Thursday Broker’s Tour 7/29/10

The market has slowed quite recently. Homes that aren’t perfect or in the most desireable neighborhoods are lowering their prices. Either buyers are waiting for prices to go down more or they’ve all gone on vacation!

Here’s an interesting chart that shows Supply and Demand in the Berkeley Housing Market for the last year. There are more available homes this year over last year at the same time. Click on the map for a larger view.

Today there were 78 homes on tour in Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Oakland and Richmond. Click Here to see all of them.

2722 Acton St., Berkeley $465,000

You will love this neighborhood. You can walk to San Pablo Park and the Berkeley Bowl. This 1920 bungalow has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. There is a plus space off the kitchen that can be used for a large office. The beautiful back deck walks into a great back yard. There is a freestanding fire pit/grill — perfect for those upcoming warm Indian Summer evenings. It’s open Sunday.

1087 61st St., N. Oakland $299,000

This is a nicely redone 1923 bungalow. 2 bedrooms 1 bath, hardwood floors, built-in cabinet in dining room, lovely fireplace and lots more. Nice upgrades to the bathroom and kitchen. There’s a tankless water heater, new plumbing and a new redwood deck. The detached garage is a great space for your hobbies. It’s open Sunday from 1-5.

 

Alameda Broker’s Tour 7/27/10

Yesterday there were 10 properties available on tour. I saw 3 of them.

Click Here to see all the homes on tour.

1100 Post St., Alameda $630,000

Nice home on the East end. There are 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a downstairs den/TV room and a small but nicely layed out back yard with a hot tub! There is a small garage for all your stuff, too. It’s open Sunday if you’d like to check it out.

2609 Encinal Ave., Alameda $499,000

Good price for a lovely home. 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Original fireplace in the living room. The kitchen is updated with dark cabinets and granite counters. You walk out of the kitchen into the great back yard that has a detached shop/club house. Nicely landscaped, too. From here it’s easy to walk to Park St. and all the shops and restaurants. Open Sunday.

1621 Willow St., Alameda $589,000

What a great place! Lovely original woodwork throughout. The kitchen has been updated and is a cooks dream with it’s restaurant-quality stove. The bathroom is remodeled using classic white marble in a spa-style. There are 2 bedrooms on the main level. Downstairs is an intimate TV room. The back yard is beautifully landscaped and the long driveway down the side of the house leads to a detached garage. This is worth a visit on Sunday!

 

Alameda Broker’s Tour 7-20-10

Click Here to see all 9 of the homes on tour today.

3251 Bayo Vista Ave., Alameda $635,000

This 1915 bungalow is located on the East end of Alameda.The front porch is huge and inviting. The house has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths and lots of original woodwork in the living room and dining room. There is a detached garage in the back yard for all your extra stuff. Check it out on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

1363 Burbank St., Alameda $638,000

Lovely 1913 split-level bungalow on Palm Tree lined Burbank St. This classic craftsman has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath on the main floor. Upstairs is a bedroom with possibilities of expansion. The Bathroom and kitchen have been recently remodeled with top of the line features. You have to see the beautiful, original woodwork in the entry, living room and dining room. There is a small office in the front off of the entry. In the back yard there is a detached garage and a lovely, mature orange tree. You can see it on tour this Sunday.

As always, if you’d like more info on these, or any other home, give me a call or drop me an email.

 

Thursday Broker’s Tour 7-15-10

Wow, lots of home on tour yesterday! 112 homes and not enough time to see them all. Some of these homes were on tour last week so that cuts down the number of actual new homes on the market this week.

Click Here to view all the homes that were on tour yesterday.

62 Stratford Rd., Kensington $995,000

This updated Mediterranean has amazing SF views plus a studio/in-law unit that was recently rented out at $1,600 a month. The main floor has large, flowing rooms, a fireplace, updated kitchen and breakfast room, and french doors that lead out to a deck with a view. Upstairs are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Outside you’ll enter through a lovely, private courtyard. The rest of the property is lush and beautifully laid out. It’s open Sunday.

1625 Tyler St., Berkeley $509,000

This lovely 1925 Stucco bungalow is located in S. Berkeley, within walking distance of the Ashby BART station. As you walk in you’ll see a lovely Arts & Crafts fireplace in the living room. There is a built-in china closet in the dining room  and the kitchen is large enough to eat in. From the kitchen you walk out onto a deck that overlooks a wonderful, park-like back yard with fruit trees. There are 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Open Sunday from 2-4:30.

