Temescal life

Last Sunday I spent a great day at the Temescal Street Fair.  The weather was gorgeous, (not too hot.)  My company, Red Oak had a booth and so we were right there in the middle of the action.  It was quite a cast of characters.  There was live wrestling, not something you see at many street fairs, and my favorite, Barlata Tapas Bar with their famous paella.

Besides meeting our neighbors, Red Oak was there to promote the launch of our new neighborhood video series.

Click here to view!

It’s so fun to see all my neighbors out and about.  If you are not familiar with this vibrant neighborhood of Oakland, it’s worth a special trip, even on a non-street-fair day!

How Graphs Can Help Buyers

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)

Goats and Weed Control in Oakland

The City of Oakland has hired some furry friends to help with the weed problem at Joaquin Miller Park and other public grounds. Goats are excellent crawlers, climbers and jumpers, so they don't mind being on the side of steep hill.

Goats are also a natural and less expensive alternative to weed control. According to Ken Gee, Noble Foundation wildlife researcher, goats will choose weeds or woody plants 85 percent of the time and grasses only 13 percent of the time.

Mountain View Cemetery

Mountain View Cemetery is an architectural gem in Oakland. Frederick Law Olmsted, the same guy that designed Central Park, Stanford University and much of UC Berkley's campus, designed this beautiful cemetery. The famous landscape architect drew upon the sloping foothills in Piedmont and Oakland to express the harmony between man and the natural setting.  It is common to see people remembering their loved ones and folks jogging during a week day lunch hour.

The Mountain View Cemetery Association is a nonsectarian, community nonprofit corporation which maintains the cemetery through an endowment fund. Docent-led tours occur two Saturdays a month. Check out this true Oakland natural beauty. More information about the cemetery, including tour information can be found here: http://www.mountainviewcemetery.org/

Happy Father's Day

Today we honor all of the fathers.  The photo above is by Oakland artist Sara Haba of my husband and children.

Tonight on Piedmont Ave

What:

Amy Perl's (http://www.amyperl.com/) latest photo art work and Craig Erickson's (tmdwblog.blogspot.com) awesome illustrations on wood + resin art work will be on display. Fivetenburger (delicious food!), as well as super cool crafters Hoof and Horn (hoofandhorn.tumblr.com), A Boy Named Coy (aboynamedcoy.com), and Cougar Horse (http://cougarhorse.com/) will be open with their custom clothing designs, and some great artisans' work!

When:

TONIGHT - Thursday, June 16

Time:

6:30ish - 10 pm

Where:

Amy Perl Photography Studio and Dana and Reed from Cougar Horse Boutique

4456 Piedmont Ave (near the Oakland Cemetery)

It should be a fun time!

This is in conjunction with Piedmont Avenue's first monthly THIRD THURSDAY ART WALK.

Some of Amy Perl's work:

Modern Landscaping

A few years ago, Liz and Eric sold their small house in Temescal and were able to buy a large home in Redwood Heights. This neighborhood is sometimes overlooked, but it's a great place to live. Plus, your money goes a lot farther compared to others. Liz and Eric's home in Redwood Heights was built in the 1970s, and they've renovated it to give a nod to mid-century design.

They also opened up the entrance to the backyard with these great double doors. It opens up the kitchen, brings in natural light and frames the gorgeous landscaped backyard.

What I like the most about their landscaping (besides that they designed it themselves) is the various focal points.  The water feature, the private corner spa area, the deck, variety of foliage and the grass.

Your Realtor knows your market

Sometimes it's difficult as a seller to find out that your home is worth less than you thought. I always encourage my clients to price right initially so they can sell quickly and at top dollar. For example, a house should be listed at $549,000 but a seller insists on listing at $599,000. Because it's priced too high and a buyer is not willing to purchase a property for more than it's worth, it sits on the market. Often times, it can take more than one price reduction to ultimately sell the house. On average in Oakland for 2010, a seller had to reduce by 14% to sell.

Let's do the math.

Agent suggested listing price: $549,000

Seller insisted listing price: $599,000

Ultimate selling price: $515,140

In this scenario, the seller actually lost $33,860 compared to if they had priced it right at $549,000. This doesn't take into account the mortgage, the property tax, etc. the seller had to pay while maintaining the listing.

A recent client of mine went with my suggested listing price of $329,000, and we just closed at $347,000. My seller obtained 3 offers in 6 days, and the market took the price where it needed to be - $18,000 more!

I really try to be honest with my sellers about property values. As you can see below in the chart, Red Oak Realty sells more of their listed properties than our competitors.

4433 Arcadia - I love this property!

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

Staircase Detail

Living Room

Breakfast Area

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room View

Master Bedroom

Office

The joy of homeownership...

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!

Hardwood Floors...

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.

P1060004

3933_Maple_OVERVIEW

Day Trip to Napa Valley

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!)

OXBOW Public Market

oxbow

olivepress

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.

lucky pig

Napa2

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.

Sex in the Valley

Bikes

Snapshot of Montclair Village, Oakland

Montclair Village is one of my favorite communities in Oakland. Here's the scoop:

• The vibe is small-town
• It's located in the beautiful tree-covered Oakland Hills
• I can get to it easily, because it's close to major freeways and bus lines
• Families love the public elementary and middle schools
• There are many stair paths from the streets above that lead to the village
• There are great walking paths
• Drive along Scout Road and you might see a family of wild turkeys crossing the road

What to do in Montclair Village...

