The long President's Day weekend got off to a rocky start. The Bay Bridge was closed.  Most folks probably didn't brave the city treck on sure-to-be-crowded alternate routes. 

A cloudy, gloomy Monday brightened today when we learned that the bridge will be opened a full 24 hours earlier than expected. 

Tomorrow, of course, will be some Mardi Gras celebrations, so it's good to know that the bridge will fully operational, though not much stops those Fat Tuesday celebrants! 

Do you commonly celebrate holidays with a trip to the city, or are you one of those that rejoice to hear that snow is once again decorating the slopes around Lake Tahoe? We're so lucky to have so many options in and close to our beloved Bay Area. 

For me, Those three day weekends are perfect for showing home shopping working folks around.  Since many get the day off on those holidays, I can schedule nice long tours of potential homes for my clients to buy in the Berkeley Area .

How did you celebrate President's Day? 

Tuesday Feb. 21st
Fat Tuesday Celebrations at the Fillmore District and Place Pigalle

Wednesday Feb 22nd
Free Comedy Improv in Oakland from the Senseless Bureau

Thursday Feb. 23
Not FREE but so cool I couldn't resist.  Just $12 will get you in for close contacts of the robot kind at the Academy of Sciences

Saturday
Treasusre Island Indoor Flea Market 

Sunday
Puccini's "Girl of the Golden West" FREE performance at Herbst Theater in Berkeley 

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want!

 

And I Intend to Tour Iowa.   

 

OK, so the facts are in.  I've learned that, somewhere in the middle of the ocean, some of my fellow living creatures are feeding on a huge plastic island.  It's hard for a dog to get her head around this.  I myself once mistakenly chewed on a milk lid that had fallen on the kitchen floor.  My person got it away from me before I swallowed it.  I admit to being miffed at the time, but when I saw the photos Chris Jordan took of birds cut open with nothing but plastic inside, I was more than miffed.  I was appalled. 

And they are wild things.  They have no one to shoo them away as I did, no one to tell them of the terrible damage done, to themselves and their families, from consuming plastic.

I see my people recycling, and I thought that was enough.  Not so.  I've learned that our beloved Bay Area is contributing on a large scale to the dangerous accumulation of plastic trash flowing into the Pacific Ocean. A tidal wave of fast food wrappers, plastic bottles, plastic bags and cigarette butts all land in the beautiful San Francisco Bay from neighboring communities like El Cerrito, Albany, and Oakland.  Come on people, there are trash cans eveywhere.  Find one, put your trash in it.  It's that simple.  Stop Littering!

Or stop buying plastic altogether.

And speaking of littering, February is National Prevent a Litter Month.  Get your animal spayed or neutered if it's not, and if you want to adopt a pet, get it neutered for FREE with every adoption at the Hayward Animal Shelter February the 28th.


Pixie, Guest Blogger


PS from Chris

22 Windsor will be open this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00.  I suggest you do more than just take a look at the house.  Walk around the neighborhood and see how wonderful it is to live in Kensington.  Remember, the price has been reduced to $860,000.  Last Sunday  a lot of admiring people came through. Don't miss a chance to see this gorgeous place!  And introduce yourselves to me.  I'll be there, and I'd love to meet you.

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want!

Happy Valentine's Day!

  

All around San Francisco Bay we see that this area has what it takes to set a romantic mood.  There's afternoons of wine tasting, evenings crusing the bay and watching gorgeous sunsets over Mount Tam, and spectacular spas at luxurious hotels for head to toe pampering.  And these aren't just Valentine's Day events.  We can do these things almost any time we like.

It's true, this area casts a spell all year round, but especially on Valentine's Day.  

If going out to dinner is what you love to do with your loved one, the Bay area has a vast and incredible variety of fine and funky dining opportunities! Here you can enjoy great food from practically any culture or country.  Tables are waiting if you'd like to enjoy a romantic feast! 

That might be too "same old, same old" for you, so to help you add variety to your romantic experience, here are some possiblities selected for when you're:

Lookin' for Love in all the Right Places!

• Claremont Hotel: views, spas, tennis courts and great food in an incredibly romantic setting
• San Francisco Bay Cruises: wine, dine and wow your loved one with a cruise on the bay
• Napa Valley Wine Train Edo Castro plays for free at Yoshi's Jazz Club in SF
• Jupiter Cafe presents free Beer and Blues in Berkeley
• Guillermo Bomez-Pena performs for FREE at Mills College
• FREE Post-Bop Jazz at Disco Volante in Oakland

If you're looking for a home to fall in love with:

My latest beautiful Kensington listing is still available.  This beautiful Tudor home on 22 Windsor  is a gorgeous 3+ bedroom, two bath home with 3 fireplaces, a huge entertainment room, fenced level back yard, and just a hop, skip, and a jump from tennis courts, play and picnic areas, and wilderness trails.  Sounds a lot like the Claremont Hotel, doesn't it? Talk about a great place to spend Valentine's day!

