At one point or another, visitors to Oakland look up into the Oakland hills, and say “What is that?”. Commanding a hill, and bright white in the sunshine, is the Oakland Mormon Temple, an architecturally stunning building that is 170 feet high sitting on 18.3 acres. It is located in Lincoln Heights neighborhood and adjacent to the Redwood Heights and Oakmore neighborhoods. Whether you are a tourist or resident, the building invites one to visit. It has an outstanding view of all of Oakland, and Alameda. Famous landmarks in San Francisco can be seen clearly, including the Bay Bridge and Candlestick Park. Once you arrive, however, there is more to see than the view.

Visitors are encouraged to walk the grounds. Running from the entrance towards the temple…

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A recent trip to Jack London Square made me aware of the amazing variety of things for a family to see and do there. While you can go any day, planning your trip to coincide with some of the scheduled events there make things so much more fun for you and your children. It is located at the foot of Broadway in Oakland, where Broadway meets the Oakland Estuary. On the Estuary you will see boats of every size and description from the huge container ships loading their cargo, to the yachts in the adjacent harbor, to the little kyacks in the water trying to avoid them all. If you are looking for adventure on the water, the San Francisco Bay Ferry docks there, and leaves for San Francisco on a regular basis. From there you can go to the Ferry Building,…

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Whether you live in an Oakland bungalow, or a large Piedmont mansion, you want your home to have the very best in curb appeal. The good news is that you can make things special, and do it on a budget. The hardest part is stepping away from your home, and seeing it as your neighbor or a future buyer might see it for the first time. That can be a interesting experience. What you see as cozy and cute, might be seen as crowded and small by an outsider.

Here are some inexpensive corrections to improve the approach to your front door

a. Clean up your walkway. Remove weeds between the cracks, level any paving stones.

b. Sweep and rake everywhere, removing all debris under the bushes and plants and in gutters.

c. Pull up all dead plants and outdated,…

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For those who love old Hollywood, modern elegance and Long Island Sound, check out the old Saybrook home formerly belonging to Katharine Hepburn, currently on the market for 28 million. For that sum it could be yours, all 8300 square feet, three and a half acres, (15 rooms, 7 1/2 baths), replete with a romantic history. Subdivided into three lots there are options for buyers as to how much or what part of the estate they would like to buy. I want to refer to this special home as old, since Hepburn's family originally built it in 1912 (for $2400.00), and rebuilt it in 1938 after destroyed by hurricane, but it is anything but old these days. Purchased for 6 million in 2004, a year after Hepburn's death, by Frank Sciame, a construction executive, the whole…

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Part 2 of my Moving and Packing tips.

Tips when packing.

Once the box is packed you need to label the contents so you can make sure the movers (or you) can get the box to the right room in the new house. Is usually recommended labeling the box for where it goes, not where it came from. If you are using new boxes, there is usually ample places to write the contents and mark the rooms but if you are using used boxes, you might need to cross out someone else’s writing. This can get messy so try a color code instead, that way the movers (or your friends) don’t need to figure out your handwriting. Get a selection of colored sticky dots at the office supply store, and slap a sticker on the top and a side or two of the box. Make a map of your house and place…

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Once you’ve finally bought your new East Bay home it is time to move in and for many people, this process is one of the most difficult thing to do. Here are a few tips to make the process easy and pleasant.

1. Preparing for the Movers

If you are planning on having professional movers there are still many things that you can do to streamline the packing and unpacking jobs. The first step is to start with the right materials and start as early as possible. If you are planning on moving a month from now you can begin packing items you know you won’t need in the next month. The garage and the storage areas are great places to start. Many of these areas might still have unopened boxes from the last time you moved.

Materials.

It is important to have an…

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So what is going on with the housing market today? Many are confused as to the state of affairs. Buyers are wondering, "Have we hit rock bottom, is this the best time to buy?" Sellers are obviously not highly motivated because of the decline we have seen in recent years. So where do we stand now? After looking at the analysis it appears that there is some hope for a revitalized market. When looking at pocket areas such as the high end, Piedmont, and particularly Palo Alto right now with Facebook's IPO looming, activity is strong due to limited inventory and strong cash flow. Also bustling is the low end market $200,000 and under, with a plethora of 1st time and all cash buyers bidding it out. It's really the middle ground that needs some new energy and…

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If you happen to be looking in the Piedmont luxury housing market, have always wanted to live on exclusive Glen Alpine, but desire a home of newer construction, your dream home may have just arrived. Many have been attracted to Piedmont and its treasure trove of architectural splendors, but when you are buying the best, you want and expect all the conveniences and amenities of the modern world. To find a newer home decked with more extras than you could ever hope for, amidst antiques gems, is a rare opportunity. This 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath and 5500 sq. ft. home may be the perfect fit. 2012-02-08_11-50-13_78_400

61 Glen Alpine Road in Piedmont, located on 1 1/2 acres in Piedmont's Upper Estates neighborhood, was designed by San Francisco architectural firm Moller Willrich.…

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I sold another beautiful San Leandro home recently to a wonderful couple. This one is located in the desirable Estudillo Estates neighborhood in San Leandro. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in 2010 sq ft. There are 8 rooms in this fabulous home. Included are a living room with a stone fireplace, large formal dining room, a bright breakfast nook with warm tile floor and a finished basement with a bonus room. The backyard has been landscaped to be able to enjoy the outdoors year round.

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In 2011 I sold 19 homes ranging up to $1.25 million and I have many of you to thank for it. Only the top 4 percent of BH&G agents nationwide, of more than 1,800 agents working for BH&G, are given the award.  I hope that 2012 brings me as much happiness and joy as last year.

Thanks again!

Highland Partners and Better Homes and Gardens will award Piedmont real estate agent Bruce Wagg the prestigious Individual Masters award for his 2011 sales.

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Piedmont, Alameda and Oakland real estate agent Bruce Wagg of Highland Partners will be awarded the Better Homes and Gardens’ (BH&G) prestigious Individual Masters award for his 2011 sales. 

The Bay Area regional awards presentation will take place on Thursday, March 22 at the Casa…

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