Tools for House Hunting

So you want to buy a home in the Oakland/Berkeley area and you live in San Francisco. You have been to the Lake Merritt area of Oakland and the Grand Lake Theatre, but you are really not acclimated with this area. You can call or email me and I am happy to set up an appointment to show around. (I love giving guided tours of the cities I love!) But for some of you who are independent, you would rather start the house hunting process solo. Try gooplemaps! This website is great for directions and maps and it has great features such as street views, traffic views, satellite views and more.

My son Miles and I just played around with it. We typed in streets we knew and clicked on the traffic view tab, (Currently only select streets have traffic views) we were fascinated by recognizable images and the 360 degree views.

Important Numbers for Oakland and Berkeley Residents

Did you just move to Oakland or Berkeley? Here are some important numbers.

Comcast Cable.........800.945.2288

EBMUD.................866.403.2683

At&t..................800.310.2355

PG&E..................800.743.5000

Alta Bates............800.606.2582

Children’s Hospital...510.428.3000

Kaiser................510.751.1000

Summit................510.655.4000

Berkeley

Waste Mgmt. 510.981.7270

Public Schools 510.644.6348

Police - Emergency 510.981.5911

(Non-Emergency) 510.981.5900

Fire - Emergency 510.981.5911

(Non - Emergency) 510.981.5900

Oakland

Waste Mgmt. 510.613.8710

Public Schools 510.879.8582

Police - Emergency 510.777.3211

(Non-Emergency) 510.238.3481

Fire - Emergency 510.444.1616

(Non-Emergency) 510.444.3232

Abandoned Cars 510.238.6030

Animal Control 510.535.5602

Noise Hotline 510.238.6777

City Tree Unit 510.615.5850

Eating the Season in the Bay Area

In addition to providing my blog readers with information regarding Oakland and Berkeley real estate, I strive to provide information regarding our community. When I sell you a home, it is my hope that you enjoy all that this area has to offer.

Eating what is in season and available locally is important for many reasons, it supports our local farmers, the taste and quality is superior, and it cuts down on the fuel it takes to ship produce in from other countries, so it is a "green" thing to do. Additionally the cost for foods in season can be less expensive.

Check out a cool website, http://www.localfoodswheel.com/.

Here are a few things in season and grown locally:

strawberries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, salmon, asparagus, chili peppers, garlic, summer squash, green beans, corn

The Color Blue

Colors speak to us, by changing the color of your kitchen you can improve the emotional and well being of your entire family.

By becoming aware of the effect color can have on our bodies we can tailor our surroundings to benefit our health.

Turquoise opens communication, heals allergies and the immune system.

Blue creates peace and organization and re-energizes.

Paint is one the best, least expensive ways to improve your home, it gives you a fresh start and immediately changes the look of your old furniture.

*photo by Benjamin Moore

Landscaping Rebate

Have you just purchased a home in the Oakland/Berkeley/East Bay area with crummy landscaping?

I just opened the newsletter portion of my East Bay Municipal Utility, (EBMUD) bill and saw the call for water conservation. I went to their website and saw that there is a landscape rebate for $1000. EBMUD is looking for landscaping with low water usage. There are rules and restrictions such as, all plans need to be pre-approved by EBMUD and the labor cost is excluded, but what a cool rebate! Click here for more info.

Sheer Bliss

On our recent trip to Monterey my children met two brothers on the beach, they immediately teamed up and played happily for almost two hours! Isn't it great how kids can easily make friends and work together instantly!

Wouldn't You Like to Live Here?

If you didn't know, I am a second generation Realtor. Check out this cool listing my mom is bringing on the market this weekend. I will be helping her this Sunday at her Open House. (Sunday June 25th from 2-5 PM) This is a stunning 1312 square foot 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom townhome in Emeryville. Emeryville has no city transfer tax so, home buyers save thousands of dollars on their closing costs.

Email me if you want a private showing! deidrejoyner@comcast.net

Why is my house not selling?

The Bay Area real estate market is healthy, in fact many properties are having multiple offers, so why is your house not selling?

Here are a few things to consider. Sadly for sellers the real estate market peaked in September 2005, so you need to think realistically, most likely you will not sell your home for the same price your neighbor got two years ago. The good news is any home will sell at the right price!

