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.

I Met My New Neighbors Online

I once had a wonderful client whose top priority was finding a "hi Bob" neighborhood. A view, fireplace and hardwood floors might be nice.... But, her highest priority was finding "friendly" neighbors. This was a bit of a challenging task where double incomes are the norm, and few have the time to hang out looking to meet the neighbors.

More and more, the secret may lie online. We have been noticing some fantastic neighborhood involvement: First at 2347 Spaulding Avenue in Berkeley, and now a new listing at 5512 MacDonald Avenue in El Cerrito. Some neighbors still get together for a good ol' fashioned BBQ, or in preparation for "the Next Big One." But before the first hot dog is cooked, the neighborhood conversations are taking shape online.

Many neighborhoods are finding new ways to share collective information through email lists, Yahoo or Google groups, and community Facebook pages. Online groups are a great way to share information. The popularity of the Berkeley Parents Network is a great example of the value of shared knowledge. This idea works well on a micro level, where the neighbors might wonder who takes care of the Taylor's garden or who painted the Jones's house. On the neighborhood level, the sharing is enhanced by the trust you already have for the people you know near your home. Today, neighborhood list shares create babysitting co-ops and tool lending libraries. Baby sitting co-ops offer kids fun play-dates and parents the opportunity for a night out. Tool lending libraries are eco-friendly solutions where neighbors can take a look at what they already own and are willing to share with other neighbors. In this way, a neighborhood can share things like a power washer, sewing machine or hedge trimmer.

Here is what the neighbors at 5512 MacDonald Avenue have in place:

1. NEAT (NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY ACTION TEAM)

NEAT meets 4 times a year to make sure everyone has all the equipment needed to help each other if there is an earthquake. It is well organized with a command post, a search and rescue team and walkie-talkies. There is a nearby first aid site with common equipment, water and canned food for the neighborhood. The group also organizes a big earthquake drill once a year, simulating all kinds of things that could happen. The fire department comes to these drills. This event morphs into a BBQ. Everyone gets to know each other which makes this a fun place to live.

2. APTNA (Alta Punta Neighborhood Association)

This is a "social committee." The committee organizes a Cinco de Mayo block party and maintains a list serve. The list serve shares information about contractors, cat sitters, babysitters, house cleaners.... If you have a question, you post it to the list and the neighborhood shares it’s wisdom.

3. Cocktail Hour

There are also a number of 30 somethings with kids and they do kid friendly cocktail hours, BBQ and such at each other's homes.

We are Rolling up Our Sleeves at Peralta Park

Berkeley Hills Realty has adopted Solano-Peralta Park. In support of our local community, Berkeley Hills has voluntarily taken on the role as Peralta Park stewards. Our responsibility includes a weekly cleanup. We are at the park every Wednesday around noon, sweeping, pruning and watering. If you are in the neighborhood (Solano Avenue @ Peralta) and want to stop by, we would love to see you.

Because of recent cuts in the city's budget, the staff caring for our local parks have been stretched thin. As a result, the city was very supportive and thankful of our efforts and even donated tools and brooms. The city also put as in touch with some key individuals who have been very responsive to our questions and have provided us with guidance along the way.

If you would like to find out how you can volunteer to care for a park near you, contact your local Park and Recreation department:

City of Berkeley
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
TEL: (510) 981-6700, TDD: (510) 981-6903, FAX: (510) 981-6710
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Email: parks@ci.berkeley.ca.us

City of Oakland:
250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Suite 3330
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 238-PARK

City of Albany:
Recreation & Community Services
1249 Marin Avenue
Albany, California 94706
Telephone: (510) 524-9283

City of El Cerrito:
7007 Moeser Lane El Cerrito, CA 94530-2392
General Line: (510) 559-7000
General Fax: (510) 528-9413

Kensington
Police Protection and Community Services District
(510) 526-4141
http://www.kensingtoncalifornia.org/parks-and-recreation

BHR Agents Maintain Pathways in the Berkeley Hills

BERKELEY, CA – June 2008—Pulling weeds can give you calluses, but when you’re maintaining one of Berkeley's hilly pathways, you feel like a community trailblazer. On a recent Saturday, several Berkeley Hills Realty agents did trail maintenance on Glendale Path in the North Berkeley Hills. The morning’s work was cool in both senses of the word.

