The Voice of East Bay Living

The current NAR statistics say that 92% of all buyers begin their search on the Internet. 50% of all home searches use a mobile device.The total mobile property searches exceeded total PC property searches. Timing is crucial for agent response. Many clients are communicating solely through text messages. The highest response rate in fact from the consumer is through text messages. Additionally handwritten note cards have a surprisingly high rate of response. As agents, we are learning new skills to understand how to communicate via text message. We are trying to figure out exactly what the consumer wants from us. Are they just searching for general information  or are they really serious buyers or sellers. Our job is to give quality service, keep an open mind and help wherever we can. * It's not uncommon for today's consumer to be browsing the internet on more than one device throughout the day. The photo shows my nephew heading off to work at the Met on typical ...

Miss Ollie's is a wonderful new hot spot at 10th and Washington in the Swan's Market area of Old Oakland. The chef and owner Sarah Kirnon, says that her menu is very authentic and reflects her international background, having been born in London and raised in Barbados. She describes her food as Caribbean American. It is a low key restaurant with very affordable prices and really delicious food.  For sure... a big thumbs up!

The buzz in the market place is that housing prices will do slightly better in 2014, with prices increasing by 10-15%. With a dramatic increase in demand, inventory will still be at a premium. Interest rates are predicted to increase this year, closer to 6 percent. On the tech front, we are meeting very savy clients in the world of technology and iPads are now a requirement instead of a fun toy.

A talk with  Michael Haimovitz If you think  you’re  a person with a rich imagination and boundless energy for remodeling your existing home, you’ll want to read on.  Michael Haimovitz has owned his home in the Oakland Hills since 1988 and he’s just completing the fifth phase of his incredible and on-going remodeling project.  Sheila Sabine of the Glass-Sabine team recently got Michael to put down his construction tools long enough to discuss his dream home in greater detail.   When Sabine asked Michael about his reaction when he first saw the property, he responded “Well, I didn’t care for the house at all – a 1950’s ranch house style with not much going for it.  But, the lot the house sits on is a different story.  It’s three-and-a-half acres on a bluff overlooking a five-bridge view with mature landscaping and plenty of level land on a promontory with virtually no neighbors close by.  It was ex...

The shortest day of the year  and longest night will occur  tomorrow,  December 21st  beginning  at 12:20 p.m.  The day after the winter solstice marks the beginning of longer days of light leading to the summer solstice  on June 21st.  In many cultures it not only represents darkness changing to light but reflects deeper meanings of healing and light for our deeper personalities. 

One of my favorite holiday traditions is making wreaths from grapevines which I personally cut on a private Sonoma vineyard. I braid grapevines and then decorate the wreaths. I enjoy giving these personalized decorations as gifts to my loved ones.  Wreaths have a long history dating back to 776 B.C. when laurel wreaths were used to crown victors in Olympic Games  and as head ornaments for royalty. In more recent times, wreaths became adornments for front doors and walls during the holiday season. 

Hopscotch Restaurant  is one of the latest and greatest, upscale diners in bustling Uptown Oakland. The staff is gracious and food is unpretentious. I give it a triple thumbs up!

This darling house closed in 7 days.

My new listing on 2224 California in Berkeley has been featured on Derik Landry's blog post -  Feelin' (Pea)cocky . His blog is a great resource for design tips.

You have galloped by this place a million times. This old-fashioned race horse track - 140 acres of land dedicated to horses - is located just off the Gilman Street exit and nestled along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. Amidst the ro aring crowds and pounding of hooves, the Berkeley Rotary Club has established a TEFl program (teaching English as a second language) to the many employees and their families who come from mostly Spanish speaking countries to help with the important job of grooming and caring for the horses.

Before & After photos of our lovely Grand Lake home at 649 Mariposa. You will see living room, dining room, master bedroom and front door. Adding a bit of polish to make this house shine.  It closed escrow in 20 days-over the asking price.  Living Room - fresh coat of paint and furniture rearrangement. Dining Room - mirrors added to built-ins cabinets to create depth. Bedroom - new comforter set, pillows, and lights. Front Door - new color, brass kickplate, and brass numbers.

Awesome Ikebana week-end display at the Orinda Community Center sponsored by the Sogestu School under the tremendous training of Sensai Soho Sakai. 

What used to be a place for horses and carriages is now a vibrant community of artists and studios- located at 49th and Telegraph in the heart of the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. There is a strong current of urban renewal that is feeding the entire community. 

Check out the Sound Room located in Uptown Oakland at 2147 Broadway,  This club is run by a non-profit group dedicated to presenting jazz in the Bay Area.  It is a small and intimiate setting, attracting some fantastic musicians.  Their website is  www.soundroom.org .

As a member of Berkeley Rotary, I recently helped distribute beautiful dictionaries to 3rd graders at Emerson Elementary in Berkeley. Every year the  Rotary Club of Berkeley, California #428  hands out over 800 dictionaries to all 3rd graders in Berkeley Public Schools. The club motto, Service Above Self, has led its members to volunteer in all kinds of projects from building schools in rural Mexican villages to establishing health clinics in the East Bay.

Enjoy this podcast about buying & selling homes. This is an interview with Judith Glass & Sheila Sabine with Joan Kenley , international podcast specialist. Click on the link "Listen Now" when you are redirected.