The varied and wonderful Oakland Neighborhoods.

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…

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This handsome Arts and Crafts home sits proudly on a corner lot in Lower Rockridge in Oakland, and is exceptionally well located.  It is just a short distance from all the popular stores, restaurants and shopping venues that are found on College Avenue, and in Rockridge. 

It is hard to deny the curb appeal of this house.  Located at 5150 Coronado Avenue, it offers 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom in 1058 sf of living space.

The fact that is has been well cared for is reflected in its carefully tended front gardens that surround it.  Yellow flower boxes and trim add more charm, as does the final touch of a yellow flowerpot on the front steps.   

A slightly different perspective captures the distinctive lines of a Craftsman home-a popular design to…

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This especially handsome Craftsman style home is located in the desirable Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland at 5701 Keith Avenue.  

Its curb appeal is undeniable, and immediately welcoming.  A splendid, and well established front garden greets guests, and the building's black and white color combination is fresh and crisp.  

It offers 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, and 2042 sf of living space.  

The large covered porch with its sturdy matching square entry pillars that are combined with the the exposed rafters under the both eves above, perfectly illustrate just two of the most popular architectural characteristics of the home's Craftsman heritage.  When paired with the surrounding floral display, the entire home is pleasure to experience.

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This handsome brown shingle home sits comfortably among others like it at 43 Montell Street in Oakland's Piedmont Avenue neighborhood. 

What makes it unique is, unlike the other brown shingle homes around it, is that it was built by the builder/owner for his own personal home in 1959, creating a special and distinctive living space.   

It offers 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in a very pleasant 1878 sf of living space.  

A sturdy front door, dual windowed entryway, and sheltered porch welcomes guests into this engaging architectural experience.  

This expansive, light filled living room is immediately welcoming, with more than generous space for entertaining, and offering multiple design options for furniture placement. 

Here…

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This outstanding hillside home combines two very desirable features that are always in demand--large, beautifully conceived rooms, and a panoramic Bay area view below.

Located at 7832 Hillmont Drive in the Oakland hills, it offers 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms and 3334 square feet of gracious living. 

The entire space seen above represents an outstanding living experience.  Tall, softly lit ceilings supplement the exterior lighting that is captured by the floor to ceiling windows and doors seen along the western  side of the home.  

The very size and scope of the room encourages a variety of potential floorplans that can take advantage of, and capture, both the interior and exterior beauty of the house.  

This home is designed for both…

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This classically handsome Craftsman home is immediately exceptional.   

Located at 2568 Humboldt Avenue, It has been well cared for, and carefully updated-from the crisp front and side gardens, through the home's interior, and on to an outstanding back yard.  

It features designer landscaping, front and back, with 30 plus rare succulents, planters, and fruit trees, and is fully fenced for privacy.  

It offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in a generous 1185 sq. ft. of living space, and is located only minutes from both the busy and popular Dimond and Laurel shopping districts.  

Certainly one of the most surprising and remarkable features of the house is the size of this very expansive back yard that provides multiple sites for parties,…

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High in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood of Oakland is this captivating, and recently built, contemporary view home located at 6645 Exeter Drive.  It offers 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in a very spacious 2735 sf of living space.  

With two view balconies, and an outstanding open floor plan, it is especially attractive to those who enjoy entertaining.  The gracious interior space offers a variety of potential design configurations that allows one to create their own distinctive living space.  

In addition to its architectural features, it especially unique in that it is solar powered and "designed to be energy independent, and have maximum water conservation of plumbing fixtures and landscaping" as represented by the seller.  

The first…

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This elegant hillside home has a splendid curb appeal.  From its pair of perfectly conceived peaked roof dormers, to its winding brick pathway through a lush garden to the front of the door, it is a handsome home in every sense. 

Exceptionally well located at 5051 Harbor Drive in the city's desirable Rockridge neighborhood, it offers 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in 2,280 sf of living space.  

A large, and classically designed fireplace anchors this spacious living room that is awash in light from a pair of virtually floor to ceiling French doors, and the subtle, but effective, overhead lighting. 

Yet another source is the set of multiple smaller windows above the unique bookcase and display unit at the far right of the room. 

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This broad hillside driveway, bordered with its lush hillside garden and unique sentinel style side trees, creates an impressive curb appeal, and welcomes both residents and guests to this home at 780 Glendome Circle in Oakland,   It offers 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in a generous 2376 sf of living space.  

It is exceptionally well located-just moments from the nearby charming Glenview shops and restaurants, and not far from popular Montclair Village, and Highways 13 and 24, both of which offer efficient transportation to Oakland, San Francisco and Contra Costa County. 

This radiant home has been thoroughly renovated to take advantage of its gentle hillside location, and to capture all that the location can offer.  Above, is the expansive…

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This stunning home has been designed to capture the compelling natural beauty of the surrounding trees, hillsides, and the panorama of the cities below.  Every sunset, sunrise, and change of seasons is fully available to its residents.  

Located in the Piedmont Pines neighborhood of Oakland, at 5979 Westover Drive.  It offers 4 bedrooms and 2/12 baths is a generous 2358 sf of living space. 

It is just moments from pleasant Montclair Village.  Above, are the many hiking and biking trails of the hillside parks and reserves, and below is efficient freeway access to Oakland, Berkeley and Contra Costa County.  

This unobstructed view to the cities and rolling hills below from the home's treetop location, reveals the perfect combination of…

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