My situation was a little unusual. I owned a Craftsman house in Berkeley that I'd lived in for many years, but had been a rental for the last 10 years after I moved out of state. It needed a lot of rehab before going on the market. As one might guess, I had a logistical problem insofar as I was not able to be involved on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, Arlene was on the job! Getting the house ready was a lengthy process--about nine months from the initial walk-through to the open house. Arlene brought a clear vision of what was possible from day one, and knew how to realize it. She brings comprehensive knowledge of Craftsman houses, including how they are built, and how they need to be updated for our era while keeping their virtues. With an eye toward detail, she knew what needed to be done, when it needed to be done, who could do it, and how to make it happen. She kept me in the loop, but I did not have to deal with day-to-day issues. The outcome: When the day came, the house sold immediately, and fetched a record-setting price for a single bath house in Berkeley! Really, I cannot properly express my appreciation for what Arlene contributed to the enterprise. Yes, it is business, but it is more than that. Arlene's massive competence is complemented by many values we share--the arts, history, social values--accompanied by good humor and empathy. Five star, in case you missed it. :) read more

Arlene is the dream - it can not get better than her. Her depth of knowledge and wisdom of the East Bay housing market is incredible. I learned so much as a first-time home-buyer working with Arlene, and will continue to lean on her after the purchase for home help, especially with her wealth of contractor contacts. I found her after pouring through Yelp reviews for hours, and had to see if she was available after reading her fantastic Green Bungalows website, which has a wealth of history on East Bay architecture and architects, as well as help and a newsletter on making homes better for the environment. For every property we looked at, Arlene quickly deciphered the disclosures, which was helpful, but she also taught me how to read disclosures, for which I am grateful. She is a fantastic teacher. As properties came and went, it was never a waste of time checking out an interesting place with Arlene because I got to hear her commentary and learn a little bit more about how she thinks and what she sees and looks for in properties. She has a keen sense of pricing, even as the market is changing rapidly, and ended up saving me a lot of money on the purchase! On one property, she even correctly predicted the pest report estimate before it came out! Arlene is an amazing resource - it's clear she really cares about finding and selling homes for people and the real estate industry as a whole, and is not just trying to play with stats or see how much she can squeeze out of a client. I never could have navigated the market without her. She is someone you would be very lucky to work with, and if I ever sell, she will be the first person I call. read more

There's no sugar-coating it: navigating the East Bay housing market is complex and tumultuous. I can't imagine having done so without Arlene's help. Other reviewers mention her experience in the industry and her knowledge of this region's idiosyncrasies--they're spot on!--but something else that stood out to me was Arlene's dedication to and compassion for a neophyte buyer who took a very long time to find the right place. What an amazing agent and great person! read more

Arlene did a great job helping us buy a house. She listened to our desires, sent us listings, and visited properties with us. We benefited from her knowledge and connections during many different parts of the process from finding a mortgage broker to her familiarity with other agents, to her referrals in sewer laterals and pest inspections. A dramatic example of how we benefited from her experience was with the pest report, which recommended fumigation. Alrene knows that fumigation is very rare in Berkeley, so she arranged for a second inspection where it turned out that none of the $16k of quoted pest work was actually required. She knew just what to bid and what to write in her cover letter, and we got the first house we bid on! I'm sure we wouldn't have gotten it without her expertise, and the escrow process would have been much more stressful without her guidance. We appreciate that she's offered to continue to be a resource for us, and look forward to maintaining a relationship with her. read more

We worked with Arlene to buy a house in Oakland over the summer; we looked for two months and found a house we are so happy with. Arlene is phenomenal. She has deep expertise in real estate - a thorough understanding of neighborhoods, realtors, and market dynamics - even during this strange year. Arlene provided excellent advice regarding home selection, pricing, bidding strategy, etc. Arlene has an enviable Rolodex of useful contacts and was our one-stop shop for referrals on a wide range of issues - arborist, mortgage officers, electricians, pest control. All worked out beautifully. Last but not least, Arlene was a pleasure to work with. She is a skilled listener, helped us articulate our preferences and trade-offs, was incredibly responsive, and made a challenging process easy. read more

