Mixed signals for buyers

[Dukehorn]

I’ve had the pleasure of going to google for lunch a few times–the food is good. I’ve watched the employees walk their dogs (it was suppose to be a once-in awhile perk till a VP started bringing his dog everyday), seen cubicles being decorated, and kids playing guitar hero in the snack rooms, and I sort of wonder when work gets done.

An older friend of mine, who’s fairly high up at AMD, says it reminds him of Silicon Graphics in the heyday. A number of really smart hardworking folks that end up trying to carry the company because the newer folks are caught up in the country club atmosphere. I didn’t believe that assessment but after being on that campus a few times, I’m starting to come around.

[raptorduck]

Interesting historical recollections. My first wife worked at Silicon Graphics during the Jurrasic Park days and lunch there was always a blast.

In terms of old property prices, my dad bought just over 1.5 acres of land in Palo Alto (Barron Park) not far from El Camino in 1972 for $70,000. He sold it in 1982 for more than ten times that and today on that same piece of land there are 8 two story cul-de-sac homes. According to Zillow, they range in value from $1.7-$2.3 million at 2,100-3,500 sf on around 6k sf size lots, roughly $16 million worth of homes on 1.5 acres if you believe Zillow!

[raptorduck]

Interesting historical recollections. My first wife worked at Silicon Graphics during the Jurrasic Park days and lunch there was always a blast.

In terms of old property prices, my dad bought just over 1.5 acres of land in Palo Alto (Barron Park) not far from El Camino in 1972 for $70,000. He sold it in 1982 for more than ten times that and today on that same piece of land there are 8 two story cul-de-sac homes. According to Zillow, they range in value from $1.7-$2.3 million at 2,100-3,500 sf on around 6k sf size lots, roughly $16 million worth of homes on 1.5 acres if you believe Zillow!

[raptorduck]

Interesting historical recollections. My first wife worked at Silicon Graphics during the Jurrasic Park days and lunch there was always a blast.

In terms of old property prices, my dad bought just over 1.5 acres of land in Palo Alto (Barron Park) not far from El Camino in 1972 for $70,000. He sold it in 1982 for more than ten times that and today on that same piece of land there are 8 two story cul-de-sac homes. According to Zillow, they range in value from $1.7-$2.3 million at 2,100-3,500 sf on around 6k sf size lots, roughly $16 million worth of homes on 1.5 acres if you believe Zillow!

[raptorduck]

Interesting historical recollections. My first wife worked at Silicon Graphics during the Jurrasic Park days and lunch there was always a blast.

In terms of old property prices, my dad bought just over 1.5 acres of land in Palo Alto (Barron Park) not far from El Camino in 1972 for $70,000. He sold it in 1982 for more than ten times that and today on that same piece of land there are 8 two story cul-de-sac homes. According to Zillow, they range in value from $1.7-$2.3 million at 2,100-3,500 sf on around 6k sf size lots, roughly $16 million worth of homes on 1.5 acres if you believe Zillow!

[raptorduck]

Interesting historical recollections. My first wife worked at Silicon Graphics during the Jurrasic Park days and lunch there was always a blast.

In terms of old property prices, my dad bought just over 1.5 acres of land in Palo Alto (Barron Park) not far from El Camino in 1972 for $70,000. He sold it in 1982 for more than ten times that and today on that same piece of land there are 8 two story cul-de-sac homes. According to Zillow, they range in value from $1.7-$2.3 million at 2,100-3,500 sf on around 6k sf size lots, roughly $16 million worth of homes on 1.5 acres if you believe Zillow!

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke/raptor: Speaking of the old days: I worked at Apple’s fab plant in ’82, back in the days when they still made computers here in California (the venerable Apple IIc/e models). It was a very unique time. The Silicon Valley hadn’t really arrived yet, and the old guard companies like IBM and Lockheed still held sway.

Guys like Jobs and Wozniak were true visionaries, but they were also hard workers. They did quality control on the line, they benchtested machines (before that term even existed) and did everything else necessary to run the company and spread the word. That sort of work ethic has been replaced by the “country club” atmosphere that Duke mentions.

My dad was an aerospace engineer for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto and from that WWII generation of guys that also had a strong work ethic, and a very directed focus. Not to bag on the up and coming generation, but you just don’t find that mentality or that ethic much anymore. Everyone is busy thinking about their new BMW, or their stock options, or the next company they’ll be working for.

raptor: A good friend of the family had a chance to buy 5 acres near St. Joe’s seminary up in the hills. This was 1979, and he could have had those 5 acres for $100k, a literal steal. He passed on the offer, and laments it to this day (obviously). Your old man had a little more on the stick in that regard. Apropos of nothing, do you remember Linda’s restaurant on El Camino Real in Mtn. View? Man, that place had the best tater tots!

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke/raptor: Speaking of the old days: I worked at Apple’s fab plant in ’82, back in the days when they still made computers here in California (the venerable Apple IIc/e models). It was a very unique time. The Silicon Valley hadn’t really arrived yet, and the old guard companies like IBM and Lockheed still held sway.

Guys like Jobs and Wozniak were true visionaries, but they were also hard workers. They did quality control on the line, they benchtested machines (before that term even existed) and did everything else necessary to run the company and spread the word. That sort of work ethic has been replaced by the “country club” atmosphere that Duke mentions.

