Real Estate Market Data for Berkeley, Oakland, Albany Piedmont, Kensington

I've just posted market data on my website for many East Bay areas by City and by zipcode.  Included are Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington, Oakland, LaMorinda, and Piedmont  Click Here to view the report you want.  Data includes Median Sale Price, Average days on Market, months supply of Inventory, Number of properties sold and more  If the link doesn't work then go to www.billfletcherhomes.com and click on the market data tab at the top of the page.

Up Coming South Berkeley Events June, 2011

The following is an exerpt from Council Member Darryl Moore's Newsletter

Townhall Meeting

Please join me for a townhall meeting to discuss a variety of important issues. We will have a representative from the Parks and Recreation Department to discuss some upcoming improvements to San Pablo Park. The Berkeley Police Department will be discussing various crime prevention methods, in preparation for our summer months, and will be available to field questions regarding crime issues that the community would like to discuss. Teresa Berkeley will be attending from the City's Budget Office to discuss Berkeley's budget and the various ways the city is managing these difficult economic times.

What: Townhall meeting to discuss improvements to San Pablo Park, Crime Issues and the City's Budget

When: 6PM on Thursday, June 16th

Where: Frances Albrier Community Center in San Pablo Park, 2800 Park Street between Russell and Ward




Urban Farm Grand Opening
YOU ARE INVITED

Urban Farm Grand Opening Celebration

Sunday, June 19, 10:00 - 1:30
@ The Urban Adamah Farm
1050 Parker St. in West Berkeley


photo by Melissa Schilling

Space is limited :: Register (for free!) today

Planting, Seeding, Mulching - Cob Oven Bread Making - Face Painting -
Make your own Pickles - Introduction to Camp Urban Adamah - Create a Personal Terrarium - Ice Cream Making - Bicycle Blender Smoothies - Wild Edibles Workshop - Meet Berkeley's Resident Dairy Goat Herd - Great Kosher Organic Food... AND MUCH MORE....

Music by:
Octopretzel


and others!

With the participation and support of:
Author/Urban Farmer Novella Carpenter
The Office of Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, AD 14
Councilman Darryl Moore

Learn with:
Deena Aranoff, Professor of Jewish Studies at the GTU
Zelig Golden, Co-Director Wilderness Torah
Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Netivot Shalom

To register or to learn more, visit: urbanadamah.org/June19

Co-sponsors: Congregation Beth El, Edah, Berkeley Hillel, Pursue, Wilderness Torah, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Congregation Beth Israel, Center for Jewish Life and Learning, Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, Kehilla Community Synagogue



Berkeley Juneteenth 2011

The Berkeley Juneteenth Festival is a street festival extending the 5-block South Berkeley Adeline-Alcatraz corridor that is free and open to the public. Family entertainment is the focus of all Berkeley Juneteenth Festivals, and no alcohol and tobacco sales or sponsorships are allowed.

Sunday, June 26, 2011
10 am to 6 pm

MAIN STAGE ENTERTAINMENT is the "heart" of Juneteenth-in-Berkeley. The music incorporates the best of the African American experience: African drumming, jazz, blues, neo-soul, gospel, rhythm and blues, and reggae. Local talents, like John Handy, Faye Carol and Pharoah Sanders have graced our stage, but BJF is a vehicle for showcasing up and coming acts, providing them with an opportunity to show their talents.

COMMUNITY STAGE features performances directed towards novice entertainers. Auditions are held 60 days prior to the Festival. HEALTH FAIR- Alameda County health agencies offer informational workshops and health screenings. TWO ON TWO BASKETBALL TOURNEY provides wholesome, physical competition on event day. HISTORICAL EXHIBITS includes an indoor exhibit hall featuring a collaboration of presenters. ART FOR CHILDREN programs and for-fun activities are coordinated by practicing artists. The VISION MAGAZINE is a BJF souvenir publication sold on Festival day which features the day's activities.

For more information, please visit www.berkeleyjuneteenth.org



4th of July @ Berkeley Marina

The 4th of July is a great day to have a lot of fun. The biggest party is at the Berkeley Marina from noon-10PM. There's all kinds of free fun! Adventure Playground, always a favorite, is open 11am-8pm. Get your face painted, try the giant slide, or splash in the water at the beach!

