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: Berkeley (North & Hills), Summer 2020 wrap-up
Between the pandemic, the wildfires, and the blanket of smoke we’ve had to live with lately, one would think that the local real estate market would have gone into hibernation, but this has not been the case. The pandemic has caused many people to re-evaluate where they want to live. We’ve been spending much more time in our homes— for work, for school, for meals, for entertainment, for exercise, for leisure— so having the right indoor and outdoor spaces for those activities is more important than ever. Many people working from home are moving to take advantage of lower real [...]
REAL ESTATE ANSWERS: Why (and how) do so many local sellers spend so much money getting their homes ready for sale?
Why (and how) do so many local sellers spend so much money getting their homes ready for sale? Sellers in our area routinely spend tens of thousands of dollars on work and staging in preparation for putting their home on the market. (The amount obviously depends on the size and condition of the home, but $50,000 is pretty common these days). Why spend so much, when there are so many buyers out there? The first part of the answer is that yes, there are lots of buyers, but there are also other homes for sale, so it’s important that your [...]