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® CA DRE LICENSE #01355514
The Grubb Company 1656 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94709
Direct: (510) 390-5406
Berkeley is the (among the) best! / Going Green
Best Cities Niche.com recently released its 2024 ranking for the “Best Cities to Live in America,” and Berkeley was #11! Berkeley was rated highly in the categories Public Schools, Good for Families, Nightlife, Diversity, Weather, Health & Fitness, Commute, and Outdoor Activities. Berkeley was bested in this ranking only by Irvine (ranked #6 overall) among California cities. For full details, see niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-cities/. Going Green I am always looking to expand my knowledge of anything related to real estate, and I recently finished the coursework to be a designated “Green” Realtor®. The coursework covered a broad range of topics, from ways [...]
Color of the Year
Color of the Year Design is an important aspect of my job, so I am always interested in color trends. These days, various companies, especially paint companies, annually announce one or more color(s) of the year. You can see a selection of these for 2024 here. (There are lots of interesting blues among them.) The most impactful color of the year is chosen by the Pantone Color Institute, which forecasts global color trends. They have been designating a “color of the year” since 1999, and they were the first to do it. Pantone’s color of 2024 is Peach Fuzz, which [...]
Mobile Driver’s License
Mobile Driver’s License Did you know that the California DMV has a mobile Driver’s License (mDL) pilot program running now, open to up to 1.5 million users? If you’re interested in giving it a try, start by downloading the free app called “CA DMV Wallet” from the Apple App Store, or from Google Play if you have an Android device, and then follow the straightforward instructions there. You create (or log into) your DMV account, enter some basic information, scan your driver’s license, and then “scan” your face (like you’re taking a selfie). Next you submit your request, and wait [...]
N11 Refresher
N11 Refresher Here’s a brief refresher on N11 quick-access phone numbers (where N is a number between 2 and 9) . 911 of course connects to a dispatcher for emergency services. Did you know, though, that if you call 911 on a cell phone, the call often ends up in a regional center, and then needs to be forwarded to more local help? If the call needs to be re-routed, this adds time to the process. This is not ideal in an emergency, so it’s a good idea to have your local, direct-access emergency number stored in your cell phone, [...]
More Recycling
More Recycling I started using a new paid recycling service called Ridwell in January, and I have to say, I have been loving it. Ridwell charges $14 to $18 per month (depending on the number of months you commit to), and comes to your house every two weeks to pick up items that our regular City recycling pickups don’t collect. They pick up plastic film (including most bubble wrap, grocery and newspaper bags, and the outer packaging on many items), batteries, light bulbs, and threads (clothing and other fabrics) every time, plus they have one additional special category on each [...]
Changes Afoot!
Changes Afoot! My 20-year anniversary in real estate has inspired me to look over my work systems and find ways to improve going forward. One area that I have re-vamped is the way I collect and analyze local market data. My goal has been to reformat my ongoing database to make it easier to create charts and graphs. I’m also going to start saving data for Berkeley as a whole, in addition to data for North Berkeley and the Berkeley hills. Another change: In the past, I have looked at real estate “seasons” that correspond with the level of activity [...]
It’s been 20 years!
It does not feel like it has been this long, but this October marks twenty years that I have been a full-time realtor in Berkeley. I started in real estate with my salesperson’s license in October 2002, and then completed the additional certifications to get my broker’s license in 2006. It was a hard decision to change careers from academia to real estate (I was previously an economics professor at the University of San Francisco), but real estate is my passion, and I haven’t regretted it. I get to apply my economics background in things like analyzing market conditions, thinking [...]
Bulky Waste and an E-Waste Resource
Did you know that, as a Berkeley homeowner, you can schedule one free bulky waste pick-up per calendar year? Just call (510) 981-7270 to schedule for an upcoming Wednesday. They’ll pick up a maximum of 3 cubic yards, which they say is the equivalent of about 20 large trash bags. Everything they pick up goes to the landfill, so be sure to separate out recyclables, green waste, and consider Urban Ore for items that can be re-used. Some things are not eligible for the bulky waste pick up. Included on the “not OK” list are things like hazardous waste items, [...]
