Sunday Streets is Coming!

Ever imagined what it would be like if Shattuck Avenue was closed to traffic and we could all walk or bike about freely? Now is your chance to experience such a dream: Berkeley's very own Sunday Streets is happening this Sunday.

That's right, on October 14th 2012 from 11-4pm, our kindly city officials have agreed to keep Shattuck Avenue between Haste and Rose closed to through traffic, and allow us pedestrians to walk around like we own the place. That's over fifteen blocks of car-free bliss! Come visit the North Shattuck area and get free stuff from vendor booths (yes of course my Coldwell Banker office will be handing out tiny adorable frisbees, since you ask), participate in fun free activities, and meet some neighbors. 

Notice how they made the hours convenient for people shopping for homes? You can still visit Sunday Streets in the morning and go to open houses in the afternoon- Berkeley thinks of everything.

 

Bay Breezes Waiting for You

For those of you living in the San Francisco Bay Area, you no doubt heard about the fire that shut down service for thousands of BART users last week. The interruption to trans bay services left people scrambling for alternative routes and modes for getting to work. It wasn't pretty: freeways backed up immediately, buses scrambled to add extra carriages, and communities all around the bay were affected.

Those lucky enough to get themselves to a ferry likely found the smoothest solution. I imagine how my life would be different if I could take a ferry to work every day; how clear the air in my lungs would feel, how clear my thoughts might be... 

If you've never tried the ferry as an alternative to driving or BART, consider Oakland's Jack London Square to the Ferry Building in SF for a weekend farmer's market as your maiden voyage.  

And, lest you be caught without a backup plan the next time there's a major BART outage, use this in advance: Transit 511. It's a handy tool for planning your commute or a special one-time outing. It will help you find the best routes using bus, BART, ferry, shuttle, etc. It even has useful information and tools for bikes, ride share and parking. Check it out! 

Relax- Earth Day is Saturday So You Won't Miss Any Open Houses

That's right- it may be officially recognized on a different day elsewhere, but here in Berkeley we do things differently. This year's Earth Day celebration will take place this Saturday, April 21st at Civic Center Park in downtown Berkeley. Technically it was not arranged for Saturday so that you could still make it to open houses on Sunday, but the happy coincidence is not lost on me...

There will be live music, dance performances, green product demos, craft booths and food. Click here for more details.

What About That Energy Efficiency Requirement?

More news from the California Association of Realtors:

C.A.R. sponsors AB1711, energy retrofits bill

For release:
February 16, 2012

C.A.R. sponsors bill to ensure government-required energy improvements cover their costs

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 16) – In a continuing effort to reduce consumers’ costs associated with purchasing a home, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) is sponsoring Assembly Bill 1711, which will clearly define what constitutes an energy efficiency retrofit that would “unreasonably or unnecessarily” affect a home purchase.

Recently enacted legislation requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to pursue energy conservation in a way that does not “unreasonably or unnecessarily” affect the real estate sales process. However, the lack of a clear definition of “unreasonably or unnecessarily” fails to provide sensible limits on the programs that can be imposed on home buyers by the CEC.

The CEC is currently evaluating implementation strategies focusing on programs requiring installation of energy saving improvements at the time a home is purchased. Such programs, for example, can require home purchasers to pay for improvements that will never pay for themselves over the lifetime of the improvement. Additionally, the CEC is considering requirements that could add thousands of dollars to the up-front cost of a home.

Assembly Bill 1711 (Galgiani, D-Tracy), will prohibit the state from creating a program that requires home buyers to pay out of pocket for energy improvements at the time a home is purchased or that would prevent a home buyer from closing escrow on time. The measure also requires that the costs of mandated improvements be recoverable over the lifetime of the improvement.

Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 160,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.