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... 08/07/2007

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 ... 08/07/2007

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... 08/01/2007

Here are some things to keep in mind when you buy condos and lofts in California. The marketing agent in many condominiums represent the fiduciary interest of the Seller. It's important for you to have an agent which represents your interests at the negotiation phase. And this phase starts surprisingly at the first visit as the marketing agent begins qualifying you and determining your needs. I think this is one of the most important reasons you need an agent with you on the first visit. You never know if the place you see will be the eventual living space you settle upon. If you find a place you like your emotional attachment can keep you from focusing objectively on the important purchasing facts. To maximize the use of your agent for go sees; first,  find the location you like ; cond... 07/31/2007

A few reasons which indicate more growth in Oakland. Get in now while the market is cool. Think long term. In about 3-5 years you'll be kicking yourself if you didn't invest in Oakland. 1) Grocery chains are venturing into the area. 2) Oakland's commercial space occupancy is on the rise. 3) Plans for retail options downtown are on the table.4) Affordable day studios for Artists in the work ( 400 to 600 dollars/month). 5) New Oakland Cathedral in the works. 6) Class A offices 90% full and fueling the development of small business office development. (photo courtesy of free foto.com) 07/29/2007

Former Mayor Jerry Brown initiated the 10K program during his term with the goal of  bringing 10,000 new residents to downton Oakland. It is working. The growth has been phenomenal and more growth will occur. As in life,there are pains associated with growth. Some had predicted that the poor would be totally displaced. However, what has developed is a sound plan of mixed growth and a variety of housing identities. Unlike some other  Urban Core areas under development, Oakland has managed to maintain its rich cultural blend of people and social institutions. There is a there there. The "there" is a mixture of cultural expression expressed through its  restaurants, businesses and the arts. As of May 2007,This is the state of development: 2274 units completed 2059 units under construction ... 07/27/2007

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

Major Story Breaking! Keep your eye on this. Chinatowns are posed to become a hotbed of development activity. In downtown Oakland's epicenter(no pun intended) is a market called SWAN's which was recently purchased and developed by an Asian conglomerate. Oakland has a thriving China Town which thus far has about 3 major condo developments either sold out or under construction. Oakland's China Town is about 3 blocks from the area I've been speaking about. I'm telling you this will be a hot market soon. Here is the story. 07/24/2007

Just about every morning you'll find people at the Bay Area Rapid Train Station(called BART) giving out different freebies such as: new coffee drinks, candies, newspapers, gift cards etc. Why? The bay area is one of the hottest marketing test markets because of the diversity here in age, gender, race, nationality etc. To get a flavor for the different types of marketing groups, I often check out the Craigslist ETC. page which has a unique listing of marketing test study groups. You can often get a one time payment of 50.00 to 100.00 for participating in some type of quickie marketing survey and or study. Check it out for yourself here at Craigslist Etc. page. 07/24/2007

There's something about this chair which drew me into the store...she has so many unique finds. The store is bright, fun and clean...You could stay there all afternoon. 07/24/2007

This store is right across the street from one of my office locations which I'll show you in a few. The proprietor who is there daily was gracious. I'll show a picture of her in my next post. But this store is so lovely; it brings back memories of the 50's and beyond. As your eyes dance over the merchandise memories flood the psyche. I hope you see something you like and will call Johnelle with your order at 510-444-5288, 1000 Jefferson Street, Oakland, CA 94607...Show her some love too...You'll meet her and the infamous chair by the front door in the blog above... 07/24/2007

On my tour of Oakland I was trying to find some businesses which were not restaurant related to share with my friends so you can continue to get a flavor of the area within blocks of the central location where many of the condominiums and loft are. I found one interesting shop with these wooden reptiles at the front door. I ventured in and met the owner: a young beautiful woman with her friend. They were chatting away and so gracious. They asked me to even take a picture of their bookstore on the upper level and made me feel at home. So this is a picture of the proprietor and her friend. The business owner is on the right. The store: Not so Common Scents, 515 9th St. Oakland CA 94607 510-238-9700. When in Oakland: show them some love. 07/24/2007

Neighborhood Focus--Maxwell Park Looking at the market these days, I am seeing more and more great deals in the Maxwell Park section of Oakland, which is one of the most on-the-rise sections of this town.Maxwell Park was created in the 1920s and is generally situated along the western side of the 580 between the Fruitvale/Laurel districts and Mills College. The architecture is a charming mix of period bungalows and single family homes with old world touches. Plus, it is close to BART and has many services and great schools. Just this spring, Oakland Magazine named Maxwell Park as one of the best neighborhoods in town.What does the market look like in Maxwell Park this week? Pretty interesting. Over 20 properties are listed in this little neighborhood. Here are a few properties that look... 07/24/2007

Beautiful sculptures leading up to the front door of City Walk...this is a serene place in the middle of the city....The Tao of Oakland.Stay Tuned...For now I want to thank all of you for your comments and for the most recent comment on how to boost my score(love ya) . Oakland is the way. Right now there is a pilgrimage of people from the outer areas of major cities to the inner cities particularly the downtown areas. Oakland is no different. It is vibrant! It is full of life! It is bright, colorful. And surprisingly now you can get good deals on real estate in preparation for the future. The dot com bomb! of 10 years ago left Oakland in a state where many people thought they would never be able to afford to live in the Bay Area. But as the market cools now is the time to buy in the dow... 07/23/2007

As you can see I'm building the blog...I'm excited about Oakland and I'm excited about hearing from you. I'm getting my thoughts together for a soulful message on where I'm at with Oakland. Please continue to comment and I'll be posting a message to you...Let me think about this while I'm gathering my strawberries from the market.... 07/23/2007

The new Temptations performing in the beautiful City Center square right across from my office and within walking distance to gorgeous condominiums and lofts....These guys sounded just like the temptations. And there wasn't a still person in the courtyard. People were moving with the music. And if you didn't know Oakland is known for the best weather in the United States. We'll take that. 07/23/2007

Check out these 5.00 totes.... 07/23/2007

Ready for some more. This is what happens every Friday 8:00am to 2:00pm. No car needed; just a walk with your tote...gettin ready: here I come....Ok.. I heard of white eggs. But these beautiful purple ones are to die for. (And it's not even Easter time) But the mixtures of cultures in Oakland brings a lot of unique finds. I think these eggs represent fertility. The beginning of growth in Oakland. 07/23/2007

I've got Preservation Park to the north of my office in City Walk....You've got to see this park fountain: talkin about Good Feng Shui... 07/23/2007

Within Blocks of City Center(City Walk) where our new office will be located is the historic meat and vegetable market which also helps to sponsor a Farmer's market every Friday from 8:00am to 2:00 pm. We have an office called Market Square Realty in this area. 07/23/2007