Coming soon and offered by Dave and Carla Higgins: www.daveandcarla.com This fabulous Victorian Period Home sits proudly in the hills along the border of El Cerrito and on the wonderful Arlington Blvd. Massive in scale the home has undergone fabulous upgrades as well as been meticulously maintained by the owners of over 40 years! Stunning Bay Views are offered from the property and the lower level of the home has a complete in-law unit which could easily lend this home to being used as a duplex (as it shows itself on public records). TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR HERE Years ago the current owners converted the power to one meter and decided to solely use the house in its entirety for themselves, but the meters could be switched back if the new owner(s) so chose. The backyard of the property offers a lush and mature Northern California garden (complete with trails and paths). Large decks and patios make the home great for entertaining and the current owners have completed massive foundation improvements, drainage systems and pest clearance. Get all the open house and showing information here at http://www.houseopeneveryday.com/

Labels: East Bay Oakland, Kensington Homes For Sale, Piedmont Alameda, Real Estate, Safe Neighborhoods, Save Thousands When You Buy

Stunning New Contemporary Tucked In To The Montclair Hills (See Pictures Here)! Brilliant cathedral ceilings, deluxe chef's open kitchen, arched formal living room, and fabulous multi-level floor plan. (Virtual Tour Here) The home also features a luxurious au-pair in the lower level of the house which has direct access in from the street and also doubles wonderfully as a home office, rumpus area or exercise room. Built by A Legendary Engineer (for himself!), this two year NEW home offers simplistic opulence around every corner! Glistening hardwood floors radiate the brilliant natural light which flows from the overly abundant windows offered throughout this entire house (walk the home with the lights off and you will be astounded). Towering ceilings and open floor plan make the space perfect for entertaining while a formal living room on one end of the house balances out the open family room on the opposite side. In the master bedroom you will find a luxurious bath area with oversized walk in shower and soaking tub offering a marvelous view out over the wooded canyon (views also await you from most every room in the home). Complete privacy is found in this truly unique, design rich home. The main bedrooms are all up and the master bedroom suite also features a separate terrace for evening wine or morning coffee. Get all the open house and showing information here at http://www.houseopeneveryday.com/ or go to http://www.daveandcarla.com/ for further details. Posted by Dave and Carla Higgins

Labels: East Bay Oakland, Open House, Real Estate, Safe Neighborhoods

Oakland Real Estate at its finest!
Tucked into the Montclair Hill's and just minutes from the Village or Hwy 13 you'll find this fabulous oasis. 301 Capricorn Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611 Open floor plan with glowing wide-plank hardwood floors and a kitchen afar with concrete counters greet you as you walk in the door. A new exotic hardwood deck sits just off the family room and is perfect for entertaining. The upstairs area has three bedrooms and a bath, while the lower level offers another bathroom and bedroom with exit to the back. Behind the house sits a fabulous level fenced yard and as you walk around the house you are continuously surprised by secret gardens and magical play areas. A cozy fireplace sits in the middle of the family room adjacent to a fifth bed (or plus) room. 301 Capricorn Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611 is truly a dream, this home is a delight and a must see here in the East Bay! For full details on this home feel free to click here! Great Montclair Home! If you would like to use our free Oakand & East Bay MLS Home Search or get free real estate reports on buying a home please visit our website Dave and Carla's Website !

Labels: East Bay Oakland, Open House, Piedmont Alameda, Real Estate, Safe Neighborhoods

Oakland Real Estate at its finest!

