This striking home, located at 4378 Arcadia Avenue in the hills of Oakland has immediate and impressive curb appeal with its beautifully landscaped front yard.  

It offers 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms in 2818 sf of living space, and is located in the Oakmore neighborhood-one that includes hillside living and views of the Bay area, easy access to the Oakland, Contra Costa County, and San Francisco via Highways 13 and 580 that are above and below the site.  Montclair Village is just up the hill for shopping and enjoying favorite restaurants.  

This garden patio off the living room continues the theme that is seen above of surrounding the home with beauty and drama, and is ideal for outdoor parties, events and barbecues.  

This…

644 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

This distinctive, and very serene home, located at 5950 Grizzly Peak Boulevard, sits high atop the Oakland hills, and is immediately adjacent to 928 acres of Sibley Regional Park with its many hiking and walking trails.  It offers 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in 2478 sf of living space, and an expansive above ground pool.   

Originally hand built on site using Montana pine, it has been meticulously upgraded to the imaginative present by architect Robert Helton and structural engineer Milton Leong. 

Every element of this home has been conceived to fit together as a relaxing and welcoming living experience.  A spacious front garden welcomes guests as they arrive, and invites various creative configurations of plants, bushes, trees and…

327 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

 

The San Francisco Bay Area is, and has been, one that offers some of the most innovative and classically designed homes in America.  One style of home that has always had a following is that of "Mid-Century Modern".

The Oakland hills has always had a small cache of these homes, one of which is represented here.  Located at 8199 Hansom Drive in the city's Sequoyah Hills neighborhood, this stunning 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom home is currently available, and has some very special qualities that are described in the listing, and reproduced below:

 "Extraordinary renovated, remodeled & reimagined Eichler home in Oakland’s Sequoyah Hills, designed by legendary mid-century modern architect A. Quincy Jones, the “Double-A” is the most iconic & desirable…

689 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Part One: Your First-Time Homebuyer’s Guide

Taking a break for pizza on moving day

Couple enjoying their new modern kitchen

JohnnyGreig/Getty Images


Introduction

As shared in the second edition of Your First Home, written by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan:“Buying a home is a big decision – particularly your first home – but it is one of the best choices anyone can make. It’s a place that is entirely your own. Something you can paint, renovate, and live a full life in. Secondly, the reality is that homes are an incredible way to accumulate generational wealth. Because home isn’t only where your heart is, it’s where your money is, too. There are few places you will treasure more than your home and no place that will add more to your…

164 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

High up in the Berkeley hills is this truly splendid home that is remarkable in every way.   Designed by one of Berkeley's most accomplished architects, John Hudson Thomas in 1927, it was custom made for its original owners, and has been extensively restored over the last seven years in its structural details and amenities. 

Called "The Home Cloister", it is located at 2900 Buena Vista Way, and  features 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 7526 sf of living space.  

While it may not truly be a "castle", its design conception is certainly that of an early 13th century castle or monastery, as will soon be seen below. 

If you are one who enjoy gracious living, quiet solitude, and unsurpassed beauty, this residence is more than worth your…

1565 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

This truly exceptional home is aglow with light from virtually every corner of the room, and offers the beauty and serenity that is seen above.  

Located on a private tree lined street at 1967 Tunnel Road in the Claremont Hills of Berkeley, it features 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms in a very generous 3134 sf of living space.  

A sweeping arc of floor to ceiling windows captures the varied colors and serenity of the many old growth trees that surround the home, allowing an everchanging view, as the days and hours change.  

A large, centrally located fireplace provides a perfect centerpiece for creating one's favorite seating configurations that encourage pleasant conversations on a lazy afternoon, or before a formal dinner. 

This…

873 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Brooklyn Basin Parcel H Phase 2 high-rise option, rendering by TCA

 For the first time in a while, further steps are being considered by the Oakland Planning Commission as to the future development of housing at Oakland's Brooklyn Basin neighborhood. 

 Recently, the article below was posted by Andrew Nelson on sfyimby.com regarding this progress. 

NOTE: There has been no further information to date as to the results of the meeting, but it is certainly a much needed step for those interested in living in this bayside housing.  

 

By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on March 4, 2025

The Oakland Planning Commission is scheduled to review two options for developing Parcel H in the Brooklyn Basin mega-development in Oakland. The developer is seeking approval for both options, which could see the construction of a…

223 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

This handsome Upper Rockridge home has a warm and welcoming ambiance, and a classic home town appearance, with its tall tree at the entrance, and a well groomed front yard surrounding it.  

It is especially well located at 4825 Proctor Avenue, and close to all that the Rockridge neighborhood has to offer in terms of favored restaurants, shopping, and transportation to nearby cities.  

It offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in a pleasant 1667 sf of living space.

If ever a home was designed to impress, this one certainly qualifies.  Anchored by a two story tall fireplace with its a dramatically conceived peaked ceiling, the living room is perfectly designed for entertaining, and for easy freedom of movement from any part of the living room to…

643 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

This classic Mediterranean style home truly represents all that is desirable about this design concept.  Located just moments from Montclair in the Oakland hills at 5635 Grisborne Avenue, and designed by renowned architect Walter H. Ratcliff Jr., it is an irresistible retreat among the trees that surround it.  

It offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in a spacious 2155 sf of living space, and a perfect combination of indoor and outdoor living. 

The tall and gracefully carved iron gates seen above open onto a patio that is immediately welcoming, and very expansive.  True to its design theme, it offers a large well laid brick patio, a graceful center fountain, and a tree lined central courtyard that creates an ambiance of privacy for both…

885 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Imagine what it would be like to wake up to this extraordinary view every morning. The entire San Francisco Bay area awaits below for your daily pleasure and enjoyment.

This peak hillside home is located at 5989 Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Oakland, and offers 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms in an exceedingly spacious 3188 sf of living space.  

It seems as though you are literally sitting atop of the world as you gaze out your multiple floor to ceiling windows that surround you in your combined living room/dining room complex.  

This home is equally suited to both private relaxation and enjoyment, and to hosting events.  The open concept living space created here allows easy movement from one space to another-perfect for entertaining when the…

834 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post