Home Sale Question: What Does Your Neighbor Say About You?

I am pleased that 5925 Broadway in Oakland (above left) has come on the market because I’ve been looking for an excuse to write about this house for a while.

Every time I drive by this property, which is on a busy section of Broadway just before it intersects with the ramp for the Grove Shafter freeway, it strikes me what a contrast the home represents to its neighbor. As you can see from the photo above, 5925 has had a stylish exterior paint job. The muted color is a smart choice as it lends the house a tidy, clean appearance and gives the impression that other elements, such as the windows, ironwork, the interiors and possibly the roof may also have been seen to.

Common wisdom would suggest that having a somewhat unkempt neighbor won’t do you any favors when you are trying to sell your home. But in this case I think the sharp contrast plays to the advantage of this $795,000 house. And, given its location (nothing to shout about — see photo right of junction just yards from the home’s front door), it needs all the help it can get.

There are a few other new listings in this Berkeley-Oakland border neighborhood which make for good comparables:

6165 Brookside Avenue: “New from studs out” 3/3 home on a 1/4 acre lot with Bay views in backyard — also very close to freeway. Price: $1,249,999 ($595/sq ft).

5701 Broadway: Cute-looking 2+/1+ bungalow with an impressive bay window and built-ins, but still on busy road. Price: $769,000 ($626/sq ft).

5602 Taft Avenue:  5/2.5 home with flexible floorplan and converted garage and workshop. Price: $945,000 ($408/sq ft).

And another thing: Oakland home prices may be tanking, but commercial real estate is doing fine thank you very much, according to a recent story in the New York Times, with companies such as San Francisco stalwart Levi’s looking to cross the bay and the long-time-coming $50m Jack London Market project providing fuel for the fire (hat-tip Curbed SF).