Oakland Real Estate | Berkeley and Piedmont | Unhei Kang

Uptown is Alive & Hopping

I had heard from numerous friends about Make Westing, a new bar that’s opened in Uptown*. It’s claim to fame is an ind0or bocce court which we had to check out. As I rounded the corner onto Telegraph Avenue from Grand Avenue, I was surprised at the number of people walking and biking around the area. My husband commented that he felt like he was in NYC. I felt very  lucky when a car pulled out in front of me, so I could park my car. We were 6 blocks away from our destination. As we walked to Make Westing, we noticed The Den, a bar at the Fox Theater  was jumping even though it was a non-performance night. All around us, people were coming and going, hanging outside of restaurants and bars. It was fun to be out on a Friday night and be part of the vibe. We also noticed that Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe, a greasy diner we frequent in Emeryville had opened up across from Make Westing.  All right! Another eatery to come to in Uptown. Later, I heard from a friend that first Friday of every month is art murmur and people come from miles around to check out the art galleries. It’s great that there is so much going on in downtown Oakland.

How was Make Westing? It was awesome. Great people watching.  Yummy food and drinks. The bar was packed when we started at 7:15 pm and even more so when we left at 10:30 pm. We’re coming back Monday or Tuesday when it’s hopefully a little quieter, so that we can play bocce ball.

*Uptown boundary to me starts on Grand Avenue (north), Telegraph (west), Broadway (east), and ends where Telegraph and Broadway intersects around 15th Street.

Oakland Ranked #5 by New York Times

It was a very pleasant suprise when NYTimes ranked Oakland as number 5 out of 45 destinations to visit in the world for 2012. Wow. We are #5. This was based on number of amazing restaurants in Oakland including Plum, Haven, Commis, and Hawker Fare. Having eaten at Plum, Plum Bar, Commis, and Hawker Fare, I can say without a bias that we have amazing restaurants. In all seriousness, I enjoy eating out and Oakland has a lot to offer. For truly authentic Vietnamese and Mexican food, go to International Blvd. Korean food? Check out  Telegraph Avenue between 27th to 50th Street. Restaurant rows? Check out Uptown, Oldtown, Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, Grand Lake, Temescal,and on and on.  But why just stop at restaurants? Oakland has little bit of everything for everyone ranging from redwood regional park for hiking, skylines for cycling, star gazing at Chabot Space and Science Center, etc. For more information, go to 100 Things to do in Oakland. If you’re curious about Oakland food scene, neighborhoods, or whatever, send me an email, and I will tell you all about it.

What’s up with Home Insurance?

When purchasing a property, one of mandatory closing costs is hazard insurance. Mortgage lenders require insurance as a protection in case of damage or destruction of property and/or personal possessions. Hazard insurance is also liability insurance in case of accidents that can occur within the property.  This is typically the reason that sellers do not allow buyers to move into the house before close of escrow. Sellers do not want to take on the liability.

Typical question I get from homeowner is how much they should insure their home. I defer to the lender. Because the lender is also on title, they have a mandatory requirement of what homeowners should insure for since they want to protect their asset. However lenders cannot force homeowner to over-insure the property.

Depending on location of property, i.e., earthquake, fire, flood zone, homeowners may want to consider these additional coverage. My advice is to speak to a insurance consultant regarding costs. You probably want to speak to several.  It might be worth bundling auto insurance with home insurance for cost savings. You may also see who your friends insure with. Realtor can also provide you with referrals.

After you decide on the insurance carrier, inform the insurance broker with escrow number, escrow office, and contact number, as well as, inform the escrow officer with the insurance broker’s information. Because you do not technically own the property, hazard insurance is paid through escrow as part of your closing costs (which includes property tax, county transfer tax, escrow fees, title insurance for you and the lender, loan fees).

Enjoy your house. Maintain the property on regular basis. Check in once in a while and make sure you have adequate insurance, especially if you remodeled or modified the house.

One last word. Make sure you pay your insurance on time, otherwise you will get letter from your lender, “gently” informing you that they purchased a temporary insurance protection.

2632 Warring St #8, Berkeley – 2/1 condo in Elmwood – sold for $350,000

Located on the second floor, unit 8 is a chic mid-century modern-style condo with a large picture window, clean lines, and prime location. It’s 3 short blocks to Elmwood shopping district and 6 blocks to UC Berkeley campus. There is a partial view of San Francisco from the living room. It comes with 1 car parking and balcony. Laundry facility is on ground level. Open Sun 7/17 & 7/24, 2-4:30 pm.

Four Oakland Neighborhoods in an Hour

On Sunday, March 27, 2011, I participated in a relay race as part of the Oakland marathon. I have to say, what a great way to see Oakland! My leg covered Uptown followed by Piedmont Avenue then Temescal and finally Rockridge. I couldn’t believe I covered 4 great neighborhoods in an hour.

Oakland Marathon by lawrencegerald

If you’re not familiar with Oakland, few of the fabulous “walk to coffee” neighborhoods are Uptown, Piedmont Avenue, Temescal, and Rockridge. Uptown has that downtown vibe and is primarily made up of apartments and condo complexes with great restaurants like Flora, Pican, Ozumo, and Luka’s Taproom. 19th Street BART is close by. Piedmont Avenue feels like a small town with cute bungalows. Some of my favorite restaurants are Commis, Adesso, and Dopo. A bus will take you to MacArthur BART. Temescal may not look like much to the uninitated, but it’s another sought after neighborhood because of its close proximity to restaurants and shops. Heart of Temescal is 51st Street and Telegraph with restaurants like Pizzaiolo, Dona Tomas, Bakesale Betty, Scream Sorbert.

