Blog by the bay
Marin County, people, places, culture and real-estate
Remodeling in the Bay Area? Federal Statute May Require a Certified Contractor
If you are considering doing remodeling work on your home before putting it on the market or for a general home improvement project, you may need to hire a “certified contractor”.   Effective April 22, 2010, contractors performing remodeling work on properties built prior to 1978 must be certified under a new federal statute. This new law impacts many Marin County and Bay Area homes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule becomes effective on Earth Day this year.
Rule Summary:
- Impacts remodeling and renovation projects disturbing more than six square feet of potentially contaminated painted surfaces for all residential and multifamily structures built prior to 1978 that are inhabited or frequented by pregnant women and children under the age of six.
- Requires a cleaning inspection after the work is completed
- Prohibits open-torch burning, use of high-heat guns and use of high-speed equipment such as grinders and sanders unless equipped with a HEPA filter.
- Establishes required lead-safe work practices, including posting warning signs for occupants and visitors; using disposable plastic drop cloths; cleaning the work area with HEPA vacuuming and wet washing; and individual certification through a training course.
Additional Information:
Photo courtesy of MyEastBayAgent.
Food Composting Coming to Marin
I got a notice from Marin Sanitary Service today that made me smile. Yes, I know that sounds strange.  Apparently, Marin Sanitary Service is finally bringing the county’s first food composting program to Marin. I was sad to see it won’t immediately impact where I live, but the program is being rolled out in stages. The program will start in the San Anselmo & Fairfax communities of Sleepy Hollow, Oak Manor, and Bolinas Ridge in April.
According to wikipedia, composting is the purposeful biodegration of organic matter such as yard and food waste. The Environmental Protection Agency says that composting can:
- Suppress plant diseases and pests.
- Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
- Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
- Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.
- Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.
- Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff.
- Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.
- Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies, where applicable.
Residents in Marin Sanitary Service’s pilot program will be able to put food scraps into their yard waste cans. For more information, call (415) 456-2601.
I am looking forward to seeing this program expand throughout Marin and beyond!
~Ginger
Worried About Earthquakes? Here’s How To Protect Your Household
Baja California was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake Sunday, a tremor felt as far away as Yuma, Arizona. It reminds us that natural disaster can strike anywhere, at anytime and we are particularly susceptible living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
You can’t stop Mother Nature, so your best defense is to be prepared.
A terrific resource for families in San Francisco and around the country is the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov, a website aimed at family, business and community disaster readiness. This includes defense against physical attacks, and as well as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and floods.
The Ready.gov website contains tips, notes and checklists, including the 3-minute “It Takes Just Three Steps To Get Ready For An Emergency” video featured above.
If you’ve never watched it, do it now. Then, test your home’s disaster readiness with this 10-question quiz. There’s no “passing grade” on the test but, via your own answers, you’ll see where your home has room for readiness improvement.
Disasters are unpredictable and most of us will face them at least once in our lives. Be prepared in advance, therefore. Protecting your household is simpler than you think.
Local resources:
Own a Piece of Fairfax History & Your Own Railroad
All aboard! A chance to own your own railroad in Fairfax.
[singlepic id=13 w=320 h=240 float=right] A slice of Marin history is coming on the market this week and as the saying goes, they really don’t make them like this anymore. If you were a kid living in Fairfax back in the 60s or 70s you may have ridden the Raccoon Gulch railway, a 7.5 gauge line that wound for about a fifth of a mile through train aficionado Gordon Adams’ property in Cascade Canyon. The home and grounds are soon to be up for sale, complete with tracks, tunnels and a mini locomotive. The property is listed by Fred Kusin with Frank Howard Allen Realtors.
I had an opportunity to preview this place last week. The two story, 4 bedroom house is relatively modest, but the the lot is pretty amazing–a beautiful, sunny, flat, tree-studded 1.8 acres or so bordered by a babbling creek. The property exemplifies the combination of quirky charm and natural beauty that makes Fairfax such a special place. If you happen to be a train fan you shouldn’t miss the chance to check it out. And if you rode the Raccoon Gulch line as a child, we’d love to hear your stories or see your pictures.
-George
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Photos and listing information for 475 Cascade courtesy of Fred Kusin and Frank Howard Allen Realtors.
Exploring Easter Events Around the Bay
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop:Â Fun events with kids!