When your home hits the real estate market, the first three weeks are critical so you need to price your home right from the beginning. Even in this market buyers think a home has "issues" when it is on the market longer than 25-30 days. Remember there is no fooling a home buyer, home buyers and their Realtors will know what your home's true value is.

Sometimes with the correct pre-marketing plan your home will have multiple offers! Make sure your home is ready for the marketplace, it is best to present your home to the public with your "A game". Sometimes you will see homes on the market with confidential remarks such as, "seller to replace flooring by close of escrow." Regardless of the promise, a home will not sell unless a buyer falls in love with it. Unless you are selling your home as a "fixer" a person should physically see what they are buying.

Hire a Realtor who will aggressively market your home. In today's market it is super important to have a heavy emphasis on Internet marketing. The vast majority of home buyers start their home search on the Internet.

When you are considering selling your home, identify the reasons. Is it just because you want a change or have you out-grown your home? My point is maybe now is not the best time for you to sell. Maybe there are some inexpensive fixes to the "problem" aspects of your home. Possibly it is best to hold on to your home another year or two until you acquire a bit more equity.

If you are looking for a Realtor to give you honest answers to your tough questions, give me a call, I am happy to help. My motto is, I would rather under promise and over deliver. I am here to be your resource and when the time is right, I am ready to work aggressively for you.

Take a look at one of the websites I built for a recent condo listing, www.50EmeryBayDrive.com.

Weekend Getaway

My husband had to teach a class in Monterey, so the kids and I went along for a two day getaway at the beach. As we pulled into the Best Western Monterey Beach Resort, it immediately felt different than the Best Western's I remember from my childhood. The hotel lobby had beautiful furniture constructed out of reclaimed wood, a fireplace, a breath-taking view, and it was spic and span.

The hotel had a slight motel feel, but the rooms had been remodeled with a new bathroom, carpet and furniture. The amenities included free wireless Internet, a fitness center, a beautiful pool with teak lounge chairs and a nice restaurant; additionally the hotel is location right on the coast. You can open your room door and take a jog on the beach!

If you want an affordable mini vacation, in a beautiful location, close to home, Best Western Beach Resort is the place. 2600 Sand Dunes Drive, Monterey, California, 93940-3838, US Phone: 831-394-3321, click here for availability.

Action in the Laurel

SUMMER SOLSTICE MUSIC FESTIVAL - JUNE 23rd

Save the date - the second annual Summer Solstice Music Festival is Saturday June 23rd, 1-7pm. Music from all genres will be featured throughout the Laurel neighborhood with an Art festival at Laurel Elementary School. Check in at the Laurel Lounge - 38th and MacArthur - for a program of events. Kid, stroller, dog, bike/rollerskate friendly! And totally FREE!

For more info go to www.laurelvillage.org

Sleek "Green" Furniture

Here is a fun way to go green, check out local furniture maker david brunicardi. db furniture is a san francisco based company that produces beautiful limited-edition pieces that are hand made and hand-finished. committed to creating unique, well-crafted products that are both functional and versatile, our goal is to find elegant solutions for the modern lifestyle. almost all of our work utilizes a high quality sustainable or “rediscovered” wood.

Check out these cool tables, created with rediscovered 200+ year old wood from a wet southern estate where over 1000 trees were blown over by a storm in 1998.

Info from, dbfurniture.com.

Calling All Gardeners

Sunset Magazine is having a container garden challenge, click here for more info.

San Francisco Design House 2007

Check out the Sunset Magazine Idea House, click here. Opening in August 2007, the Mission District home will be one of the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residential remodeled homes in the nation.

*Photo taken from sunset.com

Vessel in Berkeley

If your day needs some inspiration, or if you need an object to "jones" over, Vessel is the store. Lonnie Lee is an artist and the owner of Vessel. She strives to provide well designed jewelery, home accessories, furniture and personal items. Many items in her boutique are handmade by local artists.

Vessel for Home and You is located at 3026 Ashby Ave in Berkeley;(across the street from my office, Prudential Claremont) I often walk over to visit Lonnie and her shop full of fabulous wares. Click here for Vessel Online.

* Vessel is also an art gallery the photo of "Two Hearts", an acrylic I purchased at Vessel.

