THE KNOLL, Where Claremont and Elmwood meet.  Featuring houses by Henry H. Gutterson, Edward Seely, George T. Plowman & John Hudson Thomas, Williams & Wastell, Joseph Coward, F.E. Allen, and Louis Engler.

Sunday May 6th from 1pm – 5pm.

Call 510-841-2242 or visit www.berkeleyheritage.com.

Beautiful dining room with original details

Bill McDowell and Tracy Sichterman just listed this sweet 4 bedroom, 2 bath home in the Oceanview district of Berkeley.  Less ornate than their Victorian predecessors, Edwardian style homes suite our modern aesthetic. Circa 1908, this spacious home boasts the original details we love (wainscoting, plate rails, built-ins) without feeling fussy or dark.

4th Street shops and restaurants, public transportation, and San Pablo Avenue shops are nearby.

Offered at $585,000!

Bright and cheerful living room

Rebecca Nemeth says this about her fab-u-lous El Cerrito listing: “Easy living in this clean and charming 2 bed, 1 bath cottage on a large lot surrounded by greenery. Spacious, sun-filled, private backyard ready for your garden, play space, workshop, etc. Many updates. Quiet block close to Stockton St. shops, near EC pool & community center, 6 blocks from BART.”

Listed at $349,000!!!!  Great house, great price!

I have a sweet new listing coming on the market next week on Mendocino @ Lawton in Upper Rockridge.  Stay tuned for more details.

The March/April edition of Realtor Magazine (yes, I read this, but don’t expect you to!) featured an article that I found to be quite entertaining and wanted to share it with you.
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1.  In an attempt to stem the problem of unwanted manure left in front of residential properties and businesses, Watertown NY is considering a law requiring horses to wear diapers.

2.  Residents of Illinois (excluding Chicago) are now permitted to pain their trees purple in order to keep trespassers off their property.

3.  Hedges that encroach on sidewalks must be kept trimmed in Plattsburgh, NY.  The new law allows the city to trim overgrown hedges and bill property owners.  Similar laws in Lockport, NY and Harlingen, TX allow the town to mow residents lawns when grass grows over one foot.

4.  Toy ranches in Pitkin County, CO, are no longer considered agricultural properties.  A property is considered a toy ranch if the property around the house is used for grazing but the house itself isn’t integral to the ranching operation.

5.  Home owners in South Carolina who want to recycle copper pipes must obtain a permit from their local sheriff’s office.  The goal is to curb illegal stripping of copper for cash sale to recyclers.

Here is a link to the original article, including sources for each law: http://realtormag.realtor.org/law-and-ethics/feature/article/2012/03/5-obscure-real-estate-laws

http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2012/04/10/their-words-oakland-locals-weeks-guardian-cover

43 homes on tour this week from Richmond – Oakland.  Up a tiny bit from last week, but not much.  Low inventory continues to lead to multiple offers on many homes.  It also seems like there are more traditional sales and less distressed in the past few weeks.

The answer is yes.  According to the article “home prices have plummeted 34%,” “mortgage rates continue to hover around record lows,” and “homes are more affordable than they have been in 40 years.”  All of this is true.  HOWEVER.  Yes there is a but.  One thing we are experiencing that other markets are not is multiple offers which are artificially increasing home prices.

Our inventory levels, unlike many areas, are really low, as low as I have seen in 9 years of real estate.  Inventory is down about 50% from what we might normally be seeing this time of year.  Because rates are down, and prices are down, and affordability is high, there are a lot of buyers.  Buyers need housing inventory and when the demand is higher than the supply, prices go up.

What’s happening:

• NOBE (North Oakland/Berkeley/Emeryville) is especially hot right now.
• A recent Albany sale had 7 offers and went $80k over asking.
• A house in the Berkeley hills currently has 64 requests for disclosures.
• A dump of a fixer in Berkeley had 4 offers and closed with conventional financing!
• A sweet 2 bed house in Rockridge just had 8 offers.

Last Sunday my family and I went for a hike, and as always with little kids, we visited the Little Farm.  Here are some pictures from our visit.

You Gotta Do This!

Sunday, 3/4 - Family Day from noon until 2:30pm. Back by popular demand, is the AMAZING Lawrence Lemon. If you haven’t seen him yet, go check him out. He is simply unbelievable! They will have balloons for the kids, kid combos, and of course their famous chalk wall!  And now they serve beer.  Get some tater tots and a milk shake, pull up a chair, and enjoy the tunes.

www.philssliders.com
2024 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley.

I know, lots of food posts.  But… You Gotta Do This!