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Oakland, CA Real Estate News

By Mary Smartt, Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
(Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com)
Join Me and Lawton Associates in supporting the annual Toys for Tots drive to help gather toys this holiday season for underprivileged boys and girls. Just bring an unwrapped toy (or 2 or 3 toys!) to the Lawton Associates office in Rockridge, and then join us for holiday treats. We will be accepting toys Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, until Friday, December 14th. Don't Delay! The Lawton Associates office is located at 3160 College Avenue (at Alcatraz) in Suite 201. We are right above Noah's Bagels...just come up the stairs. Happy Holidays, and thank you for supporting Toys for Tots!
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By Jeffrey Neidleman
(Pacific Union Real Estate)
There are many positive signs with the nice rebound of the stock market due to the Fed lowering their rate, inflation appears to be under check, we are still experiencing job growth (although minimal), interest rates have leveled off and have even come down a bit, and it appears that the sub-prime fiasco can be managed. In spite of these encouraging trends the housing market has entered a period of a stalemate----buyers are in a state of ennui believing prices will drop further and sellers thinking they still can get the price their neighbor received six months ago. Multiple offers have become scarce in most markets with the exception of particular areas in SF and Montclair/Piedmont/Berkeley where 45% of sales were involved in multiple offers. Again showing that short supply in some are...
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By Maureen Kennedy
(Pacific Union Real Estate-GMAC)
My favorite dog-friendly hike spot is gorgeous right NOW.  Sibley Volcanic Preserve, written up a year or two ago in the New York Times by Piedmont's Patty Brown, is in full bloom NOW.  Great raptors and bluebirds, wildflowers, rocks (after all, as the material in the shelter points out, this is NOT the latest red hot chili pepper jelly, despite the name), relatively flat, some strollerable.  Take Snake Road to the top, left just past Huckleberry Preserve.My best walk:  Up the first hill, left at the fork and through the cattle fence, continue about a mile around to the left (labyrinth if you go right at the second fork), heading for the hilltop with a patch of bay laurel (the knob with what looks like a single tree is a great lookout for kids).  Veer right at the bathtub water-trough, ...
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By Maureen Kennedy
(Pacific Union Real Estate-GMAC)
Really.  The editors wax about restaurants, walks, the Farmer's Market, theater and more.  See the article HERE. And you saw Piedmont Avenue's coverage as the  ''Gourmet Ghetto of Oakland'' in San Francisco magazine a month or two ago, right?  And then click here for San Francisco's most recent uber-article about Oakland.  Why are they still living on the other side of the Bay?
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By CJ Walton, CNE
(Keller Williams Realty)
Keller Williams is Having a Bay Area Expert speak about affordable housing. This week. Call 510-776-9260 for address and directions Featuring experts who will discuss: • California's 4% loan for first time home buyers with disabilities and their families • Finding accessible real estate • How to improve your credit • Ways to modify a new home to make it more accessible Thursday, October 25, 2007 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.* *Light refreshments will be served We promote a fragrance free environment. Please refrain from wearing scented products (perfume, lotion, hairspray, etc.) to this event. And here is a look at a home available
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By Mary Smartt, Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
(Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com)
If you are an Oakland homeowner, you simply must consider taking advantage of Oakland's new seismic retrofitting incentive program. And, if you are buying a home in Oakland, there is no reason not to retrofit your home. The City of Oakland is making it very easy and very affordable for you to save your home in the next earthquake.First, the permitting process for retrofitting has been made cheap and simple. There is now just a flat fee of $250 . This includes the cost of the permit and sending an inspector out to approve your plans. Previously, this could have cost you an extra couple of thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of your project. But, now it is $250 whether it is a simple bracing or a major seismic retrofit project.Also, to make things simple, the City is providing a ...
