DE CE MBE R 2024
BLUEPRINT
EAST B AY
A N E W S L ET T E R B Y M I C H A E L P E R R Y
Hot Spots Here is a rundown of the newest additions to the restaurant and wine bar scene.
BEST FRIENDS | ALBANY The sofa shop turned wine shop/bar has finally opened its doors after months of renovation and redesign. On the corner of Solano & San Pablo Avenues is the area’s newest wine destination. You can pick up a bottle or two of local and boutique wines or you can enjoy a glass at the bar. They also serve light snacks and beer on tap. The bright airy space is open Wednesday through Sunday 12pm-9pm. 901 San Pablo Ave, Albany
4BR | 2.5 BA 1,722 sq ft
THE IMPACT OF CONDITION 4BR | 2 BA 1,798 sq ft
MUGUNGHWA | EL CERRITO Opened mid-November right on San Pablo Ave, Mugunghwa is an outstanding addition to the handful of Korean restaurants in the area. Here, you’ll find a clean modern space that has perhaps one of the more extensive (& authentic) menus around. In addition to staples like bulgogi & fried chicken you can also find perhaps some of the Bay Area’s best bossam! Open daily 11-9:30pm. 10140 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito
BANGKOK BY THE BAY | BERKELEY Tucked deep in the heart of West Berkeley is some of the tastier Thai food I’ve had in awhile. First time restaurateurs, Sung Makawatsakul & Nantika Julakasilp opened up early November just behind the new biotech campus near Aquatic Park. The menu leans on classic Thai street foods and I couldn’t be happier as I nearly ate my body weight in curry puffs. They also have a stellar happy hour menu from 4-5:30 during the week. Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30pm/4-8:30pm. 800 Heinz Ave, Berkeley
I think it’s safe to say most people would agree out of all the factors that go into impacting a home’s value, location is #1. A house next to a busy freeway is likely to be much less valuable (in the same city) as a similar home on a quiet cul de sac. After all, you can’t really change the location of a house and you’re highly unlikely to move the freeway. While size could technically be the best answer for #2, I would make the argument that it’s condition. Most folks getting ready to sell their home aren’t going to be adding square footage in order to maximize the sale. The numbers just don’t pencil out. Condition, is much more controllable, and plays a major role in maximizing a home’s value. The pics above are from two similar sized homes that sold in El Cerrito in September. They were just 5 blocks from one another and neither was near a freeway. Pic #1 received only 1 offer and sold for $1.2M while pic #2 received 4 offers and sold for $1.7M (+$520k!) The difference? House #1 was mostly outdated while house #2 was updated throughout. In 2022 when interest rates shot up so did buyer expectations for the condition of the home they considered buying. With super low rates competition was so strong that buyers couldn’t afford to be picky about whether a kitchen was updated or not because the house was likely to receive multiple offers no matter what. Now that interests rates have spent the last two years averaging in the 7’s we have seen turnkey homes far outperform outdated homes. (continued)