Happy Birthday, Tracy!

Today, Berkeley Hills Realty agents and staff are hacking

Berkeley Hills co-owner Tracy Sichterman’s blog to wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Tracy!

What’s so great about Tracy Sichterman?

Here’s what BHR agents and staff have to say:

“I can’t sum her up in just One Good Thing. Tracy has an infectious energy and excitement for her work, and is the curator of the coolest shoe collection in real estate.”
Rebecca Nemeth

“Thoughts About Tracy:
She is so smart, yet so kind and considerate... a very nice combination.
She is so successful, yet so modest and humble... a very nice combination.
She is so inspiring, yet so supportive and encouraging... a very nice combination.
She is the key to the entire office, no combination required!”
Tom Knight

“Great source for info! My go-to tech girl!”

Terese Ashman

"Happy Birthday Tracy. 
Among the many things I admire about you is your positive attitude and the great ability of always being able to say good things about everyone.”
Love,
Maya Trilling

“Tracy is wonderful because she is the most generous, truly optimistic person I have ever met. She glows with the energy of an overachiever that has made it and wants to share it all with the world!
Happy Birthday to the best “boss” a person could have!”
Carina Stanley, Office Manager

“Happy birthday to one inspirational, hard- working, sophisticated, unselfish, and classy bike-riding emotional creature. May your year be full of love, laughter,
and a great cocktail. Cheers!”
Krista Miller

“Happy Birthday Tracy. It has been a pleasure working with you for the last 1.5 year. You are not only a beautiful person but also a fabulous supportive person in the office to us all. I am amazed at how much you do for everyone. Thanks for being you.” Xoxo,
Mamood Mokhtari



“Tracy: The best great thing about Tracy is Tracy. Top to bottom, a complete package! And inside too!”
Xoxo,
Nancy Mueller



“One great thing about Tracy Sichterman is her infectious gracious smile and her kindness to all who come her way...”
Happy Birthday from
Feri Niroomand & Negar Souza

"Tracy is very whole.  And by that I mean that she very naturally possesses abilities (qualities) that are a tricky balance in one person.  She is kind but has boundaries, smart but accessible, careful but willing to take risks, energetic and optimistic but not crazy (I think!).  And most of all for me anyway, she is a really positive force, always.  She is encouraging, substantive, always available and yet not judgemental.  I am sure she must have privately had some dark moments in the past year or two given the economy, but bless her heart she turns it into sunshine every time.  And it's real, the kind that warms you and gets you through."

Romney O'Connell

Happy Birthday, Tracy!
 

Thank you for making Berkeley Hills Realty such an amazing place to work!

For more information about Berkeley Hills Realty, call 510-524-9888,

email broker@berkhills.com or visit us at www.berkhills.com.

A Toast To The Newest Agent At Berkeley Hills Realty: Janesta Downey

Since earning her real estate license in 2004, Janesta Downey has demonstrated a knack for taking on challenges and creating positive results. Can she find the perfect home for a group of nuns in West Oakland? Yes, she can! In fact, she did. As a result of the friendships formed during that transaction she became fundraiser, board member, and general cheerleader for St. Martin de Porres School in Oakland. “You’ll hear a lot about this school from me,” she warns, “I believe education is the key to overcoming so many social challenges.”

Janesta has a solid history of turning her passions into her daily routine. Her love of meeting the needs of her clients created 20 successful years in computer industry corporate sales. Her love of wine-tasting and California helped her make the move from the East coast to the East Bay-- “The best place in the world!”-- after she earned her B.S. in Business Management from Rivier College and B.S. in Social Sciences from University of New Hampshire. She recently teamed up with former co-workers to shape www.brixchicks.com, a blog for exploring and reviewing wines. You’ll often find her whipping up a meal for friends and, occasionally, for her son and daughter. “They both work in the Bay Area,” she declares with a hint of triumph. You can be sure the Greek chicken she’s preparing for them tonight will be accompanied with the perfect wine.

The pairing of an agent with the right brokerage is essential to success. What draws Janesta to Berkeley Hills Realty? “It is such a nurturing group with a reputation for ethical business practices. When you tell the truth your life is so much simpler. I seek out people who share the same commitment to trustworthiness and kindness.”

