Orinda Real Estate Agent

Working in Orinda from my Lafayette office

Orinda is right next door to the town where I live and work. I'm based at the Compass office at 3595 Mount Diablo Blvd., Suite 200, in Lafayette. From my Lafayette office, I work with buyers and sellers throughout Lamorinda, including Orinda and Lafayette.

My extensive experience representing sellers in Oakland and Berkeley is especially valuable to homeowners considering a move across the Caldecott Tunnel. I spent years working extensively in Oakland, Berkeley and the inner East Bay, so I understand both sides of a move I see frequently: selling an urban East Bay home and moving through the tunnel to Lafayette or Orinda. To learn more about me, see About Sarah.

What I look at in an Orinda home

When I walk an Orinda home, I look at the land as closely as the house.

Hillsides and access. Hillsides, slopes and decks affect how a property is used and maintained. I also think about how you reach the property, for you and for the buyers who tour it.

Vegetation. Mature trees and vegetation are part of both a property's appeal and its upkeep.

BART. Orinda has its own BART station, at 11 Camino Pablo, and for some buyers a home's relationship to it is part of the decision. I don't quote commute times, because they depend on the day and the destination.

Fire safety and insurance. Orinda is served by the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, which provides its own fuels-mitigation and fire-prevention standards and resources. I want sellers thinking about fire safety and insurance before going on the market, not after accepting an offer. I don't determine whether a property is insurable, and insurance companies have their own underwriting standards. Read more in Preparing Your Lafayette or Orinda Home for Sale: Where to Invest Before Listing.

Selling an Orinda home

If you're thinking of selling, I'd much rather walk through your home before you start making improvements. We can talk about what I would change, what I would leave alone and where your money would have the greatest impact. Sometimes I'll give you a list. Sometimes I'll save you from one.

Pricing in Orinda doesn't work like pricing in Berkeley or Oakland. East of the tunnel, particularly in Lafayette and Orinda, the list price generally sits much closer to anticipated market value, and buyers read that number differently. That's why I don't carry a formula from one side of the tunnel to the other. I start with the house. Read Pricing an East Bay Home: Why the List Price Isn't the Value. See also my four-step selling method.

Moving from Oakland or Berkeley to Orinda

If you own in Oakland or Berkeley and plan to use that equity to buy in Orinda, the sale of your current home, the financing of your next one and the timing of both need to work together.

Whether it makes sense to buy first or sell first depends on your financing, your comfort with risk, and the market conditions on both sides of the move. I help clients evaluate their options and build a realistic plan before they start looking.

Crossing the tunnel doesn't necessarily mean less competition. It means different competition. Read Selling in Oakland or Berkeley and Buying in Lafayette or Orinda: How to Make the Move. For what past clients have said, see my client reviews. If you're also considering the next town over, see my Lafayette real estate page.