oakland homes for sale: 4154 Manila Avenue - Oakland, CA
- 04/29/16 08:37 AM
4154 Manila Avenue - Oakland, CA Today so many San Franciscans are finding a new home in Temescal. And no wonder. Temescal, with its gritty, urban, artsy feeling, has the sun, close-knit neighborhoods, and a faster connection to downtown San Francisco than most places in San Francisco. On Manila Avenue, one of Temescal’s close knit streets, you’ll find one of the first houses built in Temescal in 1907: 4154 Manila. While most Temescal homes have gone through 100 years of changes, 4154 Manila has remained remarkably intact. It’s now been restored to its former glory with all the requisite details that define “character.” … (4 comments)
oakland homes for sale: The "Brooklynization" of San Francisco's East Bay
- 06/09/15 10:41 AM
When I was in New York a couple years ago, I noticed how everyone seemed to be moving to Brooklyn. Besides Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, there were all these neighborhoods I never heard of like Greenpoint and Clinton Hill. And prices in Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope had almost reached Manhattan prices. See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley See what homes are for sale now in Oakland Well, it’s déjà vu all over again … only here in the East Bay. In the same way Buyers moved to Brooklyn when prices got so high in Manhattan, Buyers are moving to the … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Oakland's New Million Dollar Neighborhood
- 08/18/14 12:39 AM
See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley See what homes are for sale now in Oakland Oakland's New Million Dollar Neighborhood It’s no secret that North Oakland has become the destination of choice for many Buyers. It’s close to BART, 15 minutes to San Francisco and has a close neighborhood feel along with that urban grittiness that so many people want these days. So it’s perhaps not so surprising that recently, at least three homes in the coveted North Oakland neighborhood have reportedly broken the million dollar mark for the first time.
For those not having $1 million to … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: The Disaster Called Flood Insurance
- 01/28/14 01:01 AM
See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley See what homes are for sale now in Oakland The Disaster Called Flood Insurance That charming little creek running through the backyard in the East Bay could now end up costing owners $3,000 or more a year in flood insurance. Here in Berkeley, Oakland and the East Bay, one of the disasters we rarely have is floods. Yet, thanks to Hurricane Sandy and FEMA, flood insurance rates through FEMA will be skyrocketing. Besides that, FEMA has also evidently redrawn the flood maps. So, what might never have been considered a real flood zone, … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: East Bay Market Returns to “Sanity"
- 09/24/13 02:02 AM
See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley See what homes are for sale now in Oakland East Bay Market Returns to “Sanity” Back in April-May, our East Bay Real Estate market was verging on insanity. There were relatively few homes for sale and hundreds of thousands of Buyers who had been waiting 4 to 5 years for when it was safe to buy a home. The result was that almost every house that was on the market in Berkeley–Oakland and environs was overbid up to 50% or even more. But insanity doesn’t last forever. Since July, the East Bay market has … (1 comments)
oakland homes for sale: What’s Happening in Oakland’s Grand Lake Neighborhood?
- 08/26/13 06:58 AM
See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley. See what homes are for sale now in Oakland. What’s Happening in Oakland’s Grand Lake Neighborhood? (Or, Around the World in Three Blocks) When you’re tired of Rockridge, or had enough of Berkeley, check out one of the original Oakland neighborhoods that has it all and is now undergoing a revival. Around Oakland’s famous Grand Lake Theater, you’ll find an epicurean tour of the world. Over 30 restaurants of every international taste and persuasion operate within a three to four block radius... some with Chez Panisse roots. This is also home to the East Bay’s and … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Average Prices for the Bay Area Almost Back to the “Good Ol’ Days”
- 04/30/13 06:07 AM
See what homes are for sale now in Berkeley See what homes are for sale now in Oakland For five to six years now, many sellers in the East Bay have been lamenting the price drop of their homes starting in 2007-2008. Well, put away the crying towels. The average price of a house in the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda) is now within 8% of the all-time highs of 2008...and 72% above the lows of 2009. In some neighborhoods -- Berkeley, Elmwood, Claremont, Temescal and Emeryville -- prices are actually above their 2008 high and setting new highs! (These stats are based on MLS data from … (1 comments)
oakland homes for sale: You’re invited to the Great Estates Tour in Oakland
- 04/09/13 03:15 AM
You’re invited to the Great Estates Tour of the Claremont Pines/Upper Rockridge Neighborhood: Saturday, April 20! Mark your calendars. On Saturday, April 20, 2013, you’ll have the opportunity to see first hand many of the distinguished homes of the Claremont Pines/Upper Rockridge neighborhood built after the Oakland fire in 1991. The tour is one of the yearly tours sponsored by the Oakland Heritage Alliance of homes and neighborhoods of architectural significance. In this case, it will highlight some great examples of Tudor and Mediterranean Revival-style architecture built after the fire. And two of Oakland’s most distinguished architects, William Schirmer and Geoffrey Bangs, will be featured. … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: A Mansion in the Oakland Hills
- 02/11/13 02:26 AM
What ever happened to mansions in Oakland? Well, now you can make yourself at home in what, for these parts, is a mansion: 4200 Terrabella Way. Grand in every sense of the word (13 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, 7 decks, 5000 square feet and at an asking price of $1,000,000).
This home is grand in scale, with over 5,000 square feet, including 5-6 bedrooms and a large separate guest suite. There’s a formal living room and dining room, as well as a separate office, a family room off the kitchen and a media room. A wonderful Master Suite opens onto a Bay view and … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: East Bay Home Prices Up Over 20% - Happy New Year!
