The varied and wonderful Oakland Neighborhoods.

In Part 1, we stressed the need for having your paperwork in hand for all of the changes that you had made to your home while you were there. A special focus was to be those changes that would make it a unique and special place, when compared to your competition.  In Part 2, we will deal with issues in your Oakland home that will need to be disclosed to buyers. The goal--speed your sale by having all decisions and issues addressed, thus putting you in a position to act promptly to offers received, and again, often putting you ahead of other sellers in the marketplace.

1. Deal With Issues That Must Be Disclosed to Potential Buyers-

Most homes have things that need to be addressed-whether a leak in the bathroom, or a chimney that might need…

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When it comes time to put your Oakland or Alameda home on the market, plans need to be made to make the best impression possible on future buyers.  Often a lot of preparation time and money is spent on yards, kitchens and bedrooms, but there can be one feature that could deter potential buyers. That can be the presence of uncorrected damage, or the presence of odors, from pets in the home.  Whether unrepaired scratches on back doors or screens, or the accumulation of debris, or fence damage in the back yard, these issues should be addressed.  Often, because sellers haved lived with their pets for so long, they may not be aware of the extent of their pet problems. Take time to see things from the eyes of an outsider.

The next step is to make…

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 If you have not set a time aside to visit Oakland's "home town" museum, tomorrow would be an excellent time to do so.  In a regular effort to attract and new families and friends, the museum is holding a "Free First Sunday" event, tomorrow, February 2nd, from 11:00 am-5 pm..There is so much to see beyond the normal museum presentations.  Featured are special exhibitions.  Here is the current list focused around the Year of the Bay:

a. Above and Below: Stories from our Changing Bay

b. Bay Motion: Capturing San Francisco Bay on Film

c. A Cinematic Study of of Fog in San Francisco

If you want to join a docent tour to learn even more about the museum, save 1:00 p.m. for the Architecture Tour,  2:00 p.m. for the Gallery of California Art Tour,…

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Montclair Community Park and the walkways along Moraga Avenue are going to be well attended to this Sunday, January 19th, when Montclair residents and their friends will be joining together to make the park as attractive as possible in a special one day event.  The plan will be to clean and clear overgrowth of plants and trees, remove debris and trash from the area, and generally promote the pleasant parklike atmosphere of the area. 

Beginning at 9:00 a.m at 6300 Moraga Avenue, this is promoted as a community wide event, and refreshments will be provided by local merchants like Crogan's Montclair, Crown Wines and Spirits, Starbucks, Colonial Donuts, and many more.

Participants are asked to bring gloves and pruning tools or shears, and an…

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Piedmont Residents--Have you wondered where you go to get a garage sale permit in your city?  How about obtaining a dog license?  Do you know whom to contact when you have street maintenance issues?  Even though Piedmont is a small town, there are specific places to go, and people to call to get answers to all of these questions.  The good news is that this information is all neatly summarized for you on the following website:     http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/whodoicall.shtml     This page is full of contact numbers for city services.  Other valauble numbers include fire inspection, renting community facilities like the community hall, the hours of operation for City Hall, and so much more.  It is well worth printing and posting…

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In my previous blog, I itemized the variety of services that I am prepared to offer to assist potential home sellers.  As I also indicated, I have many years of experience in real estate on both sides of home sales and purchases.  In this blog, I would like to make you aware of the many services that I can offer you when purchasing a home.  Buying a home is a truly a significant step for everyone, and whether you are looking in Oakland,   Alameda or Piedmont, I can offer you the following services to make your search more comfortable and well directed:

* Meet with you to identify your ideal home

* Provide you with a list of reputable lenders

* Educate you about current market conditions

* Furnish a buyer's information handbook

* Provide…

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Once you have bought your new Oakland home, it is important to make plans for moving, so that your children can make the transition as easily as possible.  Moving can be stressful for parents, and often more so for children.  This is particularly true if you are changing schools, or moving quite a distance from your old neighborhood. Here are some ways to ease the transition--especially for toddlers and preschoolers:

1. Make all explanations about moving clear, simple, and easy to understand.  If the children are very young, maybe put the event in a story form, using toy trucks and furniture that the child can manipulate.  It will encourage questions that you can answer on their terms.

2. When the time comes to pack the childrens' toys, explain…

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During the past few years, after the severe economic downturn, many Oakland and Piedmont homeowners saw their home equities take a serious downturn, as the value of their homes in the open market dropped--some below what they originally paid for the house.  The good news is that in many Bay area neighborhoods, that fact is undergoing a dramatic change, and things are heading back up!

We indicated, as an example, in our November 8th blog, that Piedmont is undergoing a radical change in the area of home sales.  According to Forbes magazine, Piedmont, was rated #165 in the nation's most expensive homes in the nation (Sausalito is #160, and San Francisco is #161). However, because of very limited housing stock and dramactic competition among…

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This happy little boy was a visitor last year at our yearly Highland Partners' Breakfast With Santa event. We want to invite all little boys and girls-big and little-to join us for food, fun, and festivities this Saturday, December 7th from 10:00 to noon.  There will be free pictures with Santa, and he will listen carefully to all the little ones' wish lists.  While waiting, Mom and Dad can enjoy our espresso cart selections.Cookies and hot cocoa will be available as well. 

Please bring an unwrapped toy for our Toys for Tot Drive. As always, we look forward to seeing you and your family during this special time of the year.  My family is partially represented already--that smiling little boy is my son, Kai.

See you Saturday! For more details:…

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You are searching for just the right Montclair home, and have already looked at a lot of houses.  Perhaps you are getting discouraged.  What you want, you may not be able to afford, or it might not be roomy enough.  To search effectively, it is time to take a break from the many good and bad choices that you may be making, and begin to focus. Here are some tips to help:

1.DETERMINE THE "MUST HAVE" ELEMENTS FOR YOUR FUTURE HOME--This may take some time, because there may be a lot of these to start with.  But, with some serious consideration, a list will develop that isolates these items for you.  It may start with a special school district-a real "must have", or it may be a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, or a larger backyard.  Whatever the…

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