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Love this new listing - had to share. The sellers completely renovated the entire house. They have fabulous aesthetic and style, and their art collection and furnishings were really inspiring. Listing Courtesy of Dave and Carla Higgins at Grubb Co.
4 Bedrooms • 2++ Baths • San Francisco Views • Listed at $1.2M
Ron Perry of Grounded and Green Electric
Wow, what a lesson learned.
About 6 years ago, I hired someone to install recess lighting into my home. This person was recommended by a colleague of my husband and I did not call any references or verify anything about this person. That was my first mistake.
I then went down to my favorite lighting store in Berkeley and purchased recessed lights. I explained to my favorite lighting guy that I was having recessed lights installed in my home. He asked me if I needed remodeled cans or new construction cans. Of course I said, "remodeled cans". Didn't remodeled cans mean, they were perfect for my lighting remodel? That was my second mistake.
I purchased 21 of these cans with all of the trims, etc... and had them installed.
Last summer I replaced my furnace and removed and replaced all of my old asbestos duct-work. During this time, many things were moved around in the attic to accommodate this project. (Yes, a licensed heating professional and asbestos abatement company were hired!) Shortly after this home improvement, my hallway recessed lights stopped working, one by one. I hired an licensed electrician, (and yes I checked his references) who said the lights were overheating. I found out that the recessed cans that I purchased, (the remodeled cans) were for properties with no insulation. If insulation surrounds the remodeled cans they will get too hot and stop working or the wires inside the fixtures will fry! Remodeled cans have no barrier to protect the unit. I took a light down and guess what? The wires were burned!
IC or “insulation contact” rated new construction recessed lights are needed if a recessed can comes into contact with insulation. These lights have a metal box built around the can to protect the light from insulation!
Learn from my mistake!
Since the real estate market slow down, most of my home-buying clients look for properties in the best neighborhoods that they can afford having wonderful lay-outs or flow with potential for improvement. They are willing to live in an outdated home that is structurally sound. Old floral wallpaper or brown 1978 laminate kitchen cabinets? Bring it on!
I'd say the number one question asked when house hunting: is there hardwood under that carpet? ( if there is wall to wall carpeting) I often look for hardwood in the closets or any small seam in the carpet to take a peek. When Amy and Drew purchased their home last Fall, we knew there was hardwood in all of the rooms except the hallway was an unknown. The day escrow closed, I met them at their new home with my go-to hardwood floor guy, Danny. We immediately pulled up the carpet to reveal oak floors. Refinishing hardwood floors before your move-in day is ideal, as you will not have to re-arrange and move furniture later for access. Silky smooth, clean floors is a great starting place for new beginnings in your space.
At Amy and Drew's Crocker Highland's property, Danny sanded a few spots on the floor and rubbed on oil based and water based polyurethanes for comparison. Amy who has a fantastic aesthetic preferred the matte and subdued water base finish that also has lower VOC's.
Here in the East Bay where we have older housing stock, original oak and fir floors are prized. If you are considering a floor improvement try to avoid, laminate or engineered flooring if you can. Floors that match the era of your home is ideal. A good hardwood floor person can make repairs on your existing floors including the removal of your old floor furnace and /or a few rotten boards and add new boards that will blend in seamlessly.
Almost daily, I am reminded of how glorious the East Bay is. As I take my quick drive to my office at Red Oak, (from Montclair Village down Moraga to Pleasant Valley Avenue) I capture photo perfect glimpses of the Bay and San Francisco. Our burgeoning restaurant scene is rivaling San Francisco's and New York and if you want to get away to the lush green terrain of the wine country you are only about an hour away. My good friend Claudia and I decided that a vacation doesn't have to be an airplane ride away, nor does it have to be for a length of time. As our lives seem more hectic than ever, and everyone is on a budget, try a weekend getaway to decompress from it all. Downtown Napa is only 15 minutes or so from Vallejo and downtown is drawing tourist and natives alike. The redeveloping waterfront where the Napa River and Napa River Trail meet includes Oxbow Market and the world-famous Chef Masahura Morimoto's restaurant, Morimoto. Old town Napa has Butter Cream Bakery and Diner. (My friend Monica turned me on to this donut heaven!)
If you head North, Yountville is a great place to stop and get fresh oysters or a a croque madame at Bouchon. Drive about 10 minutes longer and you are at one of my favorite standards, Rutherford Grill. The Nice salad and the grilled fish of the day is my go to meal. If your budget permits, stay at Solage Calistoga for an incredible overnight stay. Solage is the hip spa /resort located on 22 acres in the heart of Calistoga. Part of the Auberge Resort family, Solage is a bit more relaxed and affordable than Auberage Du Soleil in Napa. The Michelien rated Solbar on the property is a great place to eat in the bar, in the dining room or outside in the sun. The Lucky Pig is enough food for two and is super satisfying with slow roasted pork, sesame seed crepes, a myriad of topings including fresh mint, cilantro, lime, roasted peanuts and various sauces.
