If you and your family have a serious intent to purchase a new Oakland or Piedmont home this year, it is especially important to have an efficient plan in place, since you will be competing, in some neighborhoods, in a marketplace with very limited housing stock to work with, so your competition may be challenging.  

Here are some steps to take to place yourself in the best possible position to be considered immediately by sellers:

1. Before You Begin Your Search--Be very clear about your needs from the outset. Be specific as to what you must have, and what you can waive when viewing a potential home.  What things are the most important to your family, and thus nonstarters, and what would be nice, but not mandatory?   

2. Know Your Financial…

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When it comes time to sell your Oakland or Piedmont home, there are four guaranteed problems that future buyers will be concerned about.  These are not surprising, but are often overlooked while you looking for a new home, and preparing to move forward elsewhere.

1. Clutter-As I have indicated in the past, paring down your home to its most basic design, and showing off it's original floor plan it highly desirable.  Potential buyers want as little of your influence in the rooms as possible.  They want to see lots of space, and also want to imagine their things in the home to see if it will fit their needs.  Keep the rooms handsome, but simple.  

2. Outdated Fixtures-Many times, especially if you have been in your home for years, you have…

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Make 2015 the year that you find your finally live in your new Piedmont home. View these outstanding choices, and find the one that fits your needs.  


ThumbnailsListMap                Price, Low to High                Price, High to Low             

Complete Privacy On This Gated Estate; Lush Gar...

Price:   $4,995,000 City:   Piedmont Beds:   6 Baths:   5 Type:   Single Family MLS® #:   40661974

Complete Privacy On This Gated Estate; Lush Gardens, Lawns, Redwood Grove And Swimming Pool. Exte...

Photo of Listing #40661974 View DetailsSave to FavoritesMap

Grand Piedmont Mansion Celebrating Its Centenni...

Price:   $4,650,000 City:   Piedmont Beds:   6 Baths:   4 Type:   Single Family MLS®…

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 For the last 12 years, the annual Piedmont Turkey Trot has attracted Piedmont families, friends and neighbors to the Piedmont Excedra to begin the annual fund raiser that combines a 3 mile walk/run course through some beautifully scenic neighborhoods in the city.  It's theme this year is "Move Your Feet Before You Eat", and that pretty well defines the concept of the event.

Held on Thursday, November 27, participants can begin the run starting at 8:30 a.m. at Highland and Magnolia streets, and be done well before a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner elsewhere in the area.  This is also a fund raising event, and the net proceeds will go to benefit the Piedmont High School Cross Country Track and Field Teams, and The City of Piedmont Athletic Facilities…

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If you are like a large majority of homeowners today, you have some kind of household pet.  Statistically, it will most likely be a dog or cat, but birds, hamsters or fish are not out of the mix, as well.  When you are considering selling your Oakland or Piedmont home, you will need to make plans to deal with these animals when you hold your Open Home.  Without some preparation, these pets can create some issues for future buyers.  

Here are some suggestions to make the Open Home combine perfectly with whatever pet you may have:

1. Recognize That You May Have Pet Odors In Your Home:  You and your family have lived with your pet for a while, and you are used to the doggy or cat odors that exist.  They may be especially strong if you have more…

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Every year, the Piedmont Wildwood Elementary School Dad's Club presents their Pumpkin Patch for your consideration.  This yearly fund raiser is a means by which money is raised to buy special things for the school that the budget cannot--computers, iPads, musical instruments, and more.  

If you are looking for pumpkins for your Halloween celebrations, this is the place to be, because you will find pumpkins of every size and color.  Want to design an unique or creative decoration?  There are yellow, pink and white pumpkins-big and small.  Want to do some cooking?  There are the standard orange pumpkins, and sugar pie pumpkins.   Want to make a spectacular table arrangement? Be sure to discover the huge variety of…

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This week you will find a fascinating mix of historic and modern homes being offered
               Price, Low to High                Price, High to Low             

Gated Private Estate With Lush Gardens, Lawns, ...

Price:   $4,995,000 City:   Piedmont Beds:   6 Baths:   5 Type:   Single Family MLS® #:   40661974

Gated Private Estate With Lush Gardens, Lawns, Redwood Grove And Swimming Pool. Extensively Renov...

Photo of Listing #40661974 View DetailsSave to FavoritesMap

Grand Piedmont Mansion Celebrating Its Centenni...

Price:   $4,650,000 City:   Piedmont Beds:   6 Baths:   4 Type:   Single Family MLS® #:   40647623

Grand Piedmont Mansion Celebrating Its Centennial Is Sited On A Half-acre…

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This coming Sunday, September 28th, is the time to bring your family and friends to the annual Harvest Festival.  Held at the Piedmont Community Center, 711 Highland Avenue, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., it promises to offer fun, food, and fall scarecrows and pumpkins, with the goal of generating  funds in imaginative ways for Piedmont's three elementary schools. 

To help get you into the holiday mood, there will be a celebration of jazz music, starting at 11:30 a.m., featuring the Piedmont High School Jazz Band.  After that, on the hour, throught the rest of the event, there will be a selection of various area jazz groups providing background music as you enjoy the day. 

In…

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You have just purchased a new home in Piedmont.  It is a major investment, and you plan to live there for many years.  Maintaining any home can be expensive, and the costs, of course, are added on to your monthly housing payments.  As a result, you want to be practical, yet careful, in the funds that you are going to spend to keep your future home as close as possible to the condition that it is now, at it's purchase point.

Here are four reasonably inexpensive, yet valuable, steps that you can take to give you your biggest return on your maintenance dollar:

1. Have Regular Termite Inspections:  While your home is turned over to you termite free, it is still very hard to assure that every nook and cranny in your home was covered by the last…

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Often, when your first consider buying a home in Oakland or a nearby Piedmont home, your tendancy is to look at the asking price for the home as a working figure to decide whether you can afford it or not.  While that is certainly the most sensible starting point, and knowing that all home prices could be negotiable, you still have other costs that you should put into your budget before moving forward. While some of these fees may also be negotiable among seller and buyer, it is best to include them in your plans. 

1. A Home Appraisal Fee: Your lender needs to know the value of the home, so you should plan on paying this fee.  Costs vary, but are usually around $500.

2. Additional Closing Costs: When you submit your loan application, you must be…

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