Arlene Baxter represented us in selling our Berkeley condo. We choose Arlene after interviewing several realtors because of her familiarity with the specific local condo market, from both the seller's and buyer's perspective. We wanted to freshen up the property, and Arlene made suggestions on how to get the property "ready for market". She thoughtfully evaluated which updates would be most appealing to potential buyers. Not living close by, Arlene made all of the arrangements and supervised all of the fix up work, using a team that she knew and trusted, including a contractor, stager, photographer, and others. It would have been very difficult (if not impossible) for us to accomplish this work ourselves in such a short time. The sale went very smoothly. Arlene always kept us updated, and there were no surprises. It was a pleasure working with Arlene, and it is no wonder that she is well respected in the Real Estate community. read more

My wife and I were introduced to Arlene through some friends who recently bought a home in Alameda after years of looking in North Berkeley/Albany. We were first-time homebuyers and while we had dipped our toe in the East Bay property market and gone to about a dozen open houses over the last few years, we had only recently committed to finding a permanent home in the East Bay: with a preference toward North Berkeley, Albany, Alameda, and Kensington. With Arlene's help, we ended up in Alameda. Arlene was fantastic to work with. She got to know us and our preferences very quickly, was thorough in her work, and offered terrific advice while we were touring around homes. She'd say things like "oh, that's a 10-year roof, not a 30-year roof" and pointed out other subtle things about the homes that I would not have known to look for. She also guided us through the disclosures, inspection report, and home buying process like a pro who has been in the business for 35 years would. The other thing we truly came to like about her was her knowledge of local actors in the real estate market -- other agents, the title company, etc. -- and all of her recommendations have been great. She's extremely knowledgeable about relevant local regulations, too. She was also extremely flexible and worked on *our* schedule. We have a toddler whose nap schedule made certain time windows for open houses, etc. quite challenging, but Arlene was happy to go with the flow. I'd recommend Arlene to anyone looking for a home in the East Bay. read more

Arlene was our realtor years ago and helped us to find the ideal house and home. Her expertise, commitment, and ability to listen were and are second to none. She wasn't just our realtor. She has remained our friend and trusted resource. Thank you then and now. read more

Arlene Baxter has demonstrated her professionalism, integrity, depth of knowledge, thoroughness, reputation within the community, and diligence in her work with us as we sold our Berkeley home. She represented us in both a purchase and a complex sale. We are especially thankful for her continuing to be available, and actually coordinating and submitting an offer for us during her brief vacation in Seattle. We had a longer and more intense relationship than most over the sale of our home, and it was a complex sale in numerous ways, including the relationship with the vacant lot, neighbors, surveys. We were glad that she was able to generate multiple offers for us, even in a changing market. It was clear that Arlene actively worked with colleagues who had interested buyers and this made a difference in the result. We really liked both the website and the printed marketing materials, and very pleased that she was able to bring together resources that made our home look great. This really made a difference. Mostly, we are pleased that we worked so well as a team, and that we actually enjoyed each other along the way. If you are considering selling or buying a house, we strongly recommend Arlene Baxter as your agent. Not only does she get the job done, and the process is an enjoyable and respectful one. read more

We chose Arlene because she had found a house for a friend. We were never sorry. We were nervous because we were buying our first house just as we were retiring. She held our hands through the whole process. She found us a house we could afford. She connected us with a mortgage broker. She made sure we knew the pluses and minuses of the building. She even sat us down a day or so before we committed and told us all the problems we might face. At the same time she was encouraging and a fine advocate for us. In the end she got us a discount, even in the insane market of 2015. "But wait, there's more." Even after the sale had closed, she provided us resources that a new homeowner needs. She gave us referrals to plumbers, and painters, and arborists. She has a *lot* of knowledge about the East Bay, and she put it at our service. We got email from her late at night and early in the morning. I wonder if she ever sleeps? But all that energy was spent to get us a good place, and we are grateful. read more

