5671 Merriewood Drive – Montclair
Open Sunday, August 29th: 1:00pm-5:00pm. Click here for brochure.

www.MerriewoodDrive.com

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Step away from it all. The idyllic life beckons at this Montclair retreat, where hill and forest views abound. Beautifully updated, the home features sun-kissed hardwood floors throughout…recessed lighting, double-pane windows, original trim, updated baths, and more….

Two bedrooms and a full bath sit on the main floor. The living room flows to a spacious deck – perfect for stargazing and alfresco meals. Below, the family room adjoins a private office, laundry room and full bath. Step through French doors from the generous master suite onto the lower view deck. Awake to rustic charm….

Walk to Thornhill Elementary, a stonesthrow down the hill. Montclair Village, Lake Temescal, and the library are also nearby, as is convenient Hwy 13 access.

3825 39th Avenue – Laurel District
Open Sunday, August 22nd: 2:00pm-4:30pm. Click here for brochure.

www.39th-Avenue.com

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Gleaming floors abound. The good life awaits at this spacious, splendid Laurel District home, whose interior was completely remodeled only two years ago. Beautifully updated, its rooms feature double pane windows, sun-kissed flooring and baseboards, heavy window blinds, recessed lighting throughout, luxurious baths…and more….

The cavernous first floor flows from the entry to the generous living room…to the dining room and huge stainless steel and granite kitchen…then an adjacent laundry room and a junior bedroom in the rear. Upstairs lie three junior bedrooms, plus the master suite. Light and bright, most rooms receive all-day sun. A workshop area adjoins the attached garage.

Bustling Laurel District shopping is just a stonesthrow away. Farmer Joe’s, La Farine, Dimond Library, and Dimond Park are also nearby, as is convenient 580 freeway access.

So I discovered Thesis theme for WordPress the other week. Quel excellent excuse for a major revamp of this site….

While I’m coding (by trial-n-error), do excuse the unpolished look until I get everything cleaned up.

One major content upgrade will be the Communities page. Over the next months, I’ll be adding content to feature neighborhoods within my primary markets in the East Bay: Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Emeryville, and Alameda.

As always, thanks for visiting!

39 Merriewood Circle – Oakland
Open Sunday, July 11th: 2:00pm-4:30pm. Click here for brochure.

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Welcome to this Montclair gardener’s retreat, nestled in a woodsy setting. Upstairs lie the main living area and one bedroom and bath. The second bed and bath are located in the lower level, with a bonus room. The upstairs bedroom walks onto a balcony overlooking the canyon.

This property needs some TLC and is waiting for a buyer to put their own special touch.

Ratified a sale before April 30th but can’t close before June 30th to claim the federal 1st-time homebuyer tax credit? Well lucky you. Congress just approved an extension…and the President will likely sign the bill.

Now you’ll have until September 30th, 2010 to close. This should be a relief to lots of buyers stuck in short sale limbo.

Disclosure is key! The following is excerpted from our corporate attorney’s advisory to sellers, regarding the Transfer Disclosure Statement:

Apart from the Purchase Agreement, the second most important document in a real estate transaction is the Transfer Disclosure Statement, commonly called a “TDS.” Unless an exemption applies, sellers of residential 1-4 unit properties must complete a TDS and deliver it to the buyer.

Sellers in California have an affirmative duty to disclose to buyers all material conditions or defects known to them which can affect the value or desirability of the property. Failure to do so can lead to liability from the buyer for damages as a result of the lack of disclosure.

Section A asks you to check boxes regarding appliances, fixtures and items on the property and whether any are not in operating condition. Section B asks if you, as seller, are aware of any significant defects or malfunctions in the identified areas of the property. If you check any of the boxes, please provide as much information as you can, using additional sheets if necessary.

Section C asks sixteen questions regarding the property and surrounding areas. These questions are in the form of: “Are you (Seller) aware of any of the following?” A “Yes” answer means you are aware of something which is subject of that question. A “No” answer means you are not aware of something which is subject of that question. DO NOT LEAVE ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS BLANK.

It is important that you complete the TDS as completely, fully and as honestly as you can. To that end, we strongly recommend that you consider the following in making your disclosures and completing the TDS:

1. Spend some time with the TDS walking through your property and trying to remember issues, repairs, leaks, or other damage to the property. Add any of these to your TDS.

2. If you had a repair to, or remodel of, the property, identify the issues (water leak, remodel, etc.) and the repairs or remodels in the TDS, even if you believe that the problem no longer exists. You should also disclose and include copies of any contracts, estimates or bids for the work if you still have them.

3. You should attach additional sheets to the TDS if necessary to fully disclose and to paint a complete picture of the property.

4. Even if you disagree with them, disclose whether you are aware of any issues or disputes with neighbors regarding lot lines, fences, encroachments or other neighborhood issues.

5. Disclose all old reports, disclosures, inspections, surveys, bids, correspondence, public records, etc., that you possess regarding the property, even back to when you bought the property.

6. Disclose any lawsuits, past or present, which affect, or have affected, the property even if they have been resolved.

7. Disclose any neighborhood nuisances, such as noise or odors, which affect the property.

8. Disclose any repairs or additions to the property known to you that were made without permits, or if the property is in violation of zoning or other laws or regulations.

9. Disclose any changes or construction in the neighborhood known to you, such as changes to roads or other construction which may affect traffic, views, or can cause noise and other issues.

10. If you were told information which you were not able to verify regarding something related to the property, or something about, or someone in, the neighborhood, discuss that with your agent.

11. Remember, the best advice is “When in doubt, disclose.”

If you discover information after the TDS is completed which renders the original TDS disclosures incomplete or inaccurate, please notify your agent as an amendment to the TDS disclosure may have to be made to the buyer.

Here are the latest trends in the 94602 zip code for single family homes.

Keep in mind the small sample sizes corresponding to many of the months, like this past February.

Here’s an 18-month snapshot of Emeryville’s condo market. Keep in mind the small sample sizes corresponding to most of the months.