One of the amenities at Solage are the two cruisers that you can use during your stay. Ride all around Calistoga and there is no need to lock your bike, with the Solage license plates to identify them, lost bikes are returned back to the resort. Sometimes we forget that the Bay Area and Napa Valley is a worldwide vacation destination and it is in our backyard.
Montclair Village is one of my favorite communities in Oakland. Here's the scoop:
What to do in Montclair Village...
New(er) Restaurants in Oakland and Berkeley
The restaurant scene is booming in the East Bay! No need to cross a bridge to enjoy good eats.
Commis
French, California 3859 Piedmont Ave. Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 653-3902
Oakland’s first and only restaurant to garnish the prestigious Michelin Guide Award 2011!
Hudson
American, Italian and Pizza 5356 College Ave. (near Hudson), Oakland Rockridge neighborhood (510) 595-4000
Chop Bar
American, Breakfast/Brunch
247 4th St
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 834-2467
Plum
California Cuisine 2214 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 444-7586
Plum is Oakland’s few places in Uptown open until 1 am every day!
Nex
California, French & Pizza 2442 Webster Street Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 238-8224
Hibiscus
Caribbean, Cajun/Creole 1745 San Pablo Ave Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 444-2626
Enoteca Molinari
Italian
5474 College Ave. Oakland, CA 94618
(510)428-4078
Addie's Pizza Pie
Pizzeria from the owners of Sweet Adeline Bakeshop
3290 Adeline St., Berkeley 510-547-1100
Farmers' Market Bistro
American/California
1015 Clay St., Oakland. 510-238-8780
No Worries
Vegetarian Filipino
1442 Franklin St., Oakland. 510-444-4466
YaYu
Ethiopian
3343 Lakeshore Ave. (between Lake Park Ave & Trestle Glen Rd) Oakland, CA 94610
(510) 465-9298
Bocanova
Latin American & Modern American
55 Webster Ave. Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 444-1233
Southie
Modern sandwiches, salads and small plates from the creators of Wood Tavern
6311 College Avenue Oakland, CA
(510) 654-0100
Summer Summer Thai Eatery
Thai
5885 Hollis St Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 658-3234
Zut!
Mediterranean American
1820 Fourth Street Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 644-0444
Paisan
Italian Pizzeria
2514 San Pablo Ave Berkeley
(510) 649-1031
Caña
Cuban
530 Lake Park Ave Oakland
(510) 832-1515
Last December I had a rare opportunity to meet Bay Area icon, architect Donald L. Hardison. Mr. Hardison, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) 1966, designed many commercial spaces in the East Bay as well as a handful of residential properties. Lucky for my clients, Susan and Greg, his work included a fabulous mid-century modern home in the El Cerrito hills that they were fortunate enough to score. After house hunting for 3 years, looking specifically for mid-century modern properties they stumbled upon this "it" house. Sure that it would be snatched up instantly with multiple offers; and uninterested in the emotional roller coaster of a bidding war they did not pounce on the property. After a few weeks on the market they called me, and the rest is history. To their surprise and due to the timing of the market, (It was late November) they were able to get this fine home without competition. The icing on the cake was discovering that the architect was still living and residing only a few blocks away. Our final walk through had a special guest appearance by none other than Donald and (his wife) Betty Hardison. They were gracious and warm and gave Susan and Greg all of the details about the neighborhood, the original family who hired him, and the construction of the house. Priceless!
Kitchens are truly the heart of a home. When I show property I like to point out the location of the kitchen as it relates to the other rooms. For example some people like a kitchen close to the backyard or patio as they love to barbecue and want quick access. Let's face it, you will probably spend more time in the kitchen than any other room (waking hours). Check out these two kitchens that are now for sale! They both come with a house and 3 bedrooms each. They also are both listed by Red Oak Realty offered at $849,000.
Above: 2753 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley listed by Robin Gaskins. This 1924 property is the ultimate lifestyle home; two blocks to College Avenue, one can walk to Cal, Ici Ice Cream, Elwood Movie Theater, bus-lines and more! This property is right below Piedmont Avenue in Berkeley and is set back from the street traffic.
