Volume 44, Don't Miss the Forest for the Trees!

There are currently 22 active listings in Piedmont, making this week's total the high point in 2008 thus far. Ranging from a low of $899,000 to a high of $5,600,000, there seems to be a home for every budget.

Let's begin with Angela Grubb's latest visual treat on King Avenue. This home tells two stories. From the outside, it's an unassuming gray-shingle abode, but inside, it reveals a modern, daring and sophisticated 2-story contemporary that offers 6bdrms/6bths, level entry with wet bar, formal living and dining rooms, library, family room, study and massive chef's kitchen. With a large open floor plan that surprises and delights at every corner, this unassuming façade is really a transplanted New York Penthouse (sans Central Park) complete with breathtaking floor to ceiling glass walls looking out onto a beautifully landscaped level garden with built-in pool! One-of-a-kind? I suspect so. Exquisite? Absolutely! To see photographs, click on

www.Grubbco.com For Mid-Century Modern, check out Glen Alpine Road. This 4bdrm/3bth home offers the complete California lifestyle with large open floor plan and backyard featuring a paddle tennis court (think trikes, bikes and basketball hoops!). Just up the street from Hampton field, it's a terrific location and perhaps, this week's best value!

Not every home is worth the climb, but make an exception for 95 Oakmont Avenue. Work your way up the brick stairs and you will find a charming and elegant 4bdrm/3bth multi-level home with vaulted living room ceiling, formal dining room, remodeled kitchen, secluded brick patio and lush landscaping. It's a little bit of Italy right here in Piedmont. (Now all you need is an olive orchard or two!) Bellisamo!  Perhaps my favorite home this week sits in Upper Rockridge on Amy Drive. This impeccably Smart and Sophisticated 4bdrm/2bth Prairie Style Beauty, featuring open floor plan, chef's kitchen, and family room leading to lovely garden and patio is a winner! Remodeled from top to bottom, it's truly a "turn-key" home in a charming neighborhood. (Make sure you ask for the Fortuny chandelier when negotiating your offer!)