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As I am reviewing some sold homes that earned multiple offers, selling over the asking price; I saw a common thread - really cool outdoor space! Indoor-outdoor flow is a vital part of California living and a special backyard can make a small house feel bigger. For the property below that I listed last year in Rockridge, I spent some time browsing on Houzz and Pintrest to see what I liked. I then shared my likes with my clients and we came up with this.
I am listening to Pandora loving the bass in my headphones while I am working on my newest listing. I get motivation from some of the most random things. If something catches my eye, I like to see how I can I incorporate it into my art. Yep, I said it, art. Yes, I am a licensed, full-time and top producing Realtor, but I take every property that I list and I look at it as a unique specimen and try to showcase it as if it were something fit for the Smithsonian. Yesterday's inspiration started by looking at an online ad for Kaiser that had shiny gold font. I texted my graphic artist, Jenn, and asked her if we could use a gold font that would look metallic in print. She said that could be difficult for the materials that I needed. Then magically, I was scrolling down my Facebook feed and saw this “Thank You Fans” post from the Oakland Athletics and I screenshot it. I emailed Jenn and said, this is the inspiration! I requested that the word Rockridge be in bold with an image behind it.
My girl Jenn did some mind reading and I gave input and voila!...
For the image behind "Rockridge" Jenn took a screenshot from the Red Oak Rockridge video:
Truly, you never know what draws someone in.
A few weeks ago I posted pictures of a retro kitchen that was featured this year's Rockridge Kitchen Tour. That same family is doing something very cool in their backyard! Check out these pics... Diana and Craig are looking to make their oversized level and lush backyard into mod B&B.
Often times people know what they want, but have no idea what it costs. I would love to live in Upper Rockridge for $600,000, but I know that is not feasible. A client came to me looking to buy a home in three specific neighborhoods - Rockridge, Claremont and Crocker Highlands.
He came to me with no real knowledge of the market or what these neighborhoods typically sell for. So as a way to help familiarize him with the market and the prices that these neighborhoods typically command, I had these graphs made for him. After he reviewed them, he was able to determine if these neighborhoods would in fact fit in his budget.
Below are some samples of the graphs I prepared for him: (Elmwood, Crocker Highlands, Claremont 1st quarter 2008 - April 2011)
Last week I voted 401 Avon my favorite house from Broker's Tour. With a much smaller house in Temescal selling for over $700,000, this house is priced right. 401 Avon is a huge 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom at 1694 square feet, (according to the MLS) has great upgrades and light. Henry Mather Green and Charles Sumner Greene were influential of the craftsman era. (Mather and Green combined arts and crafts with inspiration from China and Japan.) Giving a nod to its Japanese influence, the seller of this property added shoji screens. This property is listed with Leonard Carrillo of Red Oak Realty.
350 Forest Street in the Rockridge district of Oakland was my favorite house on Broker's Tour last week. This glorious craftsman, has the detailed you want in a vintage home, box-beam ceilings in the dinging room, built-in's and pillars, silky smooth hardwood floors, wood windows, but it has a modern edge with upgrades galore, including scrumptious kitchen and bathroom remodels. This house is listed with my friend and colleague Stefanie Parrott for $989,000. Oh, did I mention that you can sell your car if you buy this pad? You are a block away from Rockridge BART as well as a block away from Market Hall on College Avenue.
A few weeks back I was invited to the Spring Serrahna fashion show that was being held at Tanjia's restaurant in the Temescal District of Oakland. I have to admit I had never heard of this Moroccan eatery, but I was down for something new. From the humble exterior one would never know how grand the interior is. As I entered into the shadowy candle-lit dining room, I was amazed by the tented room draped with rich fabrics. It was as if I walked into a scene of a novel. I was taken to a dining table about the height of my living room coffee table and was seated on a leather pillow. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxed and I was entertained by fantastic Moroccan music and models who were showcasing the clothes of Andrea Serrahn. I had an scrumptious order of lamb brochette with spices that permeated through the meat. Just when I thought my entertainment was over, I was charmed by belly dancing. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening and the best part, was the 10 minute drive from Tanjia to my bed. Serrahna is a Rockridge clothing boutique that features contemporary clothing made from India textiles and are made for REAL women. (I love how Andrea had her clients showcase her designs!) serrahna.com and tanjias.com
Realtor, CA DRE #01451749 – Red Oak Realty
510 693 4253 / deidre@redoakrealty.com / 6450 Moraga Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
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