Real Estate in Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont, California » Market

Zip code to Neigborhood name converter for Oakland & Piedmont CA

Brian Santilena — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:33:12 +0000

The city of Oakland has many different neighborhood names that are used in the real estate community. Some of the names date back to the original subdivision while others seem to be somewhat randomy. When looking at homes for sale in the Oakland and Piedmont area newspapers or the Sunday Open Home List, ads will generally have the neighborhood name noted. Many websites such as Realtor.com, Redfin, PacUnion.com, Grubbco.com etc. allow you to search by zip code. If you are from out of the area you mayfind it difficult unless you know what zip code a neighborhood resides in. I hope you find this helpful.

Neighborhood to Zip Code

Adams Point (94610)
Broadway Terrace (94611)
Claremont (Oakland part) (94618)
Crocker Highlands (94610)
Diamond District, Upper (94602)
Downtown Oakland (94612)
Eastmont (94605)
Embarcadero Oakland (94607)
Glenview District (94602)
Golflinks Road (94605)
Grand Avenue (94610)
Haddon Hill (north end) (94610)
Joaquin Miller (94602)
Keller Avenue (94605)
King Estates (94605)
Lakeshore District (94610)
Laurel District (94602)
Maxwell Park (94619)
Merritt College-Skyline (94619)
Millsmont (94605)
Montclair (hills & village) (94611)
North Oakland (94609)
North Hills (94705)
Oakknoll (94605)
Oakmore District (94602)
Piedmont Pines (94611)
Piedmont, City of (northern half) (94611)
Piedmont, City of (southern half) (94610)
Piedmont Ave. (94611)
Piedmont side of Montclair (94618)
Rockridge, Lower (southern end) (94609)
Rockridge, Lower (north end) (94618)
Redwood Heights (94619)
Rockridge, Upper (94618)
Sheffield Village (94605)
Temescal (94609)
Trestle Glen (94610)

Zip code to Neighborhood

94602
Joaquin Miller
Oakmore District
Laurel District
Glenview District
Upper Diamond District

94605
Oakknoll
Golflinks Road
Keller Avenue
King Estates
Millsmont
Eastmont
Sheffield Village

94607
Oakland Embarcadero

94609
Lower Rockridge (southern end)
Temescal
North Oakland flats

94610
Adams Point
Grand Avenue
Lakeshore District
Haddon Hill (north end)
Trestle Glen
Crocker Highlands
City of Piedmont (southern half)

94611
Montclair (hills & village)
Broadway Terrace
Piedmont Pines
City of Piedmont (northern half)
Piedmont Ave.

94618
Piedmont side of Montclair
Upper Rockridge
Claremont (Oakland part)
Lower Rockridge (north end)

94619
Merritt College-Skyline
Redwood Heights
Maxwell Park

94612
Downtown Oakland

94705
North Hills (City of Oakland address, Berkeley mailing)

About Brian Santilena, Realtor

Brian Santilena sells real estate in Oakland – Piedmont – Berkeley, CA – Department of real estate 01244612. Brian Santilena is one of the top real estate agents in the Oakland – Piedmont – Berkeley markets. He is a member of the Oakland Board of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors and the National Board of Realtors. Brian practices real estate in Oakland – Piedmont and Berkeley CA since 1998. He aggressively helps home buyers and home sellers who are looking to buy or sell real estate and Oakland homes, Piedmont homes and Berkley homes. See what some of his home selling and home buying clients have to say about working with Brian. He is with Pacific Union Real Estate at 1900 Mountain Blvd. Oakland CA 94611. He works in many neighborhoods in addition to Piedmont, Montclair, Rockridge, Upper Rockridge, Glenview, Trestle Glen, Crocker Highlands and many more areas and homes for sale. Brian is a licensed contractor and is listed on Real-Estate-Agents.com . If you are specifically interested in homes for sale in Rockridge and homes in Upper Rockridge, please take a look at Brian’s Homes In Upper Rockridge website.

Interest rates are going up when buying a home in Oakland and Piedmont CA

Brian Santilena — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:10:21 +0000

If you’re thinking of buying a home in Oakland or Piedmont, LOAN RATES ARE GOING UP!

I’ve been speaking with Brian Moggan (Branch Manager with Mason McDuffie Mortgage) and after quite a bit of technical mortgage discussion I think the bottom line is that mortgage rates are going to be going up.

