The Getty Center and Getty Villa emerged from the 2025 Los Angeles fire disaster as examples of fire hardening best practices. Yes, they had staff to supplement all of the measures the Getty team took to stop fire approaching and stop smoke from penetrating the buildings. But they also meticulously followed best practices for fire hardening…
Imagine opening up your home to show off your remodeled kitchen. That’s what 8-10 Rockridge homeowners do every other year along with their builders, architects, and interior designers. Seeing these renovated and reimagined kitchens with the latest cabinetry, space-saving ideas, and glowing cabinet hardware is the ultimate inspiration to refresh your kitchen — especially if…
As a Rockridge resident, I helped the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) get the word out about the 2024 Rockridge Kitchen Tour, a bi-annual ticketed event where home owners can show off 8 fabulous kitchen remodels and 2 ADUs. The kitchen tour is October 13, 2024 and you can get tickets here. The Rockridge Kitchen…
College Ave. in Oakland’s popular Rockridge neighborhood is home to many highly rated health and beauty businesses. Discover just a few in this article, re-printed with permission from the Rockridge News, April 2023. By Susie Wyshak. Compass REALTOR® and Rockridge resident. Beyond clothing, surprising ways to re-invent your look along College Avenue. Pavé Fine Jewelry…
Have you lived in the Bay Area forever and are wondering why you never heard of (or went to) Marina Bay in Richmond, near Point Richmond? More importantly, are you thinking how can you get into Marina Bay and figure out which is the best community for you? Me too! Marina Bay is a collection…
Here’s a success story of a life-long renter who found and bought her perfect home, a condo. My client had a perfect process for searching for houses and condos that led to a winning offer. She knew exactly what her criteria were — the home had to: be in an easy commute location, easy to…
Home sellers in Oakland, Alameda and some other East Bay cities need to decide whether to repair their sewer lateral, if necessary, or let the buyer pay for repairing the sewer lateral. It’s part of a program called East Bay Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) In Oakland, home sellers or home buyers where there is a…
What’s the most important feature when buying a home? The oldest wisdom says “location, location, location.” But what exactly defines the perfect location that checks all the boxes of desirability and long-term appreciate? It depends! The book FLIP: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit distills that perfect location into “9 Neighborhood Appeal Factors.” You…
All along the Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito and Richmond hills are homes with incredible San Francisco Bay views…with more houses, condos and townhouses along the waterfront from Richmond to Alameda and San Leandro. How do waterfront house prices compare to Marin County and San Francisco prices? For the most part, buyers find home prices are…
Do you fully understand the importance of being prepared for flooding in their homes…or outside of your home? The California Association of Realtors points out that homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage. After the record-breaking wildfires in California, the risk of flash flooding and mud flows increase significantly until vegetation is restored — up…
