Berkeley Hills Agents Don't Spill the Beans

"If the end is right it justifies the beans!" ~Stephen Sondheim

Did you know? Every time you buy or sell a house with a Realtor from Berkeley Hills Realty, part of the proceeds from your transaction goes to a local charity. That donation is made wisely, too. 

For example, at Alameda County Community Food Bank, every dollar donated is worth five spending dollars to buy food for hungry families. Here’s agent and broker associate Nancy Mueller taking a break from packing beans with other volunteers to present Charles Beyer, Volunteer Manager at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, with a check from Berkeley Hills Realty agents and clients. 

Nancy volunteers monthly with the food bank and she invites you to come along! You can contact Nancy at 510.524.9888 ext. 20 or email her at nancy@berkhills.com . You can also contact the Alameda County Community Food Bank at (510) 635-3663 to volunteer or donate.

Berkeley Association of REALTORS® Contributes $30,200 To 20 Area Community Groups

Berkeley, CA – April 25, 2012 – During a presentation today, the Berkeley Association of REALTORS® (BAR) awarded grants totaling $30,200 to twenty (20) area community groups.  BAR has administered a Grant Program for their Youth Arts & Education Fund and the Workforce Housing & Homeless Fund since 2006.  The dollars are generated through various programs including direct contributions by REALTOR® Members and Affiliates as well as numerous BAR fund-raising events. 

BAR President Heidi Abramson noted that, “We award grants to under-funded and developing programs that support youth in the communities served by our REALTOR® Members and related real estate professionals.  Our Grant Program also supports organizations that provide direct assistance to the homeless and their advocates as well as organizations that provide affordable housing within our communities.  As REALTORS® and real estate professionals it is important that we reinvest in the diverse communities that we serve.” 

Grants from the Workforce Housing & Homeless Fund were awarded to:

            Rebuilding Together

            Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center

YEAH! Youth Engagement Assistance & Housing

            Berkeley Food & Housing Project

            BOSS  Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency

Camp Winnarainbow

YES!-Youth Enrichment Strategies

Grants from the Youth Arts & Education Fund were awarded to:

                Berkeley Symphony

                St. Mary’s College High School

                Aurora Theatre

                Pegasus Project

                Berkeley High School Newspaper “The Jacket”

                Youth Spirit Artworks

                Berkeley Ballet Theatre

                Berkeley Boosters Association

                Community Alliance for Learning

                Friends of the Oakland Public Schools Library

                Martin Luther King Middle School

    Young Musicians Program

     Rosa Parks Elementary School

Also recognized during the presentation were the Pacific Union International, Berkeley Hills Realty and Thornwall Properties who are charter members of the 100% Club.  The three real estate offices make a total commitment to the BAR Community Funds, boasting 100% Agent Participation in a program that generates contributions at the close of each escrow. 

The Youth Arts & Education Fund and the Workforce Housing & Homeless Fund are 501C3 organizations administered by the Berkeley Association of REALTORS®.  Since 2006 BAR has contributed a total of $143,700 in grants to organizations who make the communities they serve a better place.  

The Berkeley Association of REALTORS® (BAR) is a trade organization offering educational services, professional support and political advocacy for its 700 REALTOR® and Affiliate Members since 1902.

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Photo ID

1.       Recognized by 2012 BAR President Heidi Abramson (far Right) for their 100% Participation in the contributions through escrow program are REALTORS® from Pacific Union International, Berkeley Hills Realty (Nancy Mueller, Terese Ashman and Barbara Conheim) and Thornwall Properties.

The Bosco Verticale: A solution to urban sprawl?

About a month ago I was talking to my gal pal who is a frequent flyer of all airplanes. She was telling me how much she enjoyed reading Hemispheres Magazine published by United Airlines. You know the one that shares a space in the back seat pocket next to Sky Mall. I always find some sort of entertainment from Sky Mall with all their whacky knick-knacks and miracle cures but Hemispheres has always bored me and I often thumb through it faster than the flight attendants finish their safety demonstration. However, on my last trip to Houston based on my trusted friend's recommendation, I decided to give a whirl. And to my surprise, I found many articles of interest including one titled Plan G - cutting edge fixes for the world's trickiest environmental problems.