For her clients, Janesta’s consulting and listening skills make the difference: “I believe people tell you exactly what they need. If you are talking too much you miss it.” Janesta is strong enough to support clients during periods of high emotion while being analytical and thorough about the details. These skills coupled with support from a welcoming brokerage make Janesta Downey and Berkeley Hills Realty the perfect pairing for your real estate needs.

Janesta Downey  

DRE # 01402391

janesta@berkhills.com

Office: 510.524.9888 x57

Vm: 510.524.1700 x57

Cell: 510.301.5323

About The East Bay Specialists

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. We are proud of our excellent reputation throughout the East Bay community and among our colleagues in real estate. At Berkeley Hills Realty, we strive to promote that reputation through specialized service and local expertise. With small-town ethics and a big world view, we combine digital push with personal pull to advance in the market without losing sight of the individual.

Berkeley Hills Realty is locally owned by two longtime agents. We are committed to nurturing a successful partnership with our clients, our associates, our staff members, and our real estate colleagues throughout the East Bay. Our associates are a select group of less than twenty-five agents. Our ongoing mission is to ensure the client’s best interests are of the utmost importance. That mission includes a dedicated effort to place the best and most polished tools available into the hands of our associates. With highly competitive commission earnings and exceptional support services, we take great care of our agents so that they can take great care of their clients.

For more information, call 510-524-9888, or email broker@berkhills.com.

1714 Solano Ave., Berkeley CA 94708  ·  510.524.9888  · www.berkhills.com

“Knock-Knock” is No Joke:

Real Estate Professionals Find Out “Who’s There” By Knocking on Doors

Sunday morning. 7am. Berkeley Hills Realty co-owner Bill McDowell quietly posts signs for an open house at 2pm. At nine, he starts strolling the neighborhood. He chats with neighbors, pets puppies, stands as a cheerful target for children on bikes, hands groggy couples their Sunday paper, and personally invites each person he meets to the open house. He may or may not have on the special M&M tie fellow agent MayaTrilling gave him to tease him about his signature stash of peanut M&Ms. He will have on a smile. You’d be wise to bet the house he is representing with fellow co-owner of Berkeley HillsRealty, Tracy Sichterman, will sell and come fully equipped with good vibes for the new owners. That success can be attributed to the powerful combination of Tracy’s online marketing campaign and her gentle nurturing of each client coupled with Bill’s careful research and gregarious door-to-door visits. This broker pair encourages all of the agents at Berkeley Hills Realty to use their individual mixes of digital push and personal pull to embrace the company’s motto: “Small Town Ethics. Big World View.”

Bill and Tracy are not alone. Many real estate professionals are linking their technological savvy with more traditional methods of marketing to get quantifiably positive results in a chaotic market climate. 

Are you a real estate professional thinking of strapping on your foot-in-the-door shoes? Here are three quick tips to consider when knocking on doors:

1. Never Show Up Empty-Handed: Some agents hand out a formal invitation to an open house. Others combine the invitation with small, useful gifts-- a calendar, a key chain flash drive, or snacks. When a name is added to their mailing list, some agents offer a chance to win a bottle of wine or entry into a drawing for a prize.  Include your business card in your package of goodies, but have more than your business card to share.

2. Know Before You Go: Do your research and know the neighborhood. Read the neighborhood association newsletter, the local paper, and all of the signs posted in the neighborhood (and neighborhood businesses). When you know a little bit about the neighborhood you are likely to be more comfortable, which means you and your message are more likely to be welcomed.

3. Share the Knowledge: Any information that can positively impact a homeowner’s investment or help a buyer to evaluate the market is likely to be well-received. Know what the concerns of local residents are and come armed with solutions, suggestions, and referrals. Do you know a good landscaper, contractor, house sitter? Be ready and willing to share that information if the topic comes up.

The best way to find out how door-knocking works is to talk to agents who are already working it. Find out which agents are getting good results with this method and ask for their advice while treating them dinner or coffee. Knocking on doors to find out “who’s there” might just be the key to boosting your real estate dream to the next level.