Mosaic Glass Tiles, Trendy or Timeless?

It seems like glass mosaic tiles are everywhere, in most of my design magazines, in the style section of the newspaper and now at Costco. You can't deny their beauty, the way they reflect light, and their texture, but are they a fad or will they endure? I love granite countertops, but it seems like granite has become so mass produced that it is losing it's allure. Will glass mosaics become what granite has become?

One of the problems that I have with design is that homeowners clad their homes with the latest trends and/or cheap thrills that don't match their homes architecture or the original design. I have seen many homes that should have modest clean finishes, but instead they are studded with over the top materials that belong in a villa.

I love natural and organic materials including granite and glass mosaic tiles, I feel that homeowners need to keep in mind the era and design of their homes when they chose their finishes. Glass mosaics look great in moderation, and with anything quality makes a difference.

My clients Mark and Alex who just purchased a contempary condo in the Piedmont Avenue area of Oakland installed glass mosaics in their bathroom, they did it themselves with glass tiles they bought online at CoolTiles.com, even though many designers suggest you use a professional glass tile installer, they had great success. (They have exquisite taste and they are advid do-it-yourselfers)

Let me know what you think, are glass tiles trendy? 

Carnaval SF 2007

Thanks Portsha! Portsha Jefferson is a dancer, teacher and artistic director for Tou Limen, Afro Haitian Dance Company. Portsha teaches dance at the Redwood Heights Recreation Center to children 7 years old and up, and all over the Oakland area. As a way to expose her students to the beauty and wealth of the Latin and Caribbean cultures, she includes her students in the Haiti float for Carnaval SF.

Today, despite the overcast weather, the streets in the Mission District in San Francisco were shining as Portsha, Tou Limen Dance Company including the girls from Redwood Heights Elementary School and dozens and dozens of other floats graced the streets.

*photos of Nia and Miles Joyner and Portsha and Nia

The Dimond District is getting Polished!

Coming Soon! The Dimond District is getting Polished!

La Farine and Peets Coffee are coming to the Dimond District! The Bay Area's own Peet's Coffee will open soon in the Dimond District, across the street from Farmer Joe's, applications are being accepted now.

I just corresponded with La Farine Bakery on College Avenue, and they are set to start construction for their new location in the Dimond District next week! La Farine is a French Bakery that has been an Oakland and Berkeley area favorite for 29 years. La Farine is famous for fine cakes, tarts and wedding cakes. Visit La Farine at www.LaFarine.com

Even Die Hard "Do It Yourselfers" Hire Realtors

Why Even Die Hard
“Do It Yourselfers”
Hire Realtors Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions in the Bay Area today usually exceed $500,000. If you had a $500,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $500,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney? Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be risky to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a Realtor. But if you're still not convinced of the value of a Realtor here are a few more reasons to use one:
1. Your Realtor provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property. Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. Your Realtor can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports. You will also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property.
2. When selling your home, your Realtor can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.
3. Often, your realtor can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your property. Your Realtor markets your property to other real estate agents and the public. In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer.
4. Your Realtor will know when, where and how to advertise your property. There is a misconception that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts. When a property is marketed with the help of your Realtor, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your Realtor will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.
5. Your Realtor can help close the sale of your home. Between the initial sales agreement and closing (or settlement), questions may arise. For example, unexpected repairs are required to obtain financing or a cloud in the title is discovered. The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. Your Realtor is the best person to objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

Shop Oakland

Why should we shop Oakland? With no department stores except Sears and all of the shops I grew up with gone, Capwells, I Magnin, Little Daisy, and more it is hard to keep our retail dollars here in Oakland. As the "ultimate consumer", I yearned for more. In the past few years I have had a ray of hope with new boutiques opening up. The Lakeshore District has: Glow, a place for urban attire and jeans, Maribel a discriminating hangout for new and used designer apparel and accessories and Urban Indigo a shop filled with treasures for gifts, jewelry and the home. These are just a few of the many independent business that now call Oakland home.

It is important to shop Oakland to keep our tax dollars in our city and to keep these independent businesses open. Oakland is conducting a survey to attract more retail and to enhance our shopping experience. Take a moment to complete the survey, at www.ShopOakland.com/Survey and for news about retail in Oakland go to www.ShopOakland.com .