Guided by master path maker Charlie Bowen of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, the BHR volunteers cleared weeds from native woodmint and Juncus rushes on Glendale Path, an unusual three-segment path that runs down from Arcade Avenue and Fairlawn Drive past Queens Road to Campus Drive.

Glendale is just one of the hundred-odd paths that link the winding streets in the Berkeley and Oakland hills. The pathways were originally laid out to join the streets, which mostly run horizontally, along the contour lines. Whether paved paths or secret trails, they are fun to use and popular with neighbors. They are also vital escape routes in case of natural disaster, so keeping them in good shape is important.

In Berkeley alone, there are some 136 paths, steps, and walkways. They appear on the excellent map published by The Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, at www.berkeleypaths.org. Oakland’s network of paths is shown on the "Walk Oakland!" map published by the City of Oakland, www.oaklandnet.com/government/opsp.html.

For a description and history of paths in both cities, see William Rodarmor's article "Paths of Least Resistance" in the Summer 2004 Berkeley Hills Realty newsletter, at www.berkhills.com.

Happy after a good morning of Glendale Path stewardship: Steve and Sandy Patel-Hilferty, Nancy Mueller, Daniel and Una O'Connell (our littlest helper), Jane Allen and Kim Brown, from Berkeley Hills Realty.

Ordinary Beauty in the East Bay

I came across an interesting post on beauty and its price tag on the Daily Kos. Here is an excerpt:

One of the most interesting social and journalistic experiments related to this took place last year and involved a busker named Joshua. Joshua played his violin in the L'Enfant Plaza metro station in Washington, D.C. For nearly an hour, Joshua performed for approximately 1,110 people who passed by. Just 27 of them made contributions that totalled about $30. Only seven people paused to listen for more than a minute. The rest of the commuters walked by, without listening or donating.

The funny part is that Joshua is actually Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist. The pieces he played in the subway are some of the most difficult works a violinist can master. But that day, his performance earned him about $30.

I can't help but wonder if it might have been different here in the East Bay. The author goes on to say:

...This experiment seems to indicate that we value what we can quantify: We value an exceptional violinist only when we buy a ticket to his or her performance that takes place in a traditional setting. The same musician playing for free in the subway is invisible.

Our conspicuous consumption of all things luxurious and our disdain for anything less than elegant seems to go way beyond the world of music. Some women covet Birkin bags that cost $60,000(my wife asked for one of these I laughed so hard milk almost shot out of my nose lol)! Even Oprah's favorite things, listed monthly in O magazine are well beyond the means of most of her readers. (A pillow for $150? A $48 candle?) The funny thing about all of this is that anyone who would recognize, and be impressed by, a Hermes ashtray -- is the same person who would own one. So who impresses whom?

Although we are not immune to the vices of consumerism, these luxury goods are not so coveted on the streets of Berkeley. Berkeley women are still known for choosing the comfort of Birkenstocks over the status of Jimmy Choos. People here not only embrace-- but often come out in defense of "ordinary beauty." We have the tree sitters in Berkeley, and the artists of the re-purposed landfill at Albany Bulb. I also think of my colleague who traversed the East Bay and took hundreds of photos just of Wisteria. Home prices in the East Bay are high, but its good to know that the people here can not be bought.

We Are What We Eat

You gotta love a University town! Two days ago at UC Berkeley, The co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey delivered a multimedia presentation of the Past, Present, and Future of Food.

(Click here to watch the webcast.)

The presentation did a fabulous job of outlining our cultural trends in regard to food production. I love mapping trends. We can try to predict the economic growth potential of real estate investments based on such social influences. Property values tend to follow the ripple effects of basic city growth patterns. City growth patterns follow predictable trends. John Mackey outlined food production trends by mapping a time line of six different eras. What resonated in the lecture for me was the sixth era, Ecological. The ecological era is certainly upon us. In real estate this trend includes green architecture and building practices (both the construction and renovations of homes, see my post on historic renovations.) In the larger community, buyers are looking to shop locally and the availability of local ammenities has become more important than ever. (click here to read, A Hop Skip and a Jump in Property Values.)

The strength of the Bay Area economy can be measured by the luxury of choice when it comes to local food. Renowned restaurants and specialty markets not withstanding, choice is a privilege that can lead directly the better health of the population; specifically, through the availability of good local produce and quality packaged foods. In the Bay Area we have many resources beyond Whole Foods including; local farmer's markets, The Berkeley Bowl, Farmer Joe's Market (in the Laurel and Dimond Districts of Oakland), the The Food Mill (two locations on MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland), Lakeshore Natural Foods, plus Berkeley and El Cerrito Natural.

