The choices: A. No landlord rulesB. Peace of mind and securityC. Investment and building equityD. Decorating/home design After many many years as I renter, I finally bought a home. Since then, I’ve gone through buying, owning, maintaining, paying for two East Bay homes, the first which I regretted. Although at the time, it seemingly met…
Rockridge is one of the most popular neighborhoods in the San Francisco East Bay thanks to many factors: Being a popular place to buy means lots of competition. It also means prices have gone up and up. But what I really wanted to write about, as a longtime Rockridge homeowner myself, is what to look…
With a title like that, you probably think I’m going to talk about paint colors, changing the toilet seat, or should you add splashes of wallpaper or not. Probably the most important decision you will make once you buy a house is…drumroll: Which brand of cordless power tools will you commit to? Why is this…
(Scroll down for a detailed look at Oakland home sales in the first 4 months of 2026.) A San Francisco Chronicle reporter interviewed me for insights and reactions to reports that Oakland home values had decreased recently. As an East Bay real estate agent, what was I seeing? His article went viral. But how full…
Location location location ! Location has always been the most important feature when buying real estate. That’s how “location location location” said 3x became a saying that transcends time. But what does “location” mean exactly? The right location may mean a coveted school district or neighborhood known for its name, such as Pacific Heights in…
If you are thinking of selling a Berkeley 1-2 unit property that currently has natural gas any time soon, you may want to time any energy-efficiency upgrades based on the sale date. Why? Because Berkeley limit the number of years a home upgrade qualifies for points toward their energy efficiency program. As of this writing,…
With relish, I devoured the Wall Street Journal “Retirement Rookies” article by Stephen Kreider Yoder and Karen Kreider Yoder. The title was “We Considered Leaving the City in Retirement. We’re So Glad We Didn’t.” Mind you, this isn’t the “city” as in New York; some people insist that’s the only city that deserves that moniker….
Are you a long-time home owner thinking of selling your single-family house or small multi-family property on a large lot within 1/2 a mile of BART or major transit? It was a long sentence but you’ll be happy you read through it. As of July 1, 2026, California Senate Bill SB 79 goes into effect….
Presented by Nicole Easterday and Susie Wyshak Mediterreanean Style Home Full of Charm — sold with multiple offers, 23% over asking. Thinking of a move to the East Bay and want to find a neighborhood that’s great for commuting, has a small town feeling and affordable real estate near the Bay? Discover San Leandro and 523…
When looking at houses with clients, I often point out that a living space can essentially be extended at relatively low cost by plunking an 8×10 studio in the backyard — not to mention the bigger investment of an ADU. So when the 2026 Bay Area ADU Expo in San Jose popped up in my inbox,…
Compass Real Estate economists provide these interesting charts to show ten-year (2015 – 2025) house sale price trends in a few San Francisco East Bay cities — Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito and more. There’re more charts where these came from as well as an awesome online flipbook of Bay Area market data for East Bay,…
