EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule

We pride ourselves on smoothly guiding our clients through the home buying process. We recently helped our buyers through an issue relating to the EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule which went into effect in April of 2010. The buyers’ sale was delayed for two months with good reason. During the escrow period, it was discovered that the sellers had their house repainted by a painting company that did not take all the precautions required under the new law. The painting company power washed the loose paint chips and dispersed them all over the property and into the neighbor’s yard, resulting in the neighbors filing insurance claims and lawsuits. We were able to bring all parties to the table and facilitated a satisfactory resolution and there was a happy ending to this story.

Note to Homeowners: Please be careful when having the exterior or interior of your old home (built prior to 1978) painted.

Call us for a copy of the EPAs Renovate Right brochure. 1 800 Hi Berkeley.

Local Streams Rediscovered

by Tom Knight

Recently I discovered an East Bay group called Friends of Five Creeks. Creeks? In Berkeley? What creeks? Where are they? Where do they come from and where do they go? For many Berkeley residents, the answers are just emerging, as ever so slowly creeks are re-appearing, being “daylighted.” For those of us who are agents at Berkeley Hills Realty, maps of all the creeks are available, their “secret” underground locations identified, and the implications to homeowners well understood. For those curious ones, some very good info on Berkeley creeks can also be found on the City of Berkeley's website.

Before the California Gold Rush, streams in the Bay Area ran free and clear, undisturbed in their natural channels from the hills down to the bay. The Native Americans in this area, Ohlones, feasted on the salmon and steelhead which frequented the larger creeks. Also prevalent, particularly where streams entered the bay, were abundant shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. When the first Europeans arrived, village locations were clearly marked by enormous mounds of shells, some dozens of feet high, containing thousands of years of accumulated dinner leftovers.

One such shell mound was located where the Spenger’s Fish Grotto parking lot is currently situated. It was here in the “old days” that Strawberry Creek flowed into the bay. It’s strange to think that once this was the edge of the bay. It gives one some idea of just how much of the shallow areas of the bay were filled in throughout the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Another very large shell mound was at the mouth of Temescal Creek on Bay Street in Emeryville about where P.F. Chang’s restaurant is located, now commemorated by a small earthen mound and stylized basket sculpture.

These mounds of shells were of no archeological interest to early settlers and were soon destroyed. Gradually, small settlements replaced Indian villages. Muddy roads transited local farmlands, connecting early communities. Wooden trestles and bridges carried rails and roads across streams, but it soon became apparent as “progress” rapidly impacted the land, putting the local waterways underground was easier and cheaper than building more bridges. Large cement pipes and square reinforced concrete culverts captured local waterways. Once covered over and built upon, they were soon forgotten.

I have seen these large diameter pipes spewing their watery contents into the bay following winter storms, as I ride my bicycle along the edge of the bay. When I see such a pipe I have often wondered, was this once a named creek? Where does it come from and what did it look like before being trapped in a pipe? Friends of Five Creeks is an organization dedicated to awareness of our creeks and sponsors activities which benefit the health of these local resources. As more and more people have become aware that there even ARE creeks in Berkeley, there is a growing movement to uncover these “lost” creeks. Local waterways are now valued as natural areas which enhance the scenic beauty of our area and help the recovery of local wildlife.

Codornices Creek is one which has received a lot of attention recently and substantial financial support towards restoration of one section in West Berkeley. To see the results, you can walk, bicycle or drive over to the University Village area on Sixth Street just two blocks north of Gilman. Bulldozers, excavators, backhoes and dump trucks have just completed an extensive restoration of this section. Magically, a natural area resembling a park has replaced a rundown, overgrown, debris-strewn area. Incidentally, “codornices” is the Spanish word for quail, and according to one historian, was the name given to this creek by Luis Peralta, one of the sons of the Peralta family which once owned Rancho San Antonio, a land grant which stretched from Cerrito Creek just south of El Cerrito Plaza all the way to San Leandro. No doubt, quail will soon again frequent the banks of Codornices Creek.

It is wonderful to see the old creeks in our area reappearing and being valued. Many people are coming out on weekends to assist in this effort. You can see old grinding holes in streamside rocks and learn about our “lost” local creeks. You will certainly meet some great folks on Saturday morning work parties, from school kids to white-haired retirees. You might even become one of the “weekday weed warriors,” helping to remove invasive, non-native plants and restore the land to its natural state. For much more information on the history of area creeks and how to help out, check out the Friends of Five Creeks website. I’ve found it a great way to get some weekend exercise which may benefit the community and the environment as well.

Tom Knight, Broker Associate

BERKELEY HILLS REALTY

The Gourmet Realtor Talks about Berkeley

A Word from the President of Berkeley Hills Realty

Find more videos like this on Mimicc Realty Lab

Grandma's Blueberry Cake

Yesterday's Social Media Boot Camp was a tremendous success. It was "standing room only" at the Berkeley Association of Realtors as we ran out of chairs to seat all of the attendees. The presentation from Katie Lance of Inman News was very informative and the feedback was positive.