My dad was an aerospace engineer for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto and from that WWII generation of guys that also had a strong work ethic, and a very directed focus. Not to bag on the up and coming generation, but you just don’t find that mentality or that ethic much anymore. Everyone is busy thinking about their new BMW, or their stock options, or the next company they’ll be working for.

raptor: A good friend of the family had a chance to buy 5 acres near St. Joe’s seminary up in the hills. This was 1979, and he could have had those 5 acres for $100k, a literal steal. He passed on the offer, and laments it to this day (obviously). Your old man had a little more on the stick in that regard. Apropos of nothing, do you remember Linda’s restaurant on El Camino Real in Mtn. View? Man, that place had the best tater tots!

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke/raptor: Speaking of the old days: I worked at Apple’s fab plant in ’82, back in the days when they still made computers here in California (the venerable Apple IIc/e models). It was a very unique time. The Silicon Valley hadn’t really arrived yet, and the old guard companies like IBM and Lockheed still held sway.

Guys like Jobs and Wozniak were true visionaries, but they were also hard workers. They did quality control on the line, they benchtested machines (before that term even existed) and did everything else necessary to run the company and spread the word. That sort of work ethic has been replaced by the “country club” atmosphere that Duke mentions.

My dad was an aerospace engineer for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto and from that WWII generation of guys that also had a strong work ethic, and a very directed focus. Not to bag on the up and coming generation, but you just don’t find that mentality or that ethic much anymore. Everyone is busy thinking about their new BMW, or their stock options, or the next company they’ll be working for.

raptor: A good friend of the family had a chance to buy 5 acres near St. Joe’s seminary up in the hills. This was 1979, and he could have had those 5 acres for $100k, a literal steal. He passed on the offer, and laments it to this day (obviously). Your old man had a little more on the stick in that regard. Apropos of nothing, do you remember Linda’s restaurant on El Camino Real in Mtn. View? Man, that place had the best tater tots!

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke/raptor: Speaking of the old days: I worked at Apple’s fab plant in ’82, back in the days when they still made computers here in California (the venerable Apple IIc/e models). It was a very unique time. The Silicon Valley hadn’t really arrived yet, and the old guard companies like IBM and Lockheed still held sway.

Guys like Jobs and Wozniak were true visionaries, but they were also hard workers. They did quality control on the line, they benchtested machines (before that term even existed) and did everything else necessary to run the company and spread the word. That sort of work ethic has been replaced by the “country club” atmosphere that Duke mentions.

My dad was an aerospace engineer for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto and from that WWII generation of guys that also had a strong work ethic, and a very directed focus. Not to bag on the up and coming generation, but you just don’t find that mentality or that ethic much anymore. Everyone is busy thinking about their new BMW, or their stock options, or the next company they’ll be working for.

raptor: A good friend of the family had a chance to buy 5 acres near St. Joe’s seminary up in the hills. This was 1979, and he could have had those 5 acres for $100k, a literal steal. He passed on the offer, and laments it to this day (obviously). Your old man had a little more on the stick in that regard. Apropos of nothing, do you remember Linda’s restaurant on El Camino Real in Mtn. View? Man, that place had the best tater tots!

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Duke/raptor: Speaking of the old days: I worked at Apple’s fab plant in ’82, back in the days when they still made computers here in California (the venerable Apple IIc/e models). It was a very unique time. The Silicon Valley hadn’t really arrived yet, and the old guard companies like IBM and Lockheed still held sway.

Guys like Jobs and Wozniak were true visionaries, but they were also hard workers. They did quality control on the line, they benchtested machines (before that term even existed) and did everything else necessary to run the company and spread the word. That sort of work ethic has been replaced by the “country club” atmosphere that Duke mentions.

My dad was an aerospace engineer for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto and from that WWII generation of guys that also had a strong work ethic, and a very directed focus. Not to bag on the up and coming generation, but you just don’t find that mentality or that ethic much anymore. Everyone is busy thinking about their new BMW, or their stock options, or the next company they’ll be working for.

raptor: A good friend of the family had a chance to buy 5 acres near St. Joe’s seminary up in the hills. This was 1979, and he could have had those 5 acres for $100k, a literal steal. He passed on the offer, and laments it to this day (obviously). Your old man had a little more on the stick in that regard. Apropos of nothing, do you remember Linda’s restaurant on El Camino Real in Mtn. View? Man, that place had the best tater tots!

[raptorduck]

Allan. You know I don’t remember Linda’s. I came to the Bay Area in the early 80’s from SD after my stint in the Navy. My dad lived here long before I did (divorced). I used to work next to Apple on De Anza Blvd years back. I also worked next to PARC for about 8 years. In that place, only magic happened. Some really smart people worked there.

I often wished my dad kept that piece of land. He lives with me now and his proceeds are long gone.

[raptorduck]

Allan. You know I don’t remember Linda’s. I came to the Bay Area in the early 80’s from SD after my stint in the Navy. My dad lived here long before I did (divorced). I used to work next to Apple on De Anza Blvd years back. I also worked next to PARC for about 8 years. In that place, only magic happened. Some really smart people worked there.

I often wished my dad kept that piece of land. He lives with me now and his proceeds are long gone.

[raptorduck]

Allan. You know I don’t remember Linda’s. I came to the Bay Area in the early 80’s from SD after my stint in the Navy. My dad lived here long before I did (divorced). I used to work next to Apple on De Anza Blvd years back. I also worked next to PARC for about 8 years. In that place, only magic happened. Some really smart people worked there.

I often wished my dad kept that piece of land. He lives with me now and his proceeds are long gone.

[raptorduck]

Allan. You know I don’t remember Linda’s. I came to the Bay Area in the early 80’s from SD after my stint in the Navy. My dad lived here long before I did (divorced). I used to work next to Apple on De Anza Blvd years back. I also worked next to PARC for about 8 years. In that place, only magic happened. Some really smart people worked there.

I often wished my dad kept that piece of land. He lives with me now and his proceeds are long gone.

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