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Pacific Union Oakland-Piedmont real estate discussion 11/17/09

At our Pacific Union Real Estate office meeting this morning in the Oakland Montclair Office we went over some interesting sales statistics.  Our office has a large market share in Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley CA.  Our meetings give us a chance to collaborate and interject with one another to get the pulse of the local real estate market.

An interesting pattern has emerged lately.  At the last three office meetings at the Oakland Montclair office there have been very few announcements about new listings coming on the market.  On the other side of that, our meeting has been filled with Home Buyers needs requests.  In other words, there are very few new listings and lots of Buyers looking for properties.  You tell me…  Doesn’t that sound like it’s a good time to sell?

The city of Piedmont was another topic of conversation.  It has become apparent that Piedmont city inspectors are looking at the marketing photographs of homes for sale in Piedmont and looking for unpermitted work done on the property.  Work such as kitchen and bathroom refinishing, window replacements, room reconfigurations etc.  If it a home for sale appears to have had work done and the City of Piedmont permit office does not show that a building permit was pulled, notices of violation, fines and retroactive permits are being imposed.  The kicker is that the stepped up enforcement is turning up work done without a permit on properties that have sense changed hands several times.  The city doesn’t seem to care who did the work.  They are holding the current owner responsible and requiring them to pay the fees and fines.  The moral of the story…  The first thing your Realtor-Agent should do before putting your Piedmont home on the market is to have the property owner pull a city of Piedmont Building Department permit report and address any issues up front.

Brian Santilena has been representing home buyers and home sellers in the Oakland Hills, Berkeley Hills and Piedmont California marketplace since 1998.  He is a Realtor, CRS Certified Residential Specialist and Sr. Sales Associate with Pacific Union Real Estate.