Your Real Estate Expert for Berkeley and Beyond
“Marilyn is exceptional. Her knowledge base, enthusiasm for her job, professional ethics, organization, sensitivity to our aesthetic requirements, loyalty and gentle perseverance set her apart.”
-- Bill and Carol Seidel
Marilyn Garcia, PhD
Broker Associate, Realtor®
DRE# 02014153
District Homes
1758 Solano Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94707
Direct:
(510) 390-5406
THE OUTLOOK: North Berkeley & the Berkeley Hills, Q1 2025 results
THE OUTLOOK: North Berkeley & the Berkeley Hills, with results from Q1 2025. As I write this in early April, the newly implemented Trump tariffs have introduced a big wave of uncertainty into the economy. Uncertainty and tariffs generally aren’t good for the stock market—but paradoxically, bad news for stocks can mean good news for interest rates. In uncertain times, investors often move money into bonds, which tends to push mortgage rates lower. And lower rates are good for the housing market. Even in periods of economic instability, a home remains a solid long-term investment: you can live in it, [...]
REAL ESTATE ANSWERS: What is wire fraud in real estate, and is it a big deal?
What is wire fraud in real estate, and is it a big deal? There are countless scams out there designed to steal your money, and one major example is wire fraud in real estate. It happens when scammers learn that a real estate transaction is in progress and send fake emails that look legitimate — often posing as the buyer’s agent, escrow officer, or lender. These fake emails typically tell the buyer that it’s time to send closing funds to escrow, and they include wiring instructions that, if followed, send the buyer’s money straight into the scammer’s account. And yes [...]
PARKING PERMITS
Parking Permits If you live in a Berkeley neighborhood with two-hour street parking limits and have a residential parking permit that exempts you from the time limit near your home, it’s time to start thinking about renewal. You’ll need to have your new permit in place by July 1st, and if you renew online, remember that the City of Berkeley says processing may take five to seven days. You also won’t be able to renew if you have any unpaid parking tickets, so make sure to clear those first. Permits these days are digital and tied to your license plate [...]
COMPLETED SALES, North Berkeley, 1st Quarter 2025
Click HERE to see details and photos of properties SOLD in North Berkeley, 1/1/2025-3/31/2025. Note that, after you follow the link, you can click on each individual property to see photos and more details. Click "Close" near the top to return to the list. * For the purposes of this newsletter, “North Berkeley” is defined as the area bounded by University Avenue in the south, the line of Sacramento Street to the west, the Berkeley border to the north, and below Arlington Avenue, Los Angeles Avenue, and Spruce Street (south of Los Angeles) to the west.
COMPLETED SALES, Berkeley Hills, 1st Quarter 2025
Click HERE to see details and photos of properties SOLD in the Berkeley Hills, 1/1/2025 - 3/31/2025. Note that, after you follow the link, you can click on each individual property to see photos and more details. Click "Close" near the top to return to the list. * For the purposes of this newsletter, “Berkeley Hills” refers to the area bounded as follows: north of campus, east of a line heading north on Spruce from campus, cutting over on Los Angeles to Arlington, and then north along Arlington to the Kensington border.