The Bay is brimming with fun events for kids this weekend. Here are just a few. Feel free to add additional events in the comments!
San Francisco
The 19th Annual Union Street Spring Celebration & Easter Parade takes place on Sunday April 4, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm on Union Street between Gough & Steiner. The event is a fun and eclectic San Francisco tradition. The promo even mentioned roller blading cows!! The celebration features some of Union Street’s best restaurants serving attendees in an outdoor bistro setting along with a variety of activities including large inflatable bounces, kids’ rides and games, a climbing wall, a hands-on children’s activities area, costumed characters, a petting zoo, a pony ride and musical entertainment.Spring Eggstravaganza takes place on Sunday, April 4, 2010 from 11 am – 3 pm at Stern Grove. San Francisco throws a giant Easter celebration that’s kid-friendly but open to all ages. Egg hunts, carnival rides, arts and crafts, entertainment, food and giant inflatables will keep you busy. At Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. $5 admission. For tickets or more information, call (415) 831-2700 during business hours.
Big Bunny’s Spring Fling at the San Francisco Zoo takes place every day from now until April 4th from 11am to 3pm. All activities are free with paid Zoo admission and include live entertainment, bunnies to see and learn about from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (weather permitting), photo opportunities with a costumed bunny, crafts, and games to play. Additionally, the Zoo will offer one FREE child’s admission with one paid adult for kids ages 4 to 14 who bring along their favorite plush bunny.
Marin
Belvedere– Join the Easter bunny at the Belvedere Community Center’s Easter Bunny Brunch on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10 am-noon. The event includes brunch, crafts, face painting, music and of course, an Easter egg hunt! To purchase tickets, call the recreation office at (415) 435-4355 or visit the Belvedere Community Center website.
Corte Madera– The Corte Madera Parks & Recreation will be hosting a Children’s Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Corte Madera Town Park.   The hunt starts at 10am. For more info, call (415) 927-5073.
Fairfax- Fairfax hosts it’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bolinas Park Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10:00 am-12:00. Call 415-456-5652 for more information.
Mill Valley– The Strawberry Recreation District will be holding their Spring Faire on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 11:30am to 4pm at the Strawberry Recreation Center at 118 E. Strawberry Drive. The event features activities for children ages 1 to 8 and will include carnival games, prizes and an egg hunt. $5 admission per child. Call 383-6494 for more information.
Sausalito hosts their 30th Annual Easter Parade and Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, 2010 from 10am -2pm at Dunphy Park located on Caledonia Street and Bridgeway. The schedule of events includes:
- 10:00am – Parade led by the Easter bunny!
- 10:15am – Egg Hunt
- 10:30am – Live Music
- 11am – Easter Bonnet Contest- bring your craziest, creative and beautiful Easter bonnets.
San Anselmo– The San Anselmo Parks and Recreation holds an egg hunt on Friday, April 2 from 7:50 pm (don’t be late) for kids ages 8 and older at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. For kids under 7, check out the Children’s Egg Hunt at 11am on Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. Call (415) 258-4640 for more information.
Santa Cruz Area
Time for a Sunday drive? Consider heading down to Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains for the Eggstraordinary Egg Hunt III on Sunday April 4, 2010 at 2:00pm at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton. Kids take the steam train to Bear Mountain to hunt for thousands of chocolate candy eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny in a redwood forest and win prizes. Special Easter crafts and games for families and kids. Sounds like a blast!
Moving to Marin? Great Tax Credits for 1st Time Homebuyers
If you are first time home buyer considering moving to Marin County, now may be a great time to look at a home purchase. For a small window, home buyers may be able to qualify for both the Federal tax credit and the California tax credit, which could equal $18,000 for some home buyers.
The California Tax Credit
Governor Schwarzenegger extended the tax credit (AB 183) for home buyers in the state of California, providing $200 million for home buyer tax credits. The bill allocates $100 million for qualified first-time home buyers and $100 million for home buyers purchasing new construction.
Key Provisions of the California tax credit:
- tax credit is equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000
- taken in equal installments over three consecutive years
- purchasers will be required to live in the home as their principal residence for at least two years or forfeit the credit (i.e. repay it to the state).
- Must close escrow between May 1, 2010 and December 31,2010 OR be in contract by December 31,2010 and close before August 1, 2011
The Federal Tax Credit
The federal tax credit is available to both first time homebuyers and “step-up” buyers who have owned their current homes for 5 of the last 8 years.