1031Santa Fe
1031 Santa Fe is a few blocks from Marin and Solano Avenues in Albany. This bike friendly community is known for great public schools, shopping, and flat streets for walking. Listed by Catherine Stern.
| http://www.paramounttheatre.com |
| http://www.paramounttheatre.com |
Within in the last decade having a sewer lateral inspection has become standard during the home buying and selling process. Many Bay Area cities require that a sewer line be in compliance, (working order, not made out of terracotta and having no major cracks) prior to close of escrow. Oakland and Piedmont, cities that currently do not have this ordinance soon will. Since homeowners are responsible for their sewer lines until it connects to the city main; home buyers want to know the condition of the sewer line before they buy a home. Depending upon your property, a sewer line can cost anywhere from $3000 to over $10,000 to replace. I recently found out that if I need to replace my sewer line in the future, I could not do it in a trench-less fashion. (Trench-less sewer replacement is when a a plastic material is inserted into your existing sewer-line.) Jason, from Harry Clark, told me that my lot has no slope to insert the plastic, so my concrete walk-way will need to be removed and the old sewer line dug up to make this improvement. Exterior Clean-outs: Some homes do not have an exterior clean out. (sewer clean outs are often situated near the house, providing a point of access.) What does it mean to have an exterior clean-out? 1. If your sewer line backs up, it will typically back sewage into your home. Possibly through the shower or laundry sink. This can be a gross mess to clean up! 2. Often sewer-lines have many bends and turns, so without a clean-out it is often difficult to video and examine a sewer-line. The cost to install an exterior clean- out is typically under $1000.
I recently represented a buyer as she purchased a home in the Redwood Heights district of Oakland. There was no clean-out at the property in question, so there was no way to view the entire sewer line without installing a clean-out. My client decided that she was definitely going to purchase the property, so she was willing to invest the $885 into installing the clean out before close of escrow. (We had to obtain the permission of the seller first.) Once the clean-out was installed the line was able to be scoped and videoed, and it was determined that the line was made of terracotta and it was in satisfactory condition. My client also understood that there was no need to replace the sewer-line as it was in good shape, but if she sells her house in the future and the line will need to be replaced as Oakland will soon have a sewer line ordinance passed. (requiring that all clay/terracotta be removed.)
At the end of the day, it is my goal that my clients understand the overall health of their home and that includes the waste pipe. There is so much more to that flush!
I was reading an article on 1000 Watts Consulting's blog about using online real estate tools. Brian had a great point. Zillow and Redfin are technology websites, they have tons of information, but should not replace a local Realtor. Keep in mind the following:
Read an excerpt from this Brian Botero's article posted on 1000 Watts Consulting :
We have some work to do
I was going through email on my iPad the other day when for whatever reason I decided to look around my neighborhood using the Zillow iPad app.
This app, you should know, is a marvel. It’s elegant, intuitive, and lights up a ton of possibilities for improving how we look for a place to live.
But I ran into a problem right away. A big one.
The first “for sale” home I came across – a cute little place I see every morning walking my daughter to school – was, well ” not really for sale.
It sold over a year ago in fact – on October 1, 2009. I know this because I’ve met the woman who bought it. And because Zillow itself displays this information below the listing!
Here it is, in case you want to make an unsolicited offer on a place in Oakland:
What if my fictional couple fell in love with this place?
Aspirational whiplash.
But hey, they’re grown-ups. It’s OK. They’ll just select one of the “buyers agents” suggested on this listing to help them find another home in the neighborhood. They look like good folks. And they have lots of “contributions.” Contributions sound good.
Right?
But then there’s problem #2: None of these agents truly knows this neighborhood.
I pay attention to the real estate activity around my home more than most people. There are good agents that know this neighborhood inside and out. Diane, Deidre, or Dana come to mind.
But I have never heard of the Realtors promoted on this listing. Never seen a for sale sign with their name on it. Never seen their card at an open.
My couple? They are directed out of a home search dead-end and toward a path that could land them in a ditch.
Yes, those agents are there because they paid to be there. And Zillow’s a media company. All’s fair.
But is all good?
I like Zillow because they have challenged real estate on many fronts. I have said many nice things about them here. And though they are responsible for this particular example, this is hardly just a Zillow problem. This game of real estate roulette is played on many sites.
But let me be clear: this has got to stop.
These are homes, folks, not sweaters. Having your inventory shit together matters. It carries consequences. People don’t want to be messed with. Not people like my buyers. Not the single mother with two kids who bought the home above a year ago and probably has no idea it’s being offered for sale on a site visited by millions of people every month...
Thanks Brian for your article. You are right, use online tools such as Zillow to get a general idea of what is happening in the marketplace, but call a Realtor for personalize service and in depth data.
