East Bay Real Estate with Mary Smartt

Throughout the mortgage industry mess of the last few months, I've been wondering what former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan has to say about all this.  For years and years, through Clinton and Bush, his word had been gold.  But I couldn't help thinking that some of the policies he put into place le...

Nearly every town has its own unique real estate regulations to abide by, and last week I wrote about Berkeley's RECO--Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance--guidelines that require properties to be energy efficient. Well, there is more where that came from! What other issues do you need to b...

I just discovered a useful new widget created by Google and the labs at Realtor.com.  It is an application that allows you to search and view listings quickly and easily from your desktop.  Click here to check it out.   I'm usually quite happy with Google products, and this one looks promising.  ...

A few years ago, no one ever seemed to talk about "curb appeal," but now it comes up all the time with my buyers and sellers. Thanks HGTV! In case you don't know, curb appeal is how appealing your home looks on the street. Does its appearance invite you in with a warm embrace, or would it be a pe...

 Berkeley's RECO GuidelinesAs we all know, Berkeley is always ahead of the curve on many socio-political trends, especially on environmental issues. So, if you are selling a home in Berkeley, make sure you are in compliance with the City of Berkeley's RECO guidelines.RECO stands for Residential E...

Friends and colleagues know that I love reality shows, and I'm currently very into watching Big Brother. Not only do I love the drama, but, as a real estate agent, I love this house! Hmmm, I wonder what it would list for? The house has an Alice in Wonderland theme that is very fun. There are smal...

 If you are in the market for a very cool loft in Oakland, well today is your lucky day. Our brokerage is just now bringing to market the East Lake Lofts near Lake Merritt in Oakland. If you are familiar with the popular Mutual Creamery lofts, these are similar in style and are just around the co...

Have you been following the story of the Danville, CA man who built a baseball practice field for his son's little league team in his back yard? Sounds sweet doesn't it? But it is also a good reminder to get those permits when you are making any additions or alterations to your home--from upgradi...

 So, what are you going to do this weekend? Remember, the Bay Bridge will be closed, so keep alternate transportation in mind. As I wrote yesterday, you can get all the 411 right here. Here are some ways to have fun and avoid the freeways. If you are in the East Bay, I highly recommend the annual...

Well, there are a lot of developments with Bay Area bridges, and I just had to weigh in. I've written about the bridges (and public transportation) before, and here is an update.So the new Benicia Bridge opened this past weekend, and it is a wonderful thing! In addition to having an expanded capa...