1648 Ashby Ave., Berkeley $329,000 Sorry, no photo.

Even though this nicely remodeled house is on busy Ashby, the double paned windows throughout make the outside hardly noticeable. There are 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. The remodeled kitchen has new cabinets and granite counters. There’s a great back yard with a detached shop/in-law unit(?). The shop is large but wasn’t open for viewing when I was there. This is a great price for a home within walking distance of Berkeley Bowl and Ashby BART station. It will be open on Sunday from 2-4.

 

Alameda Broker’s Tour 7-13-10

Out of the 16 homes on tour yesterday I viewed 5. Inventory seems to be down at what is normally our busiest time of the year. Just another indicator of the slow economy. The number of homes currently for sale is down 9% from last year at this time. This chart shows there were 51 new homes for sale in June, as opposed to 56 last year in June. These numbers do not include homes that were on the market from the previous month(s). Not a huge difference but it is a big change from March of this year when we had 61 homes available.

Click Here to see all the homes on tour yesterday.

Here are three homes that really stood out:

1801 Versailles Ave. $795,000

This is a beautiful Mediterranean within walking distance of Edison School. This large house (2600 sqft) has 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. There’s a beautiful Fireplace in the livingroom, formal diningroom and a large family room off of the kitchen. The back yard has raised planter beds, a lawn area, garage with a workshop and a tree house! This is a great house for a large family.

3125 Bayo Vista Ave. $789,000

Here’s a wonderful Normandy-style home in the Fernside area of Alameda. There are vintage light fixtures, hardwood floors, and 2 fireplaces. This 1945 sqft home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Both baths have original tile work. It is freshly painted throughout and ready to move into. There is also a converted garage in the secluded back yard.

1310 San Antonio Ave. $825,000

As it says on the website: Be prepared to fall in love. This home should be on the Alameda Home Legacy Tour! Every place you look is a feast for the eyes. This amazing brownshingle Craftsman was built in 1907 and has retains all its original style, charm and vintage details. The kitchen has a reproduction antique stove, farm sink and vintage details throughout. Downstairs you’ll find a half bath with a high-tank pull chain toilet. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms and the hall bath has a claw foot tub. There are many structural upgrades plus a 3 car garage in the back. You’ve got to see this home!

 

Thursday Broker’s Tour 7/8/10

I’m back on the Berkeley circuit after a relaxing 4th of July weekend. There were 88 homes on tour today. Below are 3 worth mentioning. To see all of them Click Here.

633 57th St., Oakland $449,000

This 1914 bungalow is located on a nice block in the upper Temescal. It is in mostly original condition with lovely woodwork throughout. It has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. There are hardwood floors, a newer furnace, sewer lateral has been replaced, and has a freshly landscaped back yard. There is a garage underneath and plenty of storage space. It will be open on Sunday from 2-4:30.

835 59th St., N. Oakland $499,000

Talk about amazing. This is a house you have to see! Built in 1904, this home has been lovingly restored and maintained. It’s loaded with original detail, built-ins, box beam ceilings and wood floors. The lovely William Morris-style wallpaper downstairs is perfect for the home.  There are 4 bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs. There’s a half bath downstairs off of a beautiful kitchen with french doors that lead to a great deck and lovely back yard. Upgrades include the foundation, new sewer lateral and a rebuilt fireplace. This is a great home on a large lot. It’s open Saturday and Sunday from 2-5.

954 46th St., Oakland $379,000

A nicely remodeled home with the option of a separate space downstairs. Everything is new in this home, including a great new kitchen and bathroom. There are 2 bedrooms, 1 bath upstairs and another 3 rooms downstairs plus a full bath. There’s fresh landscaping front and back. This is a great house for the price! It’s open Sunday from 1-5.

 

Alameda Broker’s Tour 7-6-10

There weren’t many homes on tour today. Probably because of the 4th of July weekend extending into Monday. I toured two of the homes. To see all the homes Click Here.

