21297 Justco Lane, Castro Valley Castro Valley Heights Turnkey Four-Bedroom with Solar

Palms, stone accents and drought-tolerant plantings frame the front of this Castro Valley Heights home, and a stone-trimmed walkway leads to a covered entry. It's a two-story, 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home with about 1,652 square feet of living space. It was built in 1990 and freshly updated. All four bedrooms are upstairs, and the main level is set up for everyday living and entertaining.

Inside, the foyer rises two stories, and a staircase with white risers and a dark wood railing leads up from it. The living room is just past the entry. Its volume ceiling slopes up high over the room, and recessed lighting runs throughout. A fireplace with a marble surround is the focal point of the room. Large black-framed windows on two walls bring in plenty of natural light. Warm-toned luxury vinyl plank flooring runs through the main living spaces and keeps the look clean and consistent. It also holds up well to everyday traffic.

The formal dining area is open to the kitchen and has room for a table for eight. A sliding glass door leads straight out to the back deck, so meals can move outside easily. The kitchen is an eat-in layout with a peninsula that seats three, which makes it the natural spot for quick breakfasts and homework while dinner cooks. It has granite counters with a full granite backsplash, crisp white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a new gas range. There's also a stainless single-basin sink with a new faucet under the window. A half bath with a gold-framed mirror sits down the hall.

Out back, a raised Trex deck steps down to a brick-paver yard with room for a patio table. Tall cypress trees and a lattice-topped fence enclose the yard. With no lawn to mow and low-maintenance plantings, weekends can go to barbecues instead of yard work.

Upstairs, the primary suite is at one end of the hall. It has a large window, a walk-in closet with a built-in system and its own bath. That bath has a double vanity with quartz counters, a brass-framed mirror, updated fixtures and a walk-in shower. The other three bedrooms are good-sized, and each has a built-in closet system. One is staged as a home office with a window facing the palms. The hall bath has a quartz-topped vanity, updated mirror and lighting, and a shower-tub combo.

The attached two-car garage has laundry hookups, built-in storage cabinets and room for two cars. The bigger systems are already done. A dual-fuel heat pump with AC, installed in 2023, runs on a smart thermostat. A 5kW, 12-panel solar system was added in 2022 and is locked into NEM 2.0 net metering, which gives better credit for exported power than the rules new solar customers get today.

The HOA is just $50 a month and includes a community sandbox. There's also plenty of guest parking, which helps with visitors.

Top-rated Independent Elementary is just a couple of blocks away, and both Creekside and Canyon Middle Schools are nearby, all in the well-regarded Castro Valley Unified School District. Earl Warren Park is right in the neighborhood. Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, with its lake and trails, is under half a mile away. The 580 Marketplace is close by for groceries and everyday errands. Downtown Castro Valley is a few minutes away, with Philz Coffee, dim sum at HL Peninsula, breakfast at The Breakfast Club, and Doug's Place and JP's for a casual night out. Highways 580 and 238 and Castro Valley BART are all close, so commutes to Oakland, San Francisco and the Tri-Valley are easy.