nice deck with stunning views (and a substantially lower, $2,850,000 list price):
The 5BR/5.5BA home has floor-to-ceiling windows, and a good floorplan:

The property is located on a cul-de-sac, which is nice and private, and there are also three levels of living space.

The sold inventory in Clarendon Heights has been at a significantly lower price point over the past few months (average of $1,525,155 since October). But the average cost of one of the current homes is $3,187,500. So clearly, there will be some waiting around for the current homeowners, as buyers in this price category decide where to spend their money.

And there’s more to come: Look for 30 Palo Alto for $3.5M, and 28 Clarendon at $3.5M in the near future.