The buds are swelling and we are now witnessing signs of Spring!  Soak up the flowering magnolia’s and plum blossoms before the petals drop to the earth.  Now is the time to plant your tulip bulbs, trim your rose bushes down and remove the rusty leaves and start weeding your garden beds while the soil is moist.

precious buds from my Randy Magnolia

hellebores, a delicate evergreen perennial that blooms in the winter

Cafe 15 on 15th Street in Downtown Oakland

Here are a few of my favorite places to grab quality food on the run.  Cafe 15 is in Downtown Oakland at 597 15th Street behind the State building.  This is owned and operated by husband and wife team Lauren and Arash Ghasemi  (Arash was a chef at Eccolo restaurant on 4th Street in Berkeley, which is now closed).  Cafe 15 believes that sustainable, quality food doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  All of the food is made from scratch on the premises.  I have tried a few of there salads,  they are wonderful, full of flavor and very satisfying.  I plan on trying the oyster po’ boy next.  Cafe 15 is open Monday – Friday for breakfast and lunch.

All the prep for the house-made food is done and the bags are lined up for ready for the lunch rush.

Summer Kitchen Bakeshop is in Berkeley near the corner of College and Ashby, and they claim to be take away re-imagined.   Owners Paul and Charlene were inspired by Martha’s Vineyard, the rolling farmlands and the summer kitchens built long ago behind the old farmhouses.  This shop is spic and span and very cozy.  Here you can walk up to the counter and choose from a good selection of grab and go items like the buttermilk fried chicken, panko and herb crusted chicken tenders and my favorite the cauliflower and olive salad.  There are picture perfect cupcakes, sweet loaf breads and tarts.  There is a made to order menu featuring sandwiches, salads, specials and the wood burning hearth produces pizza’s and also makes the whole restaurant glow.

Summer Kitchen Bakeshop is a few doors down from my favorite ice cream shop, Ici!

great design, great food

Lemon curd are in the center of these lemon meringue cupcakes. These are only for those who like SWEET things.

Amba in Montclair Village, serves falafels, fries, hummus and a few tasty salads.  All of the food is vegetarian, kosher, fresh, flavorful and affordable.  This is a great addition to Montclair Village and is a great alternative to your typical take-out.  Please note they are closed on Saturday.

When I am at Amba, I forget I am eating vegetarian.

What is your favorite place to grab quality food on the run?  Leave a comment or email me,  I would love to hear from you.

Downtown Oakland, photo by Scott Hargis

This view comes FREE with the purchase of 1 Kelton Court #5B.  I love 1 Kelton Court! 1 Kelton Court is on a cul de sac a few blocks away from Piedmont Avenue in Oakland.  This is the perfect building for folks who want to be close to everything and yet live in a quiet building. (One of my clients purchased a unit in this building last year.)   1 Kelton Court #5B is currently listed with of Linda Elkin of Red Oak Realty.

I have heard rave reviews about the documentary,  Race to Nowhere. (Click here to view the trailer) See it on Thursday, February 11 at 7 PM,  at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.  Tickets may be purchased at the box office.

The floors are being shined and the final details are underway!  2624 School Street is coming soon to the Oakland real estate marketplace!  I love this photograph of this vintage bungalow with the clouds billowing above. The earth has been turned over and fresh sod is coming.  Check 2624 School Street in Oakland online, www.TheSchoolBungalow.com

photo by Scott Hargis

Yesterday on Oakland’s Broker Tour, I fell in love with 5785 Country Club Drive, (listed by Karen Starr of Grubb Co.)  Claremont Pines, (a neighborhood in Upper Rockridge located between Broadway and Broadway Terrace) is a one of my favorite neighborhoods.  Some of the properties in this area have City and Bay views, the neighborhood is very walkable, there is a neighborhood grocery store, Village Market and in about 20 minutes you can walk to your favorite shops and restaurants on College Avenue in Rockridge.

5785 Country Club, (offered at $1,525,000) was built in 1941 home and has been completely transformed into a sleek, yet relaxed abode that gives homage to mid-century modern design. The light is fantastic and the views of the City and Bay add to the charm.

open kitchen, love the artichoke lamp!

glass sun-room adjacent from the dining room, gourmet kitchen

love the lucite bench!

what you do not see is the open shower. no shower doors to clean and a floor drain in the middle of the room - super smart.

Finding a Voice by Marissa Anderson, (age 14!!) will be showing at Red Oak Realty Solano Avenue location February 8- April 3rd  Artist reception February 5th, 6-8 pm

"Most people don't know their passion until they are older. I'm fourteen years old and I know. From the moment I could pick up a pencil, I knew it was art..." - Marissa

Often times people are a little apprehensive about going through the pre-approval process.  Frankly, we all are a bit afraid of credit scores and we hope that we will be approved for an amount that we want.  The following is a typical need list.
Every case is different, but this is what is typically needed to get pre-approved for a home loan.

A typical need list for salaried borrowers looks like this:
We need copies of -
1.  Most recent 30 days of consecutive paystubs
2.  2008 and 2009 W-2s
3.  Liquid accounts (checking, savings, money market, stock, etc.).  Most recent two months consecutive statements.  ALL PAGES of each statement please – the lender will require this.
4.  Retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.).  Most recent statement(s).  Again, all pages of each account please.
5.  Valid Driver’s License or Passport
If a borrower owns a rental property, or is self employed the lender will also call for:
6.  Most recent two years (2008 and 2009) 1040s (federal tax returns), all pages and schedules.
If a borrower is a partnership.
7.  Most recent two years K-1s and partnership returns (in addition to personal 1040s).
If a borrower is a corporation.
8.  Most recent two years corporate returns (in addition to personal 1040s)

This beautiful door knob belongs to a home that recently sold in Redwood Heights, Oakland.

This door knob was on a 1930’s home in the Redwood Heights district of Oakland.  This particular property sold needing repairs and TLC, I hope that the new owners keep this knob as it is a piece of art.

When you are buying an older house it is common for a property to have $10,000 – $20,000 worth of needed repairs.  If a seller has owned their home for many years often there is newly found damage that is discovered during an inspection.  In many cases it is not that the seller intentionally neglected their property, they just didn’t know the damage was existed.  Inspections by quality professionals are key as you need to know exactly what you are buying.  Pictured below is rot in the wood framing of a home in the Oakland Hills.  I represented the buyers of this house and I was able to negotiate dry rot and termite damage repairs before escrow closed.  (The sellers paid the cost of the repairs.)  Before my clients moved in the wood was removed, new wood was installed and the appropriate exterior was installed to code.

A picture is worth a 1000 words. This picture shows rot in the wood framing of this house. The damaged pieces were cut out and replaced with new wood. A picture is worth a 1000 words. This picture shows rot in the wood framing of this house. The damaged pieces were cut out and replaced with new wood.