East Bay Real Estate

Capt. Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson’s home around 12:26 p.m. He was not breathing when they arrived. The parademics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told The Times.  He died at 2:06PM - June 25, 2009

Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel Air home for $100,000 a month. It was described as a French chateau estate built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater.  The news comes as Jackson, 50, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.  In May, The Times reported that Jackson had rented the Bel Air residence and was rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London’s O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called “King of Pop” back on stage.     –Andrew Blankstein and Phil Willon Continue Reading »

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Ilya’s Photography sets the highest standards for quality in the industry with over 30 years of experience. He has enjoyed a lifelong passion for his work, and it is instantly evident with the results he delivers.

I first met Ilya at the Luxury Real Estate conference in Del Mar, California several months ago. I asked someone at the conference after I met him, “Who is that guy?”  I was told he is the finest photographer in the world who captures the true essence of luxury real estate properties in the world!  Over the past two years I have personally discovered that to be TRUE!!!  We have become GREAT friends since our first meeting.  He and his wife have become a gift to my wife and me. Continue Reading »

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Jim Walberg and his fellow Rotarians completed another map of the USA on the playground of Tassajara Hills Elementary School - 40 feet long and 25 feet high!  It is part of our continued support of education projects in our community.

Since our local Rotary Club was founded in April 1989 it has been serving the many needs of our East Bay communities.  During the past 20 years, we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of people hours to address these local needs.  Many of our Rotary Club’s community projects have been focused on educational needs of our school districts.  We call one of them “The Maps Project”.  Several years ago we learned of a map painting kit that was painted on elementary school playgrounds to assist kids with their understanding of our country’s geography.  It sounded as if it was a winner of addition to any school. Continue Reading »

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Jim Walberg is in the residential real estate trenches everyday.  For the last few months a “sweet spot” has shown up as the hottest price point in the East Bay housing markets - $729,000 and below!

Remembering that all real estate is “local”,  the experience we are having in our San Francisco Bay Area real estate markets is close to a “feeding frenzy” when it comes homes selling in the $725,000 price point and below.  In fact, real estate is not just local, it is made up of dozens of “micro-markets” within miles of each other.  Yesterday, KCBS 740 AM radio  did a feature on this very topic and even asked me to comment about it as a Realtor who has been serving this region for over 30 years. Continue Reading »

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Once a year four men get together to check in on the status of their lives, both professionally and personally.  Then there is a discussion about how each of them can be of support to the others.

The definition of Jim Walberg’s “Board of Directors” is, a gathering of four friends who have known each other for more than 20 years through Rotary, and who care about each other’s lives and have participated in ALL aspects their lives - all the joy, good, bad and awful experiences.  So, this group gets together at least once a year for a day of sharing and catching up.  This is our annual “rendezvous” of the Board of Directors.  The Board includes, Steve McNichols - attorney, Jeff Turner - retired attorney, Gary Riele - commercial Realtor, and me.

For many years we met at Wente Winery Restaurant  in Livermore for this annual event.  They have always accommodated us with a luxurious outside table knowing it will a long day including a sumptuous lunch, fine wines, cigars and port.  This year the venue was changed.  Last week our annual meeting was held at Campo di Bocce  in Livermore.

We first had talked about playing a round of golf at The Course  in the Wente vineyards,  but the consensus was that the three of us who are over 60 had too many aches and pains this year to play 18 holes of golf and then enter into one of our typical five hour lunches.  So, the Bocce Ball venue was suggested.

In order to have this annual event be even more fun it was titled, “The 1^st Annual Board Of Director’s Bocce Ball World Championship”.  We each studied the rules of the Bocce Ball before the gathering at Campo di Bocce so at least we would know how to play the game.  We arrived and the venue welcomed us to an unforgettable day of laughter, fun and solving most of the world’s problems, fine dining, great wines, a cigar or two, and delicious Port. 

