Full Disclaimer - I own property here and have lived at Bayside for over 7 years…read more It makes me sad to see the low reviews - although in some cases, I can definitely see where folks are coming from. The good: - I purchased this condo as a single woman and it was a great stepping stone into home ownership. [I now own a house in Oakland and a house is a LOT more work.] Bayside always made me feel safe ... multiple layers of security (locked doors, gates etc) and that peace of mind is priceless. - Great location (convenient to the freeway) and residents are eligible for the Albany school district (which I hear is very good). Casual carpool is right outside and for many years I commuted to San Francisco via carpool, the AC transit or walked to BART. - Lots of other good things to say - which were important to me as a home buyer, but then this would start to sound like my Craigslist ad! The bad: - The HOA fees are definitely high ($485 a month) - although it does include water, garbage and cable. That's money you can't write off. - Freeway noise - depending on which direction you face, although many of the units closer to the freeway have double pane windows. - Strict HOA rules around number of dogs, weight limit of your pets, and although this never impacted me - I always say posts about pool and hot tub usage. Probably less of an exercise lap pool and more of a pool for kids. The current office manager Paul is the best one I've seen since I've been there (I think that's been 3 different ones). He's certainly the most friendly and helpful. Or maybe he's just nicer to me b/c one time the trash bin got away and crushed my fiance's truck (srsly!) I am renting out my condo now b/c I intend to either move back one day or let my parents move in when they get a bit older - the Pacific East Mall is within walking distance.

OWNERS: Upcoming Financial Disaster…read more Do not be fooled by the big bank balance the current leadership brags about in the election packet. It is a total trap to hide the fact that our actual property is falling apart and running out of money. Based on the official financial packet sent to owners, here is the real story: Massive Financial Shortfall: The board boasts about having millions in savings, but their own official report shows that the cost to fix just the elevators and the roofs alone is millions of dollars more than what is sitting in the bank. They do not have enough money to cover even these two things, leaving completely zero dollars for the rest of our crumbling building. Sky-High Operational Expenses: Well over $750,000 a year is being swallowed up completely by daily utilities like gas, electricity, water, and trash. Because so much cash is being drained by these massive utility bills, they have only done very, very minor repairs instead of the fundamental construction work we desperately need. Everything is Broken and Expired: The official paperwork explicitly states that major parts of the property--including our structures, concrete, and landscaping--have "0 years of life left." They are completely past their expiration date and need immediate replacement, yet fundamental repairs have been entirely ignored. The Disaster Coming Next Year: Because they have spent years ignoring the core structural issues while burning cash on utilities and minor tasks, everything is breaking down at the exact same time. The current savings cannot cover it. If this same leadership gets back in, it will be a complete disaster for our wallets. To pay for these multi-million dollar repairs, they will have no choice but to hit us with massive HOA dues increases or force a devastating Special Assessment fee on every single owner next year. Protect your investment and your hard-earned money. We must stop this operation before it is too late. Vote for a complete change in leadership! Sent from my iPhone

My sisters and I interviewed three different realtors when we were about to put a El Cerrito house…read moreon the market. Two realtors came in for a tie with the third being an obvious "reject." Of the two remaining, we chose Diane Sindel-Deutsche, broker and owner of Jeans Realty. What a good choice! In a down market, Diane held an open house every single week for close to six months. Her task was daunting...to sell a small one bedroom cottage on a busy street. Sure, the house was cute and it had been fixed up to prime condition. But, as the housing market bottomed out, we slowly dispaired. Not Diane. She just kept feeling optimistic and never doubted that the house would sell at close to our asking price. Well, it did! A buyer from Berkeley realized the enormous value of purchasing in El Cerrito. (No parking hassles, close to BART, near stores and the post office. Strong neighborhood, good soil for planting,) Diane, the broker sheparded the sale through various obstacles. The end result?? Happy sellers, happy buyers and very happy neighbors. I'd list with her again in a heartbeat.

Diane just helped my Husband and I purchase our first home ever, in El Cerrito. She guided us…read morethrough to a winning bid in this over heated market, then was an excellent negotiator for some last minute concerns with the property. She was very responsive , professional and insightful.