Variations in Sold Price per Square Foot
If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you have many times encountered the notion that, everything else being equal, the amount a property sells for per square foot of living space tends to be lower for large homes, and higher for small homes. To illustrate this point, I grouped the detached homes sold in North Berkeley and the Berkeley hills* over the course of 2021 by size category, and found the average sold price per square foot for each category. The results are above. As you can see, the pattern holds as a general rule: the larger the [...]
SEWER LATERALS AND DRAINAGE
Sewer Laterals and Drainage We’ve had a number of office discussions about water-related issues since the first “atmospheric river” passed our way, and I heard something about sewer laterals that I wanted to pass along. A sewer lateral is the underground pipe that takes wastewater from your home to the city sewer line. You probably know that when you sell a home in Berkeley, the sewer lateral needs to be brought up to current standards, either before or soon after a sale, unless there is a compliance certificate already on file. The reason this is a requirement is not to [...]
RESOURCEFUL
RESOURCEFUL I try to recycle as much as possible, but I pretty frequently find myself staring at something trying to figure out what to do with it. I recently downloaded the “Resourceful” app to my phone, and I really like it! [If a phone app is not your thing, you can get the same information online at ResourcefulApp.com.] On Resourceful, you can look at various products, and see recycling information that is specific to Berkeley, and also ideas for more sustainable alternatives. Resourceful also has a useful general guide to recycling in Berkeley. Here are a few tidbits about [...]
A GREAT CAUSE
A GREAT CAUSE Since as far back as I can remember, I have always loved libraries. When I was growing up, I loved the independence of wandering the aisles and choosing my own reading adventures. As a teen, the library was a safe and welcoming place to study and to meet up with friends. In college and graduate school, libraries were places to find answers, and spots of quiet serenity where I could get serious work done. As an adult, I borrow books all the time (although now I do it electronically, which I know is a controversial choice for [...]
HOW TO CHOOSE LED BULBS
HOW TO CHOOSE LED BULBS I spend a lot of time looking at light fixtures and choosing bulbs, because replacing light fixtures is one of the most cost-effective ways to create an updated look in a home for sale. Choosing LED bulbs is surprisingly complicated, but here’s the step-by-step process that I use: 1: Figure out what shape bulb you need (including the size of the bulb and the type of socket). 2: Make sure to get bulbs for enclosed fixtures if your fixture is enclosed. 3: Choose the color temperature. (I always go for 2700K, which is like an [...]
Berkeley is the (among the) best! / Going Green
Best Cities
Niche.com recently released its 2024 ranking for the “Best Cities to Live in America,” and Berkeley was #11! Berkeley was rated highly in the categories Public Schools, Good for Families, Nightlife, Diversity, Weather, Health & Fitness, Commute, and Outdoor Activities. Berkeley was bested in this ranking only by Irvine (ranked #6 overall) among California cities.
For full details, see niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-cities/.
Going Green
I am always looking to expand my knowledge of anything related to real estate, and I recently finished the coursework to be a designated “Green” Realtor®. The coursework covered a broad range of topics, from ways to upgrade existing homes and different types of energy audits and ratings, to features of green construction and smart growth for entire communities.
We talked about the “energy efficiency pyramid”, which suggests that, to improve the energy efficiency of our homes, we start with relatively cost-effective measures (like LED lighting and air sealing), before moving upwards towards projects of higher cost and complexity (efficient appliances, more insulation, then heat pumps). The most complicated and expensive projects —replacing windows and adding solar—would come last. The right improvements for a particular home will of course vary by location, preferences and circumstances. You can see the basic pyramid at 3blmedia.com/news/pyramid-conservation.
Color of the Year
Color of the Year
Design is an important aspect of my job, so I am always interested in color trends. These days, various companies, especially paint companies, annually announce one or more color(s) of the year. You can see a selection of these for 2024 here. (There are lots of interesting blues among them.)
The most impactful color of the year is chosen by the Pantone Color Institute, which forecasts global color trends. They have been designating a “color of the year” since 1999, and they were the first to do it. Pantone’s color of 2024 is Peach Fuzz, which they say “captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It’s a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul.” You can see it here.
