Berkeley home appraisals in 24 hours

Berkeley homes run from brown-shingle houses and Craftsman bungalows in North Berkeley and the Elmwood to West Berkeley cottages and hillside homes above the campus with long views of the Golden Gate. I value them after a parent dies, in divorces and for trust sales, often when heirs need a number before deciding whether to keep a house that's been in the family for decades.

What I look at in Berkeley

1. 1

   In the hills, I look at the path or stairs from the street, the view, the fire-zone status and the slope under the house, and I compare with hill sales, not flatland bungalows.

2. 2

   Many older Berkeley houses were divided into units or gained a back cottage over the years, so I check the legal unit count and whether a tenant is in place, since both change the buyer pool.

3. 3

   Brown shingles, original built-ins, leaded windows and old-growth redwood paneling carry weight here, so I note what's original and what has been replaced.

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