BLUEPRINT
Hot Spots
It’s been awhile since we’ve touched on some of our favorite new places to eat, drink and hang out. Here is a look at some of the newest and best spots we’ve visited over the summer.
HOPSCOTCH CHICKEN
Known for its three-day buttermilk marinade and impossibly crispy texture, Hopscotch’s fried chicken has long been an East Bay favorite. Now offered in an easy order-at-thecounter format at the Epicurious Garden Food Hall, the menu includes combo trays, salads, sandwiches, saucy wings, and slowroasted Springer Farms rotisserie chicken— don’t miss the potatoes cooked in their savory drippings. Open 7 days a week 11-8PM. 1511 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley
THE KNOT CLUB
Richmond has a new waterfront hangout in addition to the Sailing Goat: The Knot Club. This reimagined bar at Point San Pablo Harbor has a very eclectic décor, vintage records, board games, and small bites in addition to wine, beer, cider, and non alcoholic options. Unwind on the cozy back deck by the fire pit while taking in unreal sunset views across the bay. With its art-filled surroundings (think a glowing 40-foot crocodile and a towering honeybee), it’s the perfect mix of laid-back charm and local flavor. For now they are only open Fridays from 5-10PM and live music is part of the ongoing “Live on the Waterfront” series. 1900 Stenmark Dr, Richmond
SWEET POTATOE’S UPBEET CAFE
Across from El Cerrito Plaza, this uber comfortable cafe pours playful signature drinks (honey-jasmine lattes topped with bee pollen, ube lattes dusted with rose petals, and cinnamon-kissed mochas) alongside smoothies, avocado toast, and many more light breakfast bites. Perfect for a quick pickme-up before errands or a relaxed catch-up with friends.6401 Fairmount Ave. , El Cerrito
List Price: $1,875,000
Sale Price: $3,178,000
How & Why A Home Sells For $1M Over List Price
The epicenter of the “list incredibly low, sell high” playbook is without a doubt, Berkeley and it dissipates outward from there throughout the Inner East Bay. It’s the defining characteristics that makes this market one of the most unique in the country.
A little more than decade ago, statistics showed double-digit overbids (about 13% above asking in 2013) followed by several years when typical sales in Berkeley and parts of Oakland cleared the list price by notable margins. Today, turnkey homes in high demand areas such as North/Central Berkeley & Albany have sale prices that can average 50% or higher above the list price.
The conditions that forged this approach back then still exist today: chronic scarcity, abundant demand, and a calendar-driven auction moment (a pre determined offer date) that channels many buyers into one decision window. As challenging and mystifying as this practice can seem it is undeniably effective. It attracts attention, brings multiple offers and produces strong results for the seller.
Well executed, underpricing isn’t just a parlor trick; it’s market design. An eye catching list price, a complete disclosure package (this is key), and a clear deadline create a temporary “auction” style dynamic for potential buyers. In the right micro-market turnkey homes, A- tier locations, a deep bench of prepared buyers/ competition can pull the closing price up to (and often past) fair market value. We see it time and time again when we track the data. (Continued)
WE HAVE OUR GREEN DESIGNATION—WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
After spending a few long, hot days at a strip mall in San Rafael, we are proud to share that our team is officially Green Designated by the National Association of REALTORS®.
So what exactly is the Green Designation you ask?
The program is certified advanced training on energy-smart homes and sustainability in real estate. It focuses mostly on the resale market (roughly 90% of U.S. housing), equipping us with objective, businessoriented skills to help clients buy and sell high-performance homes and not just talk “green.” Here are some of the highlights:
• Building science fundamentals: highperformance envelopes (air/water sealing, insulation, ventilation), advanced framing, and why tight envelopes + proper ventilation drive comfort and efficiency.
• Indoor air quality (IAQ) & health: common IAQ issues (off-gassing, lead paint, asbestos, mold), basic diagnostics, and remediation approaches; plus practical IAQ awareness for real estate.
• Renewables & incentives: rooftop solar trends and sizing basics, battery storage along with policy literacy (e.g., 30% Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit and state/utility rebates).
• Valuation & data standards: documenting features with MLS “green” fields and standardized terminology (RESO), tackling comps for high-performance homes, and linking listings to utility data to reflect
Green designees receive ongoing education, tools and a public directory listing which can benefit past and future clients seeking expertise. Shocking to us is that less than 1% of REALTORS® have undergone the designation!
To our group this is really more about professional stewardship than anything: staying current on laws, incentives, documentation standards, and language. As California and local municipalities adapt new regulations and as the market responds, we want to be confident that we are ahead of the curve.
(Continued fom page 1)
While the utter shock of seeing a home sell for $1M above the list price, deservedly, gets lots of attention, the ‘list low’ approach isn’t one- size-fits -all. The same tactic that sings in Thousand Oaks can fall flat two neighborhoods away if the product, timing, or buyer depth isn’t there. In fact, just two weeks ago there were two homes about 1/2 a mile from each other and both in a desirable part of Berkeley that took two completely different approaches.
List Price: $2,595,000
Sale Price: $3,525,000
+$930,000
4BR | 4.5 BA | 3,358 SQ FT Ashby Ave (busy street)
List Price: $2,200,000
Sale Price: $2,150,000
-$50,000
3BR | 2.5 BA | 2,048 SQ FT Tunnel Ave (busy street)
The Inner East Bay does have a parallel approach: transparent pricing listing near the seller’s true target. It’s not as common but it does happen from time to time. It emerged to reduce confusion and stigma from ultra-low list prices in segments where demand may be thinner, disclosures raise questions, or the goal is speed and clarity over spectacle. Choosing between a low list price with an offer date and an at-value list price is a situational decision for sellers and their agents and an incredibly important one.
Fresh data for the Inner East Bay underscores how unforgiving the launch window for a home is. In a twelve month sample of roughly 14,000 sales across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (through July 2025), homes that never reduced price closed, on average, about 4.5% over their original list price. Homes that required a reduction ultimately sold around 7% below their original list price and took nearly six weeks longer(!) to secure an accepted offer which is about 58 days versus 17. After a reduction, both the final price and price-per- square-foot averaged roughly 11% lower than comparable properties that avoided reductions altogether. In other words, the first two weeks are precious. Open too high, miss the initial burst of broker and buyer attention, and our market tends to punish the correction meaning that time is lost, and money usually follows.
For sellers and close observers in Berkeley, the practical takeaway is pretty straightforward. The launch should be strategically designed, not drifted into: pricing is the most visible lever, but the whole system of preparation, photography, disclosures, and calendar creates the conditions for competition. The narrative needs guarding; when a listing lingers or reduces, buyers instinctively ask what’s wrong, and the answer costs money even when nothing is wrong. Evidence should prevail over vibes: segment-level comps, absorption rate, and live buyer activity are better guides than headlines or anecdotes. And flexibility matters; strong strategies still benefit from mid-course corrections when the market speaks.
“List low, sell high” was born of scarcity and still works beautifully in the right pockets of the Inner East Bay. But it’s a tool, not a creed. Across cycles, the data point to the same conclusion: thoughtful, evidence-based pricing at launch is the single most reliable way to protect outcomes and overpricing is the surest way to squander them.