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want

I don't know if you ever check in with Trulia.  They're a real estate site that provides MLS based home for sale information.  Realtors and civilians use Trulia to find each other (I myself have a Trulia blog.) It also serves as a good place to see homes available on the market in almost any area. 

I have to add, though, that setting up a Coldwell Banker REAlert account, if you don't already have one, is a more timely and accurate way to see what's new in the housing market and tailor your search to your own specifications.  Give me a call at 510-527-0174 and I'll set it up for you if you like.  But back to Trulia.
 
Recently, on Trulia's own blog, they posted an interesting article featuring which areas nation-wide housing hunters are hunting the most and where these buyers are coming from. These statistics are based on Trulia's finding which chart the areas home buyers are most interested.  These are based on the Trulia searches buyers conduct.  I was happy to see that the San Francisco Bay Area and Oakland were featured destinations in quite a few buyer's home searches.
 
What does that mean to you? Well, if you're selling a home in the Bay Area, it means your home is in an area of general interest to a variety of home purchasers both near and far.  Check out the map that shows you the inbound and outbound buyers.  Lot's of people want to live in the good old Bay Area, and who could blame them.

If you're buying a home, you know that your future housing purchase will be a wise investment.  I've always maintained that Investing in a Bay Area home is always a good idea.  There's a reason people want to live here.  It's as beautiful, culturally diverse, and interesting a place to live as you'll find anywhere. 

And it's also a great place to spend Valentine's Day.
 
Neighborhood Notes: Listing Updates
 
Kensington

My latest beautiful Kensington listing is still available.  This beautiful Tudor home on 22 Windsor  is a gorgeous 3+ bedroom, two bath home with 3 fireplaces, a huge entertainment room, fenced level back yard, and just a hop, skip, and a jump from tennis courts, play and picnic areas, and wilderness trails.  Sounds a lot like the Claremont Hotel, doesn't it? Talk about a great place to spend Valentine's day!
 
Albany

My listing at 1110 Cornell recieved an offer after only twelve days on the market!  Albany is a hot, so if you want to buy a home here your best bet is to sign up with REAlert and define the home of your dreams.  If it's out there, it will show up in your inbox.  It's a quick and efficient way to tailor your housing search.

On the other hand, If you have an Albany home you'd like to sell, give me a call.  I'd be honored to help you ready your house for sale, put it on the market, and get the best price possible for your home. It's what I love to do!

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want

Do you have to be "kidding" me?

What's with all the signs I've been seeing lately?  They read "Drive like your kids live here" or "Slow, children at play".  (My daughter and I laughed at the last one when she said, "That means we have to drive really fast in case a slow child gets in front of us")

When we had small children, we'd see a lot of cars with a little sign in the back window that said "Baby on board".  Homeowners and car drivers that put up these signs mean well, and I understand why they do it.  They're worried about the safety of their children.  The thing is, it's an appeal that misses the mark.  I doubt anyone who is a reckless driver would say "whoops, for the sake of the children, I'll reduce my speed".  Irresponsible drivers will continue to drive irresponsibly, and we careful drivers just get annoyed.

There was another source of annoyance for me this week when I was trolling for the list of free Bay Area events, activities, and other cool stuff I put up every Monday. There were very few free fun events in my beloved Berkeley area this week. The one I found is something my manga loving daughter will enjoy, so I'm glad about that.  Still, San Francisco took the prize, so you'll just have to head across the bridge for all the free fun. 

If you go, be sure to drive carefully!

Or better yet, take BART.

Tuesday: 
De Young Museum & the Legion of Honor  Free Admission
 
Wednesday:
Free Jazz at Yoshi's

Thursday:
The Windows Reveal on Market Street-SF Store fronts go gorgeous! 

Friday:
Free Ballet at SF City Hall Rotunda

Saturday:
Free lecture by the author of Avatar: the Last Airbender in Berkeley

Sunday:
Free Shakespeare Festival at the Presidio; Macbeth in a 55 minute family performance

AND: 22 Windsor will be open this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00.  I suggest you do more than just take a look at the house.  Walk around the neighborhood and see how wonderful it is to live in Kensington.  Remember, the price has been reduced to $860,000.  Last Sunday  a lot of admiring people came through. Don't miss a chance to see this gorgeous place!

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want

Dog On or Dog Off Leash?