Here is my favorite of the fixes: Bosco Verticale, a two story building apartment complex that will double as the world's first vertical forest. Built in Milan, every unit will have a concrete balcony planted with humidity-creating and CO2-filtering trees, shrubs and flowers that will get their nourishment from recycled gray water. The buildings themselves will rely on the sun for much of their power. And guess what, this solution comes cheap! Apparently, construction costs will only increase by 5%! Way to go Milan.

written by Gina Odom, Realtor

Why get a pest report?

So many new buyers ask me why they need a pest report. It's simple. Houses are made from wood and pests like to eat wood. So here are some telltale signs of termite infestation. If you find a pile of what appears to be insect wings you might have a termite colony nearby. An infestation can be found anywhere there are wood-bearing structures inside or outside including window sills, door jams, crawl spaces and attics. Termites shed their wings once they colonize and can often be mistaken for flying ants. However, the most obvious sign of termites are termite mud tubes. Termites will often create tubes or tunnels so they can move around. Look for these where your home meets the soil. You also may find mud build-up around the exterior of your home. And if you find softening of wood, you might have termites. Wood that falls apart, flakes, or turns to dust can be a sign of termites. You can tap on your wood to see if it sounds hollow and if it does, this could indicate termites. These are all signs that you need to do a termite inspection. It's important to do your due diligence before buying. And if you are selling, why not obatin a report so you can minimize any surprises during escrow? A pest report starts anywhere from $275 and can go up to $900 depending on the size of the home.

written by Gina Odom

Berkeley Urban Legends

Today, I am trying to write a Berkeley urban legend and get the attention of Snopes.com.  I think I have it: 

The year was 2012, the month was April.  The perfect Berkeley Bungalow glistened despite the heavy rain. She was beautiful inside and out.  Her hearth was warm and, despite her good looks and obviously lavish upbringing, she promised to be low maintenance.   

A buyer came and fell in love.  He was told to move along because the match was unlikely.  She (the bungalow) was too pretty and his pockets were bare-- with merely $100K to put down.  There will be competition he was told.  Others will woo her.  Others will have cash. 

The storm let up.  The others went out to play.  He stayed with his beloved house and submitted his offer.  Remarkably, it was the only offer.  Now she belongs to him.

A little too unbelievable I know, maybe I will rework it and add back a little competition….

Tip to Buyers:  It is a great time to buy, but talk to a local Realtor who can help prepare you for the inevitable competition.  With low inventory, Multiple offers are the “new” new-normal.

For fun, click here to read some actual Berkeley urban legends.

Absobloominglutely! Spring Flowers and Gardens in the Bay Area and Beyond

Plant life is a big part of life in the San Francisco Bay Area this spring.

From backyard labors-of-love casually tossing their scents and shadows onto neighborhood sidewalks to professionally cultivated affairs that are worth every penny spent to see them—there’s some sprouting satisfaction for you whether you are a casual bloom-gawker or a serious gardener.

Here are a few places in the Bay Area and beyond where you can find lush greens to celebrate the new spring season:

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show San Mateo, CA 

If you have a great yard space and are looking for garden inspiration, this is the event for you. The show offers how-to sessions, innovative products, and all things green-themed for the green-thumbed. Wednesday, March 21, through Sunday, March 25. Click the link above for tickets and directions.

Daffodil Hill Volcano, CA

If you are lucky, one of the resident peacocks might fan by for a cameo appearance while you are sharpening your shutterbug talents among the over 300,000(!) blooms of Daffodil Hill. Patience, flower lover—as of this writing, Daffodil Hill is under snow. All signs point to a big bloom soon, though. The local Chamber of Commerce’s best guess for the bloom is the end of the first week in April. No entrance fee. Free parking. Before you buckle up the whole crew, call (209) 296-7048 to confirm that the park is open when you plan to visit. You’ll be rewarded with the cheeriest snapshots in your album and the kind of memories that come from beautiful afternoons with people you love.

Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Santa Rosa, CA

To protect the new fruits, vegetables, and flowers he cultivated, Luther Burbank locked his plant seeds in a safe, searched the pockets of his workers, and discouraged visitors. Now, the doors to his house, gardens, and a greenhouse are thrown open for the inquiring public during tour season, beginning this year on April 1. Take the docent-led tour to get the most out of your visit.

Pick-Your-Own Farms, Various Locations

Until your own backyard garden springs to life, you can collect fruits and vegetables at pick-your-own farms across Northern California.

Micke Grove Regional Park Japanese Garden Lodi, CA

Bridges over sun-dappled creeks, adequately spooky trees, and stepping stones create a quiet, lovely place to reflect and be inspired if you are on your own or walking hand-in-hand with your partner. If, with the other hand, you are holding the sticky little paw of someone significantly smaller and decidedly less mellow, you also happen to be steps away from a child-friendly zoo and amusement park. For a small parking and entrance fee, the world is yours.

Some Bay Area plant-destinations are so well-known that locals only need to be reminded, usually by out-of-town guests, to make the annual effort to see and support them--Berkeley Rose Garden and San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers are two of the most-loved and most-visited.

Whether you find the perfect plant in your own backyard, across one bridge, or a day-trip away, have fun taking in the beauty of our Northern California plants and flowers.

*For a list of Bay Area public gardens visit www.bayareagardens.org.

Magical Motoring: California’s Very Best Road Trip

Part 1
by Tom Knight

San Francisco is a worldwide tourist destination, but I wonder how many Bay Area residents who routinely watch “California’s Gold” with Huell Howser or “Bay Area Backroads” with Doug McConnell on TV are aware that they live at the beginning of the most profoundly beautiful and historic road in the entire state: Highway 4. Truly, this must be one of the best kept secrets for those who enjoy a great road trip. An entire book could be written just on the several hundred miles which is absolutely the most diverse and fascinating cross-section of California’s geography and history. You could drive it in a day, but if you took a week you would never be bored. Here’s why…


Going from West to East, the road begins in Hercules where one sees lots of new homes and lots of eucalyptus trees. The trees are reminders of the past, when they were planted to protect the public from inadvertent explosions from Hercules Power Company, maker of explosives for both World Wars. Also present is a rail line, now owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe, but once carrying passengers on the silver streamliner “Santa Fe Super Chief” from Richmond to Chicago. The brightly colored red and yellow “war bonnet” décor of the locomotives was a sight to see.

Immediately leaving the shores of San Pablo Bay, the road rises rapidly and winds over the rolling hills of the coast range, still grazed by cattle as it has been continuously for more than a century and a half. You might catch glimpses of old barns or ranch homes surrounded by tall palms or sycamores. Soon you pass the environs of Martinez with the beautifully maintained John Muir house on the left and a spectacularly large and rusty railroad trestle (still in use) on the right, spanning Alhambra Creek. Not long after that the striking view of Mt. Diablo comes into view on the right, the top of which is a landmark for the legal description of real estate throughout most of California. At 3,864 feet elevation and with no other mountains nearby, it is said to possess a view from the summit on a clear day of more of the earth’s surface than any other place on earth. The nearby Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve was once the site of California’s largest coal mining operations.

Passing through Concord and just before rising over Willow Pass to the Pittsburg/Antioch area, one may notice the bunkers, raised mounds of earth and concrete, which are the reminders of explosives stored by the U. S. Navy during World War ll. Few people may know that this was the location of a great tragedy during the war, when a massive explosion occurred killing 320 men and injuring another 390, mostly African-American, who were loading ships bound for the Pacific Theater. The area on the waterfront was called Port Chicago, now the site of a historic marker commemorating the service and sacrifice of these young men. Immediately following the Port Chicago Disaster, the largest mutiny ever to take place in the U. S. Navy eventually resulted in the desegregation of military services in the U. S.