Why do we care? These color selections definitely impact the retail and design world. You’ll see clothing, housewares, packaging, and lots more, in some form of Peach Fuzz this year. For real estate, you might see stagers adding accents to their inventories in similar colors, and there might be a shift towards compatible colors. It can be fun to update some home accents to follow a current trend, but always keep in mind that there will be a new “it” color next year, so I recommend sticking to something more classic for big, long-lasting items (exterior house color, major appliances, etc.).
Mobile Driver’s License
Mobile Driver’s License
Did you know that the California DMV has a mobile Driver’s License (mDL) pilot program running now, open to up to 1.5 million users? If you’re interested in giving it a try, start by downloading the free app called “CA DMV Wallet” from the Apple App Store, or from Google Play if you have an Android device, and then follow the straightforward instructions there. You create (or log into) your DMV account, enter some basic information, scan your driver’s license, and then “scan” your face (like you’re taking a selfie). Next you submit your request, and wait a few business days while it’s processed.
This idea of a digital ID card sounds cool to me, but it is not very useful at this point. You are still required to carry your physical driver’s license and present it if asked. For now, you can use the mDL at some (but not all) TSA Pre-Check lines, including SFO’s Terminal 3. (See https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id for a list of participating airports.) You can also activate “TruAge” within the DMV Wallet, and in theory use it to buy age-restricted items (alcohol, tobacco products, etc.) without sharing personal information such as your address. TruAge, though, is so far only accepted at a few Circle K convenience stores in the Sacramento area.
I suspect this sort of ID is the wave of the future, like the European Union’s Digital Identity Wallet, but for now it’s just a novelty here. I did sign up, just to check it out!
N11 Refresher
N11 Refresher
Here’s a brief refresher on N11 quick-access phone numbers (where N is a number between 2 and 9) .
911 of course connects to a dispatcher for emergency services. Did you know, though, that if you call 911 on a cell phone, the call often ends up in a regional center, and then needs to be forwarded to more local help? If the call needs to be re-routed, this adds time to the process. This is not ideal in an emergency, so it’s a good idea to have your local, direct-access emergency number stored in your cell phone, so you can access a local dispatcher without that extra step. In Berkeley, that phone number is 510-981-5911. (Save this in your cell phone!)
The other N11 numbers are used for the following:
211: Referrals to services for housing, seniors, transportation, etc.
311: General city customer service
411: Local directory assistance
511: Traffic and transportation information
611: Phone company customer service
711: Relay service for the speech and hearing impaired
811: “Call before you dig,” providing information on the location of buried utilities.
Also, it’s not an “N11,” but there is one more important quick-dial number: 988 will take you to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
More Recycling
More Recycling
I started using a new paid recycling service called Ridwell in January, and I have to say, I have been loving it. Ridwell charges $14 to $18 per month (depending on the number of months you commit to), and comes to your house every two weeks to pick up items that our regular City recycling pickups don’t collect. They pick up plastic film (including most bubble wrap, grocery and newspaper bags, and the outer packaging on many items), batteries, light bulbs, and threads (clothing and other fabrics) every time, plus they have one additional special category on each pickup day. Check out ridwell.com for details.
I was amazed, and appalled, to see how much plastic film passed through my house, once I started collecting it to be recycled. I feel better knowing that it is at least being recycled (Ridwell ships it to a factory that makes Trex decking). The whole experience has made me pay much more attention to packaging, since yes, reducing the amount I use is even better than recycling it.
With Ridwell, you’re paying for the convenience of having them pick up the items. You can, though, recycle or donate the same things without paying Ridwell to pick them up. Many grocery stores will take plastic film (see bagandfilmrecycling.org for a list), Berkeley Recycling (at 2nd and Gilman) accepts unbroken fluorescent light bulbs and batteries, and there are also various places to donate clothing and other items.
Changes Afoot!
Changes Afoot!
My 20-year anniversary in real estate has inspired me to look over my work systems and find ways to improve going forward. One area that I have re-vamped is the way I collect and analyze local market data. My goal has been to reformat my ongoing database to make it easier to create charts and graphs. I’m also going to start saving data for Berkeley as a whole, in addition to data for North Berkeley and the Berkeley hills.
