Archive for Opinion
Oakland Police Department Email and Text Message Alert Service
Oakland Police Department Email and Text Message Alert Service. I live in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland and while it is relatively safe and quiet it would be great to know about crimes and or emergency issues in real time. Captain Steve Tull with the Oakland Police Department has established a new Text and Email [...]
Interest rates are going up when buying a home in Oakland and Piedmont CA
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 [...]
Best Trick or Treating in Oakland CA
Selling real estate in the Oakland East Bay area puts me in contact with many families looking to enjoy all of the community spirit the area has to offer. One of the most enjoyable holidays (in my humble opinion) remains Halloween. Sure it has become largely commercialized like many of the other holidays but it [...]
Oakland hills firestorm
The Oakland Hills firestorm of 1991 is credited with burning over 3300 homes and over 1520 acres. 25 people lost their lives and the financial impact exceeded $1.5 billion. We have just passed the 20 year anniversary from that disaster and many ongoing efforts have been and are being made to ensure that a disaster [...]
How to get the best deal when buying a home Oakland and Piedmont CA
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 [...]
Is the 30 year fixed mortgage going away?
Does it really matter? I’m not so sure. The 30 year fixed mortgage is more of a psychological comfort than a financial necessity. If the 30 year fixed option goes away that doesn’t mean that a 30 year mortgage is not longer available. 5, 10 and 15 year fixed mortgages that roll into adjustable loans [...]
A sense of humor in this crazy real estate business
This video was made by someone else. I did not creat it. I did however find it very funny. Some of the language in the ”Rated R” version is a bit edgy so if you are sensative to that sort of thing there is also a “Rated G” version. I hope you will find it as funny as I [...]
5 best home preparations for sale
The 5 best home preparations for selling your home also turn out to be some of the lease expensive things to do. I found the list below (from Forbs Magazine Article) to be confirming of the items that I suggest to my home selling clients and also informative. Brian Santilena Pacific Union Real Estate Oakland-Piedmont [...]
Background of Piedmont CA
The Background of Piedmont CA. Piedmont is a small, primarily residential community with fine architecture, tree-lined streets, and outstanding public schools. Because of its school system, low crime rate, good weather, and high property values, it is regarded as one of the most desirable residential communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Piedmont was named [...]
Piedmont CA Schools
Piedmont CA Schools Piedmont Public Schools fall within the Piedmont Unified School District. The district, coinciding with the municipal boundaries, includes three elementary schools (Havens*, Beach, and Wildwood), a middle school (Piedmont Middle School), a high school (Piedmont High School), and an alternative high school, Millennium. Piedmont High School matriculates a high percentage of students [...]