A Little Peace and Sunshine

Everyone seems to be enjoying the sunny weather lately. I ran across this recent post with some gorgeous shots of Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland:

California dreamin' on such a winter's day

On a drearier note, I saw this Neil Young quote yesterday on Rolling Stone:

"I think that the time when music could change the world is past," he said. "I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age."

This from Neil Young, the man responsible for Rockin' In The Free World?! Young mentions the age of innovation and the need to look for answers in science, physics and spirituality, not just song. Personally, I worry that this cultural shift may have something to do with the fragmentation of communities throughout the nation (something this blog endeavors to address locally.) It may be hard for much of the country to imagine a local community rallying around the profound words of poetic war songs. But I have hope for the East Bay. We are unique. Sit-ins are not only still a possibility, but an ongoing reality. In Berkeley, for example, a community of activists has been tirelessly (over a year now) dedicated to the protection of old grove of live oak trees. Strong community is not just a way to strengthen existing ties and embrace the status quo. Strong community can also inspire revolution.

Tonight there is a protest over a Marine Corps recruiting station downtown.

The Berkeley City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Maudelle Shirek City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. An overflow crowd is expected for discussion of the Marines recruiting center, which is expected to begin about 9 p.m. For those who don't get inside, the city will broadcast audio from the meeting from loudspeakers outside City Hall. See the agenda at links.sfgate.com/ZCJX.

Hop, Skip and a Jump in Property Value

Ten years ago, if an East Bay buyer could afford to be particular, first on the list was a Bay view. The primary objective of today's buyer is to be "walking distance."* This is a dynamic cultural shift. New Urbanism and the subtle move away from car culture have worked to protect home values in our pedestrian centers. "Quality of life" now respects the value of what's at your doorstep. Locally, neighborhoods surrounding Piedmont Avenue, Grand/Lakeshore, Rockridge, the Gourmet Ghetto, Westbrae and Solano Avenue have more cachet than ever.

Discover your home's walk-ability score at walkscore.com. Enter an address and the site will tell you what is nearby (gr0ceries, libraries, cafes...) and attribute a Walk Score. See how our office rates as mapped by Walk Score on the sidebar to the right (scroll down.)

*Note: As Realtors we don't advertise properties with the words "walking distance," in keeping with Article 10 of our Code of Ethics, as we don't intend to discriminate against non-walkers. We do advertise, "shops nearby." "Rolling distance" is more inclusive and extends the local amenities to the larger realm of all amenities within bicycle distance.

Halloween Children's Art Contest

Haunted House Images Wanted

Bring Your Child’s Entry to:

1714 Solano Avenue, Berkeley 94707 · 510.524.9888

Any Materials may be used · Size restricted to 8 ½” x 11”

Artwork must be received by October 29, 2007, 4:00 p.m.

(Please sign your monsterpiece. On the back print your name,
grade in school, your school, and your phone number.)

Great Prizes from Our Local Haunts:

The Mechanics Bank, Chicago Title Company, Old Republic Title Company,

Payn’s Stationary, Sweet Lotus, Jamba Juice, Five Little Monkeys, & A Child’s Place

Prizes awarded in three age groups:

Grades; K-1, 2-3, and 4-5

OPEN HOUSE: October 31, 2007

Berkeley Hills Realty (1714 Solano Ave.) · Winners will be posted

All are welcome from 2:15 - 4:00 p.m. for tricks and treats!

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? (revisited)

My last post has a stealthy link to a Robert Frost poem called Mending Wall. Published in 1914, Frost questions the artificial construct of a privacy wall. Today someone sent me a link to a SF Gate article that brings back the radical notion of doing away with fences in our Bay Area backyards.

Taking down the fence had another outcome: She established a more communal relationship with her neighbors. No longer playing in tree houses, Westberg, Pettler and their neighbors share barbecues, garden tips and a glass of wine at sunset, all accomplished without the formality of front doors.

We have examples of overwhelmingly successful boundary-breaking in our East Bay neighborhoods. The article mentions one area in North Berkeley around Mariposa and there is another popular South Berkeley communal backyard nicknamed, the Meadows. The logic is particularly adaptable to our neighborhoods, where small lots can be expanded by open minds. Experience tells me that expanding verdant outlooks will also increase a property's value in the real estate marketplace. What do you think? Can you imagine tearing down your own backyard fence?

