About Us

The purpose of this blog is to provide essential real estate and financial guidance to Bay Area homeowner’s whose ambitions are to live in the home that is right for their family while at the same time fully funding their retirement, their children’s college education and paying for the high costs of living the SF Bay Area lifestyle.  Our readers tend to be top 5% household income earners ($150,000+), who endeavor to purchase homes that cost $750,000+ and are committed to using their income and assets to their fullest advantage.  Our commitment is to provide valuable philosophy, research, data and opinions to assist these ambitious Bay Area homeowners.

The content on this blog is composed or compiled for your convenience by Jeffrey T. Smith, Curt Van Emon and Mark Lederer and is for informational purposes only. The blog does not necessarily represent the opinions of Opes Advisors or Red Oak Realty. The information provided on this website should not be construed as offering legal, financial or other advice to be relied on by the reader to make or refrain from making any decision or to take any action. Financial Ambition Spacer 

Jeff Smith Bio PhotoJeffrey T. Smith

Jeff is the Marin County Branch Manager and a Financial Advisor for Opes Advisors, Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area financial services firm offering Asset Management, Mortgage and Financial Planning services. He has over 20 years of experience in Real Estate, Business and Finance. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Jeff is a Series 65 licensed Investment Advisory Representative and a Personal Finance Advisor® for the firm. He writes a monthly column for the Pacific Sun titled Focus On Finance and was appointed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors to the Strawberry Design Review Board in Mill Valley.Jeff lives in Mill Valley with his family.
 Katie and Mark LedererFinancial Ambition Spacer
Mark Edward Lederer

Mark Lederer has a degree in Design with and emphasis in Managerial Economics from UC Davis. After college, Mark soared into the bold world of high technology advertising as an Art Director for a well-known ad firm. Broadening his horizons, he earned a position designing for one of the East Bay’s most famous real estate advertising firms. Mark is a recognized innovator in real estate advertising and has pioneered highly successful award winning ad campaigns.In his first year as a Realtor, Mark teamed up with his wife Katie and now every year is honored as one of Red Oak Realty’s Top Producers. Visit us at http://www.katieandmark.com/