Labels: Piedmont Alameda, Real Estate, Safe Neighborhoods

We have been getting numerous calls from sellers in the greater Oakland, Berkeley and East Bay market area telling us that they are considering the sale of their home but are wondering if now is a good time to sell with current market conditions favoring the buyer at this time. We have been highly focused on this issue for several months now and do our best to always communicate with industry leaders both locally and nationally to help us better understand the broader implications of this East Bay market change. We also believe It is our responsibility to make sure that we don't suggest strategies that are short term reactionary responses to local market changes based on worry or fear. We recently had a lengthy conversation with one of the top local East Bay real estate appraisers who is fully versed on market activity in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito, Alameda as well as many other near by communities. In a nut shell when we asked him what he saw in the market place he responded by saying that "the less expensive the property was, the harder it was to sell." He went on to say that properties in the upper end neighborhoods approaching the million dollar range or greater were still selling with shorter market times and often selling in multiple offers and for over asking. This phenomenon is also continuing in the hot neighborhoods around solid and fun retail streets. Upper Rockridge, Trestle Glen, Crocker Highlands, Piedmont, Berkeley Hills and Alameda still have a market that favors sellers when the home is marketed and priced correctly. One program that we are exclusively offering to all of our buyers who make offers on our listings is a buyers protection plan aimed at easing the fears of buyers and helping them pull the trigger on a home purchase. With this program, if the buyer is not 100% satisfied with the purchase of their home in the first 18 months, we offer to buy it back or sell it for free 'BUYERS PROTECTION PLAN' Regarding the question of when is a good time to sell is, our response is this, if you plan on selling one way or another in the next five years then we believe you should sell now. The last down real estate cycle lasted approximately seven years with the following pattern: The first three years were market decline where homes continued to loose value, the next three years the market was basically flat and the general public had a distaste for real estate and the last year showed a mild pick-up in the market signaling the change toward a sellers market again. We are currently in the second year of this cycle so if you do not want to sell now you should be prepared for a possible continued loss in equity and understand your options should the market prophecies of the last down cycle repeat themselves. Things to understand are as follows; How much equity do you have in the property and can you sell without taking an actual loss? Do you have a pre-payment penalty attached to your loan and if so when does it expire? Do you own a home in one of the still hot neighborhoods or are you in one of the less fortunate. If you would like more information regarding these questions, thoughts as well as other real estate tips and support click this link and we are happy to help! Great Real Estate Information!

As always - Thanks for reading and may you have a prosperous real estate experience!

Dave and Carla Higgins
(888) 627-4399
info@DaveAndCarla.com
http://www.daveandcarla.com/
http://www.oaklandhomefinder.com/

Keller Williams Realty

Labels: Berkeley, East Bay Oakland, Piedmont Alameda, Real Estate, Safe Neighborhoods

One of the first things that comes up on a buyer's list of requirements regardless if they are looking in Berkeley, Albany, Oakland and or Piedmont is that they want a safe neighborhood.
Here is an article about making helping make sure your neighborhood can be even safer.
How To Reduce Crime In Your Neighborhood
While we don't like to talk about it - or even think about it - crime is on the increase in North America, and throughout the world. The number of burglars, muggers, auto thieves, robbers, purse snatchers, etc., is growing at an alarming rate. Now you, as a resident, working with neighbors can help reduce the crime rate.
How? By organizing and/or joining a neighborhood program in which you and your neighbors get together to learn how to protect yourselves, your family, your home and your property. Working together, you can get the criminals off your block and out of your area.
There's safety in numbers and power through working with a group. You'll get to know your neighbors better, and working with them you can reduce crime, develop a more united community, provide an avenue of communications between police and citizens, establish on-going crime prevention techniques in your neighborhood, and renew citizen interest in community activity.
"Citizens Safety Projects" are set up to help you do this. It is a joint effort between private citizens and local police. Such programs have been started all over. Maybe one already exists in your community.
These organizations don't require frequent meetings (once a month or so). They don't ask anyone to take personal risks to prevent crime. They leave the responsibility for catching criminals where it belongs - with the police. This is NOT a "vigilante" group:
These groups gather citizens together to learn crime prevention from local authorities. You cooperate with your neighbors to report suspicious activities in the neighborhood, to keep an eye on homes when the resident is away, and to keep everyone in the area mindful of the standard precautions for property and self that should always be taken. Criminals avoid neighborhoods where such groups exist.
Through cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, some of the things you will learn - and all free - are:
What to do in an emergency.
How to best identify a suspicious person.
How to identify a vehicle being used in a suspected criminal activity.
Signs to watch out for before entering a house or apartment that may be in the process of being burglarized.
What to do in case of injury.
What to do about suspicious people loitering on your street.
How to identify stolen merchandise.
How to recognize auto theft in progress.
How to protect your house or apartment.
How to recognize a burglary in progress.
How to protect yourself and family - and much more.
It's easy to get your group started. All you have to do is contact your neighbors and arrange a date, place and time for the first meeting. Hold the meetings at your home or that of a neighbor. Try to plan a time that is convenient to most of your neighbors - preferably in the evening.
Then call your local police department. They will be happy to give your group informal lectures, free literature - and in many instances, window stickers and ID cards. Remember, police officers can't be everywhere. Your cooperation with them is for the benefit of you, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood.

Labels: Safe Neighborhoods