The Voice of East Bay Living

Nestled in the foothills of the larger Oakland, it has gained the nicknamed " the city of Millionaires ". With only 11,000 residents, it is famous for its mansions with well-manicured lawns. I love taking a stroll in Piedmont Park with my grandkids, drive around and see the beautiful mansions, and walk my dog in one of the nicest dog park of the East Bay! Follow me as I take you on a personal tour.

Piedmont wins again - it is all about the hand painted ballroom and  bar 227 Crocker is a 1920's Spanish Colonial masterpiece -all of its 5,409 sq/ ft live grandly.  My favorite is the speakeasy decorated with murals of dancing girls.   List price $3,795,000 — 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 half baths -- open this Sunday  Sheila Sabine is a business woman, multi-dimensional artist, and Senior Sales Associate at The Grubb Company. ssabine@grubbco.com

  What's going on in the East Bay market – what do you get for $1 million--- The typical Albany home (a two bedroom one bath bungalow with a small yard) is worth almost $1 million. The highest sales price in Albany this year which broke records was for over $2.4 million dollars with the average median sales price in 2017 being $983,000. The median sales price in Berkeley is $1,160,000- for a typical 3 bedroom, one bath bungalow near Sacramento Street. The flatlands of  Berkeley are becoming more popular than the homes in the Hills. Proximity to amenities is a significant price driver. People want to be  close to transportation,  coffee shops, biking and walking.  The median sales price in Piedmont is just under $2 million. The highest sale in Piedmont was in 2004 for $8.8 million. Many people are not moving because they cannot find a place to go and or they do not want to pay capital gains when they sell  because their homes...

395 Hampton Road, Piedmont - list price $8,385,000 Designed by Albert Farr in the 1926, this elaborate Mediterranean is one of the best known Piedmont residences in the era of City of Millionaires - This exquisite estate effortlessly blends luxury with historical grandeur - 7 bedrooms, 9.5 baths, 10,418 sq.ft of living.  664 Haddon Road, Oakland - list price $1,850,000 Original Kaiser Mansion, built in 1924 by William Schirmer, in the Italian Renaissance Revival style -  4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, solarium, bonus rooms, au-pair quarters, and much more - just minutes away from the shores of Lake Merritt.  5917 Canning, Oakland - Rockridge/Temescal - major fixer - JUST SOLD for one million dollars This 2,568 sq. Ft. legal duplex exemplifies the term " needs TLC" big time! It's value lies in its location which is within walking distance to BART, coffee houses, restaurants, and shopping... a house  a block away which was also a major fixer re...

Step into the architectural digest of Piedmont at 117 Sheridan Avenue,  the Crown Jewel of Piedmont - this high style masterpiece with magnificent g ardens, listed for a robust price of $7,250,000-price, includes 4 plus bedrooms, 3 baths, a solarium, library, finished attic and top quality details- and a full them of butlers (only kidding) 2828 Helen St. West Oakland - in the edgy and artsy side of the East Bay this industrial warehouse has been transformed into a bold and urban chic home with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and lush private gardens with fountain- list price $995,000 - located across the street from City Slicker Gardens, a community garden with high yield crops, playground and greenhouse.  Stay tuned for more of Sheila's weekly picks! Want to learn more about these listings and more, email Sheila at ssabine@grubbco.com

Former chefs at the Tribune Tavern in downtown Oakland, Joe Schnell and Tracey Belock, have now opened Chowhaus . The mission of Chowhaus is to provide a family-friendly community gathering place and delicious Traditional American fare. Check it out –

There is something so refreshing about classic design. This is a photo of the master suite of a beautiful colonial revival in Central Piedmont that is currently on the market. The interior designer has used very uncluttered  furniture, black and white colors and hues of gray for accents.  Throw away all your floral designs, patterns, and stripes. Keep it simple this summer.

Living is easy in this chic and sophisticated all level Contemporary home with views, light, an abundance of space and tasteful decor in every room. Perfect for entertaining, with private enclosed patios and gardens that create a true urban oasis. Located on a tranquil cul-de-sac in the Piedmont side of Montclair, you are just a flash away from great neighborhood shops and restaurants. • Large living room with fireplace and door to front patio  • Gracious dining room  • Gourmet kitchen with access to gardens  • Hardwood floors in the main public rooms  • Large master suite with built-in closets and updated bath  • Cozy second bedroom and a third serves as a home office  • Jack and Jill connecting bath  • Main hallway with French doors opening to rear gardens  • Generous front and back gardens with groomed landscaping  • Detached garden home office with magnolia tree view  Showings by Appointment: Contact Judith Glass 51...