3016 San Jose Ave. $549,900

It’s like stepping into your grandparents home. This house hasn’t been changed in years and still has all the original charm. It has beautiful exposed beam ceilings in the living and dining room. There is a wonderful fireplace nook with a wood burning fireplace. The dining room has unpainted wainscoting and a built-in cabinet with stained glass doors. There are three bedrooms and one bath. It’s needs updating but could be well worth the work. One drawback – very small yard but the bonus is it has a detached garage. Open Sunday 2-4.

1321 Court St. $579,000

This is a very hip, updated Arts & Craft bungalow. It has beautiful wood floors, high, coved ceilings and wood trim throughout. There is a great updated Kitchen and bath. It has a nicely landscaped front yard and a great back yard that features a detached studio and a working Jacuzzi. It’s a very sophisticated home. Open Sunday 2-4.

 

Deeds-in-lieu: An Alternative to Foreclosure

What precisely are deeds-in-lieu? The full name is deeds-in-lieu-of-foreclosure. They are voluntary transfers of property ownership from borrowers to creditors that make court-directed foreclosures unnecessary.

This is a good alternative for people who have tried to do loan modifications and, in frustration, have given up.

Upside of doing a Deed-in-lieu:

• Possible cash incentives that sometimes range into five figures
• They won’t come after you to collect any deficiency between what you owe them on the mortgage and what they obtain from the home sale
• They may be able to wrap up the whole transaction in as little as 30 to 45 days

Read more: Deeds-in-lieu: An alternative to foreclosure – latimes.com.

 

Alameda Broker’s Tour 6/29/10

14 Homes on tour yesterday. I saw 3 of them. Since this Sunday is July 4th there may not be many open homes. If you’d like to receive a list of the Sunday Open Homes email me at lizrush@lizrush.com.  Click Here to see all the home that were on tour.

2845 Encinal Ave., $638,000

This 1923 Mediterranean is located in the desireable East End of Alameda. It has 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths and lots of space downstairs that can be expanded for more living space. There is a great eat-in kitchen and formal dining room. I loved the living room with its massive fireplace that is the focal point of the room. There is a large, private yard in the back.

1516 Fifth St. $679,000

This is a renovated beauty. It is a 1910 Eastlake Victorian located in the Paden School district on the west end of the island. It has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a gourmet kitchen, a master suite and there is a family or guest room in the downstairs that has a full bath. The home has a new foundation and a full basement! Many green upgrades. Wonderful architectural features. It’s a great location near the beach and the ferry!

119 Central Ave. $499,000

This 1945 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath is listed at a great price. It’s freshly painted and has recent kitchen upgrades. You’ll find a fireplace in living room and hardwood flooring. There is a really large lot suitable for multiple vehicles. It will be open Sunday!

 

Thursday Broker’s Tour 6/24/10, Berkeley, Oakland and Beyond

85 homes on tour in Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington, Emeryville and 2 in Piedmont. Click Here to see all the homes on tour.

2909 Dohr St. Berkeley $449,000

Beautifully updated home with huge, lush, private back yard. Wonderful U shaped layout allows for most rooms to face the back garden. Nicely remodeled, large kitchen with new appliances. This is a wonderful, inviting home with a great feeling. Open Sunday 2-4:30.

410 Colusa Ave., Kensington $525,000

Sunny, mediterranean close to Colusa Circle shops and restaurants. This house has been nicely maintained and is charmingly staged. Great back yard for entertaining. It’s open on Sunday from 2-4.

570 Coventry Rd., Kensington $739,000

If you love mid-century modern then check out this original condition beauty with fabulous views. It’s located on a large lot (7360 sqft) and has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a fireplace, original kitchen and baths. All original but still in great shape. There is a downstairs unit that could be used as an au pair suite or what ever you need it for. It’s open Sunday from 2-4:30.

1202 Oregon St. Berkeley $490,000

Really charming bungalow that is well maintained. It has 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. There are hardwood floors and a fireplace in the living room. The nicely remodeled kitchen leads out to a lovely small back yard. It’s in a good location: near Ashby BART, Berkeley Bowl West, and all the great shops on San Pablo. You can see it on Sunday from 2-4:30.

838 55th St., Oakland $479,000

This remodeled 1912 home is really roomy. It is 1709 sqft and the lot is 5000 sqft. There are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It’s been beautifully remodeled and painted. There is a full basement and a drive in garage. All the systems have been updated so just move in and start living. It is open Sunday 1-5.