Choose Kindred Realty if you want real estate professionals who are invested in your success, not just the transaction. Our experienced, family-oriented team, backed by the #1 brokerage in the United States, excels at navigating Bay Area markets with keen insight and focused advice, giving you honest, hands-on guidance from the first day to closing day.
Clients often mention how approachable and responsive we are, explaining every detail and answering every question, even ones they didn’t know to ask. Whether you’re buying, selling, investing, or leasing, you can count on us for transparent, prompt communication, tailored strategies, and genuine support. We treat our clients like extended family and always advocate for your best interests, ensuring you feel confident and cared for across every step of your real estate journey with Kindred Realty.
To get you started, here are 3 of our favorites:
Experience why families flock to this part of Oakland
Explore some of the East Bay’s most unique homes, many with stunning views of San Francisco Bay
Discover the East Bay’s Undiscovered Community
See more curated neighborhood listings in the “BUY” tab at the top of our page
or personalize your search by clicking the button below:
At Kindred Realty, we understand that navigating
the real estate market can be overwhelming.
We provide expert guidance and support to help you make informed decisions and achieve your
real estate goals.
REAL STORIES
OF SUCCESS AND SATISFACTION
THROUGH EVERY TRANSACTION
When it comes to client satisfaction,
Kindred sits in the most elite tier
{TOP 1-2%}
amongst East Bay agents.
Instead of trying to time the market, start with your own situation. Ask yourself how long you plan to stay, whether your income is stable, whether you’ll still have cash reserves after the down payment and closing costs, and what monthly payment you’d be comfortable with. Our mortgage calculator, affordability calculator and rent-or-buy guide help you test those numbers. Then look at what’s happening in the neighborhoods you like on our live market data page, because conditions vary a lot from one East Bay neighborhood to the next. We’re glad to talk it through with you, with no pressure.
Most buyers choose among a few loan types: conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans for eligible veterans and service members, and jumbo loans for higher-priced homes. You can also choose between a fixed rate and an adjustable rate. The right fit depends on your down payment, credit and goals. A good lender will walk you through the options and the trade-offs. See our guide to choosing a lender and our preferred lenders for introductions.
A down payment can be as low as 3%, but 20% is more common and typically gets you the best rates. At 25% or more, buyers can in many cases consider waiving an appraisal contingency. In general, the higher your down payment, the more attractive your offer is to a seller.
Put down less than 20% and you’ll pay private mortgage insurance (PMI), which usually costs somewhere between 0.3% and 1.5% of the loan amount per year, depending on your credit score and down payment. Some lenders offer lender-paid PMI, which is built into a higher interest rate. Another option is an 80-10-10 piggyback loan, which avoids PMI with an 80% first loan, a 10% second loan and a 10% down payment.
As for closing costs, plan on about 2% to 3% of the purchase price for buyer closing costs in the East Bay. On an $800,000 home, that’s roughly $16,000 to $24,000. That range covers the lender’s fees, title and escrow, appraisal, recording and similar charges. Prepaid items like property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and a few months of escrow reserves are often counted separately, and including them can push the total closer to 3% to 4%. Buying down the rate with points would add to it.
The exact figure also depends on the loan type, the lender and whether the seller agrees to cover some of the costs.
Strong offers come from preparation: a solid lender pre-approval or, better yet, a pre-underwritten preapproval, clean terms, a realistic price, flexibility on timing when you can offer it, and fast, clear communication, with an agent who negotiates calmly and knows the local listing agents.
Contingencies are designed to protect you, and we do not recommend waiving them. It is a fact, though, that buyers who are comfortable waiving some or all of their contingencies tend to be the buyers who beat out the competition and are awarded the purchase contract.
To match neighborhoods to your budget, we start with what you want in a home and a commute, then narrow the search. Browse our neighborhood guides for Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Piedmont, Emeryville, Redwood Heights and Lincoln Highlands.
Look for an agent with real experience selling in your neighborhood, a clear plan for pricing and marketing your home, and honest advice, not just the highest price estimate to win your listing. Choose a local agent, not someone who lives and works outside your immediate area. Avoid using an agent just because a friend or relative used them.
Ask how they communicate, how they handle negotiations, and who will actually be working with you day to day. When you hire an agent who leads a large team, understand that you’ll likely be served by a less experienced individual.
Compare the agent’s reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Zillow. Read what past clients say on our client reviews page, and talk to more than one agent before you decide.
Selling typically follows these steps: a pricing conversation and market analysis, a full complement of professional inspections (home, pest, roof, and, where required, a private sewer lateral inspection), development of a recommended Scope of Work designed to fetch top dollar for your home, preparing the home by completing some or all of the items in the Scope, deep cleaning, staging, photography, listing and marketing, broker tours, open houses plus showings, offers, negotiation, inspections (if ordered by the buyer) and contingencies, and finally closing.
Seller costs generally include agent compensation, escrow and title fees, local transfer taxes (which vary by city and sale price), and any repairs or credits you agree to. Most agents provide professional photography, but not staging, so expect an expense there. Our preferred stager defers 50% of her payment to close of escrow, out of proceeds, which helps our sellers with cash flow.
Before you list, we prepare a personalized net sheet that shows your estimated proceeds at various sale prices, so you know what to expect. You can also try our home sale calculator.
Usually the best returns come from the basics: deferred maintenance, landscaping, fresh paint, clean and bright rooms, decluttering, professional staging and curb appeal.
Large remodels often don’t pay for themselves before a sale, although most buyers these days prefer a move-in ready home. They are especially picky about kitchens and bathrooms.
Every home is different, so we walk through yours, compare it to recent nearby sales, and suggest which projects are worth doing and which to skip. We have access to a deep bench of trustworthy vendors in every category and are happy to provide referrals.
Commissions are negotiable and are set in writing, not fixed by law. Once agreed upon by client and agent, they are memorialized in the applicable contract between the two parties. A buyer now signs a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, which spells out the agent’s compensation.
In the East Bay, most buyer’s agents ask for 2.5%, as does Kindred. In the majority of transactions, buyers ask sellers to cover their buyer broker fee, but again, this is fully negotiable.
We focus our seller clients on their net proceeds rather than offer price in order to evaluate any offer’s relative strength, as one offer might ask the seller to cover the buyer’s agent fee while another may not. We explain every term up front, in plain language, before you sign anything.
Jeff Weissman
(510) 303-5903
DRE #01882272
Mikayla Weissman
(510) 332-4378
DRE #02023006
Orr Harari
(510) 772-0239
DRE #02092814
info@kindredrealtors.com
801 Delaware St Berkeley, CA 94710
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the state of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628, 01527235, 01527365. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No Statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.
PRIVACY POLICY:
No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