My husband and I were delighted with our experiences working with Arlene. We both bought and sold a property with Arlene. First, Arlene helped us find and purchase our current single family home. Throughout the search, she displayed endless patience as well as an extraordinary depth of knowledge about the housing market. She had a real knack for drawing our attention to factors that really mattered, and a genuine dedication to helping us find a house that would work for us. In this area, my husband and I had become known in the neighborhood as the "professional home shoppers"--we had been visiting open houses for years. Thanks to Arlene's skill and relationships, we navigated successfully through a somewhat tricky preemptive offer process. It was our first and only offer. Next, Arlene really made magic happen when we sold our prior home, a condo. I was blown away by how the condo looked after Arlene and her contractor applied their touches. We simply gave Arlene the key to our place and she was off and running. She knows exactly what buyers want to see, and the proof was in the pudding: we sold the condo via a preemptive offer (yes, another one!) for close to 20 percent over list price. WOW! Arlene's a highly skilled realtor and a great member of the community. My husband and I both recommend her highly! read more

Arlene was phenomenal. She had such an instinct for the little things that needed to be done to our lovely 1913 Arts and Crafts house before it went on the market. We had taken very good care of the house in the 29 years we lived in it, but because of her vast experience, improvements were made that we never would have thought of. She worked very hard arranging and overseeing the dozens (hundreds?) of details and supervising the workers. She told us she had fallen in love with the house. The purchase price was considerably more than the asking price, as she had predicted it would be. She and I became friends, and though I have moved to another state, I know our friendship will continue. read more

Arlene Baxter is without doubt an exceptional realtor. Every realtor's website has glowing testimonials from their clients. But what actionable info do you have when you choose Arlene for your needs? Our Situation / Problem ---------------------------- My wife and I relocated from Seattle to the SF Bay Area. Seattle real estate is 4X cheaper (1/2 the price & 2 times more space). The Bay Area is massive and there are so many choices for location, and plus we didn't know much about the area. We were at a loss, shocked by price, vastness of choice, and lacking inside local knowledge. We needed a realtor who could deftly guide us through uncharted territory. We found that guide in Arlene. Arlene - The Solution ------------------------- * She is keen listener/observer and immediately setup a plan of action for us * She showed us solid data on various Bay Area neighborhoods and let us narrow down our choice to 2 locations that fit our lifestyle/budget * She took us on a pilot tour and showed us various types to get a good sense of "our" taste * Once she knew exactly what we liked, she customized/targeted our search. * She expertly guided us on structuring winning offers in a highly competitive market * She was extremely patient and there was no pressure to act at any time * We leveraged her expert local knowledge to navigate various traps of East Bay homes - seismic, structural, soil, drainage, crime, etc. * Finally she has an impressive rolodex that we continue to leverage - handymen, gardeners, seismic retrofit, chimney, flooring, etc. Bottom Line -------------- Arlene is a consultative, detail oriented, and solution centric realtor, who really likes what she does. She builds solid relationships and is highly focused on customer success. The success and happiness of her clients translates to the success of her business. We highly recommend Arlene for your real estate needs. read more

Arlene Baxter has been my go-to-realtor for the last ten years. She's helped me sell our home of 30 years. And, later helped me buy a local condo, which I love. Arlene is steeped in the history of the East Bay market and its fluctuations, as well as community resources. Her skill, serenity, and good humor during the hectic days of preparing our home for sale freed me to take time letting go of the memories in each room, the furniture too large to take, and mountains of "treasures." When I felt overwhelmed she steered me to people who helped with sorting and packing and donating. She even located someone strong and brave enough to wrestle large boxes and furniture down the ladder from our attic. In the end my home sold above the asking price. And when it came time to buy the condo, Arlene's extraordinary advocacy convinced the seller to accept my bid, which was lower than the highest offer! I cannot imagine a better guide and companion to have in the realm of real estate than Arlene. She knows her stuff, she works hard, she does not quit, and she's always available. She actually makes the work fun. read more