Another change: In the past, I have looked at real estate “seasons” that correspond with the level of activity we see in the local market. The winter season was defined as December through February, corresponding to the slowest time of the year in our market, and spring (March through May) corresponds with the busiest. Going forward, I am going to instead focus on quarters as traditionally defined. So instead of winter (December, January, February), I’ll track and discuss Quarter 1 (January, February, March), and so on. Since real estate transactions take weeks to close, roughly half the properties that go into escrow in one month close (and show up in the sale data) the following month. This means that switching to quarters won’t make a big difference conceptually, and there are benefits to using quarters in terms of chartmaking and recordkeeping.
It’s been 20 years!
It does not feel like it has been this long, but this October marks twenty years that I have been a full-time realtor in Berkeley. I started in real estate with my salesperson’s license in October 2002, and then completed the additional certifications to get my broker’s license in 2006.
It was a hard decision to change careers from academia to real estate (I was previously an economics professor at the University of San Francisco), but real estate is my passion, and I haven’t regretted it. I get to apply my economics background in things like analyzing market conditions, thinking strategically in negotiations, and doing cost-benefit analyses to help clients make smart financial decisions. I also get to be creative, in designing marketing materials, putting together the perfect photo package of a new listing, or envisioning the ideal look for a property going on the market. The combination of analysis and creativity is the perfect mix for me.
Over the last 20 years, a lot has changed in real estate. Technology has advanced and made it possible to do important tasks electronically, from preparing paperwork, to getting the word out about a new listing, to signing contracts. Social media advertising and individual property websites have become important components of a good marketing plan.
What hasn’t changed? Berkeley continues to be a great place to live, and a very desirable and resilient real estate market!
Bulky Waste and an E-Waste Resource
Did you know that, as a Berkeley homeowner, you can schedule one free bulky waste pick-up per calendar year? Just call (510) 981-7270 to schedule for an upcoming Wednesday. They’ll pick up a maximum of 3 cubic yards, which they say is the equivalent of about 20 large trash bags. Everything they pick up goes to the landfill, so be sure to separate out recyclables, green waste, and consider Urban Ore for items that can be re-used.
Some things are not eligible for the bulky waste pick up. Included on the “not OK” list are things like hazardous waste items, mattresses and large appliances, tires, auto parts, and items (other than sofas) that are more than 5’ long or 50 pounds in weight. They also do not take electronic waste, but there is a non-profit that does.
The Ewaste Collective, located at 620 Page Street, is a non-profit committed to household electronics and computer recycling (ewastecollective.org). They accept monitors, TVs, computers, keyboards, cell phones, tablets, wires & cables, microwaves and toasters, printers, scanners, fax machines, game consoles and games, and more. This is a great resource, not only because you can be confident that your electronic waste is being handled properly. They also refurbish computers and give them away to those in need. Your drop-off may be tax deductible, and they will wipe the memory of your computer for a $10 fee.
Variations in Sold Price per Square Foot
If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you have many times encountered the notion that, everything else being equal, the amount a property sells for per square foot of living space tends to be lower for large homes, and higher for small homes. To illustrate this point, I grouped the detached homes sold in North Berkeley and the Berkeley hills* over the course of 2021 by size category, and found the average sold price per square foot for each category. The results are above.
As you can see, the pattern holds as a general rule: the larger the home, the lower the sold price per square foot, everything else being equal. For specific properties though, everything else isn’t equal, and characteristics such as a large lot, architectural pedigree, views, etc., still push up the value in general, and in price per square foot.
SEWER LATERALS AND DRAINAGE
Sewer Laterals and Drainage
We’ve had a number of office discussions about water-related issues since the first “atmospheric river” passed our way, and I heard something about sewer laterals that I wanted to pass along.
A sewer lateral is the underground pipe that takes wastewater from your home to the city sewer line. You probably know that when you sell a home in Berkeley, the sewer lateral needs to be brought up to current standards, either before or soon after a sale, unless there is a compliance certificate already on file.
The reason this is a requirement is not to address waste leaking from the laterals into the ground. Instead, the issue they’re targeting is rainwater entering through cracks in older sewer laterals, which is then carried to the wastewater treatment plant, where it can overwhelm the system.
