Establish which evidence belongs in the comparison
Pricing a Moraga home requires more than selecting nearby properties with similar bedroom counts. A large sloping parcel may offer a different kind of outdoor use from a smaller parcel with a convenient yard. An area figure may include a garage, while another describes only the principal residence. A new project’s planning approval may describe housing that has not been built. Those differences need to be identified before a price-per-square-foot calculation or a monetary adjustment is persuasive.
This article provides an original public-record screening method checked October 26, 2026. It does not present a completed comparable-sale study: no permissioned MLS data, verified current closed-sale sample or named broker adjustment analysis was supplied. The numerical examples concern documented area categories, not prices. The Moraga guide provides local orientation, and the selling guide explains how evidence fits into preparation for sale.
Separate main-house area from other useful space
The Town’s Moraga Terrace summary describes proposed homes ranging from approximately 3,056 to 3,708 square feet, explicitly including enclosed garages. It also describes seven homes with ADUs within a 27-lot proposal. The page lists preconstruction status and September 29, 2026 planning approval. Its headline size range is therefore not a certified range of completed main-house living areas.
A sale comparison using that range as though it were entirely residential living space would start with a category error. Obtain the selected property’s principal living area, garage area and accessory-unit area separately, with the source of each measurement. Do the same for every proposed comparison. Useful garage or accessory space can matter to buyers without being interchangeable with the main house; a professional must evaluate the difference rather than conceal it in a combined denominator.
Keep area definitions visible even when two sources appear to agree numerically. An assessor entry, a listing field and an architectural schedule may describe different boundaries or stages. Ask which includes stairs, lower levels, converted spaces or detached structures, as relevant to the actual home. When reconciliation is incomplete, retain both figures with their definitions. Averaging incompatible numbers does not produce a better measurement.
A deck total can be unresolved without proving a defect
The April 2025 Saint Andrews Drive staff packet provides a different area issue. Its upper-deck narrative states 208 square feet existing and 272 proposed, which sum to 480, while also reporting a total of 646. The 166-square-foot difference remains unresolved in this review. The material is a staff recommendation and draft resolution, not verified final approval or evidence of present construction.
For pricing preparation, put a conflict like this in the evidence file before publishing a feature claim. Request the controlling plans, final decision and current measured configuration. Do not call the larger figure an existing deck simply because it appears in a public report. Equally, do not infer a physical defect or unauthorized work solely from inconsistent narrative arithmetic. A document discrepancy and a condition finding are separate questions.
Deck utility also needs a description beyond size. Its connection to the kitchen, yard or lower rooms can affect how a buyer evaluates it, while maintenance access and documented responsibility can affect anticipated work. These are factors to investigate in the actual sale sample. This article assigns no premium or discount to the Saint Andrews example, which has not been established as a current closed sale or inspected candidate.
Original Moraga comparison-evidence screen
| Record | Potential comparison error | Evidence needed before pricing use |
|---|---|---|
| Moraga Terrace | Area range includes enclosed garages; project is preconstruction | Separate final area categories and verified transaction/completion status |
| Saint Andrews deck narrative | 208 + 272 = 480, differing from reported 646 | Controlling plans, clarification and current configuration; deck remains outside main-house living area |
| School Street Townhomes | Planning approval confused with completed condominium inventory | Recorded ownership documents, completed condition and verified sale terms |
| Sanders issued permits | Issued scope or permit valuation confused with completed condition or market value | Approved revisions, final history, inspection and actual transaction evidence |
Closed-sale sample size in this article: zero. No market-value result, price-per-square-foot finding, view premium or dollar adjustment is calculated.
Keep planning stage out of the completed-sale sample
The Town’s School Street summary describes 49 planned townhouse condominiums and lists preconstruction status with July 7, 2026 planning approval. This is useful context for a changing housing setting. It is not evidence that a completed unit has sold, that a particular owner holds parking rights or that an association’s recurring costs have been established.
If a seller wants to compare an existing house with future townhouse supply, keep that discussion outside the closed-sale adjustment table. First identify the question: potential competing housing choice, current sale evidence or a future delivery assumption. Each requires different support. A rendering and planning approval can inform a supply discussion while remaining unsuitable as proof of a current buyer’s paid price for a finished home.
Ownership structure also belongs in the screening rules. Compare the obligations represented by the price, including private exterior maintenance, shared facilities and any association charges. A lower individual maintenance burden should not be assumed from a condominium label, just as a detached house should not automatically be treated as free of shared responsibilities. Obtain the governing documents and actual financial evidence before making a cost-based adjustment.
Evaluate usable land and access with specific evidence
For a Moraga hillside house, break the parcel into functional areas. Identify the building footprint, usable outdoor destinations, slope, access and any documented restrictions or shared infrastructure. A parcel’s total area cannot explain all of those features. The comparison should state which difference is relevant to the likely buyer and how it is supported, rather than applying a uniform dollar amount to every additional square foot of land.
Drainage illustrates the need for that detail. The historical Moraga Road and Hacienda project describes a public crossing that continues into a private drain. That local example does not establish the obligations or condition of another property. For the selected sale and comparison homes, identify whether a documented private or shared facility changes the maintenance question. The existence of a nearby public project is not itself a defensible pricing deduction.
Keep physical utility separate from an unverified expansion assumption. A broad-looking yard is not evidence of an approved addition site or accessory-unit feasibility. If a buyer’s intended use depends on a change, obtain current Town and County input for that actual scope. Describe unverified potential as an open question rather than adding hypothetical finished area to the existing property’s value analysis.
Distinguish renovation evidence from completed condition
The County’s October 12–18, 2026 report lists issued remodel and retaining-wall permits at 1159 Sanders Drive with shared-plan references. It does not establish final inspections, completed workmanship or a current market transaction. Permit valuations are not used here as owner expenditure, replacement cost or an amount added to resale value. The questionable wall-height units in the report are also not adopted as dimensions.
When screening actual closed sales, create separate fields for documented scope and observed condition. A recently issued renovation permit may describe work still underway, while an older completed renovation may have a different maintenance history. Ask whether the condition evidence corresponds to the sale date. A current photograph or later permit can describe something that was absent when the buyer and seller agreed on the price.
Give the broker a reproducible sample brief
Preserve the rejected candidates as well as the selected ones. A nearby property excluded because its reported area combines a garage with living space may become usable once the categories are clarified. Another may remain unsuitable because its ownership obligations or construction stage differ too much. Recording the reason prevents an unexplained change in the sample from being mistaken for new market evidence, and gives the broker a focused list of missing information to pursue.
The next step is a permissioned sales study with explicit selection rules. Define the property type, sale period, geographic boundary and evidence requirements before choosing examples. Verify closing status and terms, then explain why each sale is included or excluded. If the closest properties differ materially in usable land or ownership obligations, disclose that limitation rather than silently expanding the sample until a preferred price appears supported.
Keep the source record beside each important comparison field. A reader should be able to follow how living area, site utility, condition and responsibilities were established. Any monetary adjustment should come with the professional’s reasoning and supporting evidence, including its uncertainty. The Contra Costa County overview can supply wider context, but a county-wide trend cannot resolve an inconsistent deck total or turn garage-inclusive area into main-house living space. Those property-level questions belong in the file before a pricing conclusion is presented.