I recently worked with Arlene as a buyer and a seller. She exceeded expectations on both transactions. Arlene is very experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of buying and selling a house. She has broad vision and is detail-oriented. She was extremely helpful in evaluating various streets/neighborhoods and the condition and potential of the houses she showed me. She helped me to navigate a very challenging market for buyers, providing expert guidance on due diligence and bidding. Arlene helped us to get an excellent price on the house we sold even though it was in a problematic location with freeway noise. She recommended cost-efficient upgrades and brought in a top-notch stager and photographer who made the house look terrific. She deftly handled negotiations on price, giving the two highest bidders an opportunity to increase their offers before formally submitting them. Arlene is exceptionally diligent and has the highest ethical standards. She acts more like an advisor than a salesperson. She is enthusiastic, personable and writes beautifully, which is something to consider as many emails will be exchanged. Arlene's helpful involvement has continued after the sale. The house I bought has three fireplaces that need restoration or upgrading. She introduced me to a neighbor who has wonderful antique Arts & Crafts decorative tiles left over from his own fireplace projects and also knows of a set of Arts & Crafts tiles that is likely to be removed from another house in the neighborhood. She devoted an hour to looking at the tiles with me and offering her suggestions as to how they could be configured to work for my house. Arlene is ideal in every respect. I would strongly encourage anyone looking for a realtor to contact her. read more

We were so lucky to find Arlene. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional and reliable. We really needed all of those qualities to find a home in Oakland in such a hot and competitive market. She is a great communicator. She was voted realtor of the year and when other agents asked who we were working with, and we said Arlene, they all commented that we were in great hands and we found that we were. We had total confidence in relying on her expertise to negotiate our deal. She offered the perfect blend of being supportive yet gave us a reality check when we needed it. She was very helpful with offering referrals for work and reports that we needed. Thank you Arlene we could not have done it without you! If you are looking for an agent who really knows her turf and will help you find the right home and deliver the deal, Arlene is the agent for you. read more

Arlene is a master realtor. In the Bay Area, if you want to sell your house, you need a master realtor. I have bought two houses with the careful and wise guidance of Arlene Baxter. When we sold our first home, we tripled our investment because of her keen advice and smart marketing. Arlene understands the multi platform approach needed in today's market. I'm not selling my 'forever home' any time soon, and yet when I receive her Green Bungalows newsletter, I drop whatever I am doing to read Arlene's market reports and forecasts. Her analysis is spot on. read more

We chose Arlene based on a friend's recommendation and think she did an excellent job. Arlene helped us buy our first house in Berkeley and provided a lot of help that we definitely needed -- everything from the mortgage to making sure we really understood the process of bidding and buying. Arlene was fast and responsive (very necessary in Berkeley where houses sell so quickly), knew the neighborhoods, plusses and minuses of the different locations, and even approximate values varying across Berkeley. She had recommendations and connections to get inspections and engineers out quickly. All of this meant that we had good success at buying a house. read more

My partner and I just moved to California and worked with Arlene to buy our East Bay home this fall. We couldn't have done it without her. Her knowledge of the local market was critical, from helping us assess the homes we were seeing to guiding us through the offer. We were especially impressed by how well Arlene listened to what we wanted and her talent at seeing homes through our eyes. When she told us that she thought we'd like a house, she was always right! In a very competitive market, we also believe that Arlene's reputation was a huge asset in getting our offer accepted. Other real estate agents want to work with her and that matters. We were also grateful for Arlene's rolodex of local businesses with excellent customer service. As an earlier review commented, Arlene's services don't stop when you buy your house and we've been delighted to work with her recommended businesses rather than turning to big box stores. read more

