Two people are much in my thoughts, among the most special people to have walked this planet, each in their own way having tried hard to help protect it: Jane Goodall and Mahatma Ghandi.
Jane did so much to understand and protect creatures, especially apes, in addition to humans. She believed that the world wouldn’t achieve big climate goals if populations were struggling to survive and feed their children. She pioneered a conservation approach she called “Tacare,” working with local populations to solve conservation problems, with community members always at the center of the work. Her latest book: Local Voices, Local Choices, discusses her holistic approach to conservation.
We lost Jane just as the Indian national holiday of Ghandi Jayanti was beginning on October 2, a day to honor his legacy and also to promote peace, harmony, and non-violence. What an irony that on that day our U.S. government shut down and the current administration is taking extreme efforts to defund environmental protections, while threatening to (mis)-use the military in Democratic-run cities.
At this same time many around the world just observed Yom Kippur. During these challenging times may we all in our own ways spend time in reflection and atonement, and may each of us find some way to move forward with a greater sense of peace, willing to both feel and express love for our friends and our world.
Shana tovah
Arlene
So How’s the Market?
I was somewhat amused to read a headline declaring that next week, October 12–18, is supposedly poised to be the most advantageous week of the year nation-wide for making a home purchase. According to realtor.com, “In a year that’s been the most buyer-friendly in nearly a decade, it’s the best window of opportunity for home buyers all year. Plus, after a slower-than-usual summer for home sales nation-wide, buyer demand may be poised for a rebound if mortgage rates continue to ease and home price increases slow. “
For local buyers that means that competition is mostly not as intense as it was during the more active spring market…except for in the extreme cases. I was delighted to be able to get an offer accepted for one of my buyers this week at a price that last week I would not have guessed would have been successful. It is a modest but quite attractive three-bedroom home in El Cerrito with a deep back garden. During many weeks it might have been the only smaller El Cerrito property available, and therefore might have attracted a “normal” three or four offers. But two weeks ago suddenly there were four competing properties in Central El Cerrito priced between $699K and $899K. My client was fortunate to compete with only one other buyer. And also fortunately for him, the neighbor and owner is a UC faculty member as well. I am delighted that he is purchasing not only a charming home, but that he will have a sympathetic neighbor, and he’s buying at about the best time possible, so at a relatively attractive price! Two of the other small El Cerrito homes went into contract with several offers, but the fourth is still on the market, providing a microcosm of our market.
Our real estate environment has, a large quantity of transactions that are unremarkable, and then there are the extremes that make the news. Another set of my buyers decided against writing on a lovely North Berkeley home that had six offers this week, at least three of which exceeded the list price by more than 68%. They decided that offering something like $1700 per sq. ft. for the permitted square footage was too much, even though the lot was remarkably large and lovely, and rare for the area. And as you can sense from the first three photos below, it had some beautiful details. But I didn’t argue with them! This week I also heard about a home in the Elmwood neighborhood that received 25 offers. A modest but very pleasant bungalow right on the Berkeley/Oakland border, it is rumored to be in contract for approximately twice the list price of $1.1M for 1550 sq. ft. Fortunately these are the extremes, the ones that are news-worthy.
There have been several recent North Berkeley cases where it took only four or five offers to achieve sales prices at more than 50% over list prices, certainly qualifying as a very strong sellers’ market. Overall in Berkeley this year the vast majority of the 400 home sales occurred “on schedule,” which is within 14 days. Median sold price for single family homes is $1.76M and the average is $1.6M. By comparison, in Rockridge the 90 sales so far in 2025 have taken 19 days to close, with the median price at $1.84M and the average at $2.024M. So it remains mostly a sellers’ market in most of my world.
But there are many sellers who are praying for at least two offers on the scheduled offer dates, and many are receiving none, especially not if there are any perceived flaws in the listings. More than half of the sales since August in Oakland for homes selling below $1M also sold below list price. It took six weeks on average for those homes to sell.
I very much hope for the sake of my long-term Berkeley seller that the home I am currently working to prepare for market will be among those well-received, even as we approach the end of the year. Having taken the listing now several years ago (!), it has been frustrating to see how long it has taken to schedule City inspectors, and each improvement triggers reviews of more items. But once the structural work is completed, we can begin the aspects where I can make a difference in choosing the stylistic details like tile, fixtures and flooring, as well as planning the marketing. It looks like we’ll be working on it for the entire month of October, so fingers crossed that our debut date will be in late November…or very early December!
Special Events this weekend!
This Saturday, October 4th: PUBLIC SALE: 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM
For those of us who love planting CA native plants to encourage pollinators to our gardens, this is a very special sale! Last year I went to the sale with a list of six plants I hoped to purchase, and came home with six boxes of plants, all of which have made a wonderful difference to our front garden!
MEMBERS ONLY SALE: 9:00 AM TO 10:00 AM
MEMBERSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRY TO THE SALE AT 8:30 AM
Visit: www.nativeplants.org in advance for the most up-to-date plant list!
Sunday, October 5th at 2 pm
An Afternoon with Holly Near: Songs, Stories and Breathe! with Pianist Jan Martinelli
Holly Near will share stories and songs, both in person and available as a live-stream. Holly is an insightful story teller through her music, committed to keeping her work rooted in contemporary activism. I can’t wait to hear her up close at The Freight! You can also purchase a ticket for the live-stream, and that also allows you to watch the show for 48 hours after its conclusion.
TheFreight.org
Berkeley Repertory Theater through October 12th:
I can highly recommend the production of The Reservoir, a poignant story of the struggles of dealing with addiction, the love of grandparents and family and the challenges of dementia. And yet, among the heartbreak is a great deal of love, and laughter.
Enjoy Buy One Get One Free tickets with code JOSH, valid now through Oct 12, when The Reservoir MUST CLOSE! Performed in the intimate Peet’s Theater. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this show!
Celebration of the Hights: Joaquin Miller Park Literary Arts Festival — October 12th, 12:30 pm
I am really looking forward to being one of those sharing some readings from the great historic writers from Northern California celebrating the Park’s literary and community history featuring the California Writers Club. Come at 11:30 to participate in the potluck in the style of Miller’s “bandit suppers.” On Sanbourne Drive, at the California Writers Circle a.k.a. Fire Circle, at the historic “community kitchen”. Should be fun! And it’s free, but does require an RSVP.
Arlene Baxter
Lic. #1209552
