Homes for sale in Rockridge Oakland

April 7th, 2011

Homes for sale in Rockridge Oakland.  Wow!  What a tour day for Homes for sale in Rockridge.  The spring market has sprung and today’s real estate brokers tour proves it.  I haven’t seen this many terrific Rockridge homes on a single days tour day in years.  Here is a summary of what I saw. An […]

690 Florence Ave in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge

April 3rd, 2011

690 Florance Ave in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge I will be holding open 690 Florence Ave in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge this afternoon from 2:00-4:30.  The home was built in 2006 with a modern Mediterranean flare.  It has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms and right around 4500 square feet of living space.  The address is assigned to Hillcrest […]

5630 Golden Gate Ave in Oakland Upper Rockridge

March 31st, 2011

5630 Golden Gate Ave in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge   Recently to the market this charming Mediterranean custom home is situated on a westerly facing hill in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge Neighborhood.  It is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home with roughly 3353 sqft of living space.  Though the home feels somewhat vertical via the stairs, there […]

Pest Control Reports and Damaged Wood Behind Stucco

March 24th, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FKa17SlxW8    Pest control reports, damaged wood behind stucco and stucco hole testing. Stucco is one of the most durable exterior wall finishes available.  If applied properly it will protect your home from the harsh elements for decades.  Stucco is used on the exterior of all types of homes.  From entry level bungalows to Piedmont […]

Understanding Pest Control Reports

March 24th, 2011

Watch Next Video: Part 2   I’m Brian Santilena and I’m a real estate agent in the markets of Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley California.  Because of my background as a contractor I have a special interest in educating my buyers and sellers about the condition of the home they’re looking to buy or sell.    I […]

Pest Control Reports and Faulty Grade Conditions

March 24th, 2011

Watch Next Video: Part 3 Faulty grade conditions relate to the height of soil in relation to the wood lying on top of the foundation.  So let me start with the different parts of a foundation. There are lots of different types of foundations but since many of the homes in my selling area were […]

Open House Oakland Upper Rockridge 6201 Contra Costa

March 24th, 2011

  Open this Sunday 3/27 from 2:00 to 4:30 6201 Contra Costa Road  $1,795,000 Oakland’s Upper Rockridge Beautifully handcrafted Mediterranean getaway situated atop desirable Upper Rockridge, overlooking San Francisco, the Golden Gate, and beyond. The lush, bougainvillea accented courtyard leads to a newer home seasoned with old world details; wood cathedral ceilings, textured plaster walls, […]

Is the 30 year fixed mortgage going away?

March 18th, 2011

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 […]

Changes in conforming loan limits and tomorrows buying power.

February 15th, 2011

I was just updated by a senior mortgage consultant (Brian Moggan with MSP home loans) who works with many home buyers in the Oakland Piedmont and Berkeley area and he said that the FED is not likely to extend the temporary increase in the conforming loan limit. (currently at $729,000) So why does that matter to […]

Buying our Lincoln Heights home in Oakland with Brian Santilena

February 7th, 2011

Working with Brian was one of the best part of our home buying process. He not only made us feel comfortable and well-informed about the process but was also very proactive about everything. As first time home buyers, we never got nervous because he managed the communication well and never overwhelmed us with too many […]