Is it in a Safe Neighborhood?

Good fences make good neighbors? Hopefully this blog will do more to build bridges than mend fences. Although sometimes there isn't a fence high enough, if the neighbor is truly a nuisance. We repeatedly advise buyers to spend time in the neighborhood where they want to live. There are a lot of things about a house that you can change as your needs dictate. Location isn't one of them. Learn who your neighbors are before you sign on the dotted line. As for that pesky little question, "is it in a safe neighborhood?" There are lots of websites that provide crime statistics, but only you know what kind of surroundings make you feel comfortable. Only you know you. Even so, you are apt to feel comfortable in different places during different stages in your life. I lived in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco once. It was my last years of college when poverty felt like a badge of honor and the invincibility of youth gave me courage. Later, my first pregnancy sent my bravado packing as my mothering instincts gained ground.

Still that first apartment, filled only with furniture collected off the street and the rare salvation army splurge, had me thinking of my role in the bigger picture. In some ways I was a better person then. I was certainly more sympathetic, or at least more aware concerning the issue of homelessness. Beyond the education brought on by the state of my own meager means, a walk from the Civic Center BART station through Civic Center Plaza was a bit like immersion therapy for the armchair activist. The experience ignited in me the eternal optimism that takes seed easily in the collegiate mind. The homeless have been mostly pushed out of the area now, with only a small presence near Market Street. It's a shame that the problem was shuffled not solved. Back in the day, such open evidence of great need strengthened conviction, and even humble college students wanted to make a difference. A small group of us used to make a weekly foray into the Plaza with a box of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, carrots and surplus cheese. After repeated questions about which religious institution we were affiliated with, we dubbed ourselves, "the Peanut-Butter and Jelly Church." Talk about putting a face on homelessness, I still remember some of the characters we met. (Are you out there Hobo and Red?) I hope they are well, but that renewed mothering instinct has me worried.

Today, I get great satisfaction in helping new buyers into their first home. (Thank you to our clients for the opportunity.) Our office makes annual contributions to places where we think the money might matter. In addition, our agents also make contributions from their earned commissions to the Berkeley Association of Realtors Community Fund. We can go home saying, "I gave at the office." However, every year homelessness fosters old and new faces, and my stage in life has me reconciling a check book and hoping it will truly make a difference.

Buyer Tip: When you're interested in a house, walk the neighborhood. Meet the people that live there and ask questions. Call the non-emergency number for the local police department. They can often put you in contact with the beat officer for the area. Also, check out our previous post (and user comments) on the new Google Street Views.

Seller Tip: Disclose any issue you are aware of that affects your home or neighborhood. Full disclosure buffers your liability and can give a buyer more confidence in the overall transaction. Be specific about the problem, not the individual. If a neighbor is loud enough to be considered a nuisance, describe the noise level and time of day. This is more useful to the buyer (and less offensive to the neighbor) than any attempt to define the individual's character.

The Rehabilitation and Restoration of the Piedmont Way Project

Today the Berkeley Association of Realtors hosted a Membership Luncheon on The Rehabilitation and Restoration of the Piedmont Way Project. A grass roots organization, the Friends of Piedmont Way, has formed a partnership with the City of Berkeley and the University of California at Berkeley to rehabilitate and preserve one of Fredrick Law Olmsted's signature curvilinear parkways. Located along Piedmont Avenue, the parkway runs through the neighborhood originally know as the Berkeley Property Tract. The ambitious four part restoration marks a trend toward embracing landscape architecture for its important historical significance in conjunction with the existing movement to preserve land marked buildings.

The Piedmont Way Project was Fredrick Law Olmsted's first residential commission drafted in 1865. Olmsted is one of our country's first famous landscape architects, who's numerous accomplishments include New York City's Central Park and the Capitol Grounds in Washington D.C.

Olmsted envisioned a roadway sheltered from the sun and wind by "an over arching bowery of foliage."

Over time, the street scape has deviated from Olmsted’s original vision as a result of development, the addition of overhead power lines, road repairs and maintenance, and the removal of original flora.

Through a 100% volunteer effort, Friends of Piedmont Way has come a long way toward getting the project off the ground. This fledgling needs your help to fly. Donations and volunteers are needed to see the project to its fruition. Go to www.piedmontway.org for more information on how you can help recreate a historic greenbelt.