Join me for a drive through Piedmont and to visit one of The Grubb Company's new listings on Sea View. Check out the video below for a look at the rear garden of this beautiful property.

Quick history about the serene tea house in central #Piedmont

We are off to a wild start to 2015 with an inventory driven market - low inventory remains the dominating factor and prices are being pushed upward in hot and heavy multiple offer bidding wars.  Here are our first samples: Piedmont home - located on Palm Drive  Listed for $1,295,000 (which seemed high), currently Pending for over $1,600,000. Crocker Highlands home - located on Underhills Road  Listed for $849,000, currently Pending for $967,000 Rockridge house - located on Locksley  Listed for $849,000, currently Pending for over $1,000,000 All agents are racing around with "I want Listings” written on their foreheads!

Did you know about this new regulation in Piedmont? There is now a new requirement in the city of Piedmont that all moving trucks within the city limits require a permit. The process to get a permit requires the signatures of neighbors, fees, and for the application to be submitted ten days prior to the moving truck is parked in front of a residence. Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

Following steps with Albany, the Berkeley  sewer lateral  ordinance is making a good change for buyers and sellers. Previously if the sewer was not in compliance  at close of escrow, the buyer or seller had to leave a bond for $4,500 with EBMUD, as a guarantee that the work would get done withing 6 months. The new ordinance is waiving the $4,500 deposit in favor of a signed contract with a reputable sewer company to do the work after the close of escrow (within the six month time frame).  It is expected that Piedmont and Berkeley will follow in the steps of Berkeley's new decision.  Also the mandatory RECO ( Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance ) may soon become voluntary instead of required at close of escrow. The city may offer homeowners rebates and incentives to participate in energy efficient upgrades. Visit GlassSabine.com

C'est le Buzz... After attending a regional real estate conference, here are some highlights: One agent described the San Francisco market as kind of heart-breaking with the median price at $990,000  and buyers chasing after one house and then another. There are a lot of young buyers who want to be in sunny neighborhoods and walk everywhere.  In the East Bay, we are finding an overflow market  with buyers coming from all directions to buy a house. In Piedmont homes are selling for over $1,000/sqft with sometimes 23 offers. 35% are all cash offers....Where did all this cash come from? I wish someone would adopt me. Leslie Appleton Young, chief economist for CAR was the guest speaker. She said that our economy is no longer in Recovery but in Expansion. A lot of people have no cash restraints-they just want to move their money out of their country into our country. Short sales and REO's have declined significantly-now under 2% nationwide. Everyone is l...

Today the Grubb Company visited the only Leed Platinum home in Piedmont.  The owner  is very involved in eco-friendly living environments-health of family, health of environment and cost effective. Here are some examples. Water from all sinks, showers and tubs is collected in a sub-surface wetland and used to irrigate the property. Nine thousand gallons of rain water is collected from the roof drainage and used for six months for laundry and dishes. There are several living walls of plants that filter air of pollutants and produce extra oxygen. The standing seam metal roof with solar panels reduces energy costs by at least 50 per cent. Lastly, an iPad in the kitchen shows water use per day allowing the family  to monitor their daily foot print on the planet. 

The Treasure Sale will take place on March 15th and March 16th  starting at 9 am. at the  Piedmont Community Church , 400 Highland Ave.  This annual sale showcases thousands of quality items  including books, linens, clothes, furniture, art works etc.  that  have been donated by over 300 families.  All proceeds from the sale are used to purchase building materials and travel expenses for over 200 high school students who spend their Spring Break building houses in Mexico for families in need. 

Piedmont has many exquisite homes including the estate at 150 Requa Road in Piedmont listed for $7,400,000! This lovely home was designed by Noble Newsom and exhibits his wonderful style - large rooms, broad stairways, door-sized windows opening to arcaded verandas, wrought iron gates, and details such as floor buttons to call the butler. Beauty at every turn.

One of my favorite escapes is visiting the Japanese Tea House located in the main Piedmont Park on Highland Avenue in central Piedmont. This beautiful and serene dwelling is surrounded by huge redwoods, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. There are benches facing the tea house where you can relax in private contemplation. It's almost always empty of people, except for an occasional dog walker or runner. The original tea house was built in 1907 and was at the time, the largest tea house in the United States. It was a replica of the fifteenth century Silver Pavilion in Kyoto. Besides the tea house, there was a koi pond, a moon bridge,and Japanese style gardens. The original was torn down in 1920. In 1976, it was replaced by a tea house belonging to a prominent Piedmont family which was moved to its present site in the park. Across the lawn sits the Mediterranean style Piedmont Community Hall. This lovely building, with its chandeliers and glistening hardwood floors, is of...