Found 16 blog entries tagged as CA.

Tomorrow morning, September 28th, many Piedmont families and their friends will be participating in the 2013 PUSD Wellness Center Fall Fest 5k Run.  This "just right" sized run is ideal for children as well as seniors. Additionally, participants can run or walk the route.

 To encourage a wide range of entrants, the top 3 male and female finishers in each age category will be receiving medals, and additionally, there will be prizes for overall first 3 male and first 3 female finishers.  There are a broad range of categories, beginning with age 8 and under, and moving on up to runners 60+years old. 

Starting at 8:30 a.m. from Piedmont Community Center, the route of the race is designed to take runners along streets that feature some of the most…

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While most Piedmont homeowners are used to commuting to San Francisco and Oakland by car or BART, the early 1900's offered an efficient trip as well. Begun in 1903, utilizing 4 car trains, the Key System collected passengers from all over the East Bay and took them to ferry piers in Berkeley, and later Oakland, for their final passage by water to San Francisco.

The term "Key System" came from the concept of the image of a key with three loops at the top, a shaft for the key which was the system's pier, and the teeth of the key was seen as the various ferry berths at the end of these piers. The three loops were the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Piedmont.

 Below is a picture of the early station at 41st Street and Piedmont Avenue.  Note the two…

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This weekend, Saturday, December 15th promises holiday fun for Piedmont families.  Three events are scheduled that should start the holiday season off with a smile:

a. Highland Partners Breakfast With Santa--I am pleased to say that my real estate firm, Highland Partners, has invited Piedmont families to drop by and meet with Santa, and have a picture to take home showing Santa with each child who wants to speak with him.  There will be good things from our espresso cart, and all ages are welcome.  Drop by 342 Highland Blvd. from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00.p.m. to join this annual holiday event.  There is no fee for all this fun.

a. 4th Annual Santa Breakfast--Piedmont Park and Exedra Plaza--711 Highland Avenue-- from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m..  Lots of…

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Whether you are considering selling your home, or just want to dress it up a bit for the Fall, there are some easy things that you can do that will change the front of your home, and, with a bit of planning, will not cost you a great deal of money. Whether you live in Piedmont, Berkeley or Alameda, the principals remain the same.

The key is to step away from your home. Drive or walk away from your house, and then come back with the idea of seeing your home from the eyes of a stranger or potential home buyer. Ask yourself what impression are you giving them? Check and repair the following:

a. Remove all debris from the front of the house. Include the gutters, the sidewalks, the garden beds, and the all the yards, both front and back.

b. Weed and…

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When you, as a potential buyer, begin to search for your Piedmont home, you will be given a MLS Property Information Sheet from each of the agents showing each property for sale.  This sheet is a truly valuable source of information for you about the house, and you should take the time to study it at every location before you leave to visit another. 

To really use it properly, you should first have a very good sense of the kind of home that you want. Really take the time to write things down.  How many square feet do you need?  How many bedrooms and baths?  What kind of yard is important?  Next, take this information and compare it to the MLS Sheet.  How close are the two parameters?  If they are good, move to the next step.

The next step is to…

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Oakland has so many homes and neighborhoods to choose from.  Whether you want to live in Rockridge, Redwood Heights, or the Trestle Glen neighborhood, there are some steps that you can take to make sure that the time that you spend house hunting is truly productive, and that you end up with the best home that you can afford.

The first step for most serious home buyers is to begin to search the Internet for all the various web sites listing homes for sale.  It is a good first step, because it begins to give you an idea of what is immediately available.  As your agent, I need to have a sense of what you want in your next home.  It is helpful if you create a list for me using the following criteria:

1. The Must Haves--These are features that you…

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