There's live entertainment from noon until 9:30PM on the main stage including Downtown Rhythm, Lee Waterman & Jazz Caliente, The Hipwader's Children's Music, Tin Sandwich Harmonica Trio, The Ian Franklin Band, Foxtails Brigaide, & Steel Pans. Tucked around the marina are Afro Cuban Rumba Drumming, Circus Art performers, and on The Buddy Club Stage in Shorebird Park you'll find jugglers and magicians. There's art & crafts, yummy food, massages, free dragon boat rowing from 2-6pm, pony rides, a dunk tank, and much more including the grand fireworks off the end of the Berkeley Pier at 9:30pm.

Let's hear it for the red, white, and blue...but keep it green, too. The party shouldn't leave the environment trashed. If you can, bring your own dishes -- Frisbees double as plates! A bandana is your cloth napkin to use at all of the international food booths. With water stations located around the event, you can refill your own reusable bottle and keep a lot of plastic out of the landfill. Be sure to use the recycling stations located throughout the marina for your disposables.
Free admission. Alcohol-free event. No cars after 7pm.
Getting There:
CARS: There is plenty of free parking in the Marina, noon-11PM. However, the roads close 7-10:30PM (and the Police have the option to close them earlier if the lots are 100% full) so you can't get in or out between those hours. Come in earlier! After the fireworks, and after all of the pedestrians have left the Marina, the road opens to vehicles (around 10:30PM) when you may drive out.
BUS: AC Transit runs on a slow 51B Sunday schedule from Downtown Berkeley BART right into the Marina. At the end of the event, however, you have to walk, with the rest of the crowd, out to 6th and University Ave. near Spenger's to pick up a bus back to BART. Unfortunately, we do not have an event shuttles.
BICYCLES: Free valet bicycle parking. Ride your bicycle over the Berkeley overpass and Richmond Spokes will valet park it for you in the lot near Adventure Playground from noon-10PM. But be sure to pick it up by then!
Dogs are OK on a leash.

For more information, please visit www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com/4th-of-july/

Open Houses for Sunday 5/15/2011

Its been a while since I've had a chance to blog. First I want you to know that I have posted East Bay open houses on my website and I do this every Saturday.  You can access over 600 homes open in the East Bay in cities such as Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Oakland, Piedmont, LaMOrinda, and more simply by clicking here. Furthermore, I post market data  by neighborhood, monthly with special quaterly reports each quarter. This data gives median sales price, volume of homes sold, average days on market and more. You can accesss these by clicking here.  If ever these links are broken its easy to visit my website http://www.billfletcherhomes.com/ and click the appropriate tab on the left. As far as market data is concerned , on request I can break the data down by very small geographical areas .  Just ask...no charge. If you are out home shopping this weekend please stop by my sensational listing at 2112 Essex Street  in Berkeley.

Berkeley Earth Day Events 4/23/2011

What: Berkeley Earth Day Festival


When: Saturday, April 23 12:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.

Where: Civic Center Park, MLK & Allston

Berkeley Earth Day is an annual event held in April to celebrate the environmental movement and creatively challenge the problems facing our planet. This year is Earth Day's 41st anniversary! Enjoy cultural performers, speakers and resources to link individuals and groups with each other in community based ecological activities.

Free shuttle to Trumer Brewery for Tours & Tastings leaves every 30 minutes from 2-5

Expanded Food Court with 10 food booths and seating

Test drive the electric Chevy Volt with extended range

Free electronic waste drop-off including Cell phones, computers, monitors, printers, FAX machines, speakers, old video tape machines, etc.

Also have collections for household batteries, fluorescent lighting, and a torchiere swap (bring your old halogen or incandescent and get a new energy-efficient one for free!)
Ecology Center "How To" Tent at Berkeley Earth Day

The Ecology Center will be hosting FREE, back-to-back mini-workshops on a wide variety of topics. Stop by the "How To" Tent and attend any of the 20-minute sessions. Leave inspired and energized to improve your environmental impact! Powered by Coyle Industries' solar generator. Click here for details and full schedule of workshops: http://ecologycenter.org/erc/events/earthday2011.html





Expanded Food Court, with a café area to enjoy your food and drink, and additional prepared food vendors who use organic ingredients sourced from the Berkeley Farmers' Market.

