If you have ever exited highway 13 in Oakland and driven through the hills of Montclair, you have seen first hand why Montclair real estate is so desireable. Montclair was actually developed before Oakland was founded, although many of the homes are contemporaries now. The architecture in Montclair is a mix of contemporary, ranch homes, craftsman bungalows, shingled cottages and other types.



Montclair is home to several species of trees, but the eucalyptis is probably the largest and most prominent tree in Montclair. The price range of single family homes in Montclair ranges from the low 600's to multi million dollar homes. Snake and Scout road, Grizzly Peak boulevard and Girvin drive are some of the longest streets in Montclair. Many of the streets in these areas are very narrow, with homes perched on very steep hillsides which utilize pier foundations. Many are intimidated by these types of homes, because of the nature of the location. Many of the hills that these homes are built on are steep enough to spook anyone. People aften ask me "how do people live in those houses? Aren't they afraid of earthquakes?". At first glance you would think that would be an issue, and perhaps it would be with a large enough quake, but so far none of the recent (especially the 1989 Loma Prieta) earthquakes caused any severe problems for most homes on hillsides.

On the oher hand, the 1991 Oakland Hills fire did cause problems for homes in the Oakland Hills, but not necessarily Montclair. That fire was contained mostly to the Hiller Highlands and part of Broadway Terrace.