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The personal stories of one Realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area Real Estate Market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
Where you plan to plant your chopstick — or hang your hat — location matters.
Cliff and I have an inside joke (albeit, not a very funny one). Whenever we drive up HWY 50 to Fallen Leaf Lake, as we pass the BIG green “Sushi” billboard near the summit, Cliff points and says, “Should we stop for lunch?” (He thinks he’s hilarious. At this point, I just roll my eyes.)
I should preface this by saying that Cliff doesn’t eat sushi, so not only is the invitation entirely disingenuous, but given that the restaurant is nowhere near a fresh fish source, he knows the answer is going to be “no.” (AKA: “the empty magnanimous gesture.”) In 36 years of marriage, Cliff has joined me at a sushi restaurant only a handful of times, and he almost always orders the chicken teriyaki. (If you imagine the palette of an 8-year-old boy, you’ve pegged Cliff.)
In truth, I’m not sure the restaurant is even operational, having never actually investigated further, but if it were, I’m wondering who, exactly, stops for sushi in the middle of nowhere??? (Not me.) Listen, that restaurant might serve the greatest sushi in Northern California for all I know, but given its location, it’s hard to imagine how . . . or what it’s doing there.
Location, location, location
As with successful restaurants, when it comes to real estate, the old adage “location, location, location,” has never been more important. As the 2026 market has shaped up to be incredibly frothy (against all odds and much to everyone’s surprise), it’s always wise — especially when forced to pay a premium — to purchase in areas that are going to remain in high demand.
While it’s true that Piedmont’s public amenities are available to all its citizens no matter where you reside, there are areas in town that solicit more demand, which translates into higher selling prices. Anything close to ground zero where kids can walk to school, the parks, the playing fields, afterschool camps, or to Mulberry’s Market are going to sell faster and for more money than their similar counterparts sited on the edge of town, and that difference in value is is often SIGNIFICANT!
In other words, if you’re paying a small fortune for a home (and they all seem to be going high), better to buy on a street that’s highly coveted, assuming you can afford to do so. Of course, if you prefer views, and don’t necessarily care about the walkability, you’ll pay less for a home away from the city center and likely gain more space as well.
Either way, there are pros and cons to every home, so decide what’s important to you, what’s negotiable (and what isn’t), how much you are ultimately willing to pay, and then submit your best offer. With more than two decades of helping people buy and sell homes, it’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive markets we’ve ever experienced.
How can we help you?
Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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