Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Spring!
Welcome to the debut edition of the GreenBungalows Gazette from my new brokerage: The Agency! After 14 years at Red Oak Realty, I was actively recruited to join a brokerage that recently opened an office in North Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue near Cedar St. I like that the office has a relatively small group of agents, mostly highly experienced. One of the most wonderfully rewarding activities at Red Oak was mentoring new agents. For four years I served as the mentor to all new agents, and seeing my mentees become respected agents within our community was deeply meaningful to me. So when I was offered a chance to mentor an agent who had a couple of years experience in New York as a buyers’ agent, who just happens to live right across the street from me on The Arlington (!), I said yes, with enthusiasm. While the color scheme remains primarily red, there are lots of small differences between the brokerages, but so far this feels like a good match.
Over the coming months my newsletter will evolve in look and content. In future months I will delve more into the market, continue to share changes in laws that will impact many of you, as well as sharing events that I hope you would enjoy. And as always, I would love your suggestions for what you’d like to see!
HOW’S THE MARKET?
This month I’ll keep the market update short, and to a word: unsettled. Of course it’s the same word that we could apply to our economy, the world political climate, and the emotional state of most of us. Some properties continue to obtain multiple offers, and go wildly over list. But those are always the exceptional properties, and there are fewer of those each week. Buyers who liquidated their funds from the stock market early in the year in anticipation of making a purchase are still taking action. But many buyers are feeling cautious, and are more discriminating than even just a few weeks ago. Any perceived flaw, or lack of a desired feature, is enough to keep a home from receiving offers, or at least not at the previously anticipated levels. Condos are being especially impacted. I’m seeing numerous lovely homes take longer than the usual two-week period before receiving offers. And then a unicorn property receives hundreds of thousands over, still! Interest rates, volatility in the stock market, uncertain news about tariffs, fire risk, and the continued difficulties of obtaining insurance: all of these issues are indeed unsettling, and so it’s understandable that many buyers are reacting with caution. This is one of the most extreme markets I have experienced, and challenging for a listing agent!
For now accept my warmest wishes for a Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Spring!
Arlene
My first listings at The Agency!
1656 Oak View Avenue in Kensington, just above the Colusa Circle is a 2+ bedroom, 2++ bath home with lots of suprises! Updated, stylish, spacious and in such a super location! I would be delighted to welcome you there this Sunday 2 – 4 pm (yes, Easter!) and show you the most amazing lettuce growing in the raised beds, in addition to a plethora of surprises this house offers. 1656OakView.com
My next listing is a John Hudson Thomas property in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley that will debut in early May. Love the work of Greene & Greene? Does Art Nouveau style make your heart skip a beat, or know friends for whom that’s true? These are teaser images, a few of my photos that really don’t do justice to just some of the exceptional artisan details that my seller has added to this 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home. Let me know if you might know someone who would truly appreciate a very special home!
Honoring the Earth
While we should celebrate the earth each and every day, over the next week, and especially on April 22nd and for the rest of this month, I hope you take time to consider what more you and your family can do to preserve our precious resources, and reduce our impact on the earth.Here are a few events you may enjoy:TONIGHT: April 19th, 7 pm: at the David Brower Center: Wild & Scenic Films. The festival features films celebrating our planet. Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature and learn about environmental issues through the power of storytelling. This in-person event is a perfect way to connect with like-minded individuals and be part of the Earth Day celebration. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be inspired and educated about our global environment!Sunday, April 27th at the Lawrence Hall of Science. From 11 am – 3 pm Join community partners and UC Berkeley student organizations for their second annual celebration of the Earth and the nature that surrounds us.
Two new laws in Berkeley: EMBER to fight fire risk, and BESO.2
At this week’s Berkeley City Council meeting a unanimous vote was taken for an ordinance that will impact owners in two areas in the Berkeley hills starting January 1, 2026. Homeowners in the Panoramic Hill neighborhood, as well as a new Grizzly Peak firebreak zone along the city’s northeastern corner, must create “defensible space” on their property within 100 feet of all buildings and structures. The closer you stand to a structure, the stricter the requirements, up to a complete prohibition on all combustible material within 5 feet. That includes plants and vegetation, most trees, firewood, refuse, wood mulch, playsets, plastic bins, window boxes, boats and RVs, trellises and pergolas—and anything else that could catch fire. This is the first phase of a potentially five-zone plan to reduce fire risk in the CIty of Berkeley. The rule changes are tentatively scheduled to return to the council for a second reading and formal adoption on May 6. For more details read the Berkeleyside article from April 17, or the Berkeley Scanner article of the same date. At that same meeting, Berkeley’s Building Emissions Saving Ordinance was modified in an effort to reduce green house gas emissions and help the City reach its Climate Action goals. BESO currently requires an energy assessment providing a numeric score from 1-10, but no upgrade actions are required. Starting with single family homes and buildings with up to four units, as of January 1, 2026 these properties will be required to have six credits at least five years before or three years after the sale date. Some upgrades deliver the full six credits on their own: installing a heat pump water heater or HVAC system, solar panels with storage or smart panels, or replacing older-style “knob and tube” wiring. A number of other upgrades would provide fewer credits. Partial credit is available, so for example, if you do two credits’ worth of upgrades in that five-year period, you only need to upgrade for four more. For more details on these changes, read the Berkeleyside article from April 17th. The hope is that the ordinance will inspire more homeowners to invest in technologies such as heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and induction stoves, all of which are significantly more energy efficient than their gas-equivalent systems. Interested in trusted resources to guide you through these changes? Please reach out!
Coming soon cool events!
Saturday, April 26th, 8 pm: Emma’s Revolution at The Freight! and Livestreamed! These two powerful women, Sandy O and Pat Humphries, have become dear friends over the past years since I first met them. I was delighted to put together a fund-raiser two years ago for the feature film that is being made about them, their activism, and the impact of their music. This event at The Freight will also raise funds for the film, with wonderful guests, including Maggie Wheeler, Lea Morris, Jaeger and Reid, and others. I would love to see you there!
Saturday, May 10, 2025 11:00 am-4:30 pm. Lincoln Street at Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA. In partnership with the Arts and Crafts Cooperative, Inc. (ACCI) Purchase flowering plants, veggies, CA Natives, house plants, succulents and more propagated by Berkeley Garden Club members and browse ACCI artworks. Find horticultural gifts for Mother’s Day!
Arlene Baxter
arlene.baxter@theagencyre.com
1.510.717.1799
Lic. #1209552
