Whether you have lived in Oakland or neaby Piedmont, there is a very good chance that you have not discovered all that Oakland has to offer you, and any family and friends that may be in town.  There is a wealth of things to do, no matter what your age.

The website VISIT OAKLAND is a source of amazing information about the city. The site is devoted to subjects like "Things to Do", "Places to Stay", "Where to Meet".  From there, you can decide which direction you want to travel.  As an example, it offers "101 Things To Do--Building Your Own Oakland Bucket List".  This is where the site really shines, because it highlights things you might not even know existed.  How about a learning to fly on a trapeeze at a circus school, or horseback riding in…

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Take a moment to view this handsome home in a pleasant neighborhood in Castro Valley.  Located just a short distance from downtown Castro Valley, BART and 580, this well placed home will offer you many appealing surprises.

 

Situated on a spacious corner lot, it features a handsome front yard with fruit trees and vegetable beds designed to please any weekend gardener.  A newly fenced enclosed back yard boasts a pleasant patio for  outdoor entertaining

 

  This 3 bedrooms and 2 bath home is ideal for family living.  It has an updated eat-in kitchen for informal evening meals, but  immediately adjacent is a formal dining room for family parties and holiday events. 

                                               

 

 

 

 

The…

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There are two times in particular when you may want to consider updating or upgrading your Oakland home.  The first is when you are preparing it for sale, and the second is just after you move in, and want to adapt it for your own personal needs.  While either event is an excellent time to move forward, it is important that consider your additions with respect to their future appeal. 

At one point or another, you may want to sell this home and move elsewhere.  If you have changed it to the point where it is so customized for your needs, you may have trouble convincing new buyers to consider it for their family's needs. 

1. Take Time Consider Comparable Homes When Upgrading: When you see magazine and website pictures of elaborate and expensive…

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This coming Sunday, September 28th, is the time to bring your family and friends to the annual Harvest Festival.  Held at the Piedmont Community Center, 711 Highland Avenue, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., it promises to offer fun, food, and fall scarecrows and pumpkins, with the goal of generating  funds in imaginative ways for Piedmont's three elementary schools. 

To help get you into the holiday mood, there will be a celebration of jazz music, starting at 11:30 a.m., featuring the Piedmont High School Jazz Band.  After that, on the hour, throught the rest of the event, there will be a selection of various area jazz groups providing background music as you enjoy the day. 

In…

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4304 VERONICA AVENUE   CASTRO VALLEY

Take a moment to view this handsome home in a pleasant neighborhood in Castro Valley.  Located just a short distance from downtown Castro Valley, BART and 580, this well placed home will offer you many appealing surprises.

 

Situated on a spacious corner lot, it features a handsome front yard with fruit trees and vegetable beds designed to please any weekend gardener.  A newly fenced enclosed back yard boasts a pleasant patio for  outdoor entertaining

 

  This 3 bedrooms and 2 bath home is ideal for family living.  It has an updated eat-in kitchen for informal evening meals, but  immediately adjacent is a formal dining room for family parties and holiday events. 

…

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You have just purchased a new home in Piedmont.  It is a major investment, and you plan to live there for many years.  Maintaining any home can be expensive, and the costs, of course, are added on to your monthly housing payments.  As a result, you want to be practical, yet careful, in the funds that you are going to spend to keep your future home as close as possible to the condition that it is now, at it's purchase point.

Here are four reasonably inexpensive, yet valuable, steps that you can take to give you your biggest return on your maintenance dollar:

1. Have Regular Termite Inspections:  While your home is turned over to you termite free, it is still very hard to assure that every nook and cranny in your home was covered by the last…

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Discover these architectural gems with stunning views and spacious grounds. Sort by: Price, Low to High Price, High to Low  

The "morgan Estate" An Iconic Architectural Mas...

$2,900,000 City: Oakland, CA Beds: 4 Baths: 4 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40649625 Price: $2,900,000 City: Oakland Beds: 4 Baths: 4 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40649625

The "morgan Estate" An Iconic Architectural Masterpiece On 2.67 Acres Overlooking San Francisco B...

Photo of Listing #40649625 View Details Save to Favorites Map

Extraordinary Custom Estate Completed In 2002. ...

$2,200,000 City: Oakland, CA Beds: 6 Baths: 7 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40661505…

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Often, when your first consider buying a home in Oakland or a nearby Piedmont home, your tendancy is to look at the asking price for the home as a working figure to decide whether you can afford it or not.  While that is certainly the most sensible starting point, and knowing that all home prices could be negotiable, you still have other costs that you should put into your budget before moving forward. While some of these fees may also be negotiable among seller and buyer, it is best to include them in your plans. 

1. A Home Appraisal Fee: Your lender needs to know the value of the home, so you should plan on paying this fee.  Costs vary, but are usually around $500.

2. Additional Closing Costs: When you submit your loan application, you must be…

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Whether you want classical architecture,or outstanding views, these are truly special homes. Sort by: Price, Low to High Price, High to Low  

A One Of A Kind, Gated Masterpiece French Medit...

$2,455,000 City: Berkeley, CA Beds: 4 Baths: 3 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40661187 Price: $2,455,000 City: Berkeley Beds: 4 Baths: 3 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40661187

A One Of A Kind, Gated Masterpiece French Mediterranean Home In The Heart Of The Berkeley Hills. ...

Photo of Listing #40661187 View Details Save to Favorites Map

One-of-a-kind Moroccan-inspired Architecture In...

$2,225,000 City: Berkeley, CA Beds: 5 Baths: 4 Type: Single Family MLS® #: 40659695…

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At one time, in the early part of the 20th Century, Alameda's Neptune Beach was a hugely popular venue for families from all over the SF Bay area.  Many would come to swim in the pools, enjoy the rides and games, or sit on the beach and watch others doing the same thing.  Located at the foot of Webster Street in Alameda, it was an exciting venue to visit.  Now gone, Alamedans still remember it's vital past, and now, for the 3rd year in a row, are celebrating it by holding the 3rd Annual Neptune Beach Community Celebration. 

Located just moments from the original site, the celebration will stay true to it's roots, and offers a ferris wheel, a fun slide,pony rides, climbing walls, and other activities to delight local families.  A stage will offer…

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