Marin County, people, places, culture and real-estate
I am so excited to see construction has finally started on the Larkspur Trader Joe’s grocery store. The Marin IJ reports that the store is set to open in August.
The store will be located in the Cost Plus Plaza in Larkspur just off the 101 freeway. Yippee!
For Southern Marin Trader Joe’s fans, this will be a welcome change from fighting the traffic to San Rafael.
Can’t wait!
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The Academic Performance Index (API) scores for Marin County have been released. A score of 800 is the state’s standard for Academic Achievement. The Marin IJ reports that 1/3 of Marin schools score at 800 or higher. 15 Marin schools scored 900+, down from 18 Marin schools last year.  According to the IJ,
Tiburon’s Bel Aire Elementary School received Marin’s highest score with 947. Other top-scoring schools included Kentfield’s Anthony G. Bacich Elementary, Larkspur’s Hall Middle School, Mill Valley’s Tamalpais Valley Elementary School and Tiburon’s Del Mar Middle School, whose API score jumped 19 points from 914 to 933.
Many of Marin’s schools could not be scored because they now teach kids in grades K-8, which are not comparable on the state’s scoring system.
Visit the Marin IJ for the full story.
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As you may know, I am a board member at the Kentfield Schools Foundation. I am sitting in a hotel in Chicago and got an email from a fellow board member directing me to a letter to the parents in the school district. Even if you do not have kids in the Kentfield School District, the budget cuts to the school to the school still impact you. Part of the reason the property values in Kentfield and Greenbrae have not been hit as hard as other locations is because of our every very, very strong schools.
In May 2009, the average sales price in Greenbrae is down 18.4% over May of last year. In Kentfield, it was down 12.6%. In the same time period, home prices in neighboring San Anselmo were down 47.4%.
Families in our district pay a premium for homes to be in this fantastic and unique school district. It is exactly why I purchased my home in Greenbrae when I was pregnant with my daughter. The programs that make these schools strong are in jeopardy. In a letter on the Kentfield School District’s website, Kentfield Schools Foundation President Marita Daly says this:
The weak economy has created budget constraints beyond our District’s control. As enrollment continues to rise and funding shrinks, the enriched education we have provided for years is at risk. Our District has already made many budget cuts, which are listed on the District website. The Board of Trustees needs another $1.5 million in revenue to fund current programs that are integral to our schools and dear to our hearts. The state reduces its funding by the hour, so this number will certainly change.
We are asking that every family respond to make sure we are very clear about what you value, so that the Foundation may properly represent you. The future of our schools lies in our hands.
If you would like to make a donation to minimize the impact of these budget cuts on our schools and our community, you may make your donation here.
This market profile is a snapshot of what is happening in Mill Valley. Home prices remain flat this week. The number of Mill Valley homes for sale has trended up while the days on the market has trended down. The Mill Valley market action index remains flat and seems to have plateaued at this point.
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There are currently 174 homes* for sale in Mill Valley, California. There are 33 homes under contract. |
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| Median List Price | $1,295,000 |
| Highest Priced Home in Mill Valley (single family) | $6,500,000 200 Sarah Drive, Mill Valley |
| Lowest Priced Home in Kentfield (single family) | $474,900 278 Morningsun Avenue, Mill Valley |
| Asking Price per Square Foot | $616 |
| Average Days on Market | 130 |
| Percent of Properties with Price Decrease | 46% |
| Percent Relisted | 3% |
| Median House Size (sq ft) | 2,352 |
| Median Lot Size | 8,001-10,000 sq. feet |
| Median Number of Bedrooms | 3.3 |
| Median Number of Bathrooms | 2.5 |
| Market Action Index | 13- Cold! Buyer’s Market |
The Market Action Index answers the question: “How’s the Mill Valley Real Estate Market?” By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory. Index above 30 implies seller’s market conditions. Below 30, conditions favor the buyer.
Mill Valley Real Estate Market Data effective as of June 1, 2009. Data provided by AltosResearch and Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in. Download a sample report.
This market profile is a snapshot of what is happening in Kentfield. Home prices continue to trend down this week. The number of Kentfield homes for sale has trended up while the days on the market has trended down. The Kentfield market action index remains flat
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There are currently 44 homes* for sale in Kentfield, California. There are 5 homes under contract. |
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| Median List Price | $1,824,500 |
| Highest Priced Home in Kentfield (single family) | $9,995,000 126 Cypress Ave, Kentfield |
| Lowest Priced Home in Kentfield (single family) | $885,000 17 Laurel Grove, Kentfield |
| Asking Price per Square Foot | $719 |
| Average Days on Market | 86 |
| Percent of Properties with Price Decrease | 33% |
| Percent Relisted | 5% |
| Median House Size (sq ft) | 3,092 |
| Median Lot Size | 0.25-0.50 acre |
| Median Number of Bedrooms | 4.0 |
| Median Number of Bathrooms | 3.0 |
| Market Action Index | 13- Cold! Buyer’s Market |
The Market Action Index answers the question: “How’s the Kentfield Real Estate Market?” By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory. Index above 30 implies seller’s market conditions. Below 30, conditions favor the buyer.