Key Provisions of the Federal tax credit:
- tax credit is equal tof 10% of purchase price ($80,000 purchase = $8,000) to a MAXIMUM of $8,000
- if buyer has income taxes less than $8,000, the Federal govenment will ‘refund’ the difference to the buyer/taxpayer
(if the taxpayer owes $2,000 in taxes at year end; tax credit = $8,000; taxpayer/buyer will receive $6,000 refund) - must be in contract by April 30, 2010 and must close by June 30, 2010
A first time home buyer who gets into contract before April 30, 2010 and closes escrow between May 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010 may be eligible for both credits. With a significant inventory of homes available for sale in Marin, home buyers who move quickly may benefit.
Marin County Library Super Book Sale
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop:Â The Marin County Library (sort of)!
A weekend trip to the library is always a good excursion for us, but this weekend is even better if you are looking to make your book collection a little more permanent. The Marin County Library is hosting it’s 10th Annual Book Super Sale at the National Guard Armory in San Rafael this weekend. The sale features over 40,000 books with more than half that are not available in their regular bookshop and some children’s books with prices starting at $0.25. The sale is sponsored by Friends of the Marin County Free Libary
- When: Saturday & Sunday March 27 & 28th, 10am-5pm
- What: Marin County Library Book Super Sale
- Where: National Guard Amoriry
Directions to the armory:Â From highway 101, take North San Pedro Road exit. Turn left onto Civic Center Drive. Turn right onto Armory Drive and continue to far east end of parking lot.
- More Info: 415-892-0238 or the Marin County
The Marin County Public Library is a free library for the residents of Marin. It was founded in 1927 and has grown to eleven branches around Marin County. It is funded primarily by property taxes. The library provides great free resources like computers, free wireless, special programming for children, teens and seniors and study space for students. Nothing beats a good book, help support our libraries!
Image Courtesy of daviddaviddaviddaviddavid’s on Flickr
Existing Home Sales Flatten And Point To A Better Spring
As expected, Existing Home Sales fell in February, slipping 30,000 units versus January’s numbers. It’s the 4th straight month in which Existing Home Sales were lower, month-over-month.
An “existing” home is one that is previously owned and lived-in (i.e. not new construction).
Existing Home Sales peaked in November 2009, just as the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit was set to expire. Immediately thereafter, according to the National Association of Realtors®, monthly sales plunged 17 percent in December, then another 7 percent in January.
Comparatively, February’s dip is a modest 0.6 percent and is more in line with the pre-tax-credit Existing Home Sales trend. The real estate market is rediscovering its normal.
But “normal” may not last for long.
When the federal home buyer’s tax program was extended last year, the new rules stated that home buyers must be under contract for their new, respective homes on, or before, April 30, 2010 in order to claim up to $8,000 in federal money. That deadline is approaching and many markets –parts of Marin included — are experiencing a surge in buyer traffic as April 30 nears.
The Existing Home Sales data doesn’t reflect this new demand, nor the number of new contracts written. It only accounts for home closings and, in February, closings were down.
For today’s buyers, the market looks favorable. The federal tax credit is in place, mortgage rates stubbornly stick near all-time lows, and home prices are staying in check.
Existing Home Sales should gain through March and April, theoretically pressuring home prices higher. Consider acting sooner rather than later as interest rates are also expected to rise later this spring.
Sam’s Cafe on a Sunny Marin Day
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop:Â Sam’s Cafe!
With a gorgeous spring day and 80 degree weather, this weekend seems like a great one to spend outdoors. Looking to relax and enjoy the sunshine? You don’t have to go far! Visit downtown Tiburon and the landmark Sam’s Cafe along the Tiburon waterfront. This is one of my favorite spots to relax, sip a spicy bloody mary, and take in the sparkling waters of the San Francisco Bay and fantastic views of the San Francisco skyline and Angel Island. This place gets packed on a hot day with people coming over from San Francisco on the Tiburon ferry. Arrive early in the day if you don’t want to wait. The food isn’t Marin’s finest, but the awesome location and fantastic people watching make up for it. This is really the perfect place for a lazy Marin afternoon in the sunshine.
You can check out a live view from their sunny deck on Sam’s webcam.