We decided that the two teams would be made up of the “liberals” and the “conservatives”.  Jeff and Gary were the Conservatives Team and Steve and I were the Liberals Team.  Let the games begin!  Being absolute rookies of Bocce Ball, we decided that the championship would be the best two out of three games.  We only made it through one game in our 1 ½ hour time slot.  The Liberals Team easily took the first game with the win being dedicated to President Obama.  At this pace it may take two more years of our annual meeting to complete the Bocce Ball world championships.  So, stay tuned.

This group of dear friends is so fortunate that their paths crossed in 1989 and have been together all of these years as key parts of each of others lives.  We are all blessed beyond measure.  I wish for each of you to have these types of friendships.  Please let me know of any of your friendship stories, too.  Until next time…your East Bay life style detective remains on duty.

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Last Thursday, May 14th was Red Day all across North America.  Keller Williams Realty decided to have this day be THE day that all of their offices in the U.S. and Canada give back to their local communities.  Jim Walberg was right in the middle of the action.

Each of the Keller Williams Realty  offices across the country chose a local service project to focus on all day on May 14th.  It was called “Red Day” because red is the color of the company’s logo.  The results of “Red Day”  where 76,000 Realtors from California to Eastern Canada ALL giving back,  simultaneously,  to their communities that one day specific day.  The reports coming in from the 650+ Keller Williams Realty offices as to what they did to address the local needs of their community have been beyond inspiring.  From, completing a house make-over for the elderly, to creating a community park, the giving back to local communities was extraordinary.

Our East Bay office focused all of its resources and marketing on re-plentishing the Food Bank’s pantry in the East Bay.  Their pantry’s were almost empty and were in dire need.  Our local Food Bank delivers over 70,000 meals a month to those in need.  Again, that is 70,000 meals a month!  I have lived in our community for 40 years, and I have to tell you that I never clearly understood the needs of the hungry that were within a 40 mile radius of our office.

The additional project we took on last Thursday was assisting with re-plentishing the supply of blood for the Red Cross.  We arranged for one of their Blood Mobiles to show up to our parking lot from 10AM to 6PM.  I am very passionate about assisting the local blood banks in anyway I can.  In 2005 I was in the hospital for six months and was lingering between life and death.  Blood transfusions saved my life. 

Over thirty 50-gallon barrels were filled with food, and we ended up having standing room only all day with people wanting to give blood.  It was beyond inspiring to see the impact that people can have on their community on just one day.  Our Keller Williams office of 160 Realtors  sent out invitations to all of their databases inviting them to participate with us last Thursday.  There were also over $2,000 in cash and checks written to the Food Bank.

This turned out to be a day of service that may be a “Service Virus” that can spread throughout corporate America.  Can you imagine the impact what it would be like for ALL of the real estate companies in North America to give back to their communities on just one specific day of the year?  If one can do a house makeover in one day for T.V. what could be possible for 300,000 Realtors from ALL real estate companies in North America and Canada making a difference in their local communities?  And, what would it be like if ALL of corporate America decided to create their own National Service Day.  It would have an enormous impact on the needs of our country.  This would be the movie “Pay It Forward”  on steroids!

Here is a mantra to put on our bathroom mirrors today… “To whom much is given, much is required!”  What are you doing to give back in your local communities?  Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to give back, and enjoy every moment of your week!  Until next time…your Bay Area lifestyle detective is on duty!

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Keller Williams Realty just finished gathering together their top Realtors in Austin, Texas to share their best ideas.  And, once a year their honor 60 Realtors for Service Above Self to their community.  Jim Walberg  was at both of these remarkable events.

Each quarter Keller Williams Realty  invites the top Realtors from their North American offices to Austin, Texas for serveral days of sharing their best ideas for growing a real estate practice - MasterMind.  And, once a year they have their Cultural Summit, which is a celebration of honoring two Realtors from each of their 30 North American regions for their extraordinary contribution to community service.

After the Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate Spring Conference  in Las Vegas, I traveled to Austin, Texas for both of these events.  The MasterMind breakout session in which I participated focused on my experience with blogging as a lead generation tool for growing our real estate business in the East Bay.  The key to using social networking and internet tools to connect with our community and customers is based on using cutting edge strategies.  This was a day of sharing the strategies that each of use are using that create results.