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Carla and I were preparing for a listing presentation with a seller in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland who has a large two bedroom, two bathroom condo with Lake Views. In preparation for the meeting we pulled all activity for the area back to April 1st to get an up to date history of the local activity. We were shocked to see that there were 16 properties of roughly the same size that had been on the market during that time period but only three had sold or were pending out of all 16. The rest of the units were either cancelled, withdrawn or were still active without a sale. What was even more surprising to us was that all of the sold or pending units were our listings! That's right, every one of them!When we started to see the market softening in this segment, Carla and I started shar...
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By CJ Walton, CNE
(Keller Williams Realty)
But beyond the tragedy of the sellers, there was the tragedy of the perfectly prepared, and perfectly priced condos that are not getting the traffic that they deserve.  My client has found a wonderful deal, and yet there is one Lake Merritt Condo that is still out there, that I can't get out of my head.  Imagine coming home to an Italian spa every night. This condo had it all exquisite bathrooms, wonderful kitchen, smart use of light and space and it has sat on the market for over 2 weeks. This beautiful condo is the tragedy of a glut of inventory.  It isn't that people don't want to buy, it is that there is so much inventory to get through that it is hard to find that needle in the haystack. By the way, this beautiful condo is not my listing. But if you want the address just email and ...
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Lake Merritt Condos in Oakland are so plentiful it they are sitting on the market like fruit rotting off an unharvested tree.  There are just so many! But don't let the competition fool you. There are absolute treasures in Lake Merritt.  Of course you may have to sort through a lot of hay before you find the needle, but the sifting is worth it!Last week one of my clients told me that he wanted to find a condo near Oakland's Lake Merritt. Okay, so, like I always do, I scheduled some of my time to physically, not virtually, but physically visit some candidates. I visited 28.  After a while I could tell that many sellers, just didn't get it. They did realize what they were up against. They made the 10  most common Errors Seller make in a Buyers Market. If you want that report email me and ...
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By Tracy Nicole Hamilton, Realtor - Elk Grove CA, Sacramento, CA
The Urban Living Tour stands out as a one of a kind exploration into not only the architectural properties and dwellings of an urban community, but the lifestyle of individuals who inhabit these spaces. Join us for a comprehensive view of modern urban living. The spectrum of spaces and individuals range from an internationally known sculptor (creator of the cast-acrylic transparent bathysphere) who renovated a cereal grain warehouse ñ transforming it into his work/live compound; to the lovingly restored Victorian home of Lillian Love, leader of the preservation movement in Oakland. From the Historic Central Station (the end of the Trans Continental Railroad line), to a live/work hair salon, and a loft penthouse with a pool.The Urban Living Tour is a self guided tour. After checking in a...
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By Mary Smartt, Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
(Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com)
The media continues to spread a message of gloom and doom about the real estate market. While the reports should be listened to and deeply considered, always keep your individual situation in mind if you are currently active in the real estate market.CNN reports that the "glut of homes hits 16-year high." Keep in mind that this statistic is on a nationwide basis. That information is helpful for a large snapshot of the market and for a look at macroeconomic trends, but you are presumably buying or selling a home in the Bay Area. Well, today the San Francisco Chronicle calls the market in East Oakland a "dead zone," and finds the inventory of homes for sale to be rising, and homes in escrow to be flatlining. But even that requires a closer look. That same article mentions that there have ...
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
Mary Wells - What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One lyricsWHAT'S SO EASY FOR TWO IS SO HARD FOR ONE Mary Wells Well well well well Let's get together and go for a walk in the park And while we're walking we can steal a little kiss in the dark I wanna walk with you (I wanna walk with you) I wanna talk with you (I wanna talk with you) But it's up you to say "Come on baby" If you don't hurry up I'll go crazy 'Cause a walk in the park all alone is just no fun CHORUS: What two can easily do, what two can easily do Is so hard to be done by one I'm sure that you know that I love you with all of my heart But a love that's true really takes two to start I wanna do my share (I wanna do my share) To show you that I care (to show you that I care) 'Cause a one-sided love will never do You gotta show...
