Found 73 blog entries tagged as Oakland Real Estate Agent.

 

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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There comes a time, when you, as the seller, must seriously evaluate the impression that your home will make on potential buyers.  Once you put it on the market, people will want to consider your home as a potential future home for their family, so it is important that you make the best possible impression on them. 

Remember, before we put your Montclair or Piedmont home on the market, we will spend some serious time discussing the ways to put your home's best foot forward, but keep in mind that there are some very simple and inexpensive things to consider:

1. Maintain your landscaping, plants, and shrubs.  Keep them trimmed and free of debris around their base. …

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Whether home buyers are brand new, or old timers, certain basic procedures apply when preparing to buy a home.  Most of these are undertaken in conjunction with a real estate agent who can assist you in meeting your final home purchasing goals.  As an experienced agent, it is my goal to help you move forward in the most efficient way possible to obtain your new Montclair home.  Actually, that is the first step that should be taken--find an experienced, well informed agent to guide you along your path.  His or her experience in isolating your needs, finding your home, and negotiating its purchase should be your number one goal. 

Here are some additional things to consider when preparing to buy a home:

1. Know Your Finances- Take the time to…

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If you want to create the maximum interest and attention from Piedmont or Montclair home buyers, you must be prepared to invest some funds into making your property one of the most attractive to potential buyers.  The good news is that it does not have to cost a great deal of money, but can, with some planning, reward you in the long run by increasing the value of your home, thus allowing you to recoup your expenses while meeting these goals. 

1. Clean, Organize, and Simplify Each Room--The goal is to present a fresh, open, and easy to appreciate space in every room of the home.

2. Spend Time Creating A Pleasant Atmosphere in Every Room--Have some style or design for each room, so it is easily viewed, and is immediately appealing.  Take some time…

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With the exciting weekly and monthly activities that are scheduled all around Jack London Square and revitalized downtown Oakland there is as great deal of interest among buyers in the outstanding choices of housing in the area.  Jack London condos offer a wide variety of styles, prices and views.  The best part, no matter what home you choose, just about everything that you might need in terms of fun and community is within  walking distance for the busy resident. 

Enjoy the beautiful views as you walk along the waterfront, and make plans to shop at the weekly Farmer's Market in the Square with it's amazing variety of foods, entertainment,and crafts.  Meet with friends, and take a  ride on the nearby ferry vessel to San Francisco,and from there…

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Of interest to local architecture and history buffs is the recent listing of 6401 Castle Dr. in the Piedmont Pines area of Oakland. Built in 1937, for a model home tour that was a part of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island, it is on the market for the first time since the mid 1960's. (The Exposition Model Home Tour encompassed twelve homes in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.) With original Art Deco and Art Moderne features still intact, one gets that rare opportunity to seemingly slip into another time and place in history, if only for a moment.  One of the most interesting aspects of the house is the metal Art Deco inspired stairway, with posts of lighted glass blocks, framed by a large vertical leaded glass window, and…

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If you are considering buying or selling an Oakland home or other Alameda county home soon, you might want to consider the conclusions arrived at by an analysis of MLS data done by the research division of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate. They concluded "a continued shortage of homes for sale combined with a strong demand to drive the median price of a home sharply higher in all 15 Alameda County communities in the second quarter of 2013." 

By way of illustration, with regard to individual homes, or "unit sales", in Alameda County, In 2013, the 2nd quarter median sales price of an existing single family detached home was $593,586 which was up 23 % from $480,812 in the 1st quarter, but more impressively, up 36% from the 2nd…

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In Oakland, California, there is a neighborhood tucked into the hills called Montclair.  It is one of the most heavily forested neighborhoods in the city.  It reminds a visitor of Tahoe with its winding tree lined streets.  Views of San Francisco are available peaking through the trees at many locations, especially  among those Montclair view homes that are perched high atop the many canyons that are found descending from the high hills above. 

Immediately adjacent to the city of Piedmont on one side, and Oakland's Woodminster and Oakmore neighborhoods, it is the location of Montclair Village-an  enclave of small shops, and excellent restaurants which are visited by Oakland residents from throughout the city.  To add to the food flavor, the Village…

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The recent Bay Area Market Report for the first quarter of 2013 has just been released, and the results are very exciting for Oakland homeowners, and Piedmont home sellers who have been considering putting their home on the market.  Right now, there is a drastic shortage of homes for sale on the market.  As of March 31, 2013, there are only 4098 existing single-family detached homes were listed for sale in the entire nine-county Bay area.  While this is an improvement from the 3.370 homes available as of 12/2012, it is still down 55 % from the 10,282 homes available a year ago to date. 

While home sales have fallen to their lowest level in five years in the Bay Area, once homes are placed on the market, all nine Bay Area counties reported…

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Whether you are moving from an Oakland home to a Berkeley home, or cross country, if you have children, there are extra issues that come into play beyond packing boxes and loading furniture into a moving van. Often these issues get buried under the stress and paperwork of buying one home and selling another.  It is truly a stressful time, and because so much is going on, young children are left out of the planning stages, and are asked to make some major life adjustments at a very confusing time in their life.  If you add to this, the anxiety that might have caused the move, such as a death, divorce or job loss, you realize that time needs to be taken to assure that the transition is as gentle to the children as possible. 

While much of this…

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