The next day was Keller Williams Realty’s Cultural Summit.  It is their annual event honoring 60 Realtors from across the country that are quietly creating extraordinary results within their own Market Centers and in their communities.  Mo Anderson - Vice Chairman of the Board for Keller Williams,  and Kay Evans one of the key Regional Directors for the company, were the facilitators of this inspiring day.  And Kellie Ramsay - Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman, was the producer of the event.  I was humbled to be chosen for the second time as one of those reciptents.  Our real estate team  is committed to Service Above Self in all aspects of our daily lives very involved in giving back to our communities. 

Keller Williams Realty has designated May 14th as their North American community service day.  All of our local communities across the country have been invited to participate in thousands of projects that each Market Center creates.  Our Danville office is organizing two projects for that day - the Red Cross Blood Bank, and the local Food Banks.  Both of these organizations are EXTREMELY LOW on supplies - both for blood and for food.  We have contracted the Red Cross to have a “blood mobile” at our office, and we also have 30+ collection binds from the Food Bank that we expect to fill that day from people stopping by to help.   

One of the value statements we use with our community is, “To whom much is given, much is required.”  We are so blessed with how our community supports our real estate services, and giving back to the needs of our community is a critical part of the mission statement for our company.  We actually look at it as a personal obligation.  If we are still breathing our service to others is still incomplete.

Given the challenging times for so many families, as we come to the end of this financial melt down, it is critical for all of us to be the leaders in our community by addressing the specific needs that are around us.  I have discovered that the community of Realtors across the country is one of the most giving professional group I have ever seen.  All of us need to keep letting our lights shine within our communities.  Please email TODAY  if you would like to schedule time to give blood at our office on May 14th, and/or drop by some non-perishable food.  Thank you in advance for your support of this day of support to the critical needs of our community.  Until next time…

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The Four Seasons  was the venue where Jim Walberg  participated in the 7th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Conference  as a panel member of Effective Social Networking & Blogging Tools For Realtors.

Imagine being with some of the brightest and best minds in real estate for three days!  Well, that is what the Luxury Real Estate’s Spring conference was like this past week.  The sharing of best practices with such a high caliber of professionals and business owners is an enviable experience for any Realtor.  I was not only privileged to be a delegate at this conference, I also gathered some incredible business ideas that will continue to improve the customer experience for our clients, and grow our business in this shifting markets.

The featured presentation was the panel on how to use internet tools to dramatically expand your real estate business by increasing your lead generation results - the Strategies & Tactics of Top Real Estate Professionals regarding social networking, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  Victor Lund  from the WAV Group was the moderator.  Jon Larrance  from Perry & Company, Bruce Hiatt  from Luxury Realty Group and me from The Bay Area Team, were the panelist.  The interaction with the audience demonstrated that it was THE topic that they wanted to explore most in the 2009 world of social networking.

In addition to the various breakout sessions during the conference, one of the keynote speakers was Mary Whipple, the Olympic Gold Medalist from the 2008 Games was the featured presenter before lunch.  It was an inspiring presentation about the steps required for the U.S. women’s eight rowing team to prepare and win the gold metal.  She translated the attributes to accomplish such a feat to what it takes to have a successful real estate Brokerage.

Tuesday night was the elegant black tie evening honoring Shari Chase, founder and president of Chase International, with the LRE Lifetime Achievement Award presented by John Brian Losh.  The impact Shari has made by growing eight real estate offices in the Tahoe, Reno, and now London, has created a result of over a billion dollars of real estate sales through her company.  At this evenings elegant evening I had the pleasure of sharing dinner with Jose Ribes from Spain, and with Bente Matdsen  from Luxury Real Estate. 

The closing session of the conference featured Peter Tongue  as the keynote speaker.  The subject of his presentation was Heart-Centered Real Estate.  Peter’s message was focused on tapping into the acknowledgement of higher energies that attract good things into their lives - embracing abundance, awareness and positive energy.  It was another example of how Luxury Real Estate always delivers quality member services.

