Albany

Oct
03

Is it Possible to Boost the East Bay’s Sustainable and Affordable Housing Stock?

Posted In: Alameda County, Albany, Berkeley, Contra Costa County, El Cerrito, First Time Home Buyers, General Real Estate News, Oakland
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Here is an interesting article from the UC Berkeley News Center that came out a couple of weeks ago that talks about how in-law/secondary units could be a great way to help accommodate the projected population growth via dealing with infill development in communities throughout the region.  They are currently looking into regulatory challenges, such as parking restrictions, but are hoping that this [...]
Jun
08

Dog Park in Albany?

Posted In: Albany, Community, For the Heck of It, Places
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A dog park in Albany?  They are one step closer to getting one! I was talking with a colleague about the new pool that is coming to Albany High School, and that conversation led to another conversation about the new fence that will be installed at Memorial Park to separate the ballpark from the rest of the park.  City Council [...]
May
09

Timbao Tropical Restaurant and Bar in Albany

Posted In: Albany, Food and Dining, Good Eats
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As I was walking to the gym, I saw that Club Montero’s in Albany was no more.  New signs were going up that said “Timbao Tropical Restaurant and Bar.”  Out front was a woman wearing a chef jacket.  Turns out it was Cindy, their head chef. Cindy said that the owner of Montero’s decided it was time for something new.  [...]
Jun
03

Transfer Taxes for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

Posted In: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, For Buyers, For Sellers, Oakland, Richmond, Taxes
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Many cities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties impose a point of sale ordinance on real property.  The chart below will show which cities will impose a transfer tax.  Both Alameda County and Contra Costa County have a county transfer tax of $1.10/$1,000. Example: If the sales price of a house in Berkeley is $500,000 then the seller can expect to pay $500 for [...]
Sep
18

How Much Have Prices Dropped?

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, General Real Estate News, Local Market Statistics, Oakland, Richmond
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One of the biggest questions I get lately is “how much have prices goine down?”  This is pretty easy to answer.  If you look at the statistical date from the height of the market (2006 – 2007) and compare it to today’s numbers you will see that Richmond has taken the biggest hit, primarily because of foreclosures.  Because of the [...]