WOW... to write this review brings tears to my eyes. I am now a believer in "real-estate fate" as well as "realtor fate". As a first time buyer, I am positive that I was truly meant to meet and work with Arlene. I came to the table knowing very little about buying a home and Arlene was an unbelievable educator. From our first meeting, she was realistic, forthcoming, and enthusiastic. I felt an immediate connection and left feeling very excited to begin. Throughout the whole process she was a patient listener, wickedly hilarious, and very very insightful. With all of her help and expertise, I found, well... the home of my dreams! Arlene brings an entire world of knowledge and experience to real-estate that is truly awe inspiring. I continue to contact her with my first-time home owner questions as well as for referrals, which have all been excellent. She is always extremely helpful and even responded to an email I sent about my utilities while she was camping :):) I am fortunate to have found such a gifted realtor who is also a wonderful person. It has been a joy working with Arlene!! read more

Arlene was a consummate professional and a warm and real human. I sold real estate before I had kids and I have a very clear opinion about what a Realtor's role is and what is expected of him/her. Arlene was great - patient and helpful - hence, my third transaction with her in less than three years. It was a quick one-two-three real estate punch for us with Arlene - three transactions in under three years! We bought a home, lived there for 2 1/2 years before deciding to upsize. We sold that one while at the same time buying another. While we stood to make a gain, it was Arlene's insights and knowledge that let us maximize our investment and made the home we put on the market a real show stopper. One of the really stand out considerations is that Arlene stayed vigilant with our budget as we did some update work. She helped us sort out where money should be spent and where money could be saved while helping us create a dreamy, updated kitchen. What is important is that Arlene was very helpful in guiding us in preparing the home for sale. It received a phenomenal number of offers and the top three were well over what our wildest expectations had been. Granted, the Berkeley market can be a little wonky; however, I am certain that under Arlene's careful tutelage, we not only had a home ready for sale, we also turned over a home to the buyer that they were very happy with, and we received more than top dollar. This was a win- win- win in a crazy market. Now that we have been in house for several months, Arlene is still a resource, available for a phone call or an email if I have a question. Service did not stop at closing - she is still more than happy to share her knowledge. Thanks, Arlene! read more

Arlene Baxter is simply a fabulous realtor. She has represented us in buying and selling several properties, but our recent sale of a longtime home in Oakland epitomized the quality of service she provides and the amazing expertise she brings, especially in a hot market. We had already moved from Oakland to San Francisco and were overwhelmed at the prospect of getting our Oakland home ready to sell. Arlene managed the whole process, selecting paint colors, finding us a reasonable contractor who could do the work we needed quickly and well, paying attention to every detail (even going to Granite Expo and Home Depot to locate items needed for the work!) and recommending stagers and window washers. She kept track of everything to ensure that we could meet an aggressive timeline for open houses, and we did. She also kept us informed every step of the way. When the home went on the market, we were concerned that because of its off-the-beaten-path location, we might have a hard time getting buyers to come and see it. However, Arlene very aggressively marketed the home to other realtors, targeting potential buyers who loved gardening, hiking, and cooking. For example, in a mailing to other realtors, she asked if they had buyers looking for a home with a "high HIKE score" because our home was located next to a park and near hiking trailheads. She also managed to get our home featured in an online newspaper piece on the hot real estate market, further increasing interest from buyers. We ended up receiving 27 offers on the property, with many far above our asking price. This is where Arlene's savvy, experience, and reputation really came into play. She managed to keep all 27 other realtors informed with disclosures and inspection materials throughout the days leading up to our offer hearing date, and when we ended up with multiple buyers competing, she helped walk us through how to respond and what to consider when making decisions among offers. A less experienced agent would have been overwhelmed or unsure about how to navigate in a situation of multiple offers, where buyers are literally asking to increase their initial offers in order to beat a competing offer on the property. Arlene managed it all very smoothly, keeping everyone informed and making sure the process was fair, and we ended up selling the house for far more than we had expected to receive, with a backup offer at the ready had anything fallen through. Of course we were delighted at the outcome, but at every stage of the process, Arlene had our complete confidence. She is scrupulously honest, diplomatic, thoughtful, and engaged. It's not surprising she has been honored with multiple awards for her work and now teaches new realtors. In this kind of market, which is challenging for everyone, a savvy realtor really does make a difference, both in selling and in buying. When you're making some of the biggest financial moves you may make in your life, you want someone representing you who really knows what they're doing. Arlene Baxter is at the top of her game. We can't recommend her more highly. read more

