The Voice of East Bay Living

Well known Artist and esthétician, Pattie Gerrie blossoms in her Noe Valley Victorian with her husband John and her four adoring Xolo ( pronounced Sho-lo) dogs from Mexico. With Frida Kahlo, the women of Tehuantepec, and the multitude of artistanea of Mexico as her role models, she fills her life with color,positive energy, and inspiration. The house, a living costume, is a kaleidoscope of amazing and beautiful art. For more information about Pattie, please visit her website at pattiegerrie.com Her work will be featured at an exhibition on November 11th at the museo Italio Americano in Fort Mason in San Francisco.

Visiting with Edward Swift at his unusual  home in the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende is a tour of  a magical world of art at every turn.  His home, cubist, modern and out of the box  in design, is a reflection of his profuse talent and a  rich container for his many masterpieces.  Edward is a prolific  artist and writer whose days are spent creating from early morning until late at night.  Currently, his works on being displayed at his featured exhibition entitled Only One leg to Stand On, on view at the City Museum of Queretaro  June 23-August 27,2017. Sheila Sabine is a business woman, multi-dimensional artist, and Senior Sales Associate at The Grubb Company. ssabine@grubbco.com

Visiting the home of husband and wife artists, Mike Kleimo and Edna Dickinson is a real treat. Located in El Chorro district of San Miguel de Allende, this spot was where the original spring was discovered, supplying water for the town hundreds of years ago. Mike and Edna purchased the home in 2004. The former resident's son is the famous rock star, Benny Ibarra, who still often visits the area. The property is composed of a large front patio with spectacular view of the town, an amazing succulent garden, a gourmet kitchen used for entertaining, including their famous holiday party for over 80 people.  Mike has a light filled and tranquil upstairs studio where he creates his wonderful paintings while listening to streaming music from California and other  parts of the world. He likes to use watercolors for his smaller paintings and acrylic for his larger pieces.  Edna describes herself as material engineer using ingenious clay techniques to create ...

Inventory low – prices high Low interest-rates - 3.5 fixed 30 year mortgage 38% of all sales are cash - The funds are coming from families and inheritance Tech buyers are coming from Uber, Google,and Twitter TRENDs The urban corridors  now outpacing the hills. Walk score increases value-go to  www.walkscore.com  to find the walk score for your home Starbucks effect – 20% increase in house value Walking – coffee – bike lanes-public transportation are a new definition of luxury MARKET We are not at the high-end of the cycle This is not a bubble Most inspections are performed in advance of marketing the home There is an average of 3 to 6 offers The percent over asking Price depends on location, comparable comps,property presentation No contingencies with offers NEWS-FLASH   The Grubb company is opening a new office in the heart of uptown Oakland at 100 Grand Ave. The opening  will occur in Septe...

Just a quick BART ride from the East Bay into San Francisco is our wonderful SF MOMA – a real jewel. Currently there's a great exhibition by Edvard Munch: June 24th -October 2nd  A few interesting facts about Norway's national treasure- He kept most of this on work for himself-when he died he left 1150 paintings, 17,800 prints, 4500 watercolors and 13 sculptures to his native Oslo. He was in enthusiastic selfie taker-Century before the advent of Instagram He most likely never had the Spanish flu – there is a painting in the exhibit depicting him with Spanish flu He frequently painted and stored his canvases outdoors - stacking his artwork and roofless studios-exposing his work to the elements which left sometimes brittle and crackling effects as well as mold, stain and even bird droppings His first solo exhibition in San Francisco was 70 years ago This exhibit is well worth the effort. Sheila Sabine is a business woman, multi-dimensional artist, ...

Historic Oakmore home showcasing many custom features. For more information, please email Sheila at ssabine@grubbco.com

Iris Polos is a well known visual artist and wildlife protector, of Greek descent. She lives and works from her family home in the Rockridge district of Oakland. She spends months cutting paper with manicure scissors to create feathers, eyelashes and all sorts of things. She often begins her work with one piece of paper which then develops into a masterpiece. She also works with discarded X Rays, rubber cement, earthy beads. She says of her work, "A very deep relationship is formed in which the animal subject and I are in a dance. I listen to her story as I tell mine. We are both revealed." Please take a minute to check out her website and read her artist's statement. She is a personal friend and I feel honored to I know this American heroine who carries the torch of spontaneous creativity so brightly. www.irispoloszoo.com Sheila Sabine ssabine@grubbco.com