RETURN TO HOME
About Piedmont
Known as one of the most desirable towns in the San Francisco Bay Area and America overall – Piedmont, California, is a wonderful place to call home.
Piedmont is a town comprising of roughly 1.8 square miles and a population of approximately 11,000 people. Piedmont is located in the costal foothills east of the San Francisco Bay and surrounded by finest neighborhoods of Oakland such as Rockridge, Crocker Highlands and Montclair. The temperate climate, tree lined streets, beautiful parks and charming traditional homes attract many from near and far.
Piedmont Park located in central Piedmont, CA
The People
The population of Piedmont is overwhelmingly home owners – very few properties are rentals or vacation homes. The majority of residences are either families with children in the school system or those whose children have grown and moved on to their own homes (empty nesters). People typically choose to live in Piedmont for the quality of life it offers: A convenient location just 15 minutes to San Francisco, the safety provided by the local police department and the excellent school system.
Piedmont’s real estate market characteristic
The economy took a hit on Piedmont prices however the housing market devastation seen in other cities has not had the same affect on Piedmont. Piedmont saw only two short sales and only two bank owned sales in 2009 – far fewer than popular neighboring cities, San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. Even in 2009, one of the worst years real estate has seen in a long time, many multi-million dollar homes sold in Piedmont including a large estate originally offered at just under $7,000,000.
Piedmont likely saw the bottom of the market back in 2009 when sales overall were down from where they traditionally are. The market responded to growth in 2010 and we saw the return of larger Piedmont homes selling often within a few days and with multiple offers pushing the sales price over asking.
Due to the average price of homes in Piedmont, the first time buyer tax credit had little to no effect on the local market. The average sales price so far for 2010 is $1,300,000 with a low of $631,000 and a high of $3,100,000.
Piedmont is constantly seeking to improve the city and the public amenities offered. Some of the current proposed projects include running all utilities underground and the building of a large sports field to accommodate school sports programs.
A grand Piedmont home
Tips for buying or selling in Piedmont
If you’re thinking about buying, whether in Piedmont or anywhere for that matter, first steps are important. As a general rule, I always encourage my clients to first speak with a well qualified and respected lender. In our local market, working with the right lender (or the wrong one) can have a significant affect on how your offer is received and whether or not it is accepted.
If you’re considering selling a home in Piedmont, there are some factors that you need to consider. Piedmont has local point of sale ordinances which are property conditions that must be brought into compliance before the close of an escrow. Furthermore, buyers and their agents for homes in Piedmont tend to be well educated and versed in the market – proper preparation and presentation of your home is critical. At The Grubb Company, we have a commanding presence in Piedmont representing over 50% of all the sellers and buyers for this town. If you’re thinking about buying or selling, step number one should be speaking with one of our agents.
Sale of off market properties: One type of transaction that is somewhat common in Piedmont is the sale of a home that is not on the market. I recently had clients who were in town for just 1 week with the goal of finding the perfect home. After looking at each and every home on the market that came even close to their criteria, they feared that their mission would be for not. Through my relationships in the brokerage community and investigative work, I got them access to a home that was just right and negotiated an accepted offer all before they left the states. Going the extra mile can make all the difference.
About Aaron D. Brown
Aaron D. Brown is a Realtor with The Grubb Company located just outside of Piedmont, California. An East Bay native, Aaron represents buyers and sellers primarily in Piedmont, Oakland and Berkeley and has built his business on three core competencies – enthusiasm, diligence and dedication. Aaron’s background is in the high end/ high touch customer service arena with companies such as Ritz Carlton and Hyatt Hotels. If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in the East Bay, Aaron is easily reachable and always happy to share information and advice on the market.
He can be reached directly at 510-334-6952 or by email at Aaron@AaronBrown.com
Aaron D. Brown, Realtor
The Grubb Company
510-334-6952
1960 Mountain Blvd, Oakland CA 94611
DRE 01821230
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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com