 

I don't know if you're a fan of the great outdoors.  I'm more of a city dog myself but my owners insist on hiking in the wilds of the Berkeley Hills.  We usually go to off-leash areas since we move at much different speeds.  I tend to lag behind and "smell the roses" so to speak.  I'm kind of an "in the moment" sort of dog.  I get lost in contemplating the fragrances surrounding us that my people completely ignore.  They stride on ahead totally unconscious of the interesting stories I'm absorbing in my dog's version of Facebook.

Sometimes a runner will race by.  I have given chase in the past, but I've learned I may not do that in no uncertain terms.  I love a good chase, so this pains me, but I guess in the interests of being a mannerly creature I will curb my natural instinct to pursue fast moving objects. 

Unless they're mountain bikes. 

I can't abide a mountain bike.  All that whirring and speed!  And they're sneaky.  You might have your nose in a particularly delightful and instructive odor, and they spring out of nowhere, zipping by at speed.  I have to chase that!  My people have learned to keep their eyes peeled for the illusive and wily Wheelie and snap my leash on at first sighting.

All this aside, I love off-leash areas, and there are many in the East Bay.  They satisfy a dog's need to meander or play (or chase) and an owner's need for exercise. As an aside, more care should be taken by many dog walkers to collect our leavings, but most endeavor to keep the trail clean and clear, lugging off another dog's mess in some cases. 

Despite this, there are people who object to off-leash dogs, even in off-leash areas.

I believe we can all share the trails, and that those who are uncomfortable with animals like myself should find trails that don't allow dogs to roam free. Nervous people make dogs nervous too, and sometimes a nervous dog forgets him or herself and resorts to more primitive reactions in response.

I can, of course, understand (from sad personal experience) the problems, and sometimes injuries, caused by poorly mannered, managed, or ill tempered canines. Ones such as those should be snapped to the leash at all times whether it's an off-leash area or not.

My point, really, is this: Know yourself, know the trail, and know your dog.  Much dog/human friction can be avoided if we follow these simple rules.
 
I'd like to help out, so here is a handy list of trails that allow dogs in general in the Bay Area.  Click the links to see which ones are Off-leash trails. Those are the ones to avoid if you're canine adverse, and the ones to enjoy if you're a canine.

Pixie (Guest Blogger)



PS from Chris

22 Windsor will be open this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00.  I suggest you do more than just take a look at the house.  Walk around the neighborhood and see how wonderful it is to live in Kensington.  Remember, the price has been reduced to $860,000.  Last Sunday  a lot of admiring people came through. Don't miss a chance to see this gorgeous place!

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want!

My wife’s birthday is coming up, and since she’s an artist I thought I’d honor the creative spirit alive and well in her and in so many others in the Bay Area.  I decided to highlight some art-related FREE events and entertainments going on around here.  There's a lot to do since there is a thriving creative community from one end of the bay to the other working in as many medias as you can imagine; so get out there, have a good time and enjoy some good art!

Tuesday January 31st

For all you artists, enjoy Sketch Tuesdays at the Minna Gallery in SF

Wednesday February 1st

After an evening of full-out sketching, stretch out the kinks at the Free Yoga Classes all day in Berkeley

Thursday February 2nd

First Free Thursdays at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Friday February 3rd

Friday night lights up in Oakland! The Oakland Art Murmur: a sophisticated street event for all ages.

Saturday February 4th

Performing Art and Studio Art to enjoy all over the Mission District.  Art Mapp puts you on the spot.

Sunday February 5th

Sunday Free Museum Days at the Oakland Art Museum and the Asian Art Museum

22 Windsor will be open this Sunday.  Don't just take a look at the house.  Walk around the neighborhood and see how wonderful it is to live in Kensington.  Remember, the price has been reduced to $860,000.  Last Sunday  a lot of admiring people came through. Don't miss a chance to see this gorgeous place!

My latest listing in Albany 1110 Cornell might be open from 2 til 4 this Sunday.  I'll keep you posted.  There's been a lot of interest in this house, and we'll be hearing offers soon.   

For more information about local real estate, events, home sales and values in the Berkeley Area, keep reading this blog.  If you're interested in buying or selling a home in the Berkeley Area, Call Chris Neddersen at 510-527-0174 or if you're a buyer go to  That House Detective.  If you're a seller go to What's Next Homes.

If you'd love to live in this amazing area, here's where you can search MLS real estate for Berkeley area homes for sale, and to get a personalized search of on-the-market properties that meet your specific criteria delivered to your email inbox, go to REAlert and find the home you want!

22 Windsor:
A  Jewel in a Lovely Setting: Kensington.