As a homebuyer, working with Alice was a great experience. She was friendly, professional, and made…read morethe escrow process feel easy and straightforward. Everything was handled smoothly, which made the entire transaction far less stressful than I thought it would have been. Thank you Alice!

Alice and Amanda are my go to title team! I have worked with them on many transactions and I never…read morehave to worry about anything being missed. The best!

Leif, Tamir, and Charity make an amazing team! At least one of them is always available to look at…read morehouses, any day of the week. All of them know the Bay Area like the back of their hand, and they all know the market and give great advice on pricing, etc. after we made the offer, Charity did a TON of work to help us get inspectors, bids for work, city paperwork, and anything else we needed. She even made a run to Home Depot to get us a CO detector when the appraiser required it at the last minute! We've already closed now and have taken possession, and Charity is *still* offering to help! We couldn't have been happier with the service we received from this team.

Big shout out to our stellar Berkeley real estate team, Charity and Leif, for all their support in…read morehelping us buy our house in 2009 and then sell it last year. Back in 2009 Charity went above and beyond, which allowed us to get our foot in the door (literally) back when we thought we would never be able to buy in the Bay Area. Last year she worked closely with us to arrange repairs and staging to make sure we got the best offers. Super impressed with her professionalism, knowledge and responsiveness. Charity and Leif have heart and know Berkeley... they won't let you down.

Alissa is the steady, expert voice that every first time homebuyer needs. Everyone knows that…read morebuying a home in the Bay Area is an uphill battle, and we were pretty intimidated by the process. There is a lot that goes unspoken during this process, and Alissa was able to parse all of it for us and tell us what was normal and what was a red flag so that we felt truly informed and confident. She also knows the Kensington/El Cerrito market very well, both the homes and the other agents, which often came in handy. And we never felt pressured or pushed into making an offer or raising our offer price - it really feels like she is on your side. When we found our dream home and saw an opportunity to move fast, she worked with us on a holiday weekend while she was preparing her own open house so that we could get our offer in before other buyers, and it paid off. Even now that we've closed and moved in, she is still in touch helping us get settled and making sure we are happy with our new home.

We worked with Jess and Alissa to buy our first home in Oakland based on a recommendation from…read morefriends. Knowing that we were first time homebuyers, Alissa and Jess really took the time to educate us on what to look for, how to read disclosures, and what to expect during the buying process. They were also great at giving us good advice, not shying away from talking us into walking away from houses that weren't perfect. We felt not only supported but also well guided the entire time. We are so thankful our friends recommended MAJ to us and we are happy to recommend them to others looking for great realtors!

This company has allowed rats, water leakage, and homeless vagrants into their buildings while…read morecontinuing to raise rents. An inspector told me that they are "barely maintaining legal standards". If you are OK to have your property fall into disrepair, this is the team for you. I hear they are already tangled in some lawsuits, frankly I'm not sure how they are still in business. Especially surprising since their business license is not always up to date. *EDIT : PPM has since tried to say that I am a fake reviewer, I assure you I am not! Jimmy, shame on you for trying to hide from genuine reviews.

PPM has been the landlord for my office in Richmond for the past few years in Point Richmond. They…read moredo a great job and have been quick to take care of any issues I bring up. They are a pleasure to work with and I recommend them if you are looking for an apartment, office or property management.

Do not go *anywhere* near this realty company, especially if they are managing a property. They…read morehave no idea what they're doing and they will not help you in any way shape or form. As a renter, they will enable the landlord to rip you off for many thousands of dollars That's what happened to me!

Jon Sullberg at compass was amazing. he was able to get a record sale per sq foot in pleasant hill…read moreCalifornia. He worked his butt off then sold my other house for me at the same time. Id recommend him to anyone!!