We received many requests for more social media learning opportunities at the Berkeley Association (BAR). BAR has a wonderful education committee working on future events. We also received a number of requests for my grandma's blueberry cake, which many of the participants tasted at the event. Thank you Grandma!

Grandma's Blueberry Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (well beaten)
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk (substitute milk with 1Tbl. vinegar)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (if doubling the recipe 3/4 tsp baking powder)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 pint box fresh blueberries (or 1 large can drained)

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and stir well. Add baking powder to flour and sift three times. Add baking soda to milk and add to the creamed mixture alternating with the flour. Add vanilla. Carefully fold in the berries.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. (if using a glass dish bake at 350 degrees.)

Sprinkle when done with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Return to oven for an additional ten minutes.

P.S. Berkeley Hills Realty would like to apologize to anyone who came with the expectation of "lunch" and instead encountered a sugar rush. Some signals got crossed in our preparation for a successful event.

Tracy Sichterman and Bill McDowell take over Berkeley Hills Realt

BERKELEY, CA – September 2009 – After joining the Berkeley Hills Realty ownership team in 2005, longtime agents Tracy Sichterman and Bill McDowell have taken full ownership of the prestigious real estate firm. Former co-owners Peter Damm and Nancy Mueller will stay on as active brokers and mentors, serving East Bay buyers and sellers of residential real estate.

Sichterman, who is married and has two children, says she is excited by the idea of heading the firm with McDowell, her longtime business partner. And Damm says there is no one he and Mueller would rather turn the company over to.

“Bill and Tracy are a highly experienced, dynamic team," he says. "Bill is rock solid, smart, and diligent. Tracy has great energy, imagination, and tech savvy. Both are terrific with people and devoted to protecting their clients’ interests."

For Damm and Mueller – who have no plans to retire – the sale means starting a new phase of their active work life. "When we took over the firm in 1996, we agreed that we would do this for ten years," he says. "Well, thirteen years have passed, so it's time to step down as owners-managers, but continue working with clients and helping mentor younger agents.” The two are now what Mueller jokingly calls “brokers emeriti.”

Tracy Sichterman grew up around real estate, as her mother owned a firm in Wisconsin. "One of the great things Mom taught us was how to be good to people and take care of their interests as a first priority," she says.

Though trained as a painter and sculptor, Sichterman found she loved the family business. Among other things, she was surprised to find how creative real estate work can be. She enjoys every step of the process, she says, from getting a house ready to sell and publicizing the sale to helping buyers deal with inspections and financing.

Whereas Sichterman came to real estate from art, Bill McDowell's background was in retail. "I've had two main jobs in my life," says McDowell, who grew up in the East Bay. "First I managed a sporting goods store, and then I decided to become a realtor."

After years in retail, McDowell moved into real estate in 1988. He initially went to work for Mason-McDuffie, but his impressive skills and background earned him a berth at Berkeley Hills Realty. "When Peter and Nancy bought Berkeley Hills in 1996, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse," he says with a laugh. Says Nancy Mueller: “We had great respect for Bill’s ability and integrity, and we wanted to make him the third member of our management team.”

Though McDowell moved into management, he continued dealing with clients, and often found himself working on projects with Sichterman. "Tracy could always add a creative element to my listings," he said. "She would take some bare-bones ad I had written – something like, 'Rockridge, 2BR, 1BA, $350,000' – and give it style and appeal.” In time, Sichterman and McDowell formalized their business partnership, and in 2005 they became co-owners with Damm and Mueller. By now becoming sole owners of the firm, they are raising their partnership to a new level.

Berkeley Hills Realty has long been recognized as one of the market leaders in East Bay real estate. Founded as Berkeley Realty, the firm has more than fifty years of experience with residential properties in Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, Piedmont, El Cerrito, and Emeryville. For more information, call 510-524-9888 or visit the firm’s web site at www.berkhills.com.

Contact Information

Tracy Sichterman: 510-524-1700 x27; 510-520-0076 (cell); tracy@berkhills.com.

Bill McDowell 510-524-1700 x30; 510-282-4673 (cell); billmberk@aol.com.

Peter Damm 510-524-1700 x13; 510-915-9147 (cell); peter@berkhills.com.

Nancy Mueller 510-524-1700 x20; 510-541-0552 (cell); nancy@berkhills.com.

Happy Earth Day!

Be kind to Mother Earth and take a hike! Berkeley Hills Realty has walking maps of Berkeley and Oakland which include many fabulous pedestrian pathways. For a complimentary copy of Berkeley’s Pathways or Walk Oakland!—while supplies last—stop by our office:

Berkeley Hills Realty
1714 Solano Avenue (between Tulare and Ensenada)
Or contact us at 510-524-9888