Free Collection Events, sponsored by the City and located along MLK Jr. Way:

Electronic waste collected by ACCRC

Household batteries & fluorescent lighting collected by CCC

Torchiere swap by Rising Sun Energy Center (bring your halogen or incandescent torchiere for a new energy-efficient one, and sign up for a free energy audit as well!)

This is a family-friendly event. Free bicycle parking is provided along Allston Way.

Plant Swap In North Oakland 5/7/2011

I just received this posting and thought I'd pass it along.

Inspired by plant swaps around the San Francisco bay area, Dan and I have decided to bring this FREE sharing event to North Oakland. Located in the Golden Gate neighborhood we host plant swaps twice a year: once in spring and once in fall.


At the plant swap you can bring: unwanted plants, cuttings, seedlings, starts, foraged plants, and seeds.

This is also a great place to bring any extra pots, natural fertilizers, vermicompost/worms, garden tools, etc you have and are no longer using. Pass them all on to a new home and come pick up some new-to-you plants for your garden and home.

The only entrance fee is something brought to add to the swap.

http://girlonbikewrites.blogspot.com/p/n-oakland-plant-swaps.html

Next Swap:

Saturday May 7th

12-3pm

5927 San Pablo Ave.

Oakland, CA 94608

(on the Berkeley/Emeryville border)

Please spread the word to all your friends

Berkeley, Oakland Neighborhood Videos

Want to learn about a particular neighborhood in the East Bay?  In Berkeley?  In Oakland?  In El Cerrito?  Click on this link CLICK HERE and you will get a fresh look at some of the wonderful east bay Neighborhoods.  We are creating more daily so if you don't see your favorite East Bay Neighborhood, come back often and check!  Share with your friends and keep me in mind if you need a great local realtor. These videos are also posted on my website, http://www.billfletcherhomes.com/, (first tab on the left).

Interested in REO's? A Sobering Story

We wrote our offer on a Richmond Annex property on January 29th.  A week later we were in contract. By the end of the following week we had completed all our inspections and based upon these inspections requested a price reduction to help cover the cost of repairs needed.

The listing agent advised us that this request would not be accepted and a week later she was proven right.  My clients were not willing to proceed based upon the initial price and the inspections.  So we sent in a request for a price reduction of a lesser amount. A week later this was accepted and we're ready to move forward.  By this time we're a month into the negotiations.  We got our appraisal done and everything is flowing the way it should.  All the bumpy spots are now out of the way, or so we thought. 

On Monday, March 14th, we signed loan docs, had a glass of champagne and looked forward to closing.  Final loan conditions were met and buyers wired remainder of downpayment to Escrow holder on Thursday, March 16. Now we're done. All we have to do is sit back and wait for the loan to fund and the deed to be recorded. Not so fast. 

Thursday evening I received a phone call from the listing agent.  "Hello Bill.  I have some bad news for you..."  She want on to explain that she didn't have the details but needed to inform me that the bank was cancelling the contract and that the appropriate docs would be drawn up and sent to us on Friday.  It seems that the bank believes that it may not be the legal owner of the property!  It may have not followed the correct procedures for foreclosure and therefore cannot legally sell the house and needs foreclose all over again!

One might wonder what the bank would do if they were a day later and the property had closed. Or for that matter what my clients would have done, if the bank sold them a property that wasn't theirs to sell.  I wonder how many of these have already been sold.

My clients are now almost two months into this transaction, emotionally tied in to it, financially have spent on inspections, appraisals, well over $1500.

I'm feeling an emotional charge about this one.  My clients are great.  They've never bought a home before and shouldn't be treated this way.

Do my clients have a recourse?  Unlikely.  The Bank's addendum to the purchase contract makes it very clear that there is no recourse.

 One wonders if the banks (yes I'm lumping them all together) have any kind of conscience at all.  First they create a crisis in the housing market (See the movie Inside Job, or listen to the director tonight on KQED 8PM or 3/19 at 2PM--Commonwealth Club), then they foreclose, then in the rush to make a buck don't even do it correctly. I wonder if any of us will even get a letter of apology. I'm not expecting it.