Krista and Rosie

Feb

09

The Tops: What Do Buyers Want

Posted In: For Buyers, For Sellers

The two rooms that consistently make the biggest impressions to buyers are, without a doubt, kitchens and bathrooms.  So what can you do to assure your kitchen and bath will be appealing to buyers?  The National Association of Realtors recently conducted their “Profile of buyer’s home feature preferences” survey.  Here are the results: FIVE KITCHEN + BATH FEATURES BUYERS WANT [...]

Feb

05

William Wurster home for sale in the Berkeley Hills

Posted In: Berkeley, Listings

William Wilson Wurster (1895 – 1973) was an influential American architect and architectural teacher at the University of California, Berkeley and at MIT. Wurster was born in Stockton, California and is strongly associated with the Bay Area and its regional style, along with Wurster’s mentor Bernard Maybeck, the landscape architect Thomas Church, and fellow architect Joseph Esherick. Wurster designed hundreds [...]

Feb

03

Who Said California Doesn’t Have Season’s?

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, For the Heck of It

Look at these amazing trees…I snapped these last week in a charming little neighborhood near the Berkeley / Albany border.

Feb

02

Red Oak R.O.O.F.

Posted In: Community

In 1985, the owners of Red Oak Realty sought a way to give back a portion of their business earnings to the communities they serve. To that end, Red Oak Opportunity Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable organization, was formed. Funding comes from Red Oak Realty agents, owners, staff, local businesses, clients, and private contributors. Grants are awarded annually to deserving [...]

Feb

02

Great Marketing Lines

Posted In: For Sellers, For the Heck of It, Good ol' Fashion Humor

I love the way agents describe their listings.  It is almost as if they A) cut and pasted the description from another listing or B) never saw the property themselves.  And the rest?  What the heck were they thinking? Here are some of my favorites: “Don’t open the back door…the staircase is missing.” “Wonderful property…move-in condition…needs a lot of TLC.” [...]

Jan

28

Rate Watch For The Week of 1/26/09

Posted In: Mortgage & Finance

  CONFORMING (under $417k) 30 Year Fixed, No Points    5.125% 30 Year Fixed, 1 Point        4.75% 30 Year Fixed, 2 Points      4.25% 5 Year Fixed, No Points     5.25% 5 Year Fixed, 1 Point         5.0% 5 Year Fixed, 2 Points       4.75% 7 Year Fixed, No Points     5.375% 7 Year Fixed, 1 Point         4.125% 7 Year Fixed, 2 Points       4.875% CONFORMING JUMBO ($417k – $625k) 30 [...]

Jan

27

December 2008 Bay Area Sales

Posted In: Local Market Statistics

Bargain hunting dominated the Bay Area housing market last month as the purchase of foreclosure properties accounted for more than half of all resales for the first time. Sales patterns also reflected continued problems for buyers looking to finance purchases in the upper half of the market’s price range, a real estate information service reported.   The chart below shows [...]

Jan

26

The Most Expensive Bay Area Homes of 2008

Posted In: For the Heck of It, General Real Estate News

This according to the MLS, of course.   When the market shifts the first markets to become affected are the top and the bottom, as well as condos.  So I thought it would be fun to see what the top of the market did in 2008.    I was suprised to learn that the most expensive home to sell was [...]

Jan

24

Sewer Lateral Replacement Rebate Program in Richmond

Posted In: For Buyers, For Sellers, Richmond

This just in from Richmond’s North and East Newsletter: “City rebate program offers financial incentive to comply with sewer lateral standards — Qualified residents and non-profit business owners in Richmond’s Sanitary Sewer District Number One can apply for grants to offset the cost of bringing sewer laterals into compliance with ordinance 12/17, article XII of the Municipal Code. For more [...]

Jan

23

Calling All Skaters, Head To The Pool

Posted In: For the Heck of It, Foreclosures & Short Sales

Skaters are traveling across the country to skate in the pools of homes that have been foreclosed on.  Flashing smiles as wide as half pipes, kids everywhere are finding a surplus of empty pools with which to perfect their acrobatic skills.  To read the entire article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/us/29pools.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss