tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88692978096959854842024-03-14T00:37:08.184-07:00Home SpunBerkeley Hills Realty's Bay Area Real Estate YarnBerkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-80471279479829042962016-08-30T13:23:00.003-07:002016-09-01T16:36:28.937-07:00TECHmunch SF: Food is a Common Thread<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16xvLfgTn_E/V8Xq2YiEeXI/AAAAAAAAAts/wHj0UQrUGhkB1CWWxu5-iuEBO03mxtZSgCLcB/s1600/Sweet%2BBasil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16xvLfgTn_E/V8Xq2YiEeXI/AAAAAAAAAts/wHj0UQrUGhkB1CWWxu5-iuEBO03mxtZSgCLcB/s320/Sweet%2BBasil.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet <a href="http://sweetbasilthaiberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Basil Thai</a>, located two doors from Berkeley Hills Realty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming back from this month's TECHmunch, Janesta Downey (blogger for <a href="http://www.brixchicks.com/2009/03/introducing-brixchick-janesta-review-of.html" target="_blank">BixChicks</a> and a Realtor at Berkeley Hills Realty) said, "I love wine and I like to write about it. But admittedly, wine isn't for everyone. Everyone eats - and in the Bay Area, lots of us love our food!" Janesta's love of wine has always included food pairings. She has a passion for the East Bay's culinary riches and, having been inspired at TECHmunch, she is enthusiastic about including more food articles in her blog. </span>As a Realtor, Janesta sees herself as an ambassador for the chomping grounds where she works. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The East Bay's diverse cuisine weaves through our neighborhoods bringing our communities together. Enjoying our restaurants and specialty shops is a fun way to increase her local area knowledge, which she in turn shares with her clients and followers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">TECHmunch is a food bloggers conference, bringing writers and culinary influencers together. Last week's TECHmunh in San Francisco was an exhilarating day of
fresh new ideas. The conference was held in a building in San Francisco that
is the oldest woman owned community center in SF. The women's Center is located in the mission
district and is covered in murals painted by many women. Approaching the multi-colored
building makes you happy! Friday's conference was the first one held in San Francisco. It will be held in New York and Los Angeles later this year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are five need to knows from Janesta about the event:</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://womensbuilding.org/" target="_blank">The Woman's Center</a>: </b>This is a historical point of
interest chosen specifically by Techmunch as a way to honor the oldest
women-owned community center in San Francisco. TECHmunch chose this venue in order to give back to the community.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://techmunchconf.com/event/techmunch-san-francisco/#gs.eXz8GU8" target="_blank">TECHmunch</a>: </b>TECHmunch is the traveling food media/ blogger conference
that combines networking, panels, tastings and demos to inspire even the most
seasoned culinary influencer. Launched in 2010, the conference has traveled to
more than 25 cities across North America. TECHmunch SF features the most
accomplished culinary and digital media experts in the Bay Area. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Hot Take Aways:</b> </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lean in to your topic, write your blog
like you are talking over the table with a best friend over a glass of
wine. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Find your authentic voice. Sentences should show </span>grammatical<span style="font-family: inherit;"> fluency, but also sound like you said them. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most blogs are read on phone so write 1-2
sentence paragraphs to make it easy to read.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;">Use of Imagery for Food Bloggers:</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Printerest is a networking group can use Vertical images, stacked images, re-pins and Video pins.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tools that can boost pin or boards are Tail One and Board Boaster.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photographs are a part of successful blogs:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about the color and texture ( use a basic color wheel)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Natural light is best - less grainy and truer colors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overhead angles or 45 degree angles are good when snapping your food pic.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When photographing food make 40% of plate unfilled. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Height makes food makes food more attractive. Stack six or more pancakes or mound pasta up in the middle</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">4</span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;">Culinary Discoveries:</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Myriad - Much More Than Mom's Market, 2177 Market St. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Myriad is a beautiful high tech space with 9 food stands
and a full bar, Mrs Jones Bar. Janesta liked
the Moscow Mule!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Le Bread Express
- see the picture on Janesta's Instagram</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Poke Delish serves fresh delicious poke. Friday they had two types of Tuna and - Octopus
poke. I could eat this every day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Raw - A juice
company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">NoNaMe Sushi was visually colorful and oh so good!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"> SF Brewing Company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Antonik's BBQ offered delicious chicken and pork
barbecued perfectly in a state of the art convection oven with a new smokeless
fan apparatus. It was fun to meet the
proprieters Jay and Claudine Dava who were enthusiastic to describe there new
method of preparing barbecue without the smoke.
Last week they received the first ever approval from the City of San
Francisco for this new method to prepare BBQ. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cro Cafe</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Homestead Cookies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crepes S'll Vous Plait.
Yummy crepes made from flour flown in from France (gluten-free) and
prepared and served by French Brothers who are passionate about the Crepe. </span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What an experience. Janesta also noticed how this event brought the community together. She saw families feeding the kids their
favorites while meeting up with neighbors and friends. Look for more food blogging in the future, both from BrixChicks and <a href="http://berkhills.com/" target="_blank">Berkeley Hills Realty</a>!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-88869185934850496722016-08-30T13:23:00.002-07:002016-08-31T10:47:06.571-07:00TECHmunch SF: Food is a Common Thread<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16xvLfgTn_E/V8Xq2YiEeXI/AAAAAAAAAts/wHj0UQrUGhkB1CWWxu5-iuEBO03mxtZSgCLcB/s1600/Sweet%2BBasil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16xvLfgTn_E/V8Xq2YiEeXI/AAAAAAAAAts/wHj0UQrUGhkB1CWWxu5-iuEBO03mxtZSgCLcB/s320/Sweet%2BBasil.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet <a href="http://sweetbasilthaiberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Basil Thai</a>, located two doors from Berkeley Hills Realty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming back from this month's TECHmunch, Janesta Downey (blogger for <a href="http://www.brixchicks.com/2009/03/introducing-brixchick-janesta-review-of.html" target="_blank">BixChicks</a> and a Realtor at Berkeley Hills Realty) said, "I love wine and I like to write about it. But admittedly, wine isn't for everyone. Everyone eats - and in the Bay Area, lots of us love our food!" Janesta's love of wine has always included food pairings. She has a passion for the East Bay's culinary riches and, having been inspired at TECHmunch, she is enthusiastic about including more food articles in her blog. </span>As a Realtor, Janesta sees herself as an ambassador for the chomping grounds where she works. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The East Bay's diverse cuisine weaves through our neighborhoods bringing our communities together. Enjoying our restaurants and specialty shops is a fun way to increase her local area knowledge, which she in turn shares with her clients and followers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">TECHmunch is a food bloggers conference, bringing writers and culinary influencers together. Last week's TECHmunh in San Francisco was an exhilarating day of
fresh new ideas. The conference was held in a building in San Francisco that
is the oldest woman owned community center in SF. The women's Center is located in the mission
district and is covered in murals painted by many women. Approaching the multi-colored
building makes you happy! TECHmunch
chose this venue in order to give back to the community. Friday's conference was the first one held in San Francisco. It will be held in New York and Los Angeles later this year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are five need to knows from Janesta about the event:</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://womensbuilding.org/" target="_blank">The Woman's Center</a>: </b>This is a historical point of
interest chosen specifically by Techmunch as a way to honor the oldest
women-owned community center in San Francisco and to give to a venue that
supports the community.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://techmunchconf.com/event/techmunch-san-francisco/#gs.eXz8GU8" target="_blank">TECHmunch</a>: </b>TECHmunch is the traveling food media/ blogger conference
that combines networking, panels, tastings and demos to inspire even the most
seasoned culinary influencer. Launched in 2010, the conference has traveled to
more than 25 cities across North America. TECHmunch SF features the most
accomplished culinary and digital media experts in the Bay Area. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Hot Take Aways:</b> </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lean in to your topic, write your blog
like you are talking over the table with a best friend over a glass of
wine. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Find your authentic voice. Sentences should show </span>grammatical<span style="font-family: inherit;"> fluency, but also sound like you said them. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most blogs are read on phone so write 1-2
sentence paragraphs to make it easy to read.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;">Use of Imagery for Food Bloggers:</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Printerest is a networking group can use Vertical images, stacked images, re-pins and Video pins.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tools that can boost pin or boards is Tail One and Board Boaster.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photographs are a part of successful blogs:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about the color and texture ( use a basic color wheel)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Natural light is best - less grainy and truer colors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overhead angles or 45 degree angles are good when snapping your food pic.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When photographing food make 40% of plate unfilled. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Height makes food makes food more attractive. Stack six or more pancakes or mound pasta up in the middle</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">4</span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit;">Culinary Discoveries:</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></li>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Myriad - Much More Than Mom's Market, 2177 Market St. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Myriad is a beautiful high tech space with 9 food stands
and a full bar, Mrs Jones Bar. Janesta liked
the Moscow Mule!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Le Bread Express
- see the picture on Janesta's Instagram</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Poke Delish serves fresh delicious poke. Friday they had two types of Tuna and - Octopus
poke. I could eat this every day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Raw - A juice
company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">NoNaMe Sushi was visually colorful and oh so good!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"> SF Brewing Company</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Antonik's BBQ offered delicious chicken and pork
barbecued perfectly in a state of the art convection oven with a new smokeless
fan apparatus. It was fun to meet the
proprieters Jay and Claudine Dava who were enthusiastic to describe there new
method of preparing barbecue without the smoke.
Last week they received the first ever approval from the City of San
Francisco for this new method to prepare BBQ. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cro Cafe</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Homestead Cookies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crepes S'll Vous Plait.
Yummy crepes made from flour flown in from France (gluten-free) and
prepared and served by French Brothers who are passionate about the Crepe. </span></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What an experience... Janesta also noticed how this event brought the community together. She saw families feeding the kids their
favorites while meeting up with neighbors and friends. Look for more food blogging in the future, both from BrixChicks and <a href="http://berkhills.com/" target="_blank">Berkeley Hills Realty</a>!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-58774858424511055722016-03-30T16:55:00.001-07:002016-03-30T16:55:32.315-07:00Plant Swap This Weekend 4/2/2016 at Berkeley Hills Realty!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNzJohXr3A/VvxlnS1Nc0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/ZZxqPIBWPXYJZkt96U-ffj5ylGmmmgebg/s1600/Plant%2BExchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNzJohXr3A/VvxlnS1Nc0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/ZZxqPIBWPXYJZkt96U-ffj5ylGmmmgebg/s1600/Plant%2BExchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNzJohXr3A/VvxlnS1Nc0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/ZZxqPIBWPXYJZkt96U-ffj5ylGmmmgebg/s1600/Plant%2BExchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNzJohXr3A/VvxlnS1Nc0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/ZZxqPIBWPXYJZkt96U-ffj5ylGmmmgebg/s1600/Plant%2BExchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SwNzJohXr3A/VvxlnS1Nc0I/AAAAAAAAAs8/ZZxqPIBWPXYJZkt96U-ffj5ylGmmmgebg/s640/Plant%2BExchange.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
Welcom Spring by coming to Berkeley Hills Realty's Plant Exchange! This Saturday April 2, 2016. 1714 Solano Avenue, Berkeley. We will be digging up treasures from our collective gardens. Come get your hands dirty! <a href="http://www.brushstrokestudio.com/" target="_blank">BrushStrokes</a> painting studio is hosting a hands-on workshop at the event. Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-9261046325723727622016-01-12T13:43:00.003-08:002016-01-12T13:46:34.622-08:0010 New Year’s Resolutions for Home Owners<!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa91A-vSK3M/VpVzJx59bvI/AAAAAAAAAsg/7bwMal5uOxQ/s1600/resolutions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa91A-vSK3M/VpVzJx59bvI/AAAAAAAAAsg/7bwMal5uOxQ/s200/resolutions.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Regardless of where you stand on 2016 Resolutions— </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">it’s okay, we like you just the way you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">It’s your home we should talk about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Home ownership is a stewardship requiring the regular planning and management of your resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the investment that is most visible in your everyday life. Putting your home on your resolution horizon can help keep that investment and the very walls around you shipshape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some suggestions to starting the year off right:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">1.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Replace smoke detector batteries.</span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-level-number-format: arabic; mso-level-text: "%1\."; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">2.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Have your furnace inspected. Replace the filter if needed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-level-number-format: arabic; mso-level-text: "%1\."; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">3.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Have your chimney cleaned and consider installing a clean-air gas insert.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-level-number-format: arabic; mso-level-text: "%1\."; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">4.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Make sure rain gutters and storm drains are clear and working properly to divert water. Extend gutters away from the foundation (but not at your neighbor.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">5.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Have your home inspected for wood destroying pests and organisms. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-level-number-format: arabic; mso-level-text: "%1\."; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">6.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Consider a home energy audit and plan for future energy upgrades. Replace 5 light bulbs in your house with energy saving fluorescents. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">7.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Get graph paper and start planning a drought resistant garden. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">8.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Start a home improvement savings account. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">9.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Refinance as rates are expected to rise. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; unicode-bidi: embed;">10.</span><span style="width: 9.75pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "Calibri Light"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-language: ar-SA; mso-currency-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-default-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-greek-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-hebrew-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latin-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-ligatures: none;">Call us <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/" target="_blank">Berkeley Hills Realty</a> for a home assessment. We can tell you what your home is worth now and what future improvements are most likely to add value. </span></div>
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Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-21099339422031796372015-11-19T14:57:00.000-08:002015-11-20T11:13:58.107-08:00The Best Bay Area City You Never Heard Of<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xTKbxk-l7pA/Vk5TMP2z8UI/AAAAAAAAAsA/nR1YmtvAf6E/s1600/730%2BStannage%2BAv%2B03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xTKbxk-l7pA/Vk5TMP2z8UI/AAAAAAAAAsA/nR1YmtvAf6E/s320/730%2BStannage%2BAv%2B03.jpg" width="320" /></a>We are fortunate to live in a geographical area with lots of
interest and equal hype.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oakland has
been touted as the “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/fashion/oakland-california-brooklyn-by-the-bay.html?_r=0">New
Brooklyn</a>”. Piedmont was recently voted one of the <a href="http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/48939/20151104/top-10-best-suburbs-raising-family-usa.htm">best
suburbs for raising a family</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Berkeley
also has its own throngs of <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Berkeley-is-the-best-place-to-live-in-the-Bay-6212228.php#item-44548">admirers</a>. </div>
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We live here and tend to agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live here, so we also tend to notice what
is missing from the national press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
think the best bay area city that you never heard of is Albany, California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a population around 19,000 occupying 5.5
square miles, Albany is a friendly place to live for all ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Albany has great public schools; averaging a
score of 9. It has low crime and great walkability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are great parks (Memorial Park and Terrace
Point) and green spaces (Albany Hill and The Albany Bulb).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main shopping strip along Solano Avenue
extends without interruption into Berkeley and offers fantastic restaurants and
many boutiques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also offers unusual curiosities
such as the Bone Room (displaying real bones of all types) and Casa Oaxaca (crafts
from Mexico).</div>
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<br /></div>
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On the northern border of Berkeley, Albany offers proximity
and many of the joys associated with Berkeley-- with a more affordable price
tag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The median price for a home in
Albany according to Zillow is $822,100 versus Berkeley’s median of $971,100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/author/kristamiller/">Krista Miller</a> and <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/author/rosiepapazian/">Rosie Papazian</a> of Berkeley
Hills Realty currently have a three-bedroom home in Albany offered at $779,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is well-located <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/listings/730-stannage-avenue-albany/">730
Stannage Avenue</a>, and <strike>open this Sunday, November 22 from 2-4.</strike><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i><span style="color: red;">Open house canceled - Seller accepted an offer.</span></i></span></div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-23469891664425369972015-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:002015-05-16T15:11:37.094-07:00Three Tips for Finding Unicorns in the Berkeley Residential Real Estate Market.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uBxGDr61wI/VVe76y7sv_I/AAAAAAAAArM/844oCNvkIWs/s1600/unicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uBxGDr61wI/VVe76y7sv_I/AAAAAAAAArM/844oCNvkIWs/s200/unicorn.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
174 homes have sold in all of Berkeley since the beginning of
2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the year's first four-and-a-half months we
have seen some intense competition in our housing market. One house on Cherry Street
listed for $970,000 closed escrow at $1,600,000-- a whopping 167% of its asking
price. Fifty of the properties sold at least 25% over their original price. Finding your way out of the intense competition can seem like searching for unicorns.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
It is an undeniably competitive market, but not every house sells substantially over its asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The average sold over asking price for all 174 sold properties is
115%. April saw a 34%
increase in new inventory over January’s dismal offerings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An upswing in inventory has piqued our optimism. We are hopeful that our clients will find new opportunities in the summer market.<br />
<br />
Still we are realistic. Many buyers will brave the stampedes and continue to bid aggressively. If you are looking for the picture perfect bungalow within
steps of Peet’s Coffee and the Cheese Board, it is likely you will still be cliff
diving into the most competitive waters. For the more conservative buyer, here are our
secrets to finding the unicorns:</div>
<ol>
<li><b>Explore New Territory:</b> Unicorns don't travel "tree-lined streets" in "coveted neighborhoods." A home on Grant quoted as “prime
location” achieved 155% of its asking price, while another on Acton advertised
as “fantastic location” got 150% of its original price. Although it’s hard not to covet
Berkeley's most popular zip codes, consider up-and-coming neighborhoods as an alternative. Look for neighborhoods with strong commercial
anchors like the developing Gilman District<b>.</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In addition there are opportunities just north of Berkeley's borders in towns such as Kensington.</span></li>
<li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Embrace the
Akward!</b> Unicorns have horns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hornless homes in great shape command premiums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A home in the Berkeley Hills on Alamo referred
to as “pristine” sold for 60% over, and $450,000 over the listed price. Another
“beautifully updated” home on Shattuck sold for 46% over. Conversely, a home on Dwight with “potential”
sold at 90% of its asking, and one on Spaulding needing TLC sold at only 92% of
its asking price. However, don’t assume you’ve
lassoed your fantasy creature just because you’ve found an easy fixer. On Spruce Street, one “contractor’s
special” in really poor shape listed for $599,000 and cleared
$850,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s got that great zip
code (see #1 above) or fabulous architecture, you might not be in unicorn habitat. In fact, pristine is uncommon. Most of our housing stock was built prior to
WWII, so it is safe to assume most homes need some TLC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the houses with the new paint and cute
staging can have skeletons in their closets. Yet, the paint and staging is
often enough to draw competitive offers. True unicorn seekers should instead get excited about unusual
layouts. Awkward floor plans can confuse the competition.
Also remodels done in poor taste might be hidden opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sellers tend to price these on the high side,
because they value their own improvements. Then, the unappealing design fails to entice area buyers. If your choice is either to pick the cute
popular home (that includes reports which you will be expected to accept in “as
is” condition), or head over to the house with the lousy floor plan or home
depot upgrades, keep your eye on the latter. Chances are, what you save in competition may
pay for a designer or architect’s time to help you reimagine the aesthetic.</li>
<li><b>Look for the Overpriced and Overlooked</b>: Look for the unicorns that
haven’t been snapped up by week two. Focus on properties that have been on the
market for longer than thirty days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
do exist!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the 174 properties that
have closed so far this year, 30 were on the market for longer than 30 days. Not
all were overpriced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four properties
actually raised their price as a strategy and closed escrow at an average 110%
of their original asking. 13 of the 30
did take a price reduction, but even so the reductions were slight averaging 7%.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Happy hunting. Regardless of where you invest, a <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/" target="_blank">Berkeley Hills Agent</a> can help you find what your seeking and help you succeed at your goals.</div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-71268670492221505892015-04-28T17:20:00.000-07:002015-05-01T10:31:28.398-07:00How To Thrive When Your Bay Area Home Sells Out From Under You<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="en-US">Where do you go if you sell? Even though Sellers have regained positive equity in their homes and repaired past credit woes, it is still hard to sell when you don't know where you’ll land. Entering the competitive market as a buyer after you sell your departing residence is daunting. With a market moving this quickly, Sellers can risk losing their real estate foothold. Here are five strategies to help you thrive as you make your move:<br><br>
</span></div>
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<span lang="en-US">1. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Climb the real estate ladder. </span><span lang="en-US">Buying up increases your chances for success as you bracket away from your competition. Typically, starter homes are the most competitive as they represent the first tier of affordability. Selling a starter home may bring two advantages. First, as you move up in price range, you leave behind some of the competition who can't afford to advance with you. Second, you may benefit from a large down-payment from liquidating your equity. (This is also true for those downsizing.) Your agent may be able to give you insight into how much equity your current home holds, how many offers are typical in each price range, and the relative heft of the over-bids. <br><br>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="en-US">2. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Write your own ticket. </span><span lang="en-US">Who invented the idea that you have to sell before you can buy your next home? Test the waters with creative contingencies. If you are afraid you will end up without a replacement home, make the sale of your current home contingent on identifying a replacement property. This is tricky and buyers will need some reassurance in the form of time frames. Ask your agent to talk it through with you.<br><br>
</span></div>
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<span lang="en-US">3.</span><span lang="en-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 9.8992pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-default-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-greek-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-latin-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Move to your dream location.</span><span lang="en-US"> If your dream is outside of the bay area, chances are you will be able to bring along a good financial cushion. We hate to lose our long-time locals, yet for some sellers, an out-of-area move may present a viable option. Your Berkeley Hills Realty agent can help refer you to a reputable agent outside the bay area boundaries.<br><br>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="en-US">4. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Buy first, then sell.</span><span lang="en-US"> Bridge loans are back. Erick Berthaldan of MPR Financial said, "The ideal client for one of these loans is an individual who has a large amount of equity in their property and they are preparing to sell their departing residence. Most clients who obtain bridge loans hold them short-term and then refinance out of this loan once their departing residence is sold and they receive proceeds from the sale."<br><br>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="en-US">5.</span><span lang="en-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 9.8992pt; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-cyrillic-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-default-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-greek-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-latin-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-latinext-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Beg, borrow, (but don't steal.) </span><span lang="en-US">Hitting up your relatives can help in two ways. First, if you are fortunatley able to borrow the entire purchase price for a short term, you may be able to show proof of funds at the time your present your offer and compete alongside all-cash offers. Second, gift funds may help fortify your down-payment and help you qualify for the second mortgage needed to stay in place until you can sell your departing home. Aran Nafisi of RPM Mortgage said, "A common mistake we see buyers make is receiving gift funds from family and depositing them into their bank accounts. By doing this, it creates "large deposits" that appear in the buyers' bank statements. Banks will scrutinize these deposits and require the funds to be paper trailed to prove it is not a private loan. One strategy to lessen the paperwork is to ask the family member to wire the gift funds directly to the escrow company once the offer is accepted." </span><span lang="en-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br>
<b>Note of caution: </b>If you plan to repay personal loans upon the sale of your departing property, act conservatively. This market is hot, but it can be spotty and it doesn't come with a guarantee. Similarly, if you plan to pay off debt by getting a loan after escrow closes using the collateral of your new home, be careful to talk to your accountant and lender. Your timing for getting the loan in place is important and may help ensure that the loan can still qualify as non-recourse purchase money.<br>
<br>
Erick Berthaldan of MPR said it best, "It simply comes down to partnering up with the right real estate company and lender in order to be successful."<br>
<br>
Erick Berthaldan of MPR Financial can be reached at <a href="tel:510-527-6146" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">510-527-6146</a>.<br>
Aran Nafisi of RPM Mortgage can be reached at <a href="tel:925-743-3508" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">925-743-3508</a>.<br>
You can find your Berkeley Hills Agent by clicking <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-16085648046534834142014-10-31T13:40:00.002-07:002014-10-31T15:16:48.768-07:00Top Five Secret Luxuries of the Bay Area Housing Market<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZDiwCoZH2M/VFPznhXIJ_I/AAAAAAAAAqM/20QN4VA4rUk/s1600/luxury%2Bconnect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZDiwCoZH2M/VFPznhXIJ_I/AAAAAAAAAqM/20QN4VA4rUk/s1600/luxury%2Bconnect.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sshhh… We've got it and it’s a secret worth keeping to
ourselves. A quick trip to LA taught me that the lifestyle coveted by the
rapidly growing pool of billionaires is not only ours--but relatively
affordable. Last week, this Berkeley girl swapped her old Birkenstocks for new
Jimmy Choo’s and teetered into a private event auspiciously titled, “Luxury
Connect.” It was hosted at the $135 million dollar <a href="http://www.hiltonhyland.com/listings/the-legendary-beverly-house-2">Beverly
House</a> in Beverly Hills. The one-day affair was limited to 100
attendees and boasted a panel of the who’s who in the Los Angeles luxury real
estate market. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I sat furtively listening to the guys from Million
Dollar Listing, I started to notice an interesting pattern. Luxury is
becoming less about conspicuous possessions (bad call on the new shoes) and
turning more subtly towards an idealized daily life. Today’s high-net-worth
elite covet luxurious creature comforts in and around their not so humble
abodes. Surprisingly (or not), the new list of must-haves matches nearly
perfectly with what we know and love about our East Bay neighborhoods in
Oakland, Berkeley and Kensington.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s what the East Bay’s got that's hot in multi-million
dollar LA estates:</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Views: When asked what tops the list of “must haves” for
the financial elite, broker Sally Forster Jones quickly declared, “views.” <span style="color: #1f497d;">Y</span>ou know you have reached the pinnacle of your
career when you can claim outstanding views. Areas in the East Bay such as
Berkeley, Oakland, and Kensington, boast bountiful views of the San Francisco
skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge, and deliver spectacular California sunsets
night after night. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Eco-friendly: During a session on design and construction
Innovation, architect Leo Marmol noted that opulence is often tempered by
guilt. If you can afford to fly by private jet, chances are you’d like to
offset your emissions by shrinking your carbon footprint while at home.
Billionaire’s homes are <span style="color: #1f497d;">shrinking</span> in square
footage <span style="color: #1f497d;">while</span> emphasizing their energy efficiency
and use of sustainable resources. The East Bay got the global warming memo and
acted appropriately. Berkeley is number seven on <a href="http://www.mnn.com/health/allergies/photos/top-10-green-us-cities/7-berkeley-calif">Mother
Nature Network’s</a> <i>Top Ten Green US Cities, </i>posting Berkeley as “<span style="background: white; color: black;">a great place to find an abundance of
organic and vegetarian restaurants also on the cutting edge of sustainability.
Berkeley is recognized as a leader in the incubation of clean technology for
wind power, solar power, biofuels and hydropower.</span>” Oakland is
ranked even higher, claiming the number four spot, having, “access to an
abundance of fresh, organic food, much of which is locally sourced. It's also
home to the nation's cleanest tap water, hydrogen-powered public transit and
the country's oldest wildlife refuge.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/travel/stories/destination-of-the-week-oakland-california"><span style="color: #025689;">Oakland</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> also plans to have zero waste and be
oil-independent by 2020, and already gets 17 percent of its energy from
renewable sources.</span>”</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
</span><span class="apple-converted-space">3. Recreation: Health-conscious
billionaires are retiring the treadmill, preferring trail running with a
personal trainer over the tedium of the home gym. The <a href="http://www.ebparks.org/">East Bay Regional Park District</a> is something
of which the East Bay can be proud. The system comprises 114,000+ acres
encompassing 65 parks in Alameda and Contra Costa County, including over 1,200
miles of trails. But this isn’t just about staying in shape; people seem
to be looking for a greater connection to the outdoors. Busy entrepreneurs like
to know that recreation is easily accessible and luxury real estate investors
want their safe harbors to do double duty as vacation retreats. Aside
from our local splendor, it is a great Bay Area boon that fabulous weekend
destinations like Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe are within easy driving distance. </span></div>
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4. Mild Climate: High-end smart houses are now equipped to
adjust the air temperature, lighting and music to daily preferences. While our
historic homes may currently lack high-tech habitat controls, our weather more
than makes up for it. Where climate is concerned, it’s no exaggeration to say
we are the best. According to Wikipedia, “based on data gathered by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oakland is ranked No. 1 in climate
among U.S. cities.” Many out-of-state visitors are surprised to learn
that few of our homes feature air-conditioning. Instead, the Bay provides
natural climate control for the area. And, if ever it starts to feel too
warm, the fog drops in to kindly reset our thermostat.</div>
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5. Car-free Commute: During the “Under 40 Luxury Buyer”
panel, agent Kat Carrol expressed that her buyers are looking for locations
with good public transportation. The wallets of the young and wealthy now
sport a passport and a transit card in lieu of a driver’s license. Let’s
face it; there is nothing <span style="color: #1f497d;">cute</span> about sitting
in traffic--no matter how fab your Ferrari. On my trip home from LA, I left the
hotel about forty-five minutes early in case my driver hit traffic on my way to
the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a problem here, as our extensive <a href="http://www.bart.gov/">Bay Area Transit System</a> (BART) is a commuter’s
dream and can get you to work no matter how far you travel. Not impacted
by street traffic, BART can deliver you all the way to San Francisco Airport
(SFO), an international hub for worldwide travel. Alternatively, if you want a
more personal mode of stress-free transportation, try a bicycle. With
Berkeley’s impressive network of Bicycles, and Oakland’s innovative <a href="http://guide.bicycling.com/ride-maps/featured-rides/27-oakland-california">Super
Sharrows</a>, safe cycling options and exceptional weather encourage happy,
healthy commutes. </div>
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Life is rough here in Berkeley, and I’m finding it hard
to limit myself to just five reasons to gloat. The East Bay has always
been a world class destination ripe with cultural riches that include art,
opera, theater and music. Then there’s the food. Berkeley’s own Alice Waters
pioneered California cuisine, and <a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2013/10/22/michelin-stars-san-francisco-bay-area-2014/">Michelin
star restaurants</a> abound around the Bay. But, maybe one of the best kept
secret luxuries is our ability to celebrate uniqueness in all its forms. When
everyone is special, it gives the gift of low key anonymity to our local
celebrities. </div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-16073845137817042442014-10-08T14:06:00.003-07:002014-10-08T14:55:17.459-07:00California Dreaming on Such a Berkeley Day / Living SF Luxury at Berkeley Affordability<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBT_SE1rf2c/VDWdzI69dSI/AAAAAAAAAp8/_j9ktRaTMDI/s1600/Twilights-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBT_SE1rf2c/VDWdzI69dSI/AAAAAAAAAp8/_j9ktRaTMDI/s1600/Twilights-17.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from 934Arlington.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fifteen years ago, Buyers looking for their Bay Area "dream house" were
likely to tout a bay view as a top must-have. In today's market a view is still wonderful, but more and more buyers are willing to sacrifice a front seat at our beautiful sunsets for the more practical ability to walk
to a local coffee shop. At Berkeley Hills Realty we call this the "latte factor."<br />
<br />
A noticeable shift took place in 2009 when a study, <a href="http://blog.walkscore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/WalkingTheWalk_CEOsforCities.pdf">Walking the Walk</a>,
came out with a subtitle; "How Walkability Raises Home
Values in U.S. Cities." The research shows that homes in walkable neighborhoods are worth more money in nearly all metropolitan areas.
And yes, coffee shops count. The <a href="http://www.walkscore.com/score/934-arlington-ave-berkeley-ca-94707" target="_blank">WalkScore</a> algorithm used in the study
looks at a multitude of categories; coffee shop, grocery store, movie theater,
park, bookstore, drug store, clothing/music store, restaurant, bar,
school, library, fitness, and hardware store. The study author, Joe
Cortright, states, "An additional one point improvement in average Walk
Scores adds between $700 and $3,000 to the value of a typical house,
holding all other factors constant." Remind me to tip my barista. <br />
<br />
Local
amenities not only support the value of our housing stock and add
to the joy of our daily lives-- they may just help save the planet. In June of this year, NBC News contributor, Diana Olick reported: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="ember-view" id="ember849">
Car shares, bike shares, improved
rapid transit and teleworking. All are the product of a new generation
that is more environmentally conscious than any before it and more
willing to use its own energy to get around town, rather than tapping
expensive energy sources. Millennials prefer urban cores, even ones outside of major metropolitan areas, because <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101460657">they want to be able to walk or bike to work</a> and stores.</div>
</blockquote>
Living the good life in the Bay that bears the name <i>San Francisco</i> might make you think you need the City to enjoy its creature comforts. San Francisco's got it, but the price is steep. Instead check out some of our walkable neighborhoods in the East Bay. <a href="http://www.934arlington.com/" target="_blank">934 Arlington Avenue</a> in Berkeley (open Sunday 10/12/2014) offers a great WalkScore <i><b>and</b></i> a spectacular view. With fabulous neighborhood shops, nearby amenities and better affordability, you can live like a San Franciscan while spending like a Berkeleyite.<br />
<br />
Grab a great cup of coffee at your favorite local shop and compare to 934 Arlington home values of $408 per square foot to <a href="http://www.paragon-re.com/Current_SF_Home_Value_Tables_by_Neighborhood" target="_blank">San Francisco housing prices</a>. Don't dribble your coffee as your jaw drops, we think you will be delighted and amazed.<br />
<br />
<br />Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-12825795152803444442014-05-06T16:25:00.003-07:002014-05-06T16:25:28.607-07:00Slap a Sign Up and We Are Outta Here<div class="featured-img" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; color: black; font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 5px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<img alt="photo123" class="attachment-medium wp-post-image" height="300" src="http://www.berkhills.com/files/2014/05/photo123-206x300.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; font-family: 'EB Garamond' !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;" width="206" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #5a5a5a; font-family: exo-light; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Is there a real estate bubble in the East Bay? If so, is it time to cash out? If you want a one way ticket out of the Bay Area and you own your own home, the numbers seem to be in your favor. In April, 49 homes closed escrow in Berkeley at an average of 120% of their asking price. The upside potential is even more amazing as three lucky sellers closed at more than 150% of their asking. Back in March, we saw an example as high as 167%. Apparently, it pays to have the great home everyone wants, as higher quantities of multiple offers drive the highest overbids. Luck only works as an exit plan unfortunately, because jumping into the bidding wars as a buyer isn’t as opportune.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/05/02/priced-out-of-my-own-million-dollar-berkeley-block/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; color: #0088cc; font-family: 'EB Garamond' !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;">(See<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Priced out of my own ‘million dollar’ Berkeley block</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>by Reichi Lee as published by BerkeleySide.)</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> This may be one of the main reasons for sale signs aren’t up in more front yards. If you cash out now, it may look daunting to try to buy back in.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #5a5a5a; font-family: exo-light; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Back to the bubbly: I hate to label the current housing boom as a “bubble” mainly because of the fear the word provokes in an area where many are still nursing wounds left by the recession. We need a less scary word, maybe just “bubble-lite.” True, the market is soaring in much the same pattern as once again our housing supply can’t meet the current demand. But this market is somewhat different. It is expected to have a softer deflation, because this time homeowners have more skin in the game in the form of actual equity in their homes. This is due to two factors. First, new lending restrictions are implemented which often necessitate higher down payments in order to qualify for a home loan. The second reason is a little less obvious to those outside the feeding frenzy and is a direct result of the psychology associated with multiple offer situations: You know the expression, “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” In this case, the birds are Benjamins. Given the choice between multitudes of buyers, many sellers feel most comfortable with the buyer who has the most Benjamins in hand. In most cases all cash offers, or offers with high down payments, stand a better chance at being accepted. As a result, homes still sell high, but with more actual pennies in place. In 2013, 52.2% of buyers had down payments greater than 20%, and nearly 30% were all cash buyers. These two equity elevators will work like a buffer against the fear of future short sales and foreclosures.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #5a5a5a; font-family: exo-light; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Timing is everything and more housing inventory has come on the market this week, easing some of the market zealousness experienced in April. Such weekly shifts are not predictors as small blips in inventory will not adequately meet demand and level the market place. East Bay housing demand may be on the rise. Before this bubble can pop, we have another market propellant unique to our neck of the woods (or seeping in our direction out of Silicon Valley). Facebook was the first to test the waters of the post-recession economy by going public. Despite a bumpy start, they paved the way and now it seems many California technology companies are ripe for going public. According to the founder of several tech companies, Marcus Nelson,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/16/the-twitter-ipo-and-its-impending-silicon-valley-domino-effect/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; color: #0088cc; font-family: 'EB Garamond' !important; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal;">“Should the bull market come out to play, expect a successful Twitter IPO to kick off a domino effect for other Silicon Valley tech companies – and well beyond.”</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As companies go public and stock options are realized, this could inject more fuel to the equity fire. These stockholders may look to the city first, but often come across the Bay to find relatively affordable real estate. Prepare to see more cash offers in our future.</div>
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Now, if we only had more homes to sell….</div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-17802222820284653142014-04-18T11:36:00.002-07:002014-04-18T11:36:38.754-07:00Open Letter to East Bay Sellers: “Please, Raise Your List Price”<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DuJbobJwqQ/U1FwPPswMfI/AAAAAAAAApc/6pVY6bIzaM0/s1600/bhrkeys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DuJbobJwqQ/U1FwPPswMfI/AAAAAAAAApc/6pVY6bIzaM0/s1600/bhrkeys.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Yep, I said raise your list price. Some real estate professionals can’t believe
that these words would come out of another agent’s mouth. The more common challenge is getting a
reasonable and marketable list price from an emotionally attached Seller. (Everyone tends to think their home is the
best on the block, myself included.) </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enter the East Bay Real Estate Market, where low inventory
translates to multiple offers. Some say
you can’t price a home too low in this hot market as the price will
self-correct upwards and then some when the bidding war happen. This is not an absolute truth. Seeing multiple offers all around has us thinking
that Sellers may in fact need a new strategy.
Here are our reasons for asking Sellers to increase their price:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>It’s
Worth It!</b> Not to overstate the obvious, but we are in a booming market. We started talking to some of you a while ago
when you first thought about putting your home on the market. While you may
have had a price in mind based on that initial conversation, it is time to
revisit the recommended sale price. Your home is likely worth more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>You Might
Be Missing the Mark.</b> Too low a list price may put the property below the
range of its targeted buyer. If you
expect a million dollars for your home, you can’t sell it at a bargain basement
price. Buyers who are qualified to spend
$1,000,000 may start looking a bit lower--but not substantially so. After all, they want a million dollar house, so
why should they start looking at homes in the $700s? If you list your million dollar home at
$700,000, and the buyers looking at it can only afford $800,000, you may miss
your audience. To increase your odds for
success, price your home within 10% of your targeted sales price.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Bidding Wars
Don’t Always Bring the Top Price. </b>Everyone in this office has heard stories
of the houses that sold for two times the asking price. These are specific anomalies that, because of
their freakish nature, gain the most buzz.
They are not the rule. In markets
where homes sell repeatedly with multiple offers, more predictable patterns
begin to emerge. A general pattern might
be noticed, for example, whereby a home with three offers may go over asking by
10% or so, whereas a home with 14 offers may go over asking by 30% or more. These overbids tend to cap out by about 40%
when buyers begin to step down from the competition based on affordability or
perception of a property’s value. Here’s
how the numbers could affect you: if you price a home worth $600,000 at
$400,000, you may get lots of offers based on the unbelievably low price (not
surprisingly, many bargain hunters are included in this group). However, those offers may top out at about
$560,000--40% over--even in the spontaneous bidding war. It may be worthwhile
to instead start at an asking price of $550,000, get a few offers, and eventually
sell at $605,000 (while only 10% over, still a higher net than the previous
example) . This is tricky because most Sellers still see the sheer numbers of
offers as proof of success—and not the potential net. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Breaking
Hearts Isn’t Easy. </b>It is often fun
to put on a good show and charm dozens of buyers into writing fabulous offers. It feels especially nice to field all the
love letters that come in telling you that your home is the only one on the
planet that could house their future memories.
But there is an emotional letdown that happens after the 24 offers are heard. The heartache comes when you have to tell 23
buyers—all of whom fell madly in love your home—“we’re just not that in to you.” Heartbroken buyers get fed up watching the
homes they like close at 30% or more over the price they saw at the open house. This frustration, if left unchecked, actually
begins to force Buyers out of the market and onto the sidelines. This could end up tamping your ability to
receive offers. We have gotten calls
from clients who won’t make an offer while under fierce competition from other
buyers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Tell Me What
You Want, What You Really, Really Want…</b> Perhaps the best argument for a
higher price is based on your own instinct and the price you are ultimately willing
to accept. This determination should come
after a frank and realistic conversation with your agent about where the value
truly lies. Assume you only get one
offer (and it does occasionally happen in the East Bay), can you take it? If the answer is a quick “no,” your price is
not realistic and should be revisited. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Price is the most important marketing decision related to
the successful sale of your home.
Deriving the right listing price is complex. If you would like to speak to an expert about
the best strategy to maximize your home’s value, please reach out to one of our
experienced <a href="http://www.berkhills.com/agents/?letter=%25&id=all">agents</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-87030115410253714182014-03-27T15:52:00.000-07:002014-03-27T15:53:20.816-07:00Home Buyer Tip: Why Building Permits Matter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Having spaces properly permitted is ideal. However,
it is not uncommon in our area of older housing stock to come across spaces
that have not been permitted. When we evaluate non-permitted space these
are our concerns:</div>
<ol>
<li><b>Market Value.</b> Often, even
non-permitted spaces still have an inherent "use" value. The
value of the space in our area is usually related directly to the quality of
the improvement and usefulness of its purpose. Because of our competitive
market (and frequency when non-permitted spaces sell at high
value), it is hard to pinpoint any direct correlation between a lack of
permit and decrease in value. </li>
<li><b>Appraisal Value.</b> Conversely, we have
seen non-permitted space effect the value in the eyes of a lender. Some
bank appraisers will not give ANY worth to a non-permitted space. If the
banks appraisal comes in lower than needed to achieve the desired loan amount,
this is a risk for the buyer. The buyer may not be able to qualify for
the purchase. Buyers should protect themselves with a loan and appraisal
contingency.</li>
<li><b>Potential Future Liability. </b> Some jurisdictions have taken a fairly easy going stance regarding existing
spaces. However, if you ever want to improve the space by adding plumbing
or electricity, it may be necessary to bring the entire space up to code and
pay for permits in order to permit your improvements. Also, some
cities have been aggressively
pursuing code violations- via dive-bys, trolling through the Internet and
showing up at open houses. This has been met with some pushback in these
communities. This is a potential risk for any of the areas we sell in
should the local jurisdictions decide it is worth a little bad PR
to seek the revenue such violations could bring into the city coffers.</li>
<li><b>Lack of Oversight</b>. Finally, having
proper permits means that the space was inspected and meets the standards of
the codes current at the time of the inspection. Without permits, this
code check did not take place. Even with a good inspector, there may be
defects that cannot be seen because they are hidden behind drywall or under
floor coverings. </li>
</ol>
Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-12284824248701039442013-06-26T09:12:00.000-07:002013-06-26T09:12:14.434-07:00Boosting Valuations When it Comes to Selling<div class="p1">
On <span class="s2">Thursday</span>, Bloomberg’s online news service confirmed what we had been hearing in more general terms: “Sales of previously owned U.S. homes climbed more than forecast in May…and prices jumped, indicating more progress for residential real estate.” Agents here in <span class="s1">Berkeley w</span>ould also not have been surprised at the national surge in selling prices “by the most since October 2005”. If you were already inclined to sell your own <span class="s1">Bay Area </span>home, it looks more and more as if this <span class="s2">summer</span> will be a propitious time to jump on the opportunity. </div>
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<div class="p3">
As Realtors gear up to maximize the market’s improvement, homeowners are also weighing some of the more popular alternatives for boosting valuations when it comes to selling — </div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li4">Prospective homebuyers are increasingly energy savvy, so when new appliances need to be updated prior to sale, the more energy-efficient they are, the more worth highlighting they will be. Us "<span class="s1">Green-Minded"</span> real estate agents know how to emphasize a property’s ‘green’ attributes. </li>
<li class="li4">If you have an attic or a basement that is currently serving little purpose, conversion can pay off. Basements are often the more affordable option since they call for little structural remodeling. Conversions can be into a games room, office, or utility area. Attics are often best converted to bedrooms or office space (or at least staged to suggest the possibility</li>
<li class="li4">Landscaping including features like decks can be a huge selling point. If you are prepared to engage in a little DIY, adding a deck can be among the most cost-effective of improvements. According to HGTV, the cost of a professionally built deck starts at about $15 per square foot, with more elaborate installations featuring costly hardwoods or composite materials running closer to $35. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TqbWJLxYaLc/UcsSBTbui2I/AAAAAAAAAcs/ocPInqiWa7s/s1600/Patio-Deck-Photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TqbWJLxYaLc/UcsSBTbui2I/AAAAAAAAAcs/ocPInqiWa7s/s200/Patio-Deck-Photos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="p3">
Even if you do not intend to sell, a little extra money invested in your home may be a dollar-wise idea. Thoughtful investments can enrich your own living experience AND attract higher prices when the time comes to move on. If you’re looking for a real estate agent call me today to go over other improvement ideas.</div>
<div class="p3">
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<div class="p3">
By Gina Odom, Realtor : 415.307.1423</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-86143248188787246242013-04-08T11:59:00.001-07:002013-04-08T11:59:27.986-07:00Planning for a Panic-Free "Relocating Moment."<br />
<div class="p5">
One element that needs careful attention is the people part. It’s too easy to lose touch with those who <span class="s1"></span>relocating timetable. With a little preparation and imagination, it’s possible to turn events like garage sales and going-away parties into really fun celebrations. I had a friend who hosted their going away party with a garage sale. She was able to make a few extra bucks as well as saying goodbye to her loved ones.</div>
<div class="p5">
<br /></div>
People are important in your life, so decide early how to announce to family and friends your<br />
<div class="p5">
Another good idea is to assemble key belongings in a box that will accompany you: important documents like passports and birth certificates, jewelry, or other prized possessions. </div>
<div class="p5">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
Most household moving veterans agree that the single most vital step is securing a dependable moving company. Price is important — but so is hiring a group that will guard your belongings safely during your relocation. Scrupulous interviewing and checking out the reputation of mover candidates will more than pay off in reduced stress come moving day. And even if you are an eternal optimist, get adequate insurance: relocating does inevitably involve unforeseeable risk.</div>
<div class="p5">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
‘The moment’ when your relocating is in full swing can be one when you are able to enjoy the anticipation of a new and exciting chapter in your household’s history. If you have sold your <span class="s1">East Bay</span> home already – congrats! And if you are just beginning the process, do give me a call — I’d love to put my resources to work for you! <br />
<br />
written by Gina Odom, Realtor<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p4">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-86125718801876957192013-03-17T08:25:00.001-07:002013-03-19T15:43:21.668-07:00St. Patrick's Day On Broadway with St. Martin de Porres School<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” </span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">–Nelson Mandela</span></i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyxBR8X2bHM/UUXdhGkcVkI/AAAAAAAAASY/UomLrHshAr8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" psa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyxBR8X2bHM/UUXdhGkcVkI/AAAAAAAAASY/UomLrHshAr8/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krista Miller and Tracy Sichterman plot their winning bids at St. Martin de Porres School's Fundraiser as Father Aidan McAleenan, Steve Burke, and Frederica (Flicka!) von Stade Gorman lead the live auction.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Nobody on the </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/"><span style="color: #274e13;">Berkeley Hills Realty</span></a><span style="color: black;"> team was surprised to get the invitation to St. Martin de Porres School’s fundraiser “St. Patrick’s Day on Broadway.” When <span id="goog_986095811"></span>agent </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/agents/Janesta.html"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Janesta Downey</span> <span id="goog_986095812"></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> joined </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Berkeley Hills Realty</span></a><span style="color: black;"> she warned us: “You’ll hear a lot about this school from me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Janesta’s relationship with St. Martin de Porres School began when she found “the perfect home for a group of nuns in West Oakland… As a result of the friendships formed during that transaction she became fundraiser, board member, and general cheerleader for St. Martin de Porres.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/agents/TracyBill.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tracy Sichterman</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/agents/Krista.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Krista Miller</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and </span><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/agents/Janesta.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Janesta Downey</span></a> </span><span style="color: black;">represented </span><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Berkeley Hills Realty</span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>at the event. The representatives suffered deeply— braving Flood Mansion to endure gourmet buffet stations, fine wines, and the presence and performance of mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Anything for the kids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Why </span><a href="http://www.floodmansion.org/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Flood Mansion</span></a><span style="color: black;">? “In the aftermath of the Great Quake of 1906, Maud Flood’s monumental home on Nob Hill was destroyed by fire. …James Leary Flood reassured his wife, saying, 'I will build you a house of marble on a hill of granite.'" He then built Flood Mansion. St. Martin de Porres School aims to build that kind of firm foundation-- in the form of a quality education-- for the children </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">of downtown Oakland, West Oakland, and Northwest Oakland. "The students who attend St. Martin de Porres School generally live along the San Pablo Avenue corridor from the Port of Oakland on the West to the Southern border of Berkeley."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Visit </span><a href="http://www.stmdp.org/"><span style="color: #38761d;">The St. Martin de Porres School website</span></a><span style="color: black;"> for more information about the school. Even if you missed the fundraiser this year, you can still </span><a href="http://173.13.185.233/donate.php"><span style="color: #38761d;">donate</span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>to the school </span><a href="http://173.13.185.233/donate.php"><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></a><span style="color: black;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-10569826323669920402013-03-11T10:36:00.000-07:002013-03-11T17:03:33.106-07:00Friday Nights at Oakland Museum of California<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVq0pz_7H0E/UT36C9QXspI/AAAAAAAAANU/QKayRzieUYA/s1600/friday+nights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVq0pz_7H0E/UT36C9QXspI/AAAAAAAAANU/QKayRzieUYA/s320/friday+nights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UVq0pz_7H0E/UT36C9QXspI/AAAAAAAAANQ/qtJCpJJIEc8/s1600/friday+nights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="http://museumca.org/">Oakland Museum of California</a> has created a perfect, family-friendly Friday night event.<br />
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You can choose which part of the event to participate in based on your own mood and whims:<br />
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<strong>Feeling creative?</strong> Join the <a href="http://www.museumca.org/event/customizer-residence-open-studio-series-9" target="_blank">Customizer-in-Residence Open Studio</a> series.<br />
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<strong>Hungry?</strong> Visit the <a href="http://offthegridsf.com/" target="_blank">Off the Grid gourmet food trucks</a>. We tried<span style="font-weight: normal;"> empanadas from the El Porteño food truck. Impossibly, these empanadas taste even better than they smell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Need a drink?</strong> Visit the cash bar for a selection of wine, beer, and a few mixed drinks. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Wanna dance?</strong> </span></strong>Each Friday features a different musician and/or dance lesson. Friday, March 8, featured salsa lessons from Serena Wong of <a href="http://www.salsavaletodo.com/" target="_blank">Salsa Vale Todo</a>,<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"> DJ JuanLove, and live music from Edgardo Cambón with his 5tet LatTiDo. </span></span></span>We missed the dance lessons (see <i>empanadas</i>) so we brought our own shameless brand of enthusiastic non-salsa to the dance floor.<br />
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<strong>Wanna laugh?</strong> Sit on the steps and watch people non-salsa.<br />
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<strong>Wanna see some art?</strong> The museum exhibits are half-off during the event.<br />
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This fun, family-friendly event happens every Friday. <br />
Visit <a href="http://museumca.org/friday-nights-omca" target="_blank">Friday Nights @ OMCA website</a> for more information and go check it out!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-34993985652529949722013-03-09T15:27:00.001-08:002013-03-09T15:27:40.233-08:00Berkeley Hills Realty Gets Colorful at The Color Run!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SW_RksOABI/UTvAOyu5guI/AAAAAAAAALE/_OsVfJvEH8E/s1600/color+run+by+the+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SW_RksOABI/UTvAOyu5guI/AAAAAAAAALE/_OsVfJvEH8E/s320/color+run+by+the+water.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>from l to r: Cathie Kosel (standing in for Nancy Mueller), </em><br />
<em>Krista Miller, Tracy Sichterman, Andrew Kosel, </em><br />
<em>Monica Alicia Bland, Negar Souza, Carina Stanley, </em><br />
<em>Rebecca Nemeth, Tom Knight</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Berkeley Hills Realty</span></a> organized “Team Kindness” for this month's <a href="http://thecolorrun.com/"><span style="color: blue;">San Francisco Color Run</span></a>. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(It was Krista’s idea!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How to do <a href="http://thecolorrun.com/sanfrancisco/">The Color Run</a> in three steps:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Put on white t-shirts and start to run (or walk) a 5K. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Laugh through the color stations at each kilometer while getting doused with color. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dance Dance DANCE! Shake your colorful self at the finish festival and concert.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(Optional/mandatory) Go to restaurant in the Bay Area without changing your clothes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our choice: Montero’s on Solano. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What we know now that we didn’t know then: Go early. The traffic on the way is fierce but the parking lots are well-staffed and organized once you arrive. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had a great time getting colorful! </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KCyCllPy50/UTvEp141UKI/AAAAAAAAALU/Z-uBjr0cs4E/s1600/tshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6KCyCllPy50/UTvEp141UKI/AAAAAAAAALU/Z-uBjr0cs4E/s320/tshirt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">To
see more photos of the event, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">visit the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BerkeleyHillsRealty">Berkeley Hills Realty Facebook</a> page. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em>A team that plays together stays together. When you are ready to find the perfect home base or put your home on the market, call us at </em><a href="http://www.berkhills.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><em>Berkeley Hills Realty</em></span></a><em>. We will “color outside the lines” and work as team to make sure we take care of your needs.</em> </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6u0MD5ozg4o/UTvAdMy6SoI/AAAAAAAAALM/xazv_fTL4b0/s1600/color+run+crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6u0MD5ozg4o/UTvAdMy6SoI/AAAAAAAAALM/xazv_fTL4b0/s320/color+run+crowd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-958557409035942662013-03-04T16:23:00.003-08:002013-03-04T16:23:29.933-08:00Berkeley Home Sales Prospects: Anything But “Calm”!<br />
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<span class="s2">Last week</span>, <span class="s1">East Bay</span> home sellers saw more than the usual number of reasons to look forward to this <span class="s2">spring</span>'s home selling season. It looked like the opposite of the lengthy real estate “<i>Perfect Storm</i>” that caused free-fall across the national landscape. </div>
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Signs pointed to the possibility that we may be headed into the opposite market conditions. Webster’s Dictionary says the opposite of ‘storm’ is ‘calm’ – but I don’t think you would call <span class="s1">Berkeley</span> home sales outlook a <i>“Perfect Calm.”</i> <u>Far from it! </u> </div>
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Some of the signs:</div>
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<li class="li4">-<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><b>Falling Inventory</b>. Per the NAR’s <span class="s3">Existing Home Sales Report,</span> there’s a nation-wide shortage of total inventory. By the end of January, it had fallen another 4.9%: lowest in seven years. Raw unsold inventory hasn’t been this low in 14 years!</li>
<li class="li4">-<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><b>Rising Demand</b>. Per <span class="s2">last week</span>’s National Association of Home Builders’ <i>News and Alerts</i> bulletin, “housing demand continues to return.” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, pointing to buyer traffic that is up 40% over a year ago, states flatly, “We’ve transitioned into a seller’s market in much of the country.”</li>
<li class="li4">-<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><b>Buyer Attitude</b>. Also l<span class="s2">ast week</span>, the Conference Board’s <i>Consumer Confidence Index</i> showed a rebound from January. The ‘Present Situation’ index rose sharply (from 56.2 to 63.3). This remains the only less-than-stellar point of contention, I think one area could be a tipoff to gathering strength: the proportion of those expecting their income to rise is now growing, those expecting the opposite, falling.</li>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span"></span>If this <span class="s2">spring</span> turns out to be the opposite of a Perfect Storm for <span class="s1">Berkeley</span> home sales, will conditions improve further? Should sellers wait? The falling inventory measure might suggest otherwise. If the NAR’s appraisal is correct, now that these trends are consolidating, “…it would seem likely more inventory would come to market.”<br />
<a href="http://www.eastbayspecialist.com/" target="_blank">written by Gina Odom, Realtor</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-90994258066865744862013-03-01T14:56:00.000-08:002013-03-01T14:56:15.693-08:00Introducing the Newest Agent at Berkeley Hills Realty: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmOogsEUwXQ/UTExsnd0F2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/ygatw_G8wLk/s1600/FF1_1514-Amrami_Meital-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmOogsEUwXQ/UTExsnd0F2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/ygatw_G8wLk/s200/FF1_1514-Amrami_Meital-small.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Meital Amrami<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Glowing referrals from Meital
Amrami’s client-friends quickly gave her a thriving real estate business. It is
easy to see why. Meital lights up when speaking about her clients’ successes:
“We got it! We got it! I love seeing them so excited and jumping up and down…
It is such a good feeling.” In a competitive market with up to 30 offers on a
single house, Meital often sealed the deal for her clients by presenting a
clean contract, settling on the right price, and using the kind of savvy
negotiating skills one tends to acquire from growing up in a family of nine
siblings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Meital, who speaks both
Hebrew and English fluently, lived in Tel Aviv for 24 years. She served in the
Israeli Navy as an officer for 3 years and was recognized for her social
skills, responsibility, commitment, and integrity as a leading commander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After moving to the United States, Meital
graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Dallas with a B.S. in
Animal Science and Biology. After graduating, she moved to Arizona. Meital planned
to become a veterinarian, but when she was introduced to real estate she knew
she’d found her true calling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Though Meital now focuses on
high-end homes, she started her career by specializing in distressed REO
properties. The resulting immersion in home construction knowledge eventually
led her to become an investor herself. She has since purchased several “fixer-upper”
properties and renovated them completely, paying attention to the tiniest
details. Meital’s eye for beauty, detail, and elegant design is sharpened by
her lifelong passion for sculpting and sketching. It has become second nature
for her to find and market exceptional homes for the most discriminating
clients: “I am very available to my clients. I become psychologist, friend—
everything!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Meital
and her husband Tomer spent a year in San Francisco before making Berkeley
their home last year. Why the East Bay? “I love the nature, the weather, the
serenity... and the people are amazingly kind, laid-back, and full of positive
energy.” When Meital is not working to find, improve, or sell a home, she is
enjoying her own Berkeley oasis. She loves serving gourmet Middle Eastern food
and playing with Noam, her 13-month-old son; Bella, a Chihuahua/pug mix; and
Sam, a bassett hound. Meital is warm, high-energy, highly recommended, and
experienced: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I have gained extensive business
skills while working with investors and I look forward to putting those skills
to work for my clients in the San Francisco Bay Area.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Meital Amrami<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">DRE# 01922024<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">meital@berkhills.com<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Office: 510.524.9888 x59<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Vm: 510.524.1700 x59<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Cell: 415.837.8224<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span></b>Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-85592773740943998002013-02-21T13:14:00.001-08:002013-02-21T13:14:41.241-08:00Berkeley Home Sellers Think 'Staging'<br />
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We all know the feeling – the one where guests are due and you haven’t had time to clean the house. You shove all the…well… <i>stuff</i> into the back bedroom and shut the door (you’d lock it if you could). Now imagine that feeling times 10. If you are trying to sell your home this spring, and you have rooms full of that…well…<i>stuff</i> -- you’re in for exactly that. </div>
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You can prevent it all with just a touch of the staging approach for your Berkeley<span class="s2"> </span>home. Not everyone has $5,000 or more to spend on professional staging, but then again, you can’t offer your home in “lived in” condition and expect to have buyers racing to write you their high-priced offers. There are many staging companies that can work within your budget as well, so, if you only have a few thousand to work with that is better than nothing. And often times, a stager or Realtor can incorporate your stuff to save on costs.</div>
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Real estate is in large part an emotional selling proposition – beyond their basic housing requirements, buyers want to see themselves living a better life in their new <span class="s1">East Bay </span>home. The quickest and easiest way to make that possible is to simply get rid of that same stuff! </div>
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Here’s an easy example: while a messy home office – one stuffed with papers and files – will cause many potential buyers to think <i>too cramped for me</i>, a well-staged home office helps them imagine their own paperwork in control. To achieve a look that’s clean and simple, box up your files and clean out the dust bunnies. If you have allowed extra furniture to accumulate (like that folding table in the corner that holds last year’s tax records), go ahead and de-accumulate it!</div>
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Staging of any kind may not be your first choice for how to spend an afternoon, but selling your<span class="s3"> </span>home is a business transaction, and when you approach the process confident that a little elbow grease will go a long way, your pocketbook will register the difference. </div>
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If you are, in fact, preparing for this <span class="s4">spring</span>’s selling season, contact me to discuss practical strategies for economically handling the repairs, remodeling, and staging that will speed the sale of your home.</div>
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written by Gina Odom, Realtor</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-47332425330275219482013-02-04T16:03:00.000-08:002013-02-05T00:10:59.486-08:00Catch "The Wild Bride" at Berkeley Rep!<i><a href="http://tickets.berkeleyrep.org/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=6740">Go see the magic happen.</a> </i><br />
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<i>The fairytale unfolds at <a href="http://www.berkeleyrep.org/index.asp">Berkeley Repertory Theatre</a> until February 17.</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.berkeleyrep.org/season/1213/6740.asp"> <em>The Wild Bride</em></a> at <a href="http://www.berkeleyrep.org/index.asp">Berkeley Repertory Theatre</a> is a high-energy, self-described “feminist fairytale" that follows a young girl from her accidental sale to the devil through the many crossroads of her life.Three actors perform the life stages of the title role—The Girl, The Wild, and The Woman. One actor plays both Father and Prince. A fifth actor plays the Devil.<br />
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The show features a killer soundscape. The ever-present band with core musicians Damon Daunno and Ian Ross balances being fabulous yet non-intrusive while rocking (or blues-ing) out to Stu Barker’s compositions. Carl Gross’s writing creates both full-on silliness and many moments of what I call “horraughter,”which is an acute involuntarily sound—somewhere between gasp and guffaw—that escapes when one sees or hears something horrible that is also, somehow, hilarious.<br />
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Audrey Brisson as The Girl harbors more than the allotted amount of spectacular per square inch. Her from-the-toes-and-gut vocal delivery of “The Crossroads”; her chilling embodiment of The Girl’s anquish; and her deft support, in her turn, of the other performers seem central to the success of the production. She is (fortunately? unfortunately?) so convincing as a young girl that the audience gasps with shock and discomfort when the devil holds her tiny body like a guitar and strums her pelvis. </div>
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Patrycja Kujawska as The Wild displays a “How is that even possible?” level of talent and is responsible for a remarkably heartrending moment when she displays her skill as a violinist just before the ability to play is taken from her. Even as one forcefully rejects the fairytale’s depiction of physical disability as loss of virtue, the moment emerges as a poignant rendering of potential being abruptly and violently stunted. As The Wild, Kujawska’s wolf-cub playfulness is endearing and her every movement is so precise and skilful that I observed many audience members nodding in appreciation of the magic she made by, say, standing up after being seated. </div>
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Etta Murfitt’s Woman is a force, but it is Murfitt’s choreography that creates the most deliciously haunting images: the visual fugue of girls dancing while the conversation between Father and Devil thunders on; The Woman’s tripartite "community of self" slow-dancing with the prince; and the repetitive, cycling, debilitating “fallback” dance of war. There is just enough “too much”in the movements Murfitt designs. </div>
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Stuart Godwin’s Prince leaps joyfully into hearts and other loving openings as he portrays a man navigating through a lifetime of love-- from the unabashed goofiness of new love to the challenge of loving when half the bright is gone. As The Father, Godwin moves seamlessly into improvisation that delights the participating audience.</div>
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Andrew Durand’s Devil somehow reminded me of the following: Humbert Humbert from Nobokov’s <i>Lolita</i>; Robert Westenberg’s wolf from <i>Into the Woods</i>; and--from <i>Glee</i>, forgive me --Kurt Hummel’s smile. In order to make fun of gospel singers’ vocal embellishments during the The Devil's churchy-sounding moments, Durand deploys his own solid singing voice as a weapon. He does not fail to entertain. Durand’s devil reads as more playful and demanding than seductive and is immensely likeable when he isn’t being abominable. </div>
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Emma Rice's direction enables <i>The Wild Bride</i>’s tumble of movements and sets to read as “hot damn” instead of “hot mess." This play is a stunning testament to the magic of theater. Where else can you explore what good can come of a leafless ladder tree, a mirror, two chairs, a disco ball, a broom, an oversized portrait, a few buckets of fire, a thumping good cluster of musicians, a small group of talented actors, a spot-on technical staff, and a grove of royal lightbulb pears? </div>
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<i><a href="http://tickets.berkeleyrep.org/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=6740">Go see the magic happen.</a> </i><br />
<i>The fairytale unfolds at <a href="http://www.berkeleyrep.org/index.asp">Berkeley Repertory Theatre</a>until February 17.</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-51109663989784878352012-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:002012-10-28T10:30:17.617-07:00What Happens to an Escrow When Disaster Strikes?<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It seems like natural disasters are in the news quite bit these days. This article on </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;">the California Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1662), helps answer questions about what happens if disaster strikes during escrow. The Uniform Act is worth knowing about, as it may help put buyers at ease once all contingencies have been removed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"><strong><a href="http://www.car.org/tools/smart/archive/firestorms/">Firestorms: Basic Real Estate Legal Issues</a></strong></span></div>
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Berkhills Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18212405818520800852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-65768504489014446272012-10-12T13:22:00.001-07:002012-10-12T13:22:13.749-07:00Just Listed - 5400 Broadway Terrace #301, Oakland<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZrOURW5kZA/UHh7gYxgqTI/AAAAAAAAAVA/VcAOMS2ggdg/s1600/front-view-p468842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZrOURW5kZA/UHh7gYxgqTI/AAAAAAAAAVA/VcAOMS2ggdg/s320/front-view-p468842.jpg" width="320" /></a>This 2 bedroom, 2 bath corner unit is surrounded with windows, and fabulous design. Upon entering the building you immediately feel as though you have reached your very own oasis. With the sounds of the water features among the ferns and trees you immediately begin to unwind. Once you settle down and turn on some tunes, enjoy a glass of wine while watching the gorgeous views of the bay. Better yet, enjoy your beverage of choice on your private deck nestled in the trees.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SqJzlt7padQ/UHh7r3FGk-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/1pEufZv5omA/s1600/living-room-p468849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SqJzlt7padQ/UHh7r3FGk-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/1pEufZv5omA/s200/living-room-p468849.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kctUrZ5wWZ4/UHeOnYEfS4I/AAAAAAAAAUI/h_CMAoyJEqw/s1600/kitchen-p468850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kctUrZ5wWZ4/UHeOnYEfS4I/AAAAAAAAAUI/h_CMAoyJEqw/s200/kitchen-p468850.jpg" width="200" /></a>The open layout features a great space for entertaining. A kitchen with designer finishes like Travertine floors, stainless steel appliances, glass backsplash, a customized kitchen bar with recessed lighting, makes this a perfect space for entertaining.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFNrLiACkTo/UHeO548PgeI/AAAAAAAAAUc/60FxvfR4Qh4/s1600/hall-bathroom-p468848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFNrLiACkTo/UHeO548PgeI/AAAAAAAAAUc/60FxvfR4Qh4/s200/hall-bathroom-p468848.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qzV4okvdBMQ/UHeOxETq-lI/AAAAAAAAAUU/hixMnc2TBQo/s1600/dining-room-p468853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qzV4okvdBMQ/UHeOxETq-lI/AAAAAAAAAUU/hixMnc2TBQo/s200/dining-room-p468853.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AWRQhjbh4qI/UHePH8AGjKI/AAAAAAAAAUk/gIhQupmCiAI/s1600/main-f31761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AWRQhjbh4qI/UHePH8AGjKI/AAAAAAAAAUk/gIhQupmCiAI/s200/main-f31761.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ample closet space, in unit laundry, beautifully designed bathrooms make this unit a place you will want to call home! The building is secured and located conveniently to stores, restaurants and walking distance to BART. With a Walk Score of 88 it is defined as "Very Walkable," a location that can't be beat! Open this Sunday from 2-5pm. Listed at<br />
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$525,000K; HOA dues at $368.50 month; 1 secured parking space<br />
Additional Information go to<a href="http://www.5400broadwayter.com/" target="_blank"> http://www.5400BroadwayTer.com</a><br />
by Gina Odom, Realtor<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-63322750973452423362012-07-25T14:36:00.002-07:002012-07-25T19:08:48.792-07:00Check out TOAST wine bar in Rockridge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1gHHqWrAQQ/UBBm0Z6L5NI/AAAAAAAAASI/-KDCjJYM_4w/s1600/toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1gHHqWrAQQ/UBBm0Z6L5NI/AAAAAAAAASI/-KDCjJYM_4w/s200/toast.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Several people have now told me that the new chef at TOAST in Oakland is off the hook - aka exceptional! Her food is "divine", "really good", "I'm going back", are just a few descriptions. Toast has always been one of my favorite places because of their incredible and consistent service and their ever changing wine menu. And, they are baby and dog friendly. What else could you want! Oh that's right, amazing food. Well, they now have that too. Check it out: </span><a href="http://www.toastoakland.com/" style="color: #7c93a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.toastoakland.com/</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> And if you're a dog lover, they have a special evening set aside called the Dog Days of Summer. Super fun. </span><br />
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By, Gina Odom<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: xx-small;">pic taken from </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #009933; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 15px; white-space: nowrap;">insidescoopsf.sfgate.com</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869297809695985484.post-72603033405784623412012-07-23T16:20:00.002-07:002012-07-23T16:20:42.030-07:00Go check out B-Side BBQ!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zBzx2peZf8/UA3cAXmjIRI/AAAAAAAAAR0/ueWKztdmPq0/s1600/B-Side+BBQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_zBzx2peZf8/UA3cAXmjIRI/AAAAAAAAAR0/ueWKztdmPq0/s200/B-Side+BBQ.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Here is reason #549 to LOVE the East Bay and especially OAKLAND - B Side BBQ! The food choices here are off the hook. Located in West Oakland (Yup, that's right in "the hood"), Chef-Extraordinaire, Tanya Holland, who also owns Brown Sugar Kitchen has opened this cool, new joint. What style BBQ is it? Well, I don't know but it's good and it even impressed my hubby and he is from Texas. Of course, my daughter devoured the Mac-N-Cheese. Way to go West Oakland! Go check them out at 3303 San Pablo.<br />
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(*pic copied from Yelp) written by, Gina OdomUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0