Choosing a focal point in your kitchen:

By Mykah Larkins

Interested in giving your kitchen a face lift? Not sure where to begin? One way to start is to pick a focal point, an area of your kitchen that you already like that you can build around.

I chose to build my kitchen around the new Viking stove. I originally thought that we would be getting the typical stainless steel kind. Once we started visiting the sales floors, however, I immediately noticed they actually came in colors, lots of colors! There was a pale green that was really pretty, but I realized right away that it was very popular color at the time. Many homes I had seen were using this particular green for kitchens, bathrooms, accent pillows, you name it…it was everywhere. I thought that it might be one of those trendy colors that would become out of date rather quickly. Not the best choice for a 600 lb. stove.

The other color that caught my eye was the burgundy Viking. It was gorgeous. The color was rich and classic and I really couldn’t imagine not enjoying it anytime in the next decade. I had to have it. Once the Burgundy color was chosen for our new stove, everything just started coming together. For cabinets, there were many shades of wood that would look nice with the stove, but we could tell right away that the richer medium tones were the most complimentary. Next was the countertop, and a visit to the granite shop. So many choices, but we knew it had to have some burgundy in it. That narrowed it down somewhat. The tile for the floor was a little tougher, we didn’t want everything to be red, but it had to work with the reds we had already chosen. So, we ended up with kind of a swirly terracotta, brownish-red tile and it even has a little green in it. It looks lovely and better yet, hides all the dirt. Lastly, we had to pick lighting. Again, we didn’t want just your basic stainless steel colored pendant lights hanging from above. We wanted something eye catching that warmed up the room. After all, this was going to be a place to cook, entertain and hopefully invite some scintillating conversation. The funny thing is, it wasn’t hard to choose at all. That burgundy stove that helped us get started was also helping us complete the task in no time at all. Six months from start to finish and we had a beautiful new kitchen. And it was only after we painted it deep red, that I read an article informing me that the color red causes people to feel hungry. How appropriate. The other part I read was how red is the color of passion, love, warmth, power and excitement: Perfect for my new kitchen.

Tour this kitchen at it's Open House, Sunday April 10th

Open 2:00 to 4:00

11 Ramona Ave, El Cerrito

Offered at $695,000

3bd/2ba

This heavily upgraded split-level home is just a half block from Memorial Park. The floor plan offers terrific separation of space with two generous bedrooms and one large bathroom on the upper floor and the master suite below. The gorgeous remodeled kitchen boasts a Viking Stove & granite countertops. Creekside setting is perfect for entertaining.

www.11Ramona.com

Welcoming A Fabulous Agent to our team: Mamood Moktari

Mamood Moktari has joined the prestigious East Bay firm of Berkeley Hills Realty. The team brings a quarter century of experience helping buyers and sellers in the East Bay and beyond.

“We’re delighted that Mamood and Uma are joining us at Berkeley Hills Realty,” says firm co-owner Bill McDowell. "I've known them for a long time, and I have great respect for their smarts, energy, and commitment to their clients."

Mamood Moktari

Mamood was born and raised in Teheran. He came to the United States in 1975, three years before the revolution, and attended the University of Louisville and San Francisco State, studying small business management. Prior to real estate, Mamood managed a number of local restaurants, including eight years at what is now Saul's.

Mamood got his real estate license in 1988, and comes to Berkeley Hills Realty after a decade of selling properties at several prominent local firms. His primary focus is single-family homes, though he has also worked on apartment complexes, and commercial sales and rentals. He has extensive property management experience, and is very familiar with the Berkeley and Oakland rent control ordinances.

Over the years, Mamood has sunk deep roots in the community. "I'm a very Berkeley person," he says, "I like the intellectual atmosphere and I like exchanging ideas and opinions with people. When you're in Berkeley, you can be who you are."

Among his other talents, Mamood enjoys bicycling. He once did the AIDS ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and raised close to $10,000, he says proudly. He has also volunteered for BOSS (Berkeley Oakland Support Services) and at the Berkeley Emergency Homeless Shelter. Finally, he confesses to being something of a homebody: "I love to read and cook, and taking care of my three kids."