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Jim Walberg provides a first hand experience regarding what is becoming the next BIG hurdle for Buyers and Sellers of real estate, and it is starting right now!

We just concluded an escrow that has given us a glimpse of what may be the next BIG hurdle for your next real estate purchase - APPRAISALS.  We sold a listing this month in the high 900,000s. It was the lowest priced sale since 2003 in this neighborhood of homes that have the largest floor plan - 3,450+ square feet.  ( The reduced listing price reflected the fact that the Sellers had already moved out of state and wanted to just close the chapter on their time in the East Bay.)  Their home was the most beautiful home in it’s class in our geographic area.

So, the appraiser for the Buyer’s lender comes in and completes his work.  The lender had chosen an appraiser that had very little knowledge of our specific area.  Because of this fact we sent the lender a list of the comparable sales in this neighborhood for the last two months in order to provide the appraiser with data that we knew were sales of comparable homes. The lender told us they were not able to forward them to the appraiser because they are required to keep an arms length distance from any of their appraisers because of the new law that is officially going into effect May 1, 2009.

“The lender or any third party specifically authorized by the lender (including, but not limited to, appraisal companies, appraisal management companies, and correspondent lenders) shall be responsible for selecting, retaining, and providing for payment of all compensation to the appraiser. The lender will not accept any appraisal report completed by an appraiser selected, retained, or compensated in any manner by any other third party (including mortgage brokers and real estate agents).”

This was the first clue we were going to have a different experience with this appraisal. The appraiser used only two comparable sales, both of which were homes that had been purchased back by relocation companies that had no comparison to our listing. One of the homes used even backed to a storage unit complex. Our listing has unobstructed views of our mountains and very private.  The appraiser would not consider using any of the comparable sales that we had provided within the neighborhood.

The appraisal came in $50,000 LESS than the purchase price that was already a bargain in our market area!  We and the Seller were stunned!  We called the lender and asked what their review process was. They said there was none available. Again, we were stunned. This one event has now created a situation that the similar homes that are within a mile of our listing are all going to be impacted by this appraisal,  and it will have a detrimental effect on all of their values for months to come. Our Sellers have been short-changed by this experience and any future sellers will need to price their home using this new reduced price as the basis for their homes.  

The National Association Of Mortgage Brokers has begun a legal battle to reverse this latest law.  They believe, and so do I, that this new regulation will negatively impact both sides of the real estate sales transaction.  It will also add costs to the appraisal process, because there will now be a new entity springing up in the midst of the home buying process - third party companies that order appraisals.  The increase in costs will be to these companies in order to the have the appraisers still be paid a fair fee.  Stay tuned!  This specific regulation will have an impact on pricing in all of our communities.  So, have any of you had similar experiences with appraisals yet?

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Jim Walberg reminds that the Webby Awards are the most respected symbol of success on the Internet.  The 13th Annual Webby Awards received over 9,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide!

I just received news that Luxury Real Estate was awarded 2009 Webby Award Honoree recognition this week in the Real Estate category - for excellent “content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience”!  I am so honored to be a member of this important organization that serves the luxury real estate needs of the world.

LuxuryRealEstate.com  was awarded “Most Prestigious Real Estate Website”  by the Luxury Institute in 2008 and it is with great pride that we continue to lead the crowded online real estate space to stay ahead of our competition to become the only luxury real estate website that is recognized in the 2009 Webby’s!

The Luxury Real Estate web department is a strong and creative group and with the prestige that accompany an “Official Honoree”  selection.  This group of professionals has made LuxuryRealEstate.com join the ranks of the Web’s best and brightest team of professionals, putting LuxuryRealEstate.com in the esteemed group of industry leaders such as Amazon.com, eBay, Yahoo!, iTunes, Google, FedEx, BBC News, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, NPR, Salon Magazine, Evite, Meetup, Wikipedia, Flickr, ESPN, Comedy Central, PBS, and The Onion.

The 2009 Webby Awards’ judges included David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson, and R/GA Chairman and CEO Bob Greenberg.  Contact me for more information about how LuxuryRealEstate.com can benefit the marketing of your real estate.

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