• Visit the Sunday Farmers' Market. It's year round. (And have a picnic at the park.)
• Go to my FAVORITE sushi restaurant and eat some cutting edge sushi rolls at Kakui
• Take a walk on the trail at the top of LaSalle, or take the short drive up Colton or Snake Road and you are at Huckleberry Preserve and Skyline Gate for gorgeous hiking trails
• Play tennis in the public court.

Hiking Trails

Montclair Library

Montclair Village Park Tennis Court

Good Eats

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

www.commisrestaurant.com

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

www.hudsonoakland.com

Chop Bar

American, Breakfast/Brunch

247 4th St

Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 834-2467

www.chopbar510.com

Plum

California Cuisine 2214 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 444-7586

www.plumoakland.com

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

www.nexoakland.com

Hibiscus

Caribbean, Cajun/Creole 1745 San Pablo Ave Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 444-2626

www.hibiscusoakland.com

Enoteca Molinari

Italian

5474 College Ave. Oakland, CA 94618

(510)428-4078

www.enoteca-molinari.com

Addie's Pizza Pie

Pizzeria from the owners of Sweet Adeline Bakeshop

3290 Adeline St., Berkeley 510-547-1100

www.AddiesPizzaPie.com

Farmers' Market Bistro

American/California

1015 Clay St., Oakland. 510-238-8780

www.FarmersMarketBistro.net

No Worries

Vegetarian Filipino

1442 Franklin St., Oakland. 510-444-4466

FilipinoVegetarianFood.com

YaYu

Ethiopian

3343 Lakeshore Ave. (between Lake Park Ave & Trestle Glen Rd) Oakland, CA 94610

(510) 465-9298

www.yayurestaurant.com

Bocanova

Latin American & Modern American

55 Webster Ave. Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 444-1233

www.bocanova.com

Southie

Modern sandwiches, salads and small plates from the creators of Wood Tavern

6311 College Avenue Oakland, CA

(510) 654-0100

www.southieoakland.com

Summer Summer Thai Eatery

Thai

5885 Hollis St Emeryville, CA 94608

(510) 658-3234

www.summersummerthai.com

Zut!

Mediterranean American

1820 Fourth Street Berkeley, CA 94710

(510) 644-0444

www.zutonfourth.com

Paisan

Italian Pizzeria

2514 San Pablo Ave Berkeley

(510) 649-1031

www.paisanberkeley.com

Caña

Cuban

530 Lake Park Ave Oakland

(510) 832-1515

www.canaoakland.com

Donald L. Hardison a Bay Area Icon

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!

Arlington8

Arlington5

Cool Bay Area Kitchens

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.

Out and About the East Bay - Mark Your Calendars

Friday, February 25 & March 18th at 8 PMOakland East Bay Symphony The Planets and Stars Michael Morgan, Conductor w/ Bryan Nies, Assistant Conductor (2/25)

Paramount Theatre

2025 Broadway, Oakland

http://www.paramounttheatre.com

Saturday, February 26 at 5:30 PM

Ragga Muffins Festival

Featuring:  Bunny Wailer, Israel Vibration and much more!

The Fox Theater

1807 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland

http://www.thefoxoakland.com

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Oakland Speakers Series

Featuring Arianna Huffington Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre

2025 Broadway, Oakland

8 PM (Doors open at 7 PM)

http://www.paramounttheatre.com

Saturday, March 12th

GETT OFF: MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO does PRINCE With MARTIN LUTHER: Covers the Beatles

The New Parish

579 18^th St., Oakland Doors 8:30 / Show 9:30 / $25 ADV

http://www.thenewparish.com/

Sunday, March 13th at 7:00pm

TheaterFunk: "Life Is A Stage... and We Funk With It!"

135 12th Street, Oakland

Oasis Restaurant & Bar

Saturday, March 19^th at 7:30 PM

Flogging Molly @ the Fox Theater

The Fox Theater

1807 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland

http://www.thefoxoakland.com

Saturday, March 26th

Oakland Festival Twilight 5K Run

Come to Jack London Square and participate in the Oakland Running Festival’s Twilight 5K Race! To register, please go to www.oaklandmarathon.com. All runners will receive a T-shirt, gift bag and beverage voucher. Whether you come out for the run or come out to support your running friends and family, enjoy live music and the beautiful waterfront. Make dinner reservations at your favorite Jack London Square restaurant now.

March 26th & 27th

Oakland Running Festival

Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland

Registration is now open! www.oaklandmarathon.com

March 26th & 27^th at 8 PM

B.B. King

The Fox Theater

1807 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland

http://www.thefoxoakland.com

April 13^th

10 AM – 2 PM

Earth Expo Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland

www.oaklandearthexpo.org

April 14-17^th

Beginning at 10 AM Strictly Sail Pacific and Pacific Boat Expo Jack London Square, Oakland www.sailamerica.com

Sewers, the Dirty Truth

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!

Online Real Estate Tools for Home Buyers and Home Sellers

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:

• There could be errors, such as a property showing up as active that is actually sold
• The Realtors shown as experts along the sides of websites such as Zillow may be paying for their exposure and might not necessarily be a local Realtor or your area expert
• Often times when looking at any website, you might not know until further investigation about any major deficiencies such as foundation, electrical or more
• A good local Realtor has their finger on the pulse of market.  Pretty web-tours do not necessarily equate to a sound investment and conversely, some properties with awful photos and filthy carpet maybe the best investments!

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.