Bakesale Betty by stevendamron

Temescal also has a tool lending library, public pool, MacArthur BART, and Studio One Arts Center. Restaurants are continuously popping up and now stretch down to 40th Street including Aunt Mary’s Cafe, Remedy Coffee, and Homeroom Cafe. If you venture onto side streets, you’ll find tree-lined streets with mixture of bungalows, condos, and apartment complexes. Lastly when most people think of a nice Oakland neighborhood, Rockridge comes to the forefront with its arts & crafts homes, Rockridge BART, shops and restaurants like Oliveto, Wood Tavern, Market Hall, and library.

Wood Tavern by Kevin P.

Next year, I’m doing the half-marathon so that I can cover more Oakland neighborhoods on foot. I look forward to running through West Oakland, Montclair, Dimond District, and Laurel District. Let me know if you want to join me in the training.

2011 Home Sales

5370 Bryant Ave, Oakland (Rockridge)
20 Moss Lane, Oakland (Dogtown)
504 Deer Park Drive, Richmond
320 Lee St #702, Oakland (Adams Point)
2926 Harrison St, Oakland (Adams Point)
97 Montell St, Oakland (Piedmont Avenue)
3879 Shafter Ave, Oakland (Temescal)
6501 San Pablo Ave #208, Oakland
85 Vernon St #112, Oakland (Adams Point)
3401 Victor Ave, Oakland (Redwood Heights)
3562 Lincoln Ave, Oakland (Dimond District)
6950 Sayre, Oakland (Montclair)
1695 15th St #1, Oakland (West Oakland)
307 Zephyr #307, Oakland (West Oakland)
2632 Warring St #8, Berkeley (Elmwood)
1827 62nd St, Berkeley (Lorrin District)
655 12th St #214, Oakland (Oldtown)
6164 Old Quarry Loop, Oakland (Oakland Hills)
1381 Hearst Ave, Berkeley (North Berkeley)

Perils of Purchasing a Bank Owned Property at Courthouse Auction

SFGate had an article about perils of purchasing a bank owned property at a courthouse auction. I agree that this is risky. Without understanding how to conduct title searches, the average joe can easily end up purchasing a property with all sorts of liens against it. Or in this case, purchased the second lien which allowed the first lien holder to foreclose on the property. It’s safer to purchase a bank owned property (REO) through a regular transaction because when the first lender takes the property from the homeowner, it wipes out the secondary loans. The new owner (now the bank) is also responsible for the previous owner’s liens.

Investing in bank-owned properties and foreclosures is not for the faint-of-heart. You need to really understand the process and be ready for any complications that arise.

3879 Shafter Ave, Temescal – $430,000 Sold

This is a sweet farmhouse in Temescal, close to MacArthur BART, Piedmont Avenue, Rockridge. Right around the corner from the house is Subrosa Coffee shop, so yes, you can “walk to coffee.”

On first level is the living room, formal dining room, kitchen, 1/2 bathroom, and a bedroom that would make an ideal office. Both the kitchen and the bedroom lead out to a large backyard with mature fruit trees including apple, orange, fig, plum, and more. Upstairs are two bedroom plus a sleeping porch and a full bathroom with clawfoot tub.

The house retained many of its original charming like douglas fir flooring, wood trims and moldings, picturesque windows, and detailed doors.

I ran into the next door neighbor who said she grew up in this house and helped to plant the fruit trees when she was a little girl.

The house will look refreshed with a coat of paint both inside and out.

It is a short sale, therefore requires a patient buyer. For more details about short sale process, disclosures, or to see the property, please contact me at ukang@grubbco.com.

A Decade of Price Comparison for Kensington and North Berkeley/Berkeley Hills

One of my clients wanted a snapshot of the summer real estate market against previous years. I thought it would be even more fascinating to take it back a decade. Highlighted in yellow is the peak.

If you would like me to take a snapshot of your neighborhood, send me an email.

Nationwide, 2005 was considered peak of real estate market with 2006 continuing to hold. Kensington followed this pattern as did North Berkeley 94707 whereas Berkeley Hills 94708 didn’t reach its peak until 2007.

It will be interesting to see what next year will hold. Will it continue a soft descent or will it level off? If you’re considering whether it’s a good time to start investing in real estate, I recommend you check out real estate investing for beginners. It’s a good start on how to get started.

5370 Bryant Avenue, Rockridge – Sold for $629,000

This 2 bedroom/1 bathroom split-level bungalow is all about location. Located in the popular Rockridge neighborhood, you can stroll to everything. Half a block away is coffee, the library, restaurants, and retails shops. Six short blocks is Bart, Trade Joe’s, and Market Hall.

You’re asking, what about the house? What is the house like?

The house is a traditional bungalow with hardwood floors, nice detailing, formal dining room, backyard with a patio, and a spacious basement.

The house is on an upslope which means it’s multiple steps up to the house. On one hand, these stairs will keep you fit. On the other hand, yes, you’ll be walking up these steps everyday. Being on an upslope also means you get a wonderful green vista looking out the front window.

House has a separate laundry room off the kitchen. In addition, a huge winding basement with room for workshop, wine cellar, and storage.

Life can’t get any better than this.

House was listed for $629,000 and sold for $629,000.