At a recent office meeting, John Karnay (one of the owners of the Grubb Company) pointed out that some old, cracked sewer laterals could be functioning as de-facto French drains, letting rainwater in and carrying it away from the property. If that was the case, when the lateral is replaced, that drainage channel would be gone (because the rainwater can’t get in when the pipe is no longer cracked), and so it’s possible some properties with new laterals could see water building up in new places.
This is mostly theoretical, but it’s not a bad idea to keep an eye on your property’s drainage for a while after the sewer lateral has been replaced.
RESOURCEFUL
RESOURCEFUL
I try to recycle as much as possible, but I pretty frequently find myself staring at something trying to figure out what to do with it. I recently downloaded the “Resourceful” app to my phone, and I really like it! [If a phone app is not your thing, you can get the same information online at ResourcefulApp.com.]
On Resourceful, you can look at various products, and see recycling information that is specific to Berkeley, and also ideas for more sustainable alternatives. Resourceful also has a useful general guide to recycling in Berkeley. Here are a few tidbits about Berkeley recycling I picked up from the app:
(1) You should not put things smaller than your fist (approximately) in the recycling bin, because they can’t be sorted. However, caps to plastic bottles, if attached to the bottle, are okay.
(2) Compostable plastic (labeled #7, PLA, or compostable) needs to go into the compost bin, rather than the plastic recycling bin. If it gets mixed into the regular bin, it can contaminate the batch.
(3) Anything that consists of mixed material (like a disposable razor that’s plastic and metal) is not recyclable.
(4) Paper towels with food on them can go in the compost, but a paper towel with Windex or other non-compostable cleaning product on it has to go in the trash.
A GREAT CAUSE
A GREAT CAUSE
Since as far back as I can remember, I have always loved libraries. When I was growing up, I loved the independence of wandering the aisles and choosing my own reading adventures. As a teen, the library was a safe and welcoming place to study and to meet up with friends. In college and graduate school, libraries were places to find answers, and spots of quiet serenity where I could get serious work done. As an adult, I borrow books all the time (although now I do it electronically, which I know is a controversial choice for the physical book-lovers among us!). Everyone should have access to these resources, both for their own entertainment and personal growth, and because access to information is essential for the proper functioning of our society.
For these reasons, and also to support my marvelous mother-in-law, who has been involved with the Friends almost as long as she has been in Berkeley, I just sent in a donation to support the Friends of the Berkeley Public Libraries. The Friends are a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to “support and expand the educational, cultural, and outreach programs of the Berkeley Public Library.”
If libraries are important to you too, you can join me in supporting the Friends by donating and/or becoming a member at www.BerkeleyLibraryFriends.org — click “Get Involved.” You can also help by buying or donating books at the Friends bookstore at 2433 Channing Way. See the website above for more details!
HOW TO CHOOSE LED BULBS
HOW TO CHOOSE LED BULBS
I spend a lot of time looking at light fixtures and choosing bulbs, because replacing light fixtures is one of the most cost-effective ways to create an updated look in a home for sale. Choosing LED bulbs is surprisingly complicated, but here’s the step-by-step process that I use:
1: Figure out what shape bulb you need (including the size of the bulb and the type of socket).
2: Make sure to get bulbs for enclosed fixtures if your fixture is enclosed.
3: Choose the color temperature. (I always go for 2700K, which is like an old incandescent light, or 3000K, which is a bit whiter, like a halogen bulb.)
4: Choose the brightness (measured in lumens, but most bulbs also relate the brightness to that of old incandescents, like 60W, 75W, or 100W equivalents).
5: Look for bulbs with a high CRI (Color Reproduction Index). I always look for bulbs with a CRI of 90 or higher.
6: If the fixture is on a dimmer switch, make sure the bulbs are dimmable, and that your dimmer switch is LED-compatible (if it’s not fairly new, it probably isn’t).
It is very complicated, so you can also choose to avoid all this by going into a local lighting or hardware store, and getting someone knowledgeable to help you. Once you know what the right bulb is, it’s much easier to pick up replacements or order them online!
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® CA DRE LICENSE #01355514
The Grubb Company 1656 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94709
Direct: (510) 390-5406