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
 10 K and the burgeoning condo and residential market.....condos within blocks of each other....ahhhh...burgeoning tech industry ...mmmmmm........one stop place with everything about Oakland...
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
A reality: There is crime in Oakland as with most cities. But I'm optimistic that the best  in people shall overcome. I am encouraged today by an article I saw in the Contra Costa Times about Oakland's potential against the landscape of the crime. Last week was a pivotal point in the history of Oakland as a fine citizen of Oakland was killed.  Crime across the countryHowever, one must not overlook that across the country in many major urban centers crime exist; but  major revitalization project exist in many downtown areas. I can remember when it was once said that Manhattan was not a safe place to be. But by many accounts it is still a city that has a vital energetic core and some say it's safer today than ever. Hope for OaklandThe contra costa time listed some of the fantastic things ...
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
The Bay area : the most diverse area in the world.  No where on the planet will you see a fusion of cultures and a mix of diverse people adapting and learning about each other's culture...It's Salsa this week, and Art shows in the same area of Oakland downtown within blocks of each other...This weekend marks the first Annual Salsa Fair on Jack London Square. The salsa fashion is sure to be be eye opening and attract attention along with the staccato dance steps. The bay area has  a wealth of salsa resources  from dance clubs, lessons and more. See you on August 11, 2007 at Jack London Square 10:00 to 6:00 for the Salsa Fair and at my office the same day for the Art Showing. (Salsa dancing at lunchtime on Wednesday in Oakland City Center)
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
Come on down and see the beautiful art work August 18 on Saturday. We'd love to meet our internet fans and also show you around the area. Artists on Exhibit(Reception 6pm-8pm): Teresa Brazen Gabriela Hernandez LepeAlanna Spence Click Here to the artist's blog
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By Mary Smartt, Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
(Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com)
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...
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By Michael Kelsaw, Realtor-Broker Associate
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
Two Oakland High Profile core downtown hotels bought by a L.A. Investment group. CIM Group( which specializes in Urban areas such as San Diego, San Jose and Los Angeles) paid 66 Million for the Courtyard Hotel and for the downtonw Oakland Marriot Hotel. Major upgrades and new retail outlets are expected in the vicinity of the hotels. Here are the reasons cited by the investors: 1) They see the potential for Downtown Oakland 2)  They have a good feeling about what's happening in Oakland 3)  There is untapped potential in Oakland 4) Business Leaders in Oakland welcome their presence 5) Market Analysis looks favorable on what other developers have done downtown 6) Very few new hotels are being built in the Oakland area which supports these two major hotels as focal points in downtown Oakla...
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Helping Others Get Ready to Start School Beyond being ready to take notes and work hard, Project Ready to Learn strives to make sure every student feels accepted and that they belong on the first day of school. Project Ready to Learn is a community drive collecting new school supplies and cash to help children in need. This project helped more than 3,000 children last year, and this year the hope is to increase the aid to thousands more throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.It's very easy to help. Buy as many of the suggested supplies as you want and drop them off between August 1 and August 17 at one of the many collection sites listed below. You can also write a check and mail it to The Oakland Tribune.ANG Newspapers is part of the drive and is providing places for you to drop ...
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By Michael Ta
(Prudential Califronia Realty)
Ever since former Mayor Jerry Brown vowed to rehabilitate the city of Oakland into a real alternative to its city rival, San Francisco, the people and working professionals of Oakland have seen changes to its city that have helped move itself away from its past and has moved forward into a more tech-savvy city.   Now, with developers looking to continue what Brown did years past as Oakland city officials are thinking of possibly rezoning a large portion of prime waterfront real estate for new housing, biotech, and clean technology.   If the city of Oakland decides that this is what they want and where they want the city to be heading towards the future, that this may be the next South Beach, but instead of being in San Francisco, we would see this is Oakland. It would be a complete rev...
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