Some facts to be aware of:

A conforming loan (in the SF East Bay) is any loan at or below $625,500.
Every conforming loan is underwritten to standards and costs set out by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, regardless of who’s making the loan (Wells, CHASE, BofA, MMCD etc.)
Fannie and Freddie were taken over by the government in late 2008 and the US congress became their conservator. So in other words, Congress now sets the rules.
Fannie and Freddie charges a fee to lenders (called a “guarantee fee”) when they take delivery of a loan from a lender.

So here is what has happened. Congress recently ran up against a payroll tax cut deadline. In order to extend the payroll tax cut deadline for 2 more months Congress needed to find the funds to pay for it. They decided to fund it by increasing the Fannie and Freddie “guarantee fees”. Since the cost of “making” a mortgage has just gone up and the increased cost will inevitably be passed onto borrowers, borrowers can now expect to pay about a quarter point more in interest rates on their loans.

To steel from the words of Brian Moggan, “If the cost of cow feed increases, it will cost more to buy a steak.”

About Brian Santilena, Realtor, Oakland – Piedmont – Berkeley, CA – Department of real estate 01244612. Brian Santilena is one of the top real estate agents in the Oakland – Piedmont – Berkeley markets. He is a member of the Oakland Board of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors and the National Board of Realtors. Brian practices real estate in Oakland – Piedmont and Berkeley CA since 1998. He aggressively helps home buyers and home sellers who are looking to buy or sell real estate and Oakland homes, Piedmont homes and Berkley homes. See what some of his home selling and home buying clients have to say about working with Brian. He is with Pacific Union Real Estate at 1900 Mountain Blvd. Oakland CA 94611. He works in many neighborhoods in addition to Piedmont, Montclair, Rockridge, Upper Rockridge, Glenview, Trestle Glen, Crocker Highlands and many more areas and homes for sale. Brian is a licensed contractor and is listed on Real-Estate-Agents.com . If you are specifically interested in homes for sale in Rockridge and homes in Upper Rockridge, please take a look at Brian’s Homes In Upper Rockridge website.

To steel from the words of Brian Moggan, “If the cost of cow feed increases, it will cost more to buy a steak.”

How to get the best deal when buying a home Oakland and Piedmont CA

BrianS — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:14:26 +0000

How to get the best deal when buying a home in Oakland and Piedmont CA.

View homes for sale in Oakland and homes for sale in Peidmont here.

Prices are down. Interest rates are dropping. Short sales are increasing. Foreclosures, a volatile economy, YIKES! With all this market turbulence it takes a lot of courage to purchase real estate in Oakland and Piedmont CA right now. It’s not enough just to get a good deal. You want the best deal!

So how do you get the best deal when buying a home? Here is what I think. In order to get the absolute best deal on your new home you will need to do one or more of the following things:

#1 Buy a home that is not attractive to other prospective buyers.
#2 Be willing to put up with a difficult transaction.
#3 Be in a financial position to buy a home that will not qualify for a loan.
#4 Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.

First off I think you need to decide if you are buying a “home” or purchasing an “investment.” They are not the same thing. In addition to providing you shelter from the elements, a “home” is something you buy because it adds to your quality of life. There is always an investment aspect to any purchase but when you buy a “home” you need to factor in use and enjoyment. When buying a property purely as an investment, pride of ownership should take a second seat to cash flow, cost of ownership and gross rent multiplier GRM.

#1 Buying a home that has some flaws translates into fewer prospective buyers wanting it. Is the property it a fixer? Perhaps. Does it have a weird floor plan? Possibly. Are the finishes dated? Most likely. All of these things will lessen demand. But if you have the skills or resources to fix those flaws you can save a ton of money. I don’t however advocate buying a home with “fatal flaws.” Examples of “fatal flaws” are things such as buying next to the highway, buying into a bad neighborhood or buying a home with tons of stairs.

#2 Deals where there is a tenant or a short sale require lots of patience and flexibility. Two things that are in short supply for many of today’s home buyers. Tenant occupied properties typically don’t show very well and just getting a showing appointments can be difficult. Short sales require a two step process. First get the Seller/Occupant to accept your offer, then get their lender to accept your offer. In order for that to happen the Seller will need to qualify for a short sale and the bank will need to agree to take less money than the sellers mortgage balance. Some 60% of short sale transactions never close escrow. Buyers know this and many choose not to participate in transactions with such success rates.

