IRA Serkes is a local Realtor with RE/MAX Real Estate (www.berkeleyhomes.com) and a Certified Residential Specialist. He and his wife, Carol, specialize in helping home buyers and sellers throughout the East Bay. He is a founding member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and author of Nolo's How to Buy a House in California and Get the Best Deal When Selling Your Home -- San Francisco Bay Area Edition from Gabriel Publications. Serkes is also a graduate of Realtors Institute (GRI), a Certified Internet Real Estate Professional (e-Pro), a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and one of only 4,000 U.S.Accredited Buyer Representatives (ABR). Ilona Bray is an author and legal editor at Nolo, specializing in real estate, immigration law, and nonprofit fundraising. She is coauthor of Becoming a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Immigration Made Easy, Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home and numerous other top selling books. Bray's working background includes solo practice, nonprofit, and corporate stints, as well as long periods of volunteering, including an internship at Amnesty International's main legal office in London. She received her law degree and a Masters degree in East Asian (Chinese) Studies from the University of Washington. Bray also blogs on Nolo's Immigration Law Blog.