Kentfield Real Estate Market Data effective as of June 1, 2009. Data provided by AltosResearch and Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in. Download a sample report.
This market profile is a snapshot of what is happening in Greenbrae. Home prices bumped up a bit this week. The days-on-market was flat at 115 days. Demand measured by the market action index is rising, indicating mildly positive conditions for the Greenbrae real estate market.
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There are currently 22 homes* for sale in Greenbrae, California. There are 6 homes under contract. |
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| Median List Price | $1,1987,000 |
| Highest Priced Home in Greenbrae (single family) | $3,495,000 30 La Cuesta, Greenbrae |
| Lowest Priced Home in Greenbrae (single family) | $840,000 265 Vista Grande, Greenbrae |
| Asking Price per Square Foot | $549 |
| Average Days on Market | 115 |
| Percent of Properties with Price Decrease | 28% |
| Percent Relisted | 0% |
| Median House Size (sq ft) | 2,232 |
| Median Lot Size | 8,0001-10,000 Sq Feet. |
| Median Number of Bedrooms | 4.0 |
| Median Number of Bathrooms | 2.3 |
| Market Action Index | 11- Cold! Buyer’s Market |
The Market Action Index answers the question: “How’s the Greenbrae Real Estate Market?” By measuring the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory. Index above 30 implies seller’s market conditions. Below 30, conditions favor the buyer.
Greenbrae Real Estate Market Data effective as of June 1, 2009. Data provided by AltosResearch and Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc. Are you a Marin real estate junkie? Sign up to receive very detailed real-time market reports in your email. Just register and let me know which neighborhoods you are interested in. Download a sample report.
Did you know that a strong credit score is still one of the leading factors lenders use in determining whether or not to issue a consumer credit? Staying on top of your credit score to make sure there are no inaccuracies or errors is important for consumers even if you aren’t anticipating taking out a loan anytime soon.
You can receive a free copy of your credit report once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com. This report will only show credit history, and not credit scores. To obtain a credit score, you can visit www.myfico.com.
To dispute an error, you should first should contact the lender that reported the information to the credit bureaus. Next, contact the credit bureaus using the numbers listed on the credit reports. This also can be done online at www.transunion.com, www.equifax.com, or www.experian.com. If the report is more than 60 days old, you should obtain a new report, which may have a new phone number. If the report was obtained from a third-party site rather than directly from the credit bureau, you may have to order a report from the bureau to begin the dispute process. It usually takes 30 to 45 days to resolve disputes, although simple factutal errors can take less time.
(Source: C.A.R.)
The economy shed 539,000 jobs in April, raising the 6-month total to nearly 4 million jobs lost.
And while the April data may look bad, it’s actually 10% better than what was expected.
As a result, it’s turning into a bad day to be shopping for mortgage rates.
After bottoming out early last week, conforming, 30-year fixed rate mortgages have risen in cost by as much as three-quarters of a percent. Today’s good-for-the-economy report may push costs higher still.
Now, it may seem odd to categorize 539-thousand lost jobs as “good-for-the-economy”, but it’s important to remember that on Wall Street, expectations are everything.
Investors are constantly buying and selling securities based on what they think will happen in the future. And, up until this morning, there was an expectation that 600-thousand jobs had been lost in April.
As it turns out — relative — the actual job loss data wasn’t so bad.
Now, markets are making adjustments and re-forming expectations of what’s ahead for the economy. They’re preparing for things like higher levels of consumer spending in the months ahead, and fewer home foreclosures nationwide. Both outcomes would help to spur the economy from recession.
This helps explain the stock market’s early rally, too.
For now, mortgage markets remain sensitive to whiffs of an economic recovery. In general, if there’s good news for the country, it going to be bad news for mortgage rates.
Mortgage rates are off slightly in advance of the weekend.
Last night I had the privilege of being the chairwoman of the Kentfield Schools Foundation’ss Gala Tombola Fundraiser and Auction- “Sevilla, a Saturday in Seville” – benefiting Bacich and Kent Schools.
More than 300 people came out to Mt. Tam Racquet Club in support of the Kentfield schools.
Even in a difficult climate, the event was a huge success. I wanted to take the opportunity to call out the amazing sponsors who generously contribute to this event and to the schools time and time again. The companies and families in this community truly help make the Kentfield School District exceptional.
The Mt. Tam Racquet Club was entirely transformed by Allegra Events’‘ amazing lighting and sound team. (Did I say- AMAZING?!) Chef Lisa Hines with Bella Luxe catering provided exceptional Spanish style cuisine with an inspired menu featuring Crema cabrales, gazpacho shots, paella and a scrumptious honey cake with crema Catalana sauce. Constellation Wines and O’Brien Estate Winery provided fabulous wines for the guests while Coca Cola provided waters and soft drinks.
John Polacheck Branding did an amazing job with our graphics and invitations with printing by Ace Printing. Bacich dad Johnny Grace did an exceptional job capturing the event with his beautiful and fun pictures. (Picture above by Johnny Grace)
Corporate underwriters included:
Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success!