#3 Being able to pay cash for a property that doesn’t qualify for a mortgage is one of the best ways to get a killer deal. All cash offers or family financing are just a couple of ways to go. I’ve seen homes for sale in Piedmont CA that sell for 25% below the market because no loans are available for them. These homes will always need lots of work but if you have the stomach for it you can squeeze every bit of purchasing value out of today’s real estate market.

#4 Good negotiations are very important. Sellers are losing money and will push the sale price hard. Negotiations are taking longer and requiring more counter offers. Buyers are justifiably concerned about buying into a declining market so getting a fair price today may not be a good price tomorrow. Be patient and be willing to counter offer. Start low but be realistic. Fight the problem and not the people. It is not personal. Keep focused on the hurdle (the price) and with all eyes focused on clearing that hurdle you will be successful in getting the price you want.

City of Oakland – Piedmont Sewer Lateral Ordinance

BrianS — Thu, 12 May 2011 22:42:03 +0000

City of Oakland – Piedmont CA sewer lateral ordinance is on the way.

The Federal EPA is requiring cities to implement a sewer lateral compliance ordinance that forces a home Buyer or Seller (or home remodels over a certain cost) to ensure that waste pipe running from the home to the city main is in good condition and water tight.

Faulty sewer laterals are responsible for pollution in the bay, overflowing sewage treatment plants and backing up city mains that can cause raw sewage to spill onto residential properties. The city of Alameda, Albany and Berkeley already have these “point of sale ordinances” in place and now the city of Oakland and the city of Piedmont are following suit. The question everyone keeps asking is… when???

Compliance was to go into effect on May 9, 2011 but that date has now been pushed back. Here is a letter from Harry Clark Plumbing explaining many more of the details about what is to come.

The bottom line for those of you considering purchasing or selling a home in Oakland or Piedmont CA, you need to have a sewer scope test done so that you know the condition of the line. Whether or not the ordinance is currently in effect, it will be implemented very soon.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any real estate related questions in Oakland, Piedmont or Berkeley CA. Thank you. Brian Santilena. Pacific Union Real Estate 1900 Mountain Blvd. Oakland CA 94611. 510-338-1380.

About Brian Santilena, Realtor

Oakland Piedmont and Berkeley home sales for 2009 – 2011

BrianS — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:36:49 +0000

View homes for sale in Oakland or homes for sale in Piedmont Ca here.

Our local real estate sales for homes sold in Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley have been performing well on a year over year basis. Trophy areas such as Piedmont, Montclair, Rockridge, North Berkeley, Solano Avenue etc. have fared exceptionally well. Those “trophy” areas seem to have done so well due their proximity to shopping, dining and social environments. In the recent 2 years there seems to be a contraction back to “walk-to” environments. Many of today’s Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley buyers appreciate a home that is in reasonable proximity to something to do and are enthusiastically buying homes that allow for a less car dependent living experience.

Every home and every neighborhood has its own sets of benefits and disadvantages. For example, a “community feel” to one buyer may come off as “crowded” to another buyer. If you’d like me to show you some of the many terrific communities and homes for sale in Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley I welcome you to get in touch.

Have a great day.
Brian Santilena

About Brian Santilena, Realtor

The cost of getting a mortgage loan is going up

agentevo — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:00:17 +0000

In the spirit of keeping it simple, the fees charged to Buyers when obtaining a mortgage are about to cost more. The primary people that are going to feel the pinch are lower FICO and higher loan to value (LTV) borrowers. According to Brian Moggan at Mortgage Services Professionals that would be somewhere around FICO’s below 700 and loans in excess of 75% of the appraised value of a home.

Bankrate.com has a relatively easy to understand article on the subject and it goes into much more detail: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/fha-loan-costs-to-increase.aspx .

If you are a home buyer in Oakland, Piedmont or Berkeley these fee increases may make a dent in your pocket book. Talk with your loan advisor to determine if you are on the cusp of qualifying. You may be able to save big bucks by repairing a small FICO issue or saving a few more dollars towards a down payment.

Brian Santilena is a Senior Sales Associate and CRS with Pacific Union Real Estate and has been serving the communities of Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley California since 1998. You are free to Contact Brian if you would like information about buying or selling real estate in the area.