I had the good fortune of meeting Arlene at an open house. I immediately got a good feeling about her. When my husband and I were ready to begin our house search I knew I had to contact her. We were schooled (in a good way) on the housing market in the East Bay. She was always available for questions or to listen to our concerns. Arlene's experience and expertise was vital in getting the house that we love! read more

Arlene is a fabulous Realtor and consummate professional! We worked with Arlene as first-time buyers who were greatly intimidated by the complexities of the Bay Area real estate market, with a limited budget, very specific needs in a house, and on a limited time frame. Arlene helped us find a house that we absolutely adore in a perfect neighborhood, two blocks from the wonderful shops and restaurants of Solano. After losing out on two places that we liked a lot, Arlene helped us put together a winning bid that sealed the deal. In addition to spot on business acumen and deep insight into the East Bay market, Arlene is also psychologically astute, knowing that a home purchase is not just a business transaction, but a negotiation that deeply influences people's relationships and well-being. She will help you find the right home for your family. read more

I have truly enjoyed and appreciated Arlene as a Realtor mentor. She is helpful and patient throughout the entire process. I have been involved in both residential and commercial new agent training before and neither of them compared to the high level of standards and excellence of training that Arlene offered. Our training comprised of an entire six months of weekly training. Through her training it is obvious that she is completely thorough and excellent as a Realtor herself. read more

Arlene Baxter is an amazingly savvy, wise, experienced and compassionate real estate agent that has helped me in both the buying and selling of several houses over the last 10 years. She manages to make an exremely complex transaction seem simple. In 2002 Arlene was my proxy in probate court and successfully bid on a property for me while I was out of the country! More recently, Arlene assisted me in the sale of a beautiful Victorian that I had lovingly restored that was located in a neighborhood that was relatively depressed in terms of real estate prices. She understood the vagrancies of the market and priced the house well above the neighborhood median trusting that the right person would see the value of the house. And so indeed, with 70K over asking. I cannot recommend Arlene Baxter more highly for any of your real estate needs. The five star rating that is translated by Yelp as "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" says it all. read more

Arlene is a stellar agent! She gave 200% to selling our home. She surpassed all of our expectations and achieved our goal in a tough time of the year and a challenging neighborhood to sell a home. We were no longer living in the area and she looked out for our house as if it was her own until it sold. She has an incredible eye for detail and wanted it to be in premier condition and had a team to call upon to help us accomplish just that. She recommended the colors for painting the inside and they were absolutely gorgeous! Because selling a house can be life changing, it can stir up emotions that feel very intense. Arlene has the emotional fortitude to ride the roller coaster ride that selling a home can feel like. She's always professional and focused on the agreed upon goal, but knows when to be a human and transparent when you need her to be. If your prefer communicating through email or texting, she's excellent at both. I am not interested in writing reviews but did find Arlene by reading her reviews and wanted to pay it forward to you. You couldn't be in better hands in one of the biggest payouts in a lifetime. read more

Arlene is a phenomenal realtor. She is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of the real estate market including the complexities of loans, title companies, and escrow. She is highly attentive to details and will help you navigate the real estate quagmire in a way that makes the process seem effortless and even fun. She has a keen eye for style and will provide great ideas for your new home. Perhaps most importantly, Arlene's service does not stop when you buy or sell your house - she will continue to answer your home or loan related questions for years to come. In an impersonal world, it is rare to find someone with Arlene's knowledge and service sensibility - she goes above and beyond on a regular basis. read more

