Comment Archives: stories: Special Sections: Year in Review
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
@Kahja: I think much of it is like graduating from high school and appealing to the colleges -- you need to be well rounded in your approach. You can't use just one resource, or one type of resource. Property management companies are good because I think that landlords that use them are probably more likely to have a better property, but you might see a higher rent as a result becuase they now have an added expense as a landlord and they might try to pass that cost on to you (as opposed to someone like myself who does it all myself). Truthfully, the best way is word of mouth. Go on Google groups and Yahoo Groups as there are many Oakland neighborhoods that have listservs where people (like me) are renting out our homes and looking for reasonable tenants. I prefer to find tenants this way although so far, the winners for me have been through Craig's List. Believe me, a landlord a good landlord who understands property management as a business will be willing to possibly lower the rent slightly or wait for you if you're moving from afar, for the RIGHT tenant. So don't let something discourage you whether it be price or the fact that they state they don't allow pets. Make the landlord feel comfortable that you are the right tenant (you will pay your rent, you have good credit, you have verifable income, you are a responsible home dweller) and they will work with you. That's what I'm currently doing with my next set of tenants although I will be losing one month's of income on the property.
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
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Re: “The Year Oakland Exploded”
Very well said, Leonard Raphael.
It does not take much to be wary of crime and with wealth, people can simply move to a lower crime area. Let's hope the City can turn the tide on crime just in time to sustain the positive energy and nurture it in Oakland.
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
I'll venture a guess - Christin's apartment was The Uptown? I would know because I lived there for a while (though i didn't know this person), and that's the story there.
While many people move to Oakland for "other reasons" the main reason was and continues to be overheated rent rates in SF dating back to the acceleration of tech boomlet 2.0/3.0 within the past couple of years. Nice restaurants don't hurt as a civic/apartment "amenity."
Re: “The Year Oakland Exploded”
i don't see Oakland's continuing problems caused by de-industrialization suburbanization. More likely Oakland has had serious urban economic shape since the 1920's except for a decade during WWII era when the boom lifted the city's ship.
Some of the same themes about Oakland primarily having an "image" problem also existed pre WWII.
Despite the Mayor repeatedly pointing to low wage paying restaurants or ten year old Pandora as a leading indicator of Oakland's imminent economic boom, its looking more like our growing into a more prosperous hip bedroom community for SF and SJ with great restaurants and bad schools and high crime. That model works for Brooklyn because that borough shares in the wealth of Manhattan and because the gentrifiers in Brooklyn are wealthy by comparison to Oakland gentrifiers. Brooklyn also has much lower crime than we do.
Serving as a bedroom community works for Orinda and Concord because they don't have our high proportion of poor residents who need costly services. Residential property, business, and sales tax receipts don't compare to big business tax payments. Residents cost more city services than daytime businesses.
So many booms and busts for us just since the 70's. Each time it seemed like we'd finally thrive and then another economic decline would hit us harder than SF or San Jose.
The cultural boom is a new factor.
Whether that leads to anything more than a more interesting place to live is a question.
Re: “The Flipping Frenzy”
I'm sad to hear that I'll have a market in 3-5 years of people needing to fix their overpriced homes that had cosmetic upgrades. Some of them may want to "do it right" the second time around....
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
Don't give all the credit to SF. I for one moved here because of the weather and proximity to work... as did many others.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news…
Re: “DJs May Be the New Rock Stars, But Success Has a Price”
Next time how about an article about a great up-and-coming local east-bay DJ/artist/venue? Rather than an article telling people what some of us (oldschool fans) have known for some time. It's always better to give props and maybe help someone who deserves it the press they deserve, rather than gripe about someone who's past their prime...
Re: “The Hottest Team in the 510”
The rumored dismantling of the A's isn't actually happenning. The team is still largely intact and poised to make another run. A few player have been lost but, for the most part, all the major contributors are still here. Oakland is not done yet!
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
Krista Miles, I'm currently in the planning phases of a move from Atlanta to Oakland in 2014, because my daughter will be graduating high school, and I decided to make a go of it on the West Coast...what do you think is the best way to go about finding a reasonably priced apartment? I know property mgmnt companies are always good, but some cities favor local publications or Craigslist...what do you think?
Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
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Re: “Rent Prices Soar in Oakland”
It's interesting that rents are increasing but it's still hard to find a good tenant! I keep a fair price (not market value) for my SFR rental in East Oakland, hoping to get good tenants. I feel like I'm a great landlord and I offer extra things that other landlords don't with my property, but I continually get poor quality tenants. The flip side to all this is that those moving to Oakland need to truly "understand" Oakland to live in it. Despite being in a neighboring city like SF, they don't seem to realize the challenges we have with crime and then end up moving out because of it. Frustrating for all, as far as I'm concerned.
Re: “The Flipping Frenzy”
Good luck to the lovely couple - one New Yorker believes they will find the home of their dreams!!
Re: “What's Next for Occupy?”
Excellent analysis as always, John. Nice work.
Re: “What's Next for Occupy?”
it is not just the youth, but the youth are involved in more youthful activities such as staying outside in the cold, while the homeless seek them out for camaraderie and food, and in spite of the police dropping of mental patients to them fresh out of the hospital, some of whom are schizophrenic. The older groups 40,50 and 60's are filling up the committees and doing a lot of leg work with the young people. Why do you not see there are more people marching than living at the vigils? It is a much larger movement than it appears.
Re: “What's Next for Occupy?”
It seems to me that Occupy would be best to facilitate some new forms of democracy rather than trying to be just another "same-old" player, ala the Tea Party. If government is run by money, use the system against itself by collecting internet contributions designed to DEFEAT the worst of them-- after all, negative politics is easier and will get noticed-- suppose OWS took up a collection and used it to produce TV ads designed against Mayor Bloomberg's or Quan's reelections? Other mayors would then think twice about messing with OWS. Or campaigns for finance reform or targeting it's opponents. The 99% could become it's own "moneyed interest" by focusing many small contributions.
Re: “Weed Whacking California”
The prohibitionists are totally driven by FEAR.Fear that their ENTIRE grounds for BEING-are based on lies and mis-information.Fear that their entire industry is evaporating.
Re: “The Year Oakland Exploded”
Len, "bad schools" is simply not true for all Oakland schools anymore. There are many many good schools too. Oakland's Middle Schools are improving and as they reach a certain level they will create a transformative pipeline that will have a snowball effect.
This means more students staying in OUSD all the way, and more families staying in Oakland. Especially if Oakland can solve its crime problem too.
The Middl Schools are following the Elementary Schools and getting a lot better.
We're not quite the next Brooklyn, but we're very very close.