To contact Mamood Moktar

Mamood Moktari cell: 510-685-1415 510-524‑9888 x 60

mamoodmoktari@yahoo.com

About The East Bay Specialists

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. We are proud of our excellent reputation throughout the East Bay community and among our colleagues in real estate. At Berkeley Hills Realty, we strive to promote that reputation through specialized service and local expertise. With small-business ethics and a big worldview, we engage the latest advances without losing sight of the individual.

Berkeley Hills Realty is locally owned by two longtime agents. They are committed to nurturing a successful partnership with our clients, our associates, our staff members, and our real estate colleagues throughout the East Bay. Our associates are a select group of fewer than twenty agents. Our ongoing mission is to ensure the client’s best interests are of the utmost importance. That mission includes a dedicated effort to place the best and most polished tools available into the hands of our associates. With highly competitive commission earnings and exceptional support services, we take great care of our agents so that they can take great care of their clients.

For more information, call 510-524-9888 or see our website, www.berkhills.com.

Feri Niroomand and Negar Souza join Berkeley Hills Realty

BERKELEY, CA – January 2011 – Feri Niroomand and Negar Souza, a dynamic mother-daughter real estate team, have joined the prestigious firm of Berkeley Hills Realty. They will be serving buyers and sellers in the East Bay and beyond.

“We’re delighted that Feri and Negar have joined us," says Berkeley Hills co-owner Tracy Sichterman. "Feri brings wisdom and years of experience to the job, and Negar has enthusiasm and cool technical skills. It's an impressive combination. Plus, they're fun to be around."

In a quarter-century working in the real estate business, Feri Niroomand has developed first-class listening and negotiating skills. "I always encourage my clients to explore their ideas about what a house will do for them," she says, "and I keep their interests in my heart." Feri grew up in Tehran and moved to the United States at 18. A UC Berkeley graduate, she has a master's degree in fine arts, and brings an artist's sensibility to her professional real estate skills.

Feri describes herself as very friendly and straightforward. Somewhat unusually, she works in both residential and commercial real estate. "I recognize that these are very different," she says, "but I find it exciting to work in both fields."

Feri spent two decades at Red Oak Realty, where she was a top producer in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and won the manager's award in 2007 and 2008. But in recent years, she's wanted to work in a smaller environment. "Berkeley Hills is intimate and cozy" says Feri, "and its owners offer a lot of personal support. Being here feels like family."

Speaking of family, Feri is making the move to the Solano Avenue firm along with her daughter, Negar Souza. "I've been active in real estate for five years," says Negar, "but I was actually born into the business." As the daughter of a real estate agent, she saw nothing odd about spending her childhood weekends at open houses, and she grew up learning the ropes. "I used to go with my mom on tours, even during the week. I was the kid tagging along." Says Feri with a laugh, "My daughter was handing out the flyers at open houses at the age of four."

Negar, who grew up in the East Bay, shares her mother's academic and artistic leanings. She is a San Francisco State grad where she studied interior design. She never wanted to just decorate homes, however. "I wanted to help people decide where to live," she says. "I wanted to decorate houses and stage them—to be involved with everything. Real estate is in my blood, so I always looked at it as something exciting that I wanted to do."

Negar shares her mother's enthusiasm about the move to Solano Avenue. "Berkeley Hills has the respect of the community, and it's staffed with agents I've admired," she says. "The place has a great feeling of camaraderie, and Bill and Tracy have been very welcoming."

Negar will always be the younger member of the mother-daughter team, but that has its advantages. In addition to youthful energy, she's comfortable with new technology and adept at social media. But mother and daughter both believe in the power of face to face, human contact.

They're also good at teamwork. It's in their genes.

Contact information:
Feri Niroomand (cell) 510-409-9111
Negar Souza (cell) 510-543-7016
FeriandNegar@berkhills.com
www.bayarearealestateconnection.com

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.

Home of the Brave

The upcoming Fourth of July celebrations have me thinking about today’s pioneers in home ownership: First-time Buyers. It is certainly an event worthy of celebration. It is also worth honoring the bravery it takes to enter a market after the turmoil in the mortgage and real estate markets.