I recently sold my home in Berkeley with Megan Micco, and I cannot recommend her highly enough…read more I first found Megan through Berkeley Parents Network, where she had glowing recommendations from other local families. From our very first interaction, I felt a strong personal connection. She came to my home, listened carefully, and gave me honest advice about whether I should add a second story or sell. At that time, she actually recommended that I keep the house and build up, since it would likely be more cost-effective and I loved the neighborhood. That told me right away she was looking out for my best interests, not just a commission. After getting construction bids and thinking things through, I ultimately decided I really did want a change of pace. I reached back out to Megan to list my home, and that's when she truly went above and beyond. Megan put together a comprehensive, strategic marketing plan and personally oversaw key updates to the property, including a kitchen renovation and removal of knob-and-tube electrical wiring. She and her team made sure my home was positioned to attract as many buyers as possible in what was a somewhat uneven market. Throughout the entire process, Megan's communication was exceptional. She checked in with me frequently, explained each step clearly, and was incredibly responsive to my questions and concerns. Selling a home is an emotional roller coaster, but Megan's warm personality, professionalism, and steady guidance made it so much easier. She constantly reminded me to keep my eyes on the horizon, and that perspective really helped. When offer day came, her strategy paid off. We received four offers, and the top offer not only exceeded my expectations--it set a new record price per square foot in the Berkeley market. When Megan told me the final number, I literally burst into tears of joy, relief, and happiness. If you are considering selling your home, especially in Berkeley, I wholeheartedly recommend Megan Micco. She is smart, strategic, honest, deeply caring, and truly committed to her clients' best interests. Working with her turned a stressful process into a record-breaking success.

We feel so profoundly lucky to have found Megan. Our journey with her spanned several years, and…read morehopefully it will last a good many more. As first-time homebuyers with a limited budget, we felt like finding somewhere in Berkeley was going to be a stretch - and it was - but it would have been impossible without her. We spoke to a few agents before Megan, and none of them felt right. After meeting Megan, we knew we had found something special. We connected with her immediately. What set her apart from everyone else was actually the reality check she gave us: with our budget, buying the dream house we had imagined was going to be tough. She was the only one who was straight with us and made choosing her a no-brainer decision. Rather than discourage us, this frank conversation led us to trust Megan and respect her integrity. At the start, Megan told us that she gets people into the first home they make an offer on 85% of the time. We were certain we'd be in the 15%. But we weren't. Megan maintains that extraordinary statistic because of how she works. She's honest with her clients and realistic about expectations, but she balances it with being extremely attentive to the market, tenacious, well-connected, and creative. Honestly, what more could you ask for in an agent? We waited for the right moment in the market, and she waited with us. When we were finally ready, Megan was immediately available to us - viewing houses the day we flagged them, always answering our messages, and available any time on the phone. There were times when we felt like maybe Berkeley was too much out of our reach-too competitive and expensive for our budget. Megan reassured us that it was all about being ready and finding the right place at the right time, and that's exactly what happened. Through her careful attention to the Berkeley market, she noticed a little gem that had fallen off people's radar. It was exactly what we had hoped to find: a three-bedroom house in the Berkeley school district with space for a garden, and lots of future potential. She joked that we shouldn't mention it to other clients because they'd all expect a miracle. We couldn't believe our luck, and she really was the person who made it happen. She moved quickly, got us into the home immediately, communicated directly with the listing agent, walked us through all the disclosures, and coordinated closely with our lender to put us in the strongest possible position. Putting our offer in happened very quickly (over the span of two days), and it was through Megan's professional connections and persistence that we successfully won against a competing last-minute bid. She negotiated tirelessly for more than 27 hours straight to make it happen for us. Needless to say, it was a stressful period, but Megan was communicative, hopeful, reassuring, and virtually held our hands through that nail-biting wait. On a beautiful Friday evening, we got the call: our offer was accepted. We were homeowners in Berkeley. As academics, we instantly recognized Megan as an expert in this area. She explained things in a way that made sense and has a remarkable handle on everything from the minutiae of Berkeley city ordinances to renovating historic homes. Basically, we felt supported through the whole process. She was patient with our questions and graceful about our lack of knowledge, never making us feel rushed or ignorant. That was quite an achievement, given how quickly the market moves here. To top it off, she has a real commitment to sustainability and green improvements and an understanding of how climate change will likely affect homeowners in the future. As much as anything, this long view is really what makes Megan special. She's not just trying to get you to buy the most expensive house as fast as possible. We never felt that from her. Instead, she created a relationship with us. It's because of that relationship that we have no doubt who we'll be working with if we decide to sell. We're already recommending Megan to everyone we know, so it's very easy to say it here as well.