The Voice of East Bay Living

115 Alpine Terrace  A Mark Becker masterpiece -luxury residence in Upper Rockridge  list price $4,750,000 540 Gravatt 2016 Idea House -sophisticated craftsman- eco friendly - Sunset magazine sponsor  list price $2,795,000 16 Emery Lane  One of 8 private homes designed by Mark Becker -Upper Rockridge  list price $2,100,000 Want to learn more about these listings and others in the Bay Area,  email Sheila ssabine@grubbco.com

Aloha - Here is the latest condo market news from Honolulu: While spending the holidays with family, I visited the new Kaka'ako development - located in Honolulu.  This is a series  of 20 buildings each 39 stories high-described as an owner occupied residential community. (left: work in progress, right: completed luxury living) Each building features a children's play area, dog park, pools and gyms, film center, community garden, putting area, wine tasting center, guest quarters, art works from local artists, and storage areas for cyclists and surfers. And of course,wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean.  Sounds great? These luxury units are not cheap - 2 bedroom,2 bath units start at $998,000 and 3 bedroom, 3 bath units start at $1,550,000. The project is being called the playground for the elite. Honolulu is beginning to look like New York City with skyscrapers and grid lock traffic.  Maybe it's time to move to Uptown Oakland !!

We are excited to announce our new listing at Broadway Grand in Downtown Oakland. The finishing touches have been made to the interior and we're thrilled to be able to show this  beautiful, luxury condo! A walk through of the unit: an urban oasis... (the courtyard at the Broadway Grand) Want to know more about this listing or other luxury condos in the area? Email me at ssabine@grubbco.com 

Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. Just a short drive from my new listing on Elverton.

What's happening with our San Francisco neighbors? The San Francisco market continues with very strong levels of sales for properties over $2 million. The rate of increase is staying much stronger than expected, with a 27.8% yearly increase in median single family home prices during the second quarter of 2014. Nationwide, ultra-luxury prices continue to soar. In the top ten category, the most expensive listing was a mansion in Bel Air Canyon which sold for $125 million dollars .... and at #10 was the Crespi Estate in Dallas which sold for $88 million dollars. On the international luxury market, a recent sale of a London townhouse for $200 million dollars got some attention and movie star Catherine Deneuve's French chateau which sold for nearly $6 million was a popular item. Locally or Globally, the real estate market is marching on an upward trend and this makes all of us happy. Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com