Homes sold in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge during Q4 2010

agentevo — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:09:02 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video covers homes sold in Oakland California’s Upper Rockridge neighborhood during the 4th Quarter of 2010.

If you would like more information about Upper Rockridge please feel free to get in touch with me directly.

Buy a foreclosed home in Oakland or Piedmont CA

BrianS — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:44:32 +0000

There are many homes and real estate for sale in Oakland and Piedmont Ca and of course everyone wants to get the best deal they can. I mean, who doesn’t. One of the best ways to purchase a home below market value is to buy a foreclosed one. There are many challenges and pitfalls but there is also a lot of potential gain. Foreclosures are not for the faint of heart. In fact, along with may other people I believe that foreclosures are for professionals. A bank owned home is a different story but if you want to buy an auction home you essentially need to be able to evaluate the condition of the home simply by walking the property. Most of the time you won’t even be able to get inside the property. You also need to have cash in hand to pay for the property at the courthouse steps. After the home is yours you may end up having to also pay off any liens attached to the title.

Here are a couple of links that you may find helpful during your education process.

SF Gate “Buy Foreclosures Home Guide”
SF Gate “Bay Area Foreclosure search”

So if you have the stomach, expertise and the cash, go get into the foreclosure business. If you just want a great deal on a terrific home in Oakland or Piedmont, that is where I come in.

Best of luck and prosperity.

Brian S.
Realtor & CRS

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Upper Rockridge sales in third quarter 2010

BrianS — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:18:32 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

12 BUENA VISTA PLACE 3/2 2215 $775,000
68 TEMPLAR PL 2/2 1657 $778,000
5556 MASONIC AVE 3/2 1766 $829,000
47 TRUITT LANE 4/3 2589 $905,000
5125 HARBORD DRIVE 3/2 2106 $959,000
5389 HILLTOP CRESCENT 4/4 2730 $995,000
5 BUENA VISTA PLACE 4/3 2463 $1,040,000
130 HERMOSA AVE 4/3 2485 $1,095,000
5450 MASONIC AVE 4/3 $1,116,000
6310 Contra Costa 3/3 2326 $1,175,000
5330 ESTATES DR 5/4 2938 $1,210,765
39 YORKSHIRE DR 3/3 2500 $1,250,000
5550 MAXWELTON ROAD 4/3 3305 $1,295,000
6122 OCEAN VIEW DR 4/4 $1,305,000
6067 ROCKRIDGE BLVD 4/2 2590 $1,320,000
6189 CONTRA COSTA RD 5/4 3130 $1,430,000
5622 Maxwelton 4/2 $1,460,000
96 SHERIDAN RD 5/4 4461 $1,500,000
6031 ACACIA AVE 5/4 $1,650,000
101 ALPINE TERRACE 4/3 3815 $1,650,000
6130 OCEAN VIEW DR 4/3 4382 $1,750,000
6206 CONTRA COSTA RD 3/3 3086 $1,800,000

Mortgage Broker info for home buyers

BrianS — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:42:50 +0000

Home buyers that are considering purchasing a home in Oakland, Piedmont or Berkeley California will inevitably find themselves communicating with a mortgage broker or a retail bank about obtaining a mortgage. This short video answers some basic questions about the differences between banks and brokers, what are loan points, reasons to use a local institution and information of the pre approval process. It is not intended to answer every question but as a home buyer I hope it will provide you with a starting point of which to begin building your understanding of the overall home buying and loan process.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Brian Santilena, Sr. Sales Associate and top real estate agent with Pacific Union Real Estate, representing home buyers and home sellers in the Oakland Hills, Berkeley Hills and Piedmont California marketplace since 1998. He is a Realtor, Certified Residential Specialist(CRS) and is highly knowledgeable in real estate for sale in the Oakland Hills premier neighborhoods such as Haddon Hill, Rockridge, Montclair, Glenview, Trestle Glen, Crocker Highlands, Oakmore, Laurel District and Redwood Heights. Berkeley Hills neighborhoods such as Northbrea, Westbrea, North Berkeley Hills, Berkeley Flats, Thousand Oaks, South Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto, Elmwood, Uplands, Claremont, LeConte. City of Piedmont, City of Kensington, City of Albany. Please feel free to CONTACT BRIAN if you have any real estate needs in Oakland, Berkeley or Piedmont CA.