Arlene is an exceptional realtor, and working with her has been absolute pleasure. With 16 years of knowledge and experience in real estate, Arlene has a thorough knowledge of the various neighborhoods in East Bay and is acquainted with almost every single agent. This puts us in great advantage when it comes to multiple offerings, which has become a norm on the market. Arlene always gives us the most detailed and updated information and we have been amazed at how accurate her predictions have turned out. As first time home buyers with limited funds and specific expectations of the house, we appreciate Arlene's attention to our preferences and interests, more so than we ourselves have. She even went out of her way to advise us against a few houses, trying to alert us to the issues involved despite the surface attractions. Arlene has an amazing stamina and is attentive to every single detail to follow through the procedure of buying. In addition to the paperwork, she is also quick to find qualified inspectors, engineers, and contractors for us to get an accurate sense of the condition of the house and potential cost and work involved. Patient, energetic, savvy, and fun, Arlene is an extraordinary realtor with an exceptional work ethic. You will learn a lot from her both about houses and about life. read more

Newly arrived from the east coast almost a decade ago, we were looking for a realtor who both understood the local market and knew how to introduce its vagaries to newcomers. Within three months, we bought a house we loved. At that time, when we signed on with Arlene, we quickly discovered that she had those qualifications and much more: a deep knowledge of local history, architecture, a sense of humor, and emotional intelligence. She understood when to advise and when to hang back, she anticipated demands before we had a chance to make them. She educated us without condescension. Recently, after many years of living in the Berkeley hills, we began to yearn for a walkable neighborhood; again we turned to Arlene. This time, we were harder to please, being limited by a tight budget and high-end desires...Arlene remained patient and calm, showing us a wide range of things that might work, listening to our worries and buoying us up when we felt despair. The end result: we just bought what I think will be our "forever house"--exactly where we dreamed of living for so long. She puts the needs of her clients first, sacrificing personal time without complaint, taking calls during moments when others might choose to "call back later." Her meticulous care and experience, her understanding of how to guide her clients and represent them in the crucial moment of the bid, I am sure are responsible for our good fortune now. read more

Can't say enough good things about Arlene Baxter. Purchasing my first home - it could have been one of the most stressful experiences I can imagine, but Arlene made it workable, all the way. She was patient and clarified all my naive questions, and helped work out so many daunting details that would have frozen me in my tracks. A +++ all the way. I am so happy in my house, and it suits me in a way I couldn't imagine at the beginning of this process. Bravo Arlene! read more

We were moving from Chicago to Berkeley and were advised to work with a seasoned agent if we wanted success in finding a home here. Arlene was spectacular. She worked across the distance with us, bringing us out to the Bay Area only when necessary to see houses. First of all, she was able to zero in on us immediately -- what we like in terms of neighborhood, architectural style, and relationship between indoor and outdoor. Her very savvy ability to zoom into exactly what we wanted helped narrow the already narrow list of options and meant that we did not make unnecessary visits to the Bay Area from Chicago. She navigated the market impeccably, giving us all the information we needed to make the decision we made. She then connected us with a mortgage broker who worked wonders both with us, the potential lenders, and Arlene, in a very complicated situation in which we still owned property in Chicago. Both Arlene and the mortgage brokers worked with us through a Sunday to get the deal done. Every single person with whom we interacted was a pleasure throughout the process. That is high praise when you are buying a house! Arlene also took care of things for us before we were able to arrive in Berkeley personally--arranged floor refinishing and final walk throughs, etc. She has stayed involved, helping with contractors and even things to do that she thinks we might enjoy in the neighborhood! I cannot recommend her highly enough. You are in good hands with Arlene. She knows her stuff and knows how to take care of you. read more

