Brett Weinstein's (realtyadvocates) Blog

A Beautiful Mediterranean Style Home in Coveted Thousand Oaks 1665 Portland Avenue, Berkeley Asking Price: $785,000 UPDATE - SOLD Two bedrooms, one baths 1,341 sq. ft. of living space, per public record 3,108 square foot lot, per public record Large and sunny updated eat-in kitchen Formal dining...

A Tastefully Updated and Enlarged Craftsman Bungalow 2527 Bartlett Street, Oakland 94601 Asking Price: $489,000 UPDATE - SOLD Three bedrooms, two baths 1,497 sq. ft. of living space, per public record 5,000 square foot lot Living room with fireplace and built-ins Formal dining room with box beam...

Oscar Myer Weiner Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Myer weiner, that is what I truly want to be, ee, ee, oh, if I was an Oscar Myer weiner, then everyone would be in love with me.   Are you old enough to remember the advertising jingle “I wish I was an Oscar Myer weiner”? This comes to mind when thinki...

Boy, it is rough out there for anyone who bought a house in the last 12-18 months and now has to sell. Whether because of a job relocation, or simply to get out from under unexpectedly high loan payments, or a job loss, etc, a lot of sellers are seeing a big drop in their home values. Some client...

Optionee Remorse  You’ve probably heard about buyer remorse, where at some point in the purchase of a home the buyer regrets their decision to either buy, or not buy. Optionee remorse is similar, but drawn out over a much longer time frame. An optionee, in this discussion, is a person who has ne...

A Nicely Updated Duplex in East Oakland, Perfect for Owner-Occupant or as Straight Income Property 9603 Olive Street, Oakland NEW PRICE: $349,000 Each unit features: 2 bedrooms/one bath Approx. 797 sq. ft. living space, each Hardwood floors Tile countered kitchen Laundry room There is a two car ...

A Small but Expandable Fixer Cottage with Bay and Hill Views Just Steps from Trailhead into Wildcat Canyon 1516 Scenic Avenue, Richmond Asking Price: $329,000 SALE PENDING Just a few steps from the trailhead into Wildcat Regional Park, with miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Two bed...

In the SF Chronicle column known as “Surreal Estate”, on 7/22/07(http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/07/20/carollloyd.DTL) the author, Carol Lloyd, asked the very important question: “But can’t there be a happy medium between high-commission professionals and bootstrap DIY?” Then s...

Elegance, Spaciousness and Convenience 1165 Harvard Road, Piedmont Offered at: $1,349,000 SOLD: $1,340,000 The house is an easy walk to Piedmont's excellent schools. Piedmont Sports Complex and Davie Tennis Stadium are just a short walk away. Also convenient to Lakeshore Ave's excellent restaura...

While the current home sale market is considerably cooler than in the recent past, there still remain many pockets of under-supply and over-demand. North Berkeley is a good example, where homes are still receiving multiple offers and large overbids. When a house for sale is vacant, one of the way...