East Bay real estate

East Bay real estate

"The average squatter," says James Jacobs, "has no melee experience." No familiarity with katana swords or other bladed weaponry. No training in kendo, iaido, or other martial arts. If anyone knows the typical combat background of a squatter, a person living in a home illegally, it's Jacobs. He runs a company called ASAP Squatter Removal, offering do-it-himself eviction services to property owners throughout the Bay Area.

The dilapidated Hilltop Mall on Richmond's northside is poised for a major makeover but city leadership, staff, nearby residents and the property owner are still divided on what exactly it should be. A draft of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan, a regulatory planning document meant to guide the development of 143 acres of Richmond land, was presented to the City Council Tuesday and drew support from community members who want the city to dream boldly, and pushback from others who think its vision is unrealistic.

The 1,787-square-foot property, built in 1975, was sold on Aug. 7, 2025 for $2,575,000, or $1,441 per square foot. This single-story house boasts a generous living space with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house features a single parking spot, providing a designated area for vehicle parking. The lot of the unit covers a substantial area of 6,000 square feet.

New residences and apartment houses having an estimated cost of $2,869,724 today adorn the artistic hills north of the University campus which two years ago this afternoon were swept by a conflagration causing a $10,000,000 loss, the Gazette reported. Within these dwellings are furnishings far exceeding the personal property losses of the great fire. Berkeley has rehabilitated itself (in) another year there hardly will be left a trace of the terrific blow which fairly staggered the inhabitants of this college community but failed to stop its forward steps.

WALNUT CREEK An apartment complex with hundreds of units near the Walnut Creek BART station has been bought for less than its assessed value in a sign that values for multifamily residential properties are drifting lower. Waymark, a residential hub that was built in 2020, has been bought for $190 million, according to documents filed on Aug. 29 with the Contra Costa County Recorder's Office. Waymark, a 358-unit apartment complex at 101 Pringle Avenue near the BART station in downtown Walnut Creek.

"Oakley's story makes me wonder what else might be possible in the Bay Area, where stability feels impossible for many. Her story illuminates the cruelty of a system that punishes those who lose their housing. Years of homelessness, addiction and structural barriers made Oakley - the most determined unhoused person I've reported on - a long shot. She did nearly everything right - sobriety, training, work, service - and still needed luck and the kindness of strangers."