I highly recommend Arlene. I just bought my first house. In the initial stages of our house hunt, Arlene took time to meet with us and find out in great detail what we were looking for in a house. The properties she sent to us subsequently always matched our criteria and were worth looking at. Once we were finally ready to make an offer, I believe that having Arlene as our realtor was a major factor in having our offer accepted. Her excellent knowledge of the local real estate market helped to guide our offer and to prepare a very competitive offer which was accepted out of many others. Her excellent reputation with other agents also helped out offer. She is extremely knowledgeable about real estate, and about the East Bay and has been a great resource even after he purchase was complete, in providing referrals for services and contractors etc. Throughout the house hunt and while we were in escrow, Arlene was a calm presence, always available to answer questions and guide me through the process. I always had complete confidence that she had my best interest as her first priority. She is always thoughtful, prompt, thorough and pleasant. I can't recommend her highly enough. read more

Our family used Arlene's services as a listing agent to sell a property in Berkeley. We contacted her knowing fully that we'd have to rehab the property prior to listing it. With Arlene's consultation and recommendations, we renovated the property using her contacts. She uses a professional photographer who takes details like lighting very seriously, and she recommended a staging company to furnish the empty property. We were tempted to save a few thousand bucks and cut corners, but she seemed to know the difference between penny wise and pound foolish. Arlene convinced us that given the time constraints, we should spend a little more than DIY. She got into details as small as tile colors, paint colors, etc. All through the process, she was aggressive in keeping us on schedule to get to market quickly to take advantage of a market crest that she sensed. Towards the end of the rehab project when pretty much everyone else was tired and ready to say 'good enough,' Arlene was still dogged in insisting on small details be taken care of at her own expense in order to ensure a fast sale at maximum price. She even highly recommended a full inspection be paid for at our expense in order to pick up any blunders in the remodel and to show potential buyers that we were open and transparent. Good thing we listened, because we found a number of issues including a plumbing problem that could have flooded the house. Arlene recommended a listing price based on her understanding of the market, and it worked like a charm in that we had several offers above listing price. We were ecstatic with the offer price and the subsequent closing process. No questions about ROI in our renovation because we came out so far ahead! This woman knows what she's doing. If you're looking to sell a property, look no further! read more

My husband and I recently purchased our first home and we were lucky enough to have Arlene as our real estate agent. I don't think we would have gotten our house if it weren't for Arlene and her diligent hard work. From the very beginning, Arlene was there for us, explaining the entire process so we would know what to expect every step of the way. She is very knowledgeable about the market, the condition of different homes, and what it would take to update them. She gave us invaluable advice on pricing and what to expect during the bidding process. Arlene was always available, day or night, for anything we needed. When a house suddenly became available, Arlene was on the phone with us and we were viewing the property 30 minutes later. When we finally purchased a home, Arlene did something I didn't think was possible: she was able to convince the seller to put in a new fence around the entire back yard before we took ownership of the property. When we realized the fence was not being installed correctly, she was on the phone with the seller to make it right. We now have an amazing new fence that is exactly what we asked for. If you are looking for a realtor who listens, encourages, and helps you through the process of buying a home, I would highly recommend Arlene Baxter. read more

Arlene made a stressful experience easy for me. I sought her out because she is among the most experienced agents in Berkeley; and her long knowledge of the East Bay, the market, the ins and outs of dealing with other agents, the city, mortgage brokers, and inspectors avoided many pitfalls along the way. She also understands the buildings inside and out and has has deep care and knowledge of the architecture and history of the built environment here. Most important for me, and most impressively, she took care of the details and made the process as painless as it can be. She made, and showed up for, every appointment with inspectors and at any signing, and continued to support me even after the sale was done. Because of her relationships with inspectors, contractors, plumbers, and electricians, I was able to get renovation work done on my place within days of closing and moved in weeks before I thought possible. Thanks, Arlene! read more