Lamorinda Real Estate

Lamorinda Schools Named "California Distinguished Schools"

Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte high schools have been named a California Distinguished School.  With Las Lomas being named a Distinguished School in 2007 and a U.S. Blue Ribbon School in 2008, and Del Oro being named a Model Continuation High School in 2009, the five high schools that can receive state recognition have been honored.
 
The California Distinguished School recognition is based on an application process highlighting signature programs and a site visit to see those programs in action as well as interviewing students, staff, and parents. 
 
As Miramonte Principal Raul Zamora noted, "The Distinguished School award is a reflection of the staff's hard work and dedication on behalf of our students." 
 
Acalanes Principal John Nickerson added, "We are thrilled with the honor and recognition for our unique programs...It is a tribute to the quality work of our students and staff."
 
Campolindo Principal Carol Kitchens summed it up when she stated, "I would like to recognize the student body for their dedication toward academics, the fine staff who work tirelessly everyday, the wonderful involvement from the parent community, and support from the District Office staff and the Governing Board."
 
As Carol accurately notes, our schools are successful due to the outstanding teamwork and support from everyone connected with the schools.  Without the donations from the parent clubs and education foundations and the community's support for bonds and parcel tax, the Acalanes Union High School District could not maintain the level of excellence for which it is known.
 
Congratulations to the students, staffs, and parents at Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte high schools.

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Moraga Fixer – Real Estate Tour Winner

Today’s Lamorinda real estate broker’s tour produced a winner. 253 Scofield Drive is located in Moraga, close to the Orinda border. If you are up for a fixer, this property has great potential. The house sits on a 30,000 square foot parcel. It is livable in it’s current condition, but is dated and worn. It’s a great price at $649,000, less than $400/sq. ft. Let’s write an offer today!

PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB OWNERS!!

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Monarchs in Lamorinda

Like leaves falling from trees all over town, the Monarchs are floating in the breeze by the thousands. I saw people all over Lamorinda today just watching the butterflies. The Monarchs are on their annual migration from southern Canada to wintering sites in central Mexico where they spend the winter. Not a bad idea! Automatic Social Bookmarking

Looking for a house in Orinda (up to $1m)--what neighborhoods?

Mike
Home Buyer
Orinda, CA

Hi, my wife and I are looking to purchase a house in Orinda. Can someone give us a description of the neighborhoods--north of Freeway (OCC, Tiger Tail, Sandhill, Claremont, Sundown Terrace) vs. south of Freeway (Glorietta, Del Rey, Ivy Drive etc.) in terms of family-friendliness (we have a one-year old); value of house (from an investment perspective likely to retain/appreciate value); and commute to FWY24 and BART? Thanks, Michael

Thu Mar 26 2009, 13:19 - Home Buying In Orinda

Hi Michael,

You will not find a more family friendly community than Orinda. That is why my wife and I moved here, and why many people aspire to call Orinda their home. This fact makes parent involvement in the community very high. The schools are top-rated, and the kids programs are very well run.

The title of your post says you are seeking a house in Orinda, up to $1m. There are currently 64 properties available in Orinda, and only 21 of them are under $1m. Of those 21, 8 of them are fixers, mostly of the severe condition (3 in the Country Club, 1 in the Claremont area, 1 on Moraga Way, 1 in the Glorietta area, and 1 in the Charles Hill area). Of the 13 left that are not fixers, 4 of them are basically on or very near the busy street of Moraga Way. We are now down to 9 properties. There is 1 in the Claremont area, 2 in the CC, 2 in the El Toyonal area, 1 Townhouse in Orinda Woods, 2 in the Glorietta area, and 1 up in the Crestview area.

What you should know as an under $1m buyer in Orinda is that a desirable property in this price range goes pending VERY fast. 5 properties went pending within the last 2 weeks in under 7 days on the market.

If you are serious about buying in this range, you need to make sure you are up to speed in 2 areas; financing and knowledge of the market. You need the knowledge so when you see a property you like, you know for sure if it is a good investment or not. You need the financing to be in place (underwritten for credit) so you can write an effective offer immediately, which will be accepted.

More properties that fit your parameters will come on the market over the next few months. The good ones are sure to go fast! A good Realtor goes a long way.
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LAMORINDA REAL ESTATE MARKET

12 properties in Lamorinda have gone pending in February as of the 13th. The most interesting aspect is the marketing time. Marketing time for detached units sold in the last 6 months of 2008 was an average of 49 days for 232 units. For the 12 units gone pending this month (5 Orinda homes, 5 Moraga homes, 2 Lafayette homes), the average days on the market is 16. Eight of them are 9 days or less! Is the market changing at the halfway point of February? One thing is certain; there are buyers ready to go right away for the right property. So if you are thinking about buying in the Lamorinda area, do your homework so you know when you are seeing a good property at a good price. Also, be ready with your financing so you can act in a timely manner when you identify your dream home. Inventory is around 170 units now and that number should be going up in the weeks to come.

For the Sellers, know that there are buyers out there and actively looking. One person told me at a recent Sunday open house that she had seen a lot of people out looking at houses that day. She said they were even walking all around the outside of the houses, like they were serious buyers. She looks at the Moraga Sunday open houses regularly because she owns 2 houses in Moraga and wants to stay on top of the market. Keep in mind Sellers, Buyers are still looking for and expecting a good deal. Your house should be in a fixed-up, updated condition to garner top dollar, and/or it should be priced accordingly. Get the opinion of a Realtor you trust. Plenty of people are out there that will tell you what you want to hear.

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Orinda Real Estate Sales Numbers

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I was asked the same question at almost every holiday party I attended, "How did prices hold up in Orinda this year?". Here are the numbers for your own interpretation. You can click each graphic to enlarge.





Roughly an 18% drop in volume.
About a 5.6% drop in average sales price.
Approximately a 50% increase in marketing time.




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ORINDA SCHOOLS SHINE!!!

Orinda schools shine again!!

LAMORINDA REAL ESTATE MARKETING TIME - DAYS ON MARKET

Marketing time in real estate is measured by how many days a property is on the market before it goes into contract. Take a look at the change year over year for the Lamorinda area. It's taking longer, generally speaking, for properties to sell this year compared to last, quite a bit longer in fact.

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LAMORINDA AVERAGE SALES PRICE STATISTICS YEAR OVER YEAR

Orinda, Moraga, and Lafayette, collectively known as Lamorinda, is considered a top-notch area when it comes to real estate. So it is interesting to see how the community has faired this year to date, compared to 2007 for the same period. Here is a chart that shows the results through the first three quarters.

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ORINDA - MORAGA - LAFAYETTE REAL ESTATE SALES VOLUME

Here is an interesting look at the sales volume numbers for Lamorinda, broken down into each community, Orinda, Lafayette, and Moraga. I've taken the first three quarters of '07 and compared them to the first three quarters of '08.

All three communities combined, Lamorinda, had a drop in volume of about 24%.

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