So, What's an Eichler?

Palo Alto is home to many Eichlers. These mid-century single-story homes feature walls of windows, tar and gravel roofs, wood-siding, radiant heat, and that wonderful Californian sense of indoor/outdoor living. In the 50's, these homes were considered modern and quintessentially Californian, but they also earned a reputation for being fire traps. They were nicknamed 7 minute Eichlers, because they could burn to the ground in 7 minutes or less--the mahogany walls weren't equipped with fire retardant properties, so the homes burned quickly.

Joseph Eichler was a student of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and learned from Wright the beauty of clean lines, a wonderful use of light, and a contemporary feel. What Eichler did that was so influential was taking these lofty architectural concepts and mass producing them for the families of young GI's after WWII. He built large tracts of affordable homes, many in South Palo Alto. While builders like Roger Kohler (father of well-known Palo Alto architect Roger Kohler) or Barret and Hilp were building the typical 3 bedroom single bath cottages for the new young families, Eichler discovered that by adding a 2nd bath he'd have a huge leg up over the competition while adding great value to his inexpensive homes. 

Eichler had some good and bad copiers. Kaufman and Brown Stern, and Macay also built contemporary style homes in the Bay Area. These homes have similar features and some features that are better (central heating) and some worse (floor plans that don't flow well or add that inside/outside feel).

I don't think that in 1952 Eichler believed his homes would retain their original condition by 2009. Having the plumbing and heating sitting on expansive soil has been a problem. The lack of insulation is also a problem in our energy conscious society. Many of the homes have had the mahogany walls replaced with sheetrock, which makes for a far safer abode in the event of a fire. However, the style of an Eichler is very pleasing to many modern buyers. The kitchen faces the living area and looks out onto the backyard. This is the open great room style that's found in most new construction today. When updated, these can be wonderfully comfortable, energy efficient homes.

There is some debate as to whether an Eichler sells for less than a ranch-style or cottage-style home. It isn't a simple question because many Eichler's are in Palo Alto's flood zone, which obviously brings the price down. Also, some Palo Alto Eichler neighborhoods have voted in restrictions on building a second story in order to reserve the privacy that Eichler built into his developments. However, this restriction has a dampening effect on resale value. 

Right now, the contemporary mid-century Eichler style is in favor with many buyers. With modernization of the windows, heating system, roof, and finishes, these homes will probably last for many more years to come.