Forty Years of Mortgage Rates
Posted by dfuller on Jan 23, 2012 in Albany, Berkeley, Blog Entries, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont | 0 comments
Take a look at this – average mortgage rates for the past 40 years. Just in case you were holding out for rates to drop even further. As you can see, mortgage rates have been below 5% only for the past 1 year. The previous 39 years shows mortgage rates as high as 9% and 10%! Rates are amazing right now. If you are considering searching for a property but still holding out for lower rates, look over the chart again. I suspect these are the lowest rates we will see in our lifetime.
If you get a mortgage below 4% in 2012, how do you think you will feel in 5 or 6 years?
Thanks to Don Gates for this chart!
Oakland is HOT! (At least the New York Times thinks so)
Posted by dfuller on Jan 17, 2012 in Blog Entries, Oakland | 0 comments
For the second time in as many weeks, the City of Oakland has been prominently featured in the Sunday New York Times. Yesterday’s story detailed the “Great Wall” in downtown Oakland. In conjunction with Art Murmur on the first Friday of every month, enormous movies and video art are projected onto the side of a building at Grand Avenue and Valley Street. The videos are curated by the nonprofit that now runs the Art Murmur. Last month’s show included animated films from South Korea, France and China.
If you have not yet been to Art Murmur, you must make a pilgrimage. Parking can be a huge bear, but the monthly festival is located very close to the 19th Street BART station. The next Art Murmur takes place on February 3rd from 6-9 PM.
The City of Oakland…. proving Gertrude Stein wrong every day.
Manhattan’s Most Expensive Apartment – EVER
Posted by dfuller on Dec 21, 2011 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
There are luxury properties, and then there are LUXURY properties. Welcome to THE most expensive apartment ever sold in Manhattan. For a mere 88 million dollars, the 22-year-old daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitriy Rybolovlev, Ekaterina Rybolovleva, now owns the swank apartment overlooking Central Park. You read that right: TWENTY-TWO years old!
The apartment at 15 Central Park West is one of the toniest addresses in NYC. It features 10 rooms including 4 bedrooms, a wraparound terrace of over 2,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 2 wood burning fireplaces.
The sale works out to be about $13,000 a square foot. What a commission on that one! Here is the view:
Holiday Lights In The East Bay
Posted by dfuller on Dec 13, 2011 in Berkeley, Blog Entries, Oakland | 0 comments
When I was younger, my family would always pile into the car and drive to the streets where the residents really went over the top with holiday lights. I remember oooing and ahhing at how far people had gone with lights. If you are in the East Bay and want to know where to go, here are some of my suggestions:
1. Picardy Street in East Oakland. Just about EVERY house on this entire street has lights and each house is connected to each other with a strand of lights as well. Here is where it is.
2. Or you can jump over to Alameda and take a look at “Christmas Tree Lane” - Thompson Avenue between High Street and Fernside if you want to see the definition of “over the top.”
3. The Oakland Zoo offers Zoolights every holiday season. Check here for the details.
4. Here is a website that gives you some specific addresses in the East Bay to check out.
5. Tilden Park’s Christmas Fantasy - At the Tilden Merry Go Round
6. The Mormon Temple in Oakland always has a spectacular light show.
7. Children’s Fairyland offers Fairy Winterland each December
Whatever you do, enjoy the holiday and have a great new year!
A Holiday Music Bounty
Posted by dfuller on Nov 30, 2011 in Blog Entries | 0 comments
Those of you who have known me awhile, or who are my clients know that each December I send out a holiday music mix. I am just finishing up the 2011 mix (which is my ninth one!). If you are on my list, you should be seeing the disc in your mailbox within a couple of weeks. In the meantime, if you missed any of my previous mixes, you can download them here. Be patient, these are big files… you are downloading about an hour’s worth of music with each one.
Enjoy!
Mid Century Charm
Posted by dfuller on Oct 28, 2011 in Berkeley | 0 comments
Mid-Century Ranch-Style Home adjacent to Tilden Park and Tilden Golf Course. Private, Wooded Views all around. Recently Upgraded Master Bath and Kitchen with Granite Counters and Stainless Steel Appliances. New Furnace, RECO, sewer lateral clearance and very low Pest
Exquisite Cape Cod
Posted by dfuller on Oct 27, 2011 in Piedmont | 0 comments
This Architecturally Exquisite Cape Cod is sited on a quiet,tree-lined street. Gracing this home is a Sun-Filled Living Room and Formal Dining Room with French Doors opening to a Country-Style Brick Patio. Completing the home is the Stately Study and Relaxing Family Room. A Treasure for any Family!
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