4154 Manila Avenue - Oakland, CAToday 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.”  A large living room with Craftsman clinker brick fireplace opens to a grand dining room with box beam ceiling, wainscoting, and built-ins with leaded glass.  You can ... 04/29/2016

  Catch the wave of people! With support from a recent New York Times Article, Oakland is now considered a great place to eat and weather that can't be beat. I love this great press! What does that mean? Well, the word is out and people are no longer so concerned about crossing a bridge. We are seeing a wave of people coming to live in Oakland  (510 area code) from San Francisco (415 are code). Last week I went to a meeting sponsored by a local lender at the Oakland Association of Realtors and the discussion was focused on the number of people from San Francisco who were searching online for properties to buy or rent in Oakland. The data provided was from recent Trulia searches. The data showed searches were generated from San Francisco peopple looking to move to Oakland. The most growt... 11/11/2014

That saying is really true. Real estate is local.  While sales prices in some areas of Oakland have decreased significantly in the last few years, the Temescal Area maintains it's value. Home sales prices even edged slightly upward when comparing 2008 vs. 2009 Sales Prices. For a pdf copy of the chart below, visit my website. 01/30/2010

It's never fun to deal with an agent whose action is giving us all a bad name. My client's offer was accepted on a two-unit building. The plan was for he and his wife to live in one, and rent out the other. This is their first home, and they have limited funds. Which is why it made sense to get an owner-occupied duplex. Because the market is heating up in the under $300K price range for a duplex, we were happy to get accepted. PROPERTY WAS MISREPRESENTED The first time we were at the property, we saw that there are two separate living spaces. Or so we thought. But on our second visit, we realized that the bath in the second unit was only a partial bath, and didn't even have a shower, which makes it not a legal second unit. Because it isn't a duplex per the MLS, and because we couldn't g... 06/02/2009

The Sellers at 391 51st Street have taken a terrific pricereduction on their home to $650,000!Take advantage of the buyer's market to upgrade to a walking neighborhood,near everything you love to do AND EAT!With libraries, independent bookshops, a Local Farmer's Market, Bake-Sale Betty, Pizziolaand more, this vibrant neighborhood can keep you busy every dayof the year! 03/04/2009

Oakland's Temescal District Temescal is one of my favorite East Bay neighborhoods, plus I believe it is a great place to buy real estate in this turbulent market. This district is right at the beginning of growth spurt, and it should really be hopping--culturally and economically--in the next 2-3 years. This is exactly the kind of growth that has been promised in many East Bay areas, but it is really happening in Temescal. Situated along Telegraph Avenue in Oakland just south of the Berkeley border, Temescal stretches from 40th to 55th Streets. The old Temescal Creek flowed through here on its way to the bay. People love it because it is right in the middle of everything happening in the East Bay, being just minutes from Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, Lake Merritt, Downtown Oakland, Emeryv... 08/08/2007

The modern homebuyer can often be conflicted when buying a new home about increasing their "carbon footprint." But, there are many solutions to investing in your personal future, as well as the future of the planet. One solution is to invest in newer buildings built to advanced green standards. Gate 48, a new condo development in Oakland's Temescal district, is one of the best green buildings in the East Bay--and one of the best deals around, period!Gate 48 is a new 12-unit building developed by Ron Kriss and my colleagues here at Lawton Associates...and it is among the first multi-family residential buildings to be certified at the highest level of Green construction by the statewide non-profit organization Build It Green. The building's energy efficiency exceeds California's stringent... 07/26/2007