The varied and wonderful Oakland Neighborhoods.

No matter what your belief or religion, if you have never seen the Christmas light display that Oakland's Mormon Temple puts on, be sure to drop by this season. Although easily seen from many areas of the East Bay, the temple is located at 4770 Lincoln Blvd in Lincoln Heights. Just west of Woodminster, Joaquin Miller Park and Highway 13. I must admit that when I was a kid, I thought that the temple was a castle and a king and queen use to live there. Drop by with your own kids, it is quite a sight.

 

 


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Green Day’s frontman, guitarist Billy Joe Armstrong, has just added his Oakland, California estate to the luxury market. The 5 bedroom Mediterranean / Normandy estate was built for Armstrong back in 1998 by architect Mark Becker and features over a half acre lot, pool with pool house and an open floor plan. Located in the Claremont Pines area of Oakland, the mansion has wonderful views for the San Francsico Bay. Boasting lots of unique ironwork, a rough-hewn beamed rotunda and, of course, a music studio, the home also includes a winding brick staircase. The remains of a 1911 'Red Gate' mansion designed by Julia Morgan.

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While most of the house has been redecorated, there are a few vestiges of Billie Joes' taste, including a bathroom adjacent to the…

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This is the next part of the vintage Oakland real estate developer movie from the 1920's that documents the building of Oakland's 9th St pier and the famous Alaska Packers Fishing Fleet of sailing ships with their big masts. They also show the "new" Oakland airport which cost over a million dollars to built. The lineup of biplanes and old aircraft are great to see.

 

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I found some great vintage footage from the 20's that a real estate developer made of the Oakland area. It was trumpeting all of the great things about the Oakland in regards to shipping and transportation. Oakland had one of the largest train hubs and continues to have one of the largest shipping ports on the west coast. There are some great shots of Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon built in 1883, it looks the same today as it did back then. The name was based upon the fact that Alameda was a 'dry' town. If you were coming or going to Alameda on the ferry, Heinold's was your first and last chance to get a drink. There are also some great shots of the Tribune tower and downtown Oakland as well as the shipping ports that made Oakland famous. I will…

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In just a few years Oakland, San Leandro and other East Bay homes have become affordable to many first time home buyers. The median price of Bay Area homes has continued to drop from $720,000 in the spring of 2007 to the current $295,000 median price of homes sold in Feb 2008.  The majority of these homes have been REOs(bank owned) and short sale (pre- foreclosure) listings but these have also brought down the price of surrounding owner occupied homes as well. Additional changes in lending practices and the $8000 federal tax credit have also stimulated buying in many neighborhoods. Maxwell Park, Laurel, and Dimond neighborhoods have seen plenty of buyers looking to get into these areas.  Some houses are selling for over $200,000 less than they were just…

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Oakland has always a diverse city but never more so than now. There are now three different homes in Oakland listed for $45,000 and less and 3 homes listed for more than $3.5 million. One of the Million dollar listings has breathtaking views of Oakland, San Francisco as well as the $33,000 home in the flat lands, though you might need a telescope to see it.

1504 92nd is a cute 2 bedroom 1 bath bungalow that is listed at $33,000. This same home would sell for 10 times this amount and more in many Oakland neighborhoods but as they say, ' location, location, location". In reading the MLS further, the $33,000 listing price is actually the opening bid at auction later in the month but I will keep you posted for what it actually sells for.

 

Another house on…

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One of the undiscovered gems of Oakland is the Union Point park near the Park St. bridge leading to Alameda. Formally a vacant, weed covered lot the area has been transformed into a waterfront park including a Children's play area with a Sailing ship climbing structure, a Bridge to nowhere, a semi-circular pier / art installation and its centerpiece, a bougainvillea covered spiral hill in the middle. On weekends the park is a great place for picnics and gatherings right next to the water. There are BBQ grills and plenty of open space for throwing a Frisbee or football. From the top of the hill you are treated to a beautiful view down the Oakland estuary, with the barges, fishing boats and ships of the adjacent Coast Guard Island. Studded with artwork,…

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I just read an interesting article on the state of home sales in parts of Oakland.  Low priced ($200,000 and less) homes are becoming very attractive to investors. They can buy a home, rent it out, and still have positive cash flow because of the strong rental market. Many investors are coming in with all-cash offers for a smooth transaction with the bank.

The median price of a home in Oakland is now $330,000 which is roughly half of what it was only 18 months ago. What is driving homes sales up and prices down is the amount of REOs (bank-owned) and short-sales being sold. 50% of homes sales last month involved foreclosed homes, but foreclosures only represented 14% in Dec. 2007.

Banks are also starting to list their homes low and let the market…

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There are many wonderful places to go on walks in the East Bay. Nature jaunts within the many East Bay Regional Parks, and architectural walks through gorgeous old neighborhoods, will entice you to while away the better half of the day.

When in the mood to get away from it all, I usually head to one of the beautiful East Bay Regional Parks that reside within the Oakland hills. 

One of my favorites is Redwood Regional park, where you can really feel miles away from the urban hubub. Beautiful old Redwoods and grassy meadows make it a perfect place to hike, workout, picnic or just play with your kids in an oxygen rich and car free zone.

Equally as beautiful, is Joaquin Miller park just south of Montclair on Highway 13. This park provides wonderful hiking…

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First off, I realize that blogging requires a commitment to the 'art' . I am not a writer by training ;-). You have probably already figured this out in my first sentence or two. I am a poor speller and never was confortable in Mrs. Singaras' English class at Skyline (1984). But I hope that I can entertain and amuse you all with some stories and histroy about my real estate adventures. It is Nov. 2008. Obama was elected days ago and the country and the Bay Area in general are in for a lot of changes. What will this mean for Oakland and the neighborhoods, remains to be seen. But we are hopeful and because I love Oakland so much, I am not moving anywhere else, so stick with me and let's experience Oakland together.

 

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