417 Maitland Dr, Alameda is the strongest verified no-HOA buy under $1.5M in the Bay Area
Asked:
“what's the absolute best buy house in the entire bay area right now that's under $1.5m, $0 HOA, and over 3 bedrooms?”
A live-web screen of the nine-county Bay Area as of September 10, 2026 produced 12 currently qualifying candidates — every one under $1,500,000, with $0 monthly HOA and 4+ bedrooms. “Best” here means the best risk-adjusted mix of location, lot, livability, condition signals and headroom under the $1.5M cap — not simply the lowest price per square foot. Listing price is not guaranteed purchase price, especially in the Bay Area.
Verify before offer. This is a live-web screen, not broker MLS access; status can change hourly, and the pages' latest explicit status dates range from May to Aug 28. One row is ActiveUnderContract and should not be treated as available. Have an agent re-check MLS status, disclosures, offer dates and HOA records, and obtain inspection, roof, sewer, foundation, pest, flood and insurance documents before offering.
Asking $/sq ft vs asking price — bubble size is lot size
417 Maitland — best risk-adjusted
5134 Masonic — upside swing
1628 Minturn — raw-space winner
other qualifying candidates
Bubble area ∝ lot sq ft · hover a bubble for details
417 Maitland Dr, Alameda — $1,280,000 for 4/2, 1,700 sq ft on an 8,250 sq ft lot, explicitly $0 HOA: single-level Bay Farm Island home with a 2025 reroof, stated ADU potential and well-regarded schools. It went pending and returned active in May — leverage, but ask why the prior deal failed.
prevu.com
5134 Masonic Ave, Oakland is the upside swing: $1,095,000 for 4/3, 1,782 sq ft on a 9,800 sq ft Upper Rockridge lot — but the attractive price may be a teaser on a fresh Aug 25 listing; expect offer competition.
compass.com
1628 Minturn St, Alameda wins on raw space: $1,195,000 for 5/4 and 2,736 sq ft ($437/ft) — but it is a 1909 home on a 3,240 sq ft lot with separate-entry lower-level space; permits, ceiling height, waterproofing, foundation, egress, sewer and insurability need unusually careful checks.
kathleensimshomes.com
1685 W College Ave, Santa Rosa is the cheapest per foot ($699,000, $352/ft) but a very different commute proposition;
403 Gerald Ct, Benicia has the biggest lot (~20,037 sq ft) but long market exposure calls for aggressive diligence and negotiation.
coldwellbankerhomes.com ·
coldwellbankerhomes.com
The three properties that matter
Best risk-adjusted
417 Maitland Dr, Alameda
$1,280,000 · 4 bd / 2 ba · 1,700 sq ft · $753/ft · 8,250 sq ft lot · built 1958
Single-level Bay Farm Island home, 2025 reroof, oversized backyard with ADU potential, top schools, $220K of headroom under the cap. Pending-then-active in May is both leverage and a diligence flag. Corroborated by 5 hosts.
Upside swing
5134 Masonic Ave, Oakland
$1,095,000 · 4 bd / 3 ba · 1,782 sq ft · $614/ft · 9,800 sq ft lot · built 1946
Upper Rockridge with sneak Bay and Campanile views and a spacious backyard. Freshly listed Aug 25 — pricing may be a teaser; verify current status and expect competition. Corroborated by 3 hosts.
Raw-space winner
1628 Minturn St, Alameda
$1,195,000 · 5 bd / 4 ba · 2,736 sq ft · $437/ft · 3,240 sq ft lot · built 1909
Craftsman with main-floor primary and separate entrances for multi-generational living — but a 117-year-old home on a small lot; verify the lower-level space unusually carefully. Corroborated by 2 hosts.
All 12 qualifying candidates
| Address | Price | Bd | Ba | Sq ft | $/ft | Lot | Built | Status | Date | Source |
|---|
Click a column header to sort. All 12 rows have $0 monthly HOA.
Live-web screen of nine-county Bay Area listings under $1.5M with $0 HOA and 4+ bedrooms, validated to exact address as of 2026-09-10; 12 rows, one per normalized property, each with one unique source URL. $/sq ft is asking price over listed interior area; lot and interior areas as stated by the listing page. Latest explicit status dates run May 14 to Aug 28, 2026; one row is ActiveUnderContract. No coordinates were available, so no map is drawn. Long listing descriptions are trimmed in the cards for space.