Brace yourselves, proud Americans. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2023 highlights the 10 best cities in the world. None are in the United States. Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Japan are ranked the best countries to live in, with several cities in each country appearing on the Ten Best list. Austria and Denmark top the…
Ikea kitchen planners can help you design a kitchen in 3D and choose your cabinet, counter, hardware…all the materials for your shiny new modern kitchen. You can also pay for an Ikea kitchen designer to come to your house (now $79) to make sure all of your kitchen measurements are accurate. The Ikea kitchen I…
This article by Susie Wyshak first appeared in the Rockridge News and is edited for online reading. Enjoy! Get in touch to chat about your real estate goals over a pastry at Starter Bakery and learn all about living in Rockridge and the East Bay. The Rockridge community took Brian Wood by surprise. He opened…
Buying a new house before selling your own house or condo in cities like Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda can be a challenging process. Yet, who doesn’t want to avoid moving twice? To buy a house before selling there are many factors to consider, including: financial planning to know what you can afford deciding if it’s…
Lists of the best places to live in the United States hit my inbox daily. Best places for coffee lovers, doughnut lovers, chocolate lovers, families…the themes have no end. Most of these lists are “cute” and fun. Yet most of the lists do not take into account the many things that make a place home and liveable….
{Set up your Airbnb rental with my referral link and ask me for feedback!} Beyond Pricing analyzed the best places to invest in short-term rentals, based on occupancy and nightly price. Surprised that the most popular cities for short-term rentals are in coastal cities — along with Washington D.C.? When you look at the Airbnb…
An Airbnb guest asked me what restaurants I recommend in Rockridge that are in walking distance from my rental on Lawton Avenue. What better reason to compile some of my favorites! For their UC Berkeley graduation celebration, I gave them a list of very nice, high end restaurants that require reservations along with casual dining…
Building ADUs on a property with a single-family home or multi-family building has become the most popular way to think about multi-generational living or generating income during retirement. (The New York Times reports on the popularity of ADUs — although ignore the very low prices per square foot quoted!) But what if it turns out…
Murals on walls inside houses has been a time-honored tradition through the ages. In Berkeley, the murals adorning the walls of Pauline Kael’s house in Berkeley became legend. More rare is seeing murals, or little “spot” paintings, on the exterior of houses. There’s nothing I love more than seeing houses that reflect the passions and…
Who doesn’t love a trend report? It’s so much fun seeing what materials, colors, textures, and decorating styles the experts and purveyors are calling “it.” So what to do when Pantone names “Viva Magenta” their 2023 Color of the Year? Paint the town pink?! The thing to remember as a home owner is: It’s up…