As a mother, I can’t help but see the similarity of buying your first home and the miracle of birth. When I was pregnant, my world stopped and re-centered around the miraculous event of my babies birth. This coincided with the perspective that everyday, all over the world, other mothers were giving birth. I was comforted to know that this was somewhat ordinary, despite how big the emotions felt. It is similar for new home owners. You find that first house and the thought of it can keep you up at night and fill your days with wonder of the life yet to be lived inside. There is also always a bit of fear in all of life’s big events. It is comforting to realize that others have gone through the process and settled comfortably into life as homeowners.

Beyond this sense of belonging to a larger movement, there are other ways to feel brave during the transaction. The more you know about the process, the less trepidation you are likely to feel. There is a lot of advice on the web on how to buy your first home. Much of it is useful. But remember, too much of information can be overwhelming. It is difficult to sift out the essential nuggets that pertain best to your local market. Even real estate agents, after obtaining their license and fulfilling the educational requirements, realize that what they learned in the book does not directly translate to the day-to-day practice. As a first-time home buyer, the only way gain the benefit of true market knowledge is to align your self with a trusted advocate, your Realtor. A good Realtor will walk you through the process and focus your concentration on the areas most crucial to your goals.

Beyond the insight gained by the self-taught and the well-represented, owning a home takes a leap of faith. Homes are intricate and complicated investments. Even with good advice, it is impossible to know everything that will be involved in the future stewardship of a home at the onset. The adventure of home ownership is not for everyone. This post is not about pushing anyone off the proverbial fence. For those who feel ready, be brave. A rare combination of low prices and historically low interest rates make it a good time to buy. Expert Realtors at Berkeley Hills Realty are waiting to help you. Check out our Agent Profiles to find your advocate.

The Daily Californian: Berkeley's Housing Market Faces Foreclosures

The Daily Californian :: Berkeley's Housing Market Faces Foreclosures

By Leah Moskovic

Foreclosure rarely occurs at the top of the housing market, but on Monday a revamped North Berkeley Mediterranean-style home priced at over $2 million in 2008 will be headed to foreclosure auction.

Although Berkeley's high-end real estate market has been resistant to symptoms of the national housing slump since 2005, sales at a loss for the lender and foreclosures such as this one are now slightly more prevalent, even as buyers have been creeping cautiously back into the market as of late 2009 and the Bay Area is expected to slowly stabilize.

"We'll see a little bit of both-stabilization and foreclosures," said Anne Van Dyke, a broker associate with The Grubb Company, an East Bay real estate agency. "Some people are coming onto the market while others can't afford to stay in their houses. People are feeling a little tenuous."

Since 2008, instances in which a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on his or her property and a lender sells the property at a moderate loss have increased in Berkeley as a final effort to avoid foreclosure, according to Bill McDowell, co-owner of Berkeley Hills Realty.

Property values in the Berkeley, Albany and Rockridge housing markets-which are the strongest in Alameda County-have declined 5 percent per year from their highest point in 2005, McDowell said.

"Since the market has gone down, people are reluctant to sell for less than what they think their house is worth," McDowell said, adding that because of this, it is difficult for buyers to purchase better homes, when five years ago they could put a down payment on a new house using a type of interim financing that is no longer available.

The federal reserve has kept interest rates "extremeley low" in an effort to support housing credits for first-time buyers and foster housing stability, according to Robert Helsley, UC Berkeley Professor and Chair in Real Estate Development at the Haas School of Business.

"We expect to see the markets stabilize, the foreclosures to go down, the real estate owned by banks to go down, and for prices to slowly firm up," Helsley said. "But we don't expect dramatic returns. Activity will remain pretty low-particularly price appreciation-for the next while."

Barbara Norkus, broker and owner of Capri Real Estate Services, said the entry-level, first-time buyer market in Berkeley has been bouncing back slowly since January.

At the bottom of the market, the Berkeley Housing Authority-a rental assistance program-has been met with more demand for services to low-income families since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, according to Rachel Gonzales-Levine, a management analyst for the authority.

"Anecdotally, we have more and more families that are housed in properties facing foreclosure calling us with lots of questions," Gonzales-Levine said. "They want to know if they have to move and what laws are applicable to them."