- 12/26/12 05:07 AM
In the interest of “Auld Lang Syne,” it’s time for a brief reflection of the year past and an optimistic look forward. 2012 has definitely been a rebound year for East Bay home prices. Actually, a surprising rebound. Specifically in Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda, home prices for the last three months are all up over 20% from the same period last year! Berkeley is up 23% to a $786K average sold price. Oakland is up 43% to a $475K average sold price. Alameda is up 22% to a $572 average sold price. All areas have sale prices above the asking prices. This rebound is the result of … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Lighting Can Make All the Difference...
- 10/26/12 07:03 AM
...in how a house sells…and how it feels. Now that 90% of homes being sold in the Berkeley-Oakland neighborhoods are staged, many homes are starting to look the same. Or, at the very least, they all look like the staging company that did them. So, when selling your home, how do you make it special but still appeal to the broadest audience of Buyers? One thought came to mind recently when I was talking to my good friend, Mark Bell of Omega Lighting Design in Berkeley. Omega has a store dedicated to unique lights – from period pieces to re-purposed industrial pieces to custom … (1 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Is it Too Late to Buy a House?
- 09/26/12 05:43 AM
Did you miss the window? With all the articles in the SF Chronicle recently about “Homes Sales Jump to 6-Year High”, has the Buyer’s train in Berkeley/Oakland already left the station? The answer is NO...not if you’re buying a house for the right reasons. The "right reasons" are these: You’re buying a Berkeley/Oakland house to live in as a long-term investment. By long term, we mean 3-4 years or more … not the 1-year and refi from the go-go days. Once we arrive at an equilibrium point of prices in the East Bay, which we are probably approaching, houses will still likely … (1 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Where to Buy House for $500,000 - Berkeley vs Oakland
- 05/29/12 02:42 AM
Lately, looking for a house for some clients of mine, I happened to think where would I buy a house for $500,000. For today, I’ll just consider neighborhoods in Berkeley vs. some First Time Buyer neighborhoods in Oakland and give you a few pros and cons. First, in Berkeley. It turns out, $500,000 will not give you many choices if you want a house, not a condo. For instance, right now, there’s a house at 1710 California in North Berkeley that’s a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 880 square feet with a small yard that needs TLC for $425,000. They’re taking offers in … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Berkeley/Oakland Real Estate Market Explodes
- 05/14/12 03:50 AM
About two months ago, I wrote a blog saying the Berkeley/Oakland real estate market had started off with a bang. Well, the bang has become an explosion! Nearly everything coming on the market is now getting multiple offers ... and going over asking price. Some points in fact: Properties in Oakland that have sold in the last month are selling on average for 2.4% over asking. In Berkeley, it’s crazy. Properties in Berkeley are selling on average for 12% over asking! Not only that, but the average sale price for this last month is way above what we had in April: In Oakland, the … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: The Oakland Sewer Mess for Home Sellers
- 04/03/12 04:20 AM
Nothing is easy in Oakland. And the recently enacted Oakland Sewer Ordinance is no exception. Actually, it is not Oakland’s doing. It stems from an EPA suit where each city is required to develop a plan for repairing and operating all sewer pipes in their city. The Oakland Sewer Ordinance, which is administered by East Bay MUD, went into effect January 17, 2012. It requires that any person selling an Oakland property or conducting a remodeling project of over $100,000 enacted after January 17 must obtain a “Compliance Certificate” from EBMUD. (Presently, this is a cumbersome process best left to the plumber doing the … (10 comments)
oakland homes for sale: East Bay Real Estate. Signs of an Early Spring.
- 01/30/12 08:20 AM
Last year, real estate prices in most Berkeley/Oakland neighborhoods dipped again by about 5%. This is very likely the result of continued high unemployment in the East Bay, an increasing number of short sales and overall cautiousness on the part of Buyers. This year, however, there are signs of an Early Spring in real estate in the East Bay (as in better times ahead.) More Buyers seem to be coming out of hibernation – perhaps with the fear that the deflated prices won’t last forever and extra low interest rates are now hovering around 4%. Stagers, painters and inspectors are getting … (0 comments)
oakland homes for sale: Twinkling Lights on the Real Estate Horizon
- 12/26/11 06:59 AM
Financial guru Peter Lynch of Fidelity Magellan fame used to say that the way to pick a winning stock was to walk around your neighborhood stores and see what was selling. The same could be said for Berkeley/Oakland real estate. Amid the gloom of hard times and increasing foreclosures, there are some bright spots on the East Bay real estate horizon...signs of optimism among the “folks.” There’s a certain energy on College Avenue outside my office that wasn’t there last year. Home buyers seem more ready to “buy” than to just get a “deal.” More houses in our area are getting multiple … (1 comments)
oakland homes for sale: The Grand Opening of Fall!
- 09/12/11 09:50 AM
This week marked the end of the summer and the beginning of the Fall Season in the Bay Area Real Estate market. In Berkeley/Oakland, we had 8 pages of (or 240) new listings on our Thursday agent tour ... double what it has been! The list of Sunday Open Houses swelled to over 300! All of which means more houses to choose from in all price ranges ... $100,000 to $5,000,000.In contrast to what’s being reported in other areas of the country, there seems to be increasing interest from Buyers. This is all against a backdrop of the lowest interest rates … (0 comments)
Barbara Reynolds provides Berkeley-Oakland and Alameda, California home buyers and sellers with community information and real estate resources for making informed decisions about their real estate needs.
4154 Manila Avenue - Oakland, CA
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