True Insurance stories by Byron Taylor of AIS Insurance in Oakland (names were altered to protect clients identities, you can contact Byron at btaylor@aisinsurance.com for superior service.)
John K.* was resting comfortably in the bedroom of his Lakeshore Avenue apartment when the methodic sound of dripping water caused him to stir. Thinking he had left the faucet on in his master bathroom, John rolled out of bed and trekked through familiar darkness toward the intermittent plopping sound. He was only able to make it half way across the room before it hit him; a drop of water on his head, and then another. At first he thought it was something else until his bare foot sloshed into a puddle where dry shag carpet used to be. John quickly flipped on the light and soon discovered the water was dripping from the fire sprinkler nozzle on the ceiling. Amused, John chuckled to himself and casually hopped on his dry foot toward the bedroom door en route to the kitchen for a bucket and a paper towel. John opened the door and uttered a string of expletives not fit for print after seeing the threshold to his bedroom was now a make shift shore to the easily one inch deep water that had accumulated over the course of 4 hours in his living room, hallway and kitchen. John had officially suffered his first insurance loss.
Let’s be honest, it's no secret that most people hate insurance. Over the years the concept of personal coverage has been co-opted by the image of greedy businessmen working in a windowless back room of Evil Incorporated. More often than not, the average American seems to think insurance is a scam, a scheme or any other euphemism associated with separating you from your money and getting nothing but a big fat bill in return. And while it may be true that most of us will go through life without ever experiencing property damage or loss, isn’t it good, not to mention smart, to have coverage in place just in case you do? Let's go back to the example of John K. who is still standing at his bedroom doorway, mouth agape like one of those Scream Halloween masks. The following day John would learn the unit upstairs had sprung a leak in the wee hours of the morning and it would be an indefinite length of time before an at-fault party could be determined and the resulting losses addressed. In the meantime John was stuck with thousands of dollars in personal property damage and no one was stepping up to help. It was then John remembered he had bought renters insurance months earlier as a way to help reduce his auto insurance premium. John made one call and his insurance company sent a team of adjusters that very same day. John was even further relieved he had coverage once it was discovered that his hip 1970's era apartment was an asbestos playground and it would now have to be gutted to the studs. John dodged a very expensive bullet because his insurance carrier packed his family up, paid for his temporary living expenses and he was soon able to move into a new place and carry on with his life. That's the happy ending we all want. Now let's look at the flipside. Dick M.* purchased a new house and went to see his insurance agent hoping to keep a few bucks in his pocket. More concerned with money instead of his client’s best interest, his agent offered George a landlord policy which only covers the house itself and pretty much nothing else. Thinking the chances of a total loss were slim to none, Dick agreed and signed on the dotted line. Over the years to follow, Dick would pat himself on the back over the thought of saving so much money and beating the system, that is until the day an electrical short in the garage caused his beloved home to burn to the ground with everything in it. Dick filed a claim and was able to get his home rebuilt, but when he inquired about the over $150,000.00 in personal property lost in the fire, his agent broke the terrible news that there was no replacement coverage because he didn’t have the right kind of policy. Dick was left with only a house and not enough money to fill it with the things that make it a home. The expensive lesson to be learned here: don’t be a Dick.
The most important rule of thumb for any form of property insurance should always be coverage over price. Saving a few hundred dollars every year will mean nothing if you don't have enough to repair or replace your home in the event of a covered loss. If you absolutely have to save more money, consider a slightly higher deductible that will not cause a financial hardship should you suddenly need to pay it. You will also want to avoid filing excessive property claims as this could potentially limit your options if you ever wanted to switch insurance companies in pursuit of a better rate. Once you are ready to purchase property insurance, you should always shop around for the best coverage to premium combination. You can also ask your family, friends, or even your realtor to refer you to a trustworthy insurance provider.
And for those of you who still think insurance is some kind of unholy rip off, think about that secure feeling you have every time you leave your home, or that deep relaxing breath you take right before drifting off to sleep at night. That dear reader is called peace of mind. And that is what property insurance buys you. I suppose it would make you feel better if you could touch insurance or watch television while it curls up on your lap. But insurance is not warm and fuzzy, and you shouldn't want it to be either. Insurance should be formidable and serious and be able to protect you when you need it the most. You should leave the cuddling to your cute puppy dog that is peeing on the power strip behind your new flat screen LCD TV which is now going up in flames as you read this. But not to worry, your insurance will cover that too.
Realtor, CA DRE #01451749 – Red Oak Realty
510 693 4253 / deidre@redoakrealty.com / 6450 Moraga Avenue, Oakland CA 94611
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