Montclair is an area of Oakland above Highway 13 between Broadway Terrace and Park Boulevard, with properties built from the 1920’s to new construction.  The appeal is the woodsy setting and in many parts of Montclair you will get the feeling that you are away from it all, yet so close to the city vibe. [...]

Last week I voted 401 Avon my favorite house from Broker’s Tour.  With a much smaller house in Temescal selling for over $700,000, this house is priced right.  401 Avon is a huge 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom at 1694 square feet, (according to the MLS) has great upgrades and light.  Henry Mather Green and Charles [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

350 Forest Street in the Rockridge district of Oakland was my favorite house on Broker’s Tour last week.  This glorious craftsman, has the detailed you want in a vintage home, box-beam ceilings in the dinging room, built-in’s and pillars, silky smooth hardwood floors, wood windows, but it has a modern edge with upgrades galore, including [...]

Down the street from Pixar Studios is the David Baker designed lofts at 1500 Park Street.  This is one of my favorite loft spaces in the East Bay.  This building is in an ultra urban area of Emeryville and boasts the most lush, secluded garden as the entry.  Once inside this building you will feel [...]

Yesterday after I held open 5740 Ayala  Street in lower Rockridge, (a pristine craftsman home with impeccable natural wood trim, wainscoting and built-ins. and vintage details.) I headed over to view 492 58th Street, (in Oakland). The buzz around town is that this born in 1900 home in lower Rockridge (a bungalow turned  mod pod) [...]

1949 -  Joe Louis retired from boxing, Miles Davis released the Birth Of The Cool album, The Lone Ranger premiered on television and 4138 Coolidge Avenue was built in the Lincoln Heights district of Oakland. The California Zephyr launched its  inaugural run and Oaklanders ate dinner at the Grotto in Jack London Square.  The World [...]

When I was 16 years old I worked at Emporium-Capwell’s in Downtown Oakland.  This department store was on Broadway in what is now Sears.  As I was growing up I remember Oakland and its thriving retail business.  We had I. Magnin’s,  Joseph Magnin’s, Liberty House, Little Daisy and more.
These businesses are gone, but the beautiful [...]

4039 Linwood Avenue in the Glenview district of Oakland caught my fancy last week on Broker’s Tour.  (This home is currently listed with Leslie Easterday of Pacific Union.  Listed at $695,000)  When you are purchasing a home you either want one of two things:
You want the purchase price to include finish work that suits your [...]