Descending the highway from the summit of Willow Pass, one views the heavily industrialized area along the Pittsburg waterfront, a reminder of the economic power of the Bay Area. Next is Antioch and the gateway to the Delta, a place forgotten by time, the repository of memories past, place of pears and parties, floods and ferries, fishing and follies, crawdads and Chinese, a place bypassed and unknown by most travelers passing by on the distant busy interstate highways which surround it.

1476 Greenwood Terrace, Berkeley

Designed in 1907 by Bernard Maybeck for Francis E. Gregory, this inspiring home features all clad redwood walls, a particular design Maybeck like to incorporate, views of the Golden Gate, and great separation of space.

Maybeck once said, "A house should fit into the landscape as if iit were a part of it," he declared, and then added: "It should also be an expression of the life and spirit which is to be lived with that it. "Back of all this," he continued, "is the simplicity, the sincerity and the naturalness of the expression." (Keeler, 2006) The location of this home in the Berkeley Hills and the simplistic design of this Maybeck home captures the essence of this quote.


The unique architecture of the surrounding houses, the beautiful redwood trees, incredible views and the incorporation of nature is what makes Greenwood Terrace a spectacular place to call home.

In addition to many homes throughout the Bay, he also designed the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and The First Church of Christ in Berkeley among other public buildings.

Come by and see 1476 Greenwood Terrace this Sunday from 2-4pm.







written by Gina Odom, Realtor
ReferenceList:
(2006) Bernard Maybeck: A Gothic Man- by Charles Keeler.

http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/Welcome.html

http://www.friendsoffirstchurch.org/

Emeryville has far surpassed its label as the “Rottenest City of the Pacific Coast!”

When I was at Rotten City Pizza in Emeryville, I was reading a quote by the Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warren. He said that Emeryville was “the rottenest city on the Pacific Coast.”  This quote is what inspired the name of Rotten City Pizza. There is nothing rotten about their pizza, however, it is delicious.  They are open late, have free delivery and sell it by the slice if you are in the neighborhood.

And for you history buffs, following the crackdown on gambling in 1919, Emeryville began licensing card clubs, and many prospered along San Pablo Ave including Santa Fe Club, King Midas Club, Bank Club, Key Club, Alamo Club, Avalon Club and Oaks Club.  Today, only the Oaks Club has survived and it's thriving. You can still enter the Bank Club but it’s only if you want to grab a drink. Speaking of drinks, during prohibition in the 1930s, a number of “speakeasies” and bootleg joints offered illegal liquor. The Townhouse Bar and Grill built in 1926 and one of these “speakeasies” and still exists today serving up great food and drinks and has live jazz weekly.

Today, Emeryville boasts some modern fantastic bars and restaurants and is home to Bay Street. This urban hub uses architecture, lighting, landscape and environmental graphics to create a unique, contemporary atmosphere where you can shop, eat, live and has a tremendous, high quality movie theater.  You can also find the only IKEA in the East Bay located next door.  A few of my favorite restaurants in Emeryville are Café Bier where you can dine while drinking beers from around the world and watch soccer, and the original Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café where you can get food, both traditional diner food and good vegetarian delights any time of the day. And rumor has it, that a band member of Green Day is the one of the owners of this fine joint.

Emeryville is an easy commute to San Francisco, being the first stop over the bridge. Condo/loft prices range from $250K to $700K depending on size and era.  For single family homes, prices range from $250K-$500K but they rarely come on the market.  As a buyer, you will normally see condos or lofts for sale before you see a single family home.  Emeryville also has a down payment assistance program that is worth checking into should you need some down payment assistance.

By Gina Odom, Realtor

Northbrae Neighborhood in Berkeley Ranks Top 10 Places To Live

By Krista Miller, Realtor

The American Planning Association's "Great Places In America" has voted our own Northbrae neighborhood in their top 10 places in 2011.

Most people associate Northbrae with Monterey Market, Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, and Marin Circle Fountain. Me being me must associate it with food and coffee, so after I grab a latte from Espresso Roma Cafe and a slice of pizza from Gioia, I head with the kids